OPAC/Gateway Configuration Group
Notes from the December 13, 1999 meeting

Attending: Lynn Brown, Karen Calhoun, Elaine Engst,Tom Gale, Philip Herold, Fred Muratori, Pat Schafer, Ed Weissman

1) Miscellaneous issues
a) Documentation: we are still awaiting the appointment of a new member who will serve as our documentation specialist and liaison to the Documentation Subcommittee of IRPC. [Following the meeting, Philip reported that Lance Heidig had been appointed. Welcome Lance.]
b) Design issues: we are awaiting the appointment of a new member who will serve as the group's design expert. [Following the meeting, Ed reported that Noni Vidal had been appointed. Welcome Noni.]
c) HTML/CGI scripting: Tom, Fred, Philip and Ed have been granted access to the WebVoyage directories on library7. This allows them to modify the OPAC configuration directories so that we can now begin configuring the test database OPAC (see item 2.)

2) OPAC Configuration Decisions We reviewed the sample design configuration of the Web Voyage search screen (Decision inventory item #3) that Philip and Tom created. Among the issues we discussed were:
a) eliminate some of the small buttons across the top of the screen. The fewer buttons the better.

-- since the "Return to titles" and"Return to headings" buttons can not be used until there are individual records displayed, we will try to remove them from the initial screen and display them only on the screens when they can be used.
-- remove the "Remote" button. We'll continue pointing to networked resources via the Gateway's Networked Resources page. Networked Resources can also be accessed directly from WebVoyage making this button less important. (In text-based Notis, OPAC users have to copy URL's and paste them into their browsers when they locate a networked resource in the catalog. In WebVoyage, they can link directly from within the catalog.)
-- remove the "Exit" button
-- remove the "About CU Library" button. Instead, have a button pointing back to the Home page/Gateway.
-- make "New search" the first button.
-- merge the two "patron" buttons ("Patron login" and "Patron info"), if possible.

b) change the big buttons
-- change the button "builder search" to "guided search" and change "heading search" to "author/tiles/subject search"

c) make the search box visible without scrolling
d) move the "help" text below both the search box and the "set limits" and the set "records per page" boxes.
e) coordinate the design motif and logos as much as possible with the Library Home Page and Gateway design motif and logos

Tom and Philip will incorporate as many of these changes as possible for our next meeting (January 3). Fred will create a sample WebVoyage "Introductory page" (Decision inventory item #2), based on Penn's introductory page, for review at our January 3 meeting. [Fred distributed to the Team the URL for this page on 12/14]

3) Integration of Library Gateway Networked Resources Catalog into Voyager
Based on a report from Tom on his investigation into WebVoyage, we agreed to recommend to the Implementation Management Team and Steering Committee that the Library Gateway Networked Resources Catalog NOT be integrated into Voyager THIS SPRING. It will require a major effort to migrate all of the existing Gateway Catalog functionality into WebVoyage and there is more than enough to do to configure and implement the OPAC. Philip will draft our recommendation and distribute it to the Team for review. Tom will continue his investigation so that we can report on what it will take to accomplish this integration in the future.

4) Next Meetings
Monday, January 3, 3:00-5:00 pm in 106 Olin.
Wednesday, January 12, 8:30-10:30 am in the Mann Library Conference Room
Wednesday, January 19, 3:00-5:00 pm in 106 Olin Library

We intend to present for comments a "preliminary edition" of CUL's WebVoyage OPAC at the January 24 IRPC meeting.