This proposal speaks to OCLS’s anticipated role in providing a suite of cost recovery, value-added services that support the colleges participating in the Page 1+ Consortium. The focus of this service cluster is on contract management and aspects of central system support that are aimed at helping to leverage the consortial value of a shared library services platform without duplicating support and services already provided by ExLibris.
We anticipate that this suite of cost recovery services will be defined and developed further in consultation with the Page 1+ Steering Committee and the participating college libraries.
Rationale
OCLS has a long history of providing centralized services and support to the members of the Sirsi Consortium. We propose to bring that experience and knowledge to support the Page 1+ Consortium.
Proposed services in this cluster emerged from initial consultation with ExLibris, the Project Management Office and other consortia. The proposal is also drawn upon the experience that OCLS has from over a decade of facilitating the work of the Sirsi consortium and is designed with the expectation that some libraries may require additional support as they fully implement and begin to use the software.
In line with the Page 1+ Consortium’s strategic goals for leveraging collaborative activities for efficiency and cost savings, OCLS’s value-added services and activities will:
Provide the advantage of central coordination to leverage consistency and efficiency across the Consortium
Streamline system support and administration activities
Leverage longstanding partnerships with Ontario college libraries to deliver customized services
Reduce duplication of work by individual colleges for the benefit of Page 1+ Libraries
Facilitate collaborative initiatives through the support of a shared system
Cost Recovery Service Activities - Contract and System Support
Although services, activities and priorities may shift as we move forward, the OCLS Activities table outlines the high-level activities that OCLS recommends be part of its value-added services.
OCLS will be responsible for these activities.
Maintain and monitor the centralized contracts & provide financial management services.
Maintaining a custom package branding template that colleges can use in Primo VE. OCLS can create and maintain a central discovery template that can be used as the basis for further college customization. In this way copies of the original custom package will be preserved and accessible to all colleges instead of on local desktops. In addition, any consortial discovery branding decisions can be supported and distributed through the shared system as opposed to external systems such as the display and placement of the Page 1+ logo and decolonized text.
Review product updates, perform testing in sandbox, coordinate testing with colleges, report to and roll out to participating colleges
Support and maintain configurations of Alma Institution Zones and IZ Primo VE instances on behalf of individual colleges.
Some colleges may not have the staff capacity or expertise to make configuration changes in their IZ or Primo VE instance. OCLS, by request, can make those changes on behalf of the college.
For example:
configuring loan, booking and request policies
configuring changes to how links, items and holdings display in Primo VE
self-check kiosk integration
troubleshoot an issue with Ex Libris while college library staff can focus on other tasks
college library staff who do not have capacity to do preliminary research on a function in Alma or Primo VE, ask OCLS to figure it out, in some cases test in Sandbox and implement
This builds capacity and expertise across the consortia with staff who are positioned to develop and share that knowledge and expertise for all members big and small to benefit. The work can also be replicated across IZs when recommended by CLO and requested by individual members.
Support Page 1+ consortial analytics activities including providing NZ and IZ specific support
It is possible to create reports containing information from the Network Zone and to share reports created in the Network Zone. OCLS can be responsible for configuring analytics for the network zone, identify existing reports in the Alma Analytics Community Folder that can be used by Page 1+ libraries, create and maintain shared reports as needed, or assist individual colleges in the creation of reports for their own purposes.
For example:
Identify statistical data required by CLO Annual Survey that can be collected in Alma, create Alma Analytics reports, automatically send reports to the CLO Metrics and Assessment Committee (so colleges don’t need to manually fill in related data for CLO stats).
Configure Analytics to display Network Zone information to colleges (so colleges can access Network Zone reports and e-inventory information).
Identify existing reports in the Analytics Community folder that can be used by colleges.
Help colleges with their questions about Analytics.
Assist colleges in the creation of reports/dashboards.
Assist colleges in creating sets for jobs using Analytics.
Create reports as needed in the Network Zone and share them with colleges.
Troubleshoot and resolve colleges’ Analytics problems.
Liaise with Ex Libris on colleges’ Analytics problems when OCLS cannot resolve them.
Facilitate a working group to identify analysis needs on an ongoing basis, address common problems, explore tools and resources, and improve Analytics knowledge and skills
Out of Scope Activities
Fix synchronization issues between Alma and Analytics
Oversee and manage the Page 1+ Alma Sandbox and the LIT program Alma Sandbox
Sandboxes are the Alma/Primo VE test environments. Library staff and OCLS may use these sandboxes for training and experimenting with different configurations or integrations. OCLS can manage these sandboxes and develop guidance on how the Page 1+ colleges can use the Alma and Primo VE sandboxes.
For example,
Develop sandbox policies and procedures
Manage testing credentials in sandboxes
Manage Developer Network credentials for sandboxes and create API keys for the sandbox environments on demand
Review and test new releases and enhancements in the sandbox environments and introduce them to colleges
Manage the refresh of sandboxes. This includes requesting the refresh, requesting extra features to be turned on as needed, and testing after the refresh
Resolve sandbox problems as identified
Assist colleges with LIT program training. This may include creating accounts, assigning roles, troubleshooting, and data cleanup
Coordinate with LIT program training colleges to manage sandbox refresh
Out of Scope Activities
Perform testing in sandboxes for colleges
Remove college-created testing data
Restore college-created testing data
Retain college-created testing data during the sandbox refresh
Provide consultation and support that is unique to the colleges and the shared Page 1+ system.
OCLS is the expert on the Page 1+ consortium, it’s consortial services, and shared data that are embedded in the system (eResource Management, Remote Access, CLEAR, Metadata Management, the Network Zone). With this customized expertise and admin access to the NZ and IZs, OCLS is in a unique position to provide hands-on support to the colleges.
For example:
Assist in troubleshooting an issue or a question that requires familiarity with consortial decisions and shared services.
Compare system settings and provide examples of what other colleges have done (ex: what language have other colleges used in their letters).
Further research and identify issues that can be resolved with OCLS support or a consortial initiative.
Formulate questions for Ex Libris.
Troubleshoot an issue to determine if the issue is OCLS service-related or is an issue for ExLibris to address.
Out of Scope Activities
Escalate a support ticket with Ex Libris.
Coordinate, support, and facilitate committees, working groups and Communities of Practice (COPs).
OCLS is in a position to act as a strategic resource in support of consortial decision-making and planning. In this way, we avoid duplication of effort and leverage the advantage of OCLS support of both consortia and college efforts.
For example:
When the consortia has made decisions that impact IZ configurations not covered by ExLibris documentation, OCLS will support communication, and share expertise and knowledge.
OCLS can also manage documentation that is shared across colleges such as a consortial “List of Suppressed Terms” and instructions on how to implement the list in a college Primo VE.
OCLS can prepare meeting agendas, minutes, reminders of action items.
OCLS intends to develop detailed service descriptions for each of these activities. The descriptions will outline aspects of the proposed service, its alignment and value to the Page 1+ Consortium and, how we propose to deliver it. Ultimately, once accepted, the service descriptions will form the basis of a Service Level Agreement between OCLS and the members of the Page 1+ Consortium.
Dependencies:
In order for OCLS to provide these services, colleges need to commit to the following:
Consult with OCLS on services and priorities
Consult with OCLS on the costing and cost allocation model
Agree in principle that not all services will be needed by all colleges, but that for the long-term benefit of the consortium all colleges will pay their share of the agreed upon suite of cost recovery services
Access Requirements:
In order to perform these services OCLS will need:
Admin access to college’s IZ Alma and Primo VE instance
Credentials or guest access to college SSO in support of their Primo VE instance
Proposed Funding Model
The identified funding model represents OCLS’s best effort at determining how the costs to provide proposed services will be covered.
OCLS intends to observe and consult with the colleges during the first year of service provision to ensure the development of a funding model that will best suit college library needs.
Centrally funded:
Cost recovery: incorporated into annual Page 1+ Consortium fee schedule