2023-07-25 - Consortia SIG Notes

Entire meeting

Open DCB (Presentation)

Ian Ibbotson, Tim Auger

• Started out building a system using ISO for resource sharing and were interested in MOBIUS’ RFP because of its : 

  • High resource sharing volume

  • Consortium of different types of libraries

  • MOBIUS’ original system was homogeneous — all the libraries were on Sierra

    • New system will be between multiple ILS 

• Open DCB premise: : resource sharing is more like circulation between libraries than ILL

  • Creating a virtual library of ALL patrons and items across all the network

  • Sharing books between patrons, not between libraries 

    • Remove the ’negotiation’ between libraries regarding patrons borrowing materials

    • Library serves as the identity verifier for a patron

  • Lending and borrowing libraries are not always where the patron picks-up or drops-off a material

  • Libraries want to work within the ILS / interface to circulate materials and not introduce a new one

  • RTAC response time is important to creating a rich interaction with patrons

  • Works in parallel with a traditional ILL service

• Work done thus far :

  • Inter-operability piece with Sierra

    • Can pull items, place holds, and create virtual items in Sierra

      • Some libraries are staying in Sierra while others going to FOLIO

      • Important to do first 

  • Uses UUID 5 and keeps same UUID for a bib going forward

  • Uses Gold Rush's key and 2-phase approach for clustering

    • Actively working on de-duplication of bibliographic records

  • Next challenge: borrowing system is a Sierra system and lending is a FOLIO system

• Future plans : 

  • Extend to include other networks with algorithms on if something is in-network/out-network and which way is faster

    • Example: integrate with partners like Prospector

  • Implement lender-of-last-resort capability

  • Integrate software with other ILS than Sierra & FOLIO

    • Will expand as requested by libraries

  • Explore implications and opportunities for collaborative collection development & management 

• MOBIUS

  • Discovery layer will be EBSCO's Locate service

  • Demo of basic software used to test backend functionality (see recording for more details)

  • After a request is placed in the discovery layer, the processing for a library moves to the native ILS (Sierra or FOLIO) for staff to address

• Comments & questions

  • How does this solution protect patron privacy with their identity distributed across multiple libraries:

    • EBSCO hired consultants to help address this issue appropriately (including PII and GDPR specifically)

    • No PII is passed to the DCB itself, but rather a patron authentication module

  • When you say the native interface would interact with this, do you mean a patron would search within their OPAC, say VuFind, and be able to interact with this system?

    • The patron will search the DCB union catalog using an OPAC.

    • There are a couple of ways to get to the Union Catalog : 1) directly and 2) a search redirect from local catalog or discovery service.

  • What is the project's timeline?

    • Beta is to start later this summer with the goal of going live in May 2024

  • What is the workflow after a patron places a request in a discovery service?

    • Messages go to a libraries' ILS so that transactions appear as though they were locally placed, but with parameters that clearly mark it as a DCB request

    • Patron doesn't get to choose which copy is requested

    • Neither library (borrowing or lending) will leave their native ILS interface to process the patron request ; DCB uses virtual records to track request

  • Is DCB tied to EBSCO's Locate?

    • No and goal is to integrate with any ILS

    • SIG members expressed interest in integration with Polaris and Evergreen