[LIBRARYDIR] Alma Contract Q & A

[Hersh-tudor, Andrew]

Hi, Stan - 

 

Re distributing the implementation costs on an FTE basis, I've confirmed
with Abraham Rocha that the reason we have a fixed per-campus
implementation cost in the contract is so we can show the State that it
won't be left holding the bag for a total implementation cost if one or
several campuses don't participate. We do have the option to reallocate
the subscription cost.  The sheet I sent yesterday shows that scenario:
a fixed implementation cost and an FTE-based distribution of the
subscription cost.  It also includes the note that the latter may change
depending on participation.  

 

We are still working on the ongoing support model.  We will likely need
to develop an organizational / support model working group immediately
after contract signing to shape and finalize that.  There's quite a bit
of preliminary work that has been done both internally and in
discussions with the state board, and you can see that we are funding
two positions in our financial model, but no, the structure has not been
finalized.

 

Re the technical details, I'm with you - I hope that some folks with
sharp eyes for things technical are reviewing that portion of the
contract. As I said in our meeting last Friday, we have included quite a
bit of technical information at the recommendation of the University of
Wisconsin system representatives, who identified that as something they
wish they had done in their contract with Ex Libris.

 

-Andrew

From: LIBRARYDIR [mailto:librarydir-bounces at lists.ctc.edu] On Behalf Of
Horton, Stan
Sent: Monday, March 02, 2015 4:30 PM
To: an open discussion list for WA CTC Library Directors
Subject: Re: [LIBRARYDIR] Alma Contract Q & A

 

I think the question I'm asking is "do these ideas sound reasonable."
Now onto  some ideas that I'd need to have addressed before I could give
my campus my opinion about joining into the project:

 

First, we need to nail down some ideas regarding the One-time fees. I
know we are being asked to only affirm that the contract under
discussion will indeed move us to a common ILS.  But without some
overall assurance as to cost, that affirmation essentially becomes
meaningless-I'm sure no President or Vice President would approve
actually joining into the contract until the costs to their campus was
known, and the distribution of those costs is an essential part of the
answer to that question. 

 

1.       The alma one-time setup fees which are specified in the
contract, are the amounts Ex Libris needs to be paid to bring a
particular library up.  HOWEVER, there is nothing in the contract that
requires SBCTC or LLC to actually collect the money from the individual
colleges that way. 

2.       So, can we act like we historically have (this is both to LLC
and to ORCA as precedents) and just charge their respective FTE
percentage of the $1.2 million to the individual colleges.  We'd pay
into the central coffers, just as we do now for other projects, but pay
Ex Libris as they bill us?

3.       Doing this will result in a considerable difference in the
amounts needed for a given college from the $500K subsidy.  In Grays
Harbor's case, for example, my costs would drop from $47,155 to $18,241.
Give me $8,500 from the subsidy (rather than the $31,250 Andrew's model
tossed out for consideration) and I'm on board.

4.       Since some schools actually do need more help than others,
especially for schools that have not already automated under a modern,
robust, integrated system (yes, I mean Follett!)  We'd want to strip off
the needed extra help for them right at the beginning. 

5.       Obviously this means the larger schools would be paying more
than under the Ex Libris model.  They have done this before, and I'd
hope that would continue.

 

Second, there is the issue of on-going support personnel.  Has any
commitment been agreed to by SBCTC about managing this aspect of the
continuing project?  I'm concerned on two accounts:

1.       Cost, again. That's an important part of the overall decision
on any given campus.  Andrew's latest model gives numbers that work for
me, so if that's OK by everyone, then we are good to go.

2.       How will this be managed?  I'd suggest that if at all possible,
LLC adopt the ORCA model for this-we identify one school to manage the
operation, thus ensuring LLC has the right to set job expectations,
select personnel, make job assignments, evaluate, etc.  Quite honestly,
I don't think we dare relinquish this right or responsibility to an
entity that is not directly using the product of their labors. 

3.       So, at this point we don't have time to pursue all the details
of this idea but at least we should find out if (a) most of us agree to
the concept and (b) if it's legal and administratively even possible.
ORCA did it, but ORCA is not LLC, so perhaps different rules apply.  I'd
assume SBCTC would still be the fiscal agent, so that activity would not
need to be part of the LLC school handing the support job.

 

Then third but not least, is the issue of the technical aspects of the
contract itself.  I'm not good at seeing such things, so I'll agree with
what somebody said at Friday's meeting: let's ask the known technical
experts (I'm thinking Shellie, Dale, and Sally) to read and parse
carefully to report back to us any concerns we might not have caught
already.

 

And make headway before Wednesday so we can agree on things. 

 

Stan  

 

 

 

From: LIBRARYDIR [mailto:librarydir-bounces at lists.ctc.edu] On Behalf Of
Sue Kennedy
Sent: Friday, February 27, 2015 2:45 PM
To: librarydir at lists.ctc.edu
Subject: [LIBRARYDIR] Alma Contract Q & A

 

Hi all,

 

As discussed at today's LLC meeting, we'll be having a Q&A follow-up
session on the Alma contract. Look for information in the next couple of
days for review. If you can submit questions in advance that would be
great.  

 

The session is on Wednesday, March 4th, at 4 p.m.

 

Here:
https://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlp?sid=2008170&password=M.4C394CB514E2B1E
546588AB726AB95

 

Thanks,

Sue

 

- - - 

Sue Kennedy, Dean

Library | eLearning

Centralia College

 

Twitter: @SueWKennedy

(360) 736-9391 x304

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.ctc.edu/pipermail/librarydir_lists.ctc.edu/attachments/20150303/5101f1ca/attachment.html>