[Web4lib] Announcing OCPL Techs UP! Blog

[Deborah Bendig]

(Cross-posted to PUBLIB, Web4lib)
 
For those of you interested in watching the adventures of the Onondaga
County Public Library (OCPL) staff as we gear up our library system for
the 21st century, please check out our Blog at
http://ocpl-techs-up.blogspot.com/.
 
As you'll see in the 2nd post
(http://ocpl-techs-up.blogspot.com/2007/02/adventure-begins-or-continues
-really.html), we're implementing quite a few changes and new services
this year, either system-wide, or for our Central Library and city
branches:

*	Moving to Microsoft Exchange Server (for email), replacing a
dying SquirrelMail email service for the OCPL staff and some suburban
libraries
*	Implementing WebFeat federated search engine, which will allow
our users across the system to search the databases to which the library
system subscribes, plus the library catalog, local not-for-profit
educational and cultural heritage websites with a single search, using
our visual search tool - AquaBrowser software from TLC. 
*	Replacing the remaining "green screen" terminals with PC
workstations across the system in anticipation of migrating to our new
integrated library system 
*	Implementing a PC reservation and public printer control system
(EnvisionWare) for public PCs at the Central Library and city branches 
*	Implementing Microsoft SharePoint, to allow us to create an
intranet/extranet for system-wide use. 
*	Migrating from Classic Dynix to the Polaris Library Systems'
Polaris Integrated Library System, targeted for October 2007.

The "continues" portion of the title of that post refers to activities
of the recent past as we recreated/rewired our technical infrastructure
to support significantly increased bandwidth, added a "digital catalog"
of downloadable audio books, music and eBooks from OverDrive,
implemented public wireless service in the Central Library and the city
branches, and added the visual search tool (a.k.a. TLC's AquaBrowser) as
an interface option to our library catalog
(http://visual.onlib.org/aquabrowser/).
 
This Blog was the idea of OCPL's executive director, Dr. Joyce Latham,
and has been well received by staff curious about/concerned with these
changes.  It's intended for our staff, our stakeholders (including the
public), and anyone else interested in OCPL, these products, or library
implementation projects in general.
 
Comments (and advice!) are welcome at any time...
Deb Bendig
 
Deborah L. Bendig
Systems Librarian
Onondaga County Public Library System
The Galleries of Syracuse
447 South Salina Street
Syracuse, NY 13202-2494
Phone:  315-435-1843
Email:  dbendig at onlib.org
<http://mail.onlib.org/newmail/src/compose.php?send_to=dbendig%40onlib.o
rg> 
Website:  http://www.onlib.org <http://www.onlib.org/>