CUNY+


http://www.exlibris_usa.com/aleph/

“Without a doubt Aleph 500 will be a wonderful enhancement to the Library’s already considerable electronic presence--the students will love the Web interface. However, as with all huge conversion projects, we can expect to spend many, many months adjusting records that have somehow failed to convert properly from NOTIS to Aleph. For serials in particular (the subsystem with the most complex array of records), simply setting up the ‘expected time of arrival’ records will be a monumental task. That said, when everything is up and running, it will save immense amounts of time in the unit’s check-in and claiming functions.” Sally Bowdoin, Head of the Serials Unit

“We were told by the University’s Office of Library Automation before that Brooklyn College had the cleanest (i.e., most accurate) records in all of CUNY. Yet another benefit of the inventory!” Judith Wild, Associate Librarian for Technical Services

  • In 2001 staff directed their efforts to the transfer of our catalog records from the present OPAC, mainframe NOTIS, to the new online catalog, Ex Libris’ Aleph 500. Every CUNY cataloging unit received enormous printouts generated by the Office of Library Automation so that staff might correct or delete information before the migration to the new system. As part of this process, at Brooklyn College we deleted 41,000 records from both CUNY+ and OCLC--items that were declared missing at the close of the massive inventory of the circulating collection conducted during 1998/1999 and 1999/2000.
  • In September 2001 we learned that the January implementation of Aleph 500 would be delayed until June. During the summer, Library staff throughout the University participated in a variety of training programs for the new system; doubtless, these must now be repeated.
  • Aleph 500's Web interface means that the catalog will both look and act much differently than it does today. The central office has promised to develop both a print and digital public relations packet for use on each CUNY campus.
  • By spring 2001 we began to see that Aleph 500 would generate many equipment issues: machines much more powerful than those presently in use in Technical Services and Circulation would be needed to run the system. While the new building brings with it funds for new public access equipment, there is no support for new staff machines. Somehow, money must be found to upgrade a significant number of machines used for administrative purposes.