Duke is using FOLIO apps in production!

As of July 7, Duke is using FOLIO apps in production! The ERM implementation team is using the Licences and Organization apps.

International Project Update

The international project released Fameflower in April. Some feature highlights include work for e-resources, licences and agreements, batch import and export updates for MARC data, work on the Courses app, and work on accessibility.

Goldenrod was released at the end of July. That release includes a new lightweight MARC editor app called QuickMARC, more features for the batch import and export, more features for resource and e-resource management, updates to patron notices and work to implement custom fields. We’ve been upgraded to Goldenrod on all three of our Duke instances, and are working to add the additional functionality into our data loads.

Local Project Update

Working Through a Pandemic

Throughout the pandemic this year, our Implementation Teams and our Working Groups have continued to meet and to move forward with work on FOLIO. We had already set up online meetings for all teams, use of the FOLIO Project wiki, and Box for shared documents, so a transition to working from home and meeting online was pretty smooth for our local project. The project members have made great strides on our local implementation, and I thank everyone for their hard work to keep this project going amidst all the extra work the pandemic has thrown at us.

Timeline for Q3 and Q4 2020

In May, the members of the local project worked through another ranking exercise to help the international project plan the rest of 2020. Once we reviewed with the plan for 2020, we took a step back and decided to delay Duke’s full implementation of FOLIO another year, aiming at Summer 2022.

We will spend the rest of 2020 working to get samples of all the different kinds of data into our test instance. The majority of our bibliographic, holdings, and item records have been loaded into the Inventory App and Source Record Storage on our test server. Loading of patron records from the Duke Identity Management feed is expected in September. Following that will be data for Finances (budget), Courses, Orders, Invoices, Loans and Requests.

Progress from the Implementation Teams and Working Groups

Working Groups

The Configurations Working Group led a pair of small groups. One focused on how we would like to map our Aleph locations (institution, sublibrary, collection) to the four levels that FOLIO offers (institution, campus, library, location). The other small group discussed FOLIO material types and loan types. In Aleph, our item statuses are labeled as a mix of loan periods and material types (3-hour, 7-days, bound periodicals, microform). The decisions for locations, material types, and loan types are very important because they affect how items are mapped during migration, as well as how loan policies may be written in the future.

The Data Working Group completed the mappings of bibs, holdings, and items from Aleph to FOLIO. They’ve also completed the mappings for patron records. This group is leading the data-first focus for the rest of 2020.

The Documentation and Training Working Group has also prepared a survey that will be sent to all library staff to determine how best to plan FOLIO training. We want training to be a success and for all staff to feel as comfortable as possible with their tasks when we go live with FOLIO.

The Permissions Working Group discussed how best to consider roles or permission sets for staff in FOLIO. They have prepared a survey that will be released to supervisors in late October.

The Reporting Working Group investigated a number of different software options to be a staff interface for the Library Data Platform. It is possible that there may be a reporting app included with FOLIO. That would have an effect on what the Reporting Working Group recommends.

The Testing Working Group investigated use of an application to help keep track of testing and test cases. Members also took part in the international project’s Bug Fest to test new releases.

The Workflows Working Group worked on creating a document template that will allow the Implementation Teams a standard format to record their input and output workflows.

Implementation Teams

The Electronic Resources Management (ERM) Implementation Team worked through a complete project on their own and implemented the Agreements and Organizations Apps in production in July! They are continuing to work on additional features and integrations.

The Metadata Management Team worked with the Data working group to complete the mapping of bib/hol/item records. There was a request from the international project to rank issues regarding Authority Records, which they completed. They are currently working on mapping the 9xx fields.

The Resource Access Team worked to review current reports they use and to document their reporting requirements and considered our current patron statuses for mapping and creation/consolidation of new patron groups.

The Resource Management Team worked is continuing with mapping of Aleph vendor records to the Organizations App. Moving to FOLIO will offer the opportunity to reconsider the current budget structure and codes and serious thought is being given to that topic.

Watch This

Folio Forum on the Library Data Platform

What’s new in Inventory and QuickMARC app demo

Bee Facts

Sir David Attenborough explains on the Smithsonian Channel’s YouTube channel how bees communicate where to find new flowers with the most nectar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU_KD1enR3Q