Notes of the IMT Reporting WG Meeting, Dec. 3, 1999

Present: Susan Currie, John Saylor, Linda Westlake, Ed Weissman, Lydia Pettis, Karen Calhoun

1. Karen and Lydia reported on their meeting with Diane Hillmann to discuss the cataloging reports. We went over the existing NOTIS reports and the reports we anticipate being able to get from Voyager (both 98.1 and 99.1). We concluded that the Voyager-supplied reports will be adequate for catalog management's needs when we first bring the system up. After that, we anticipate the need for numerous custom reports to support catalog management and authority control. Carol Tavelli is the contact person for TSSU. She should have the ODBC drivers installed on her machine, as well as Access 97 (if she doesn't have it already), and we should be sure to include her in Access and Voyager reporting training.

2. Lydia and Amy Blumenthal are installing the ODBC drivers, which allow connections to the data tables and views in the Voyager database, on staff machines where they are needed. We agreed that John, Linda and Ann Augustine, Ed, and Susan Currie (and perhaps others--names to be supplied to Lydia via e-mail) should have the ODBC drivers installed on their computers or on particular staff members' computers. Following installation, Lydia will provide brief instructions to help the person get started linking to Voyager tables with Access. Lydia had installed the drivers on Karen's machine the day before. Thanks to Lydia's help, Karen had produced a preliminary report of the authors and titles of new and updated records in the training database, by operator, from Nov. 10 to the present. It took only a few minutes to produce this report, which represents a first step toward being able to generate cataloging statistics from Voyager activity over time.

3. Master list of NOTIS and Voyager-supplied reports. Everyone has supplied a list from their functional areas; Karen agreed to produce a master list and distribute it to WG members. Such a list may be helpful for gathering information from Voyager report and notice end-users.

4. Lydia, John and Karen have been asked to give an introduction to Voyager reports and notices at the next General Selectors meeting, now planned for January or February.

5. Microsoft Access 97 or Access 2000? In response to questions from the group, Lydia explained that while Access 2000 can be used to view Voyager data tables, the tables themselves are Access 97 tables. Voyager tables should never be converted from Access 97 to Access 2000 tables. After discussion, the group decided it would be best to recommend to those planning Voyager-related training that we train CUL users on Access 97.

6. How to conduct information gathering sessions? In an earlier WG meeting we had divided up the work of interviewing CUL users of reports and notices to determine their needs. At this meeting we agreed on the details of how to arrange and conduct the meetings. We agreed that Lydia should be invited to all meetings to assist with supplying information and answering questions. It was agreed that Ed and Lydia should go to IRPC and the Council of Librarians to gather information pertaining to OPAC reporting needs after 99.1 is up. Lydia is attending an Access Services meeting, and she plans to accompany John to a Humanities Team meeting this month. She also plans to meet with Linda and Ann to gather more insight into accounting report needs. Accounting is likely to need some custom (i.e., non-Voyager-supplied) reports by day 1 of the new LMS. Others agreed to begin arranging and holding meetings with the appropriate stakeholders. As meetings are arranged and held, it was agreed that we would keep the Reporting WG informed.

7. Lydia agreed to do a demonstration of linking to Voyager views and data tables using Access at a future Reporting WG meeting. (Aside: Lydia can you do this at our January 7 meeting?)

8. In light of IMT's likely decision to move to Voyager 2000 by the end of the summer, we discussed beginning to develop CUL custom reports in Voyager 2000, rather than in 99.1.

9. CUL Staff Training. We discussed options for training CUL staff on the Voyager Reporter client, on Access and Voyager packaged reports. Training on Reporter should be part of Voyager functional training (Reporter is used to produce standard notices, e.g. purchase orders). To help those with a need to run and print packaged reports, we agreed that it would be beneficial to offer some sections of "Intro to Access" followed by one or more sessions led by Lydia, to introduce CUL staff to interacting with Voyager database views and tables using Access.

10. Next Meeting. To allow WG members time for installing the ODBC drivers, experimenting with Access and Voyager data tables, and arranging/holding staff meetings, there will be no further meetings in December. The next WG meeting will be January 7. There will be no meeting January 14 (ALA Midwinter).

Notes prepared by KSC