SWAN ILS Search Committee Meeting

Quick recap

The meeting focused on reviewing and discussing the RFP document for a new ILS, with a particular emphasis on Section 11, which covers system functionality. Aaron led the group through various sections, including authentication, web-based interfaces, mobile staff access, patron privacy, and product development processes. Participants like Hubbell, Melissa, Brittany, and Cynthia Romanowski shared comments and suggestions on specific questions, such as barcode validation, accessibility, and cataloging workflows. The group discussed the benefits of moving to a web-based system for security, accessibility, and ease of use. They also touched on the scoring matrix that will be used to evaluate vendor proposals. The conversation ended with plans to continue the review in future sessions.
 

Next steps

Aaron

• Follow up with attorneys regarding sole source and other legal questions and share answers with the group.
• Send out calendar appointments for the in-person scoring meetings on January 12th and 13th.
• Clean up the 2013 scoring matrix comments before the next discussion.

Brooke

• Review the RFP with her staff, including Jenny Cuevas, and leave comments.

Collaboration

• SWAN staff: Review and tweak RFP questions based on the comments discussed during the meeting.
• SWAN staff: Update the RFP to include/expand the question about multi-factor authentication (MFA) for administrative functions.
• SWAN staff: Update the RFP to include a question about whether the system supports a "back button" or "tracker" functionality for staff browsing history.
• SWAN staff: Update the RFP to include a question about the ability to customize field labels and terminology (e.g., "delinquent").
• SWAN staff: Update the RFP to include a question about the level of permissions for merging and unmerging records.
• SWAN staff: Update the RFP to include a question about whether the vendor uses SWAN's general data (not just patron data) to train AI models.
• SWAN staff: Review and potentially modify the vendor access policy to include clauses regarding AI.

Summary

RFP System Requirements Review

The team reviewed Section 11 of the RFP document, focusing on system functionality requirements including web-based vs. client-based systems, multi-factor authentication, single sign-on capabilities, and privacy considerations. They discussed the benefits of moving to a browser-based system, including improved security through encrypted connections, better performance, and enhanced accessibility features. The group also addressed concerns about user management in a consortium environment, data privacy and AI usage, and product development processes including customization options and enhancement workflows. Key action items included reviewing and refining the RFP questions based on feedback, with SWAN staff planning to update the questions after the meeting to better capture the needed requirements.

UI Navigation and Barcode Validation

The team discussed functionality for browsing history and navigation in staff client interfaces, with participants agreeing on the need for a back button or place marker feature that could show the last 5-10 interactions. They debated whether this should be categorized under accessibility or usability, ultimately deciding to combine these sections into a broader UI section. The group also reviewed questions about barcode validation options and field formatting requirements, particularly regarding pattern recognition and flexibility for non-traditional barcodes, with participants noting the need to balance standardization with practical library needs.

Library System Requirements Review

The team reviewed sections on patron record management and loan rules, with Hubbell confirming these sections were comprehensive and well-covered. Cynthia Romanowski presented cataloging requirements including data extraction methods, bulk importing capabilities, template creation, MARC record validation, and duplicate detection features. The group agreed to meet again next week and scheduled two dates in January (January 12th and 13th) for further discussions, including a scoring matrix review that Aaron will prepare in advance.