University of Waterloo Library Electronic Data Service Committee Meeting January 17, 1997 Porter room 428 Present: Albert Kemp Shabiran Rahman Susan Moskal (chair) Carol Vogt Richard Pinnell (recorder) Absent: Doug Morton 1. Additional Agenda: Forthcoming EDS Workshops 2. Minutes of meeting of November 6, 1996 Approved 3. Business Arising None 4. Electronic Text Proposal Members agreed that the PC in room 222 (Porter) is a staff workstation and that it was never intended for public access, principally for reasons of security; the machine cannot be left unsupervised because of the licensed software on it and non-secure Windows. Other security concerns include: easy access to the staff office area and the CDs and other library material in room 222. 5. Revised DLI Contract Concern was expressed that because Debbie Tytko is our DLI contact, she is the person who must sign the DLI contract and who is responsible for managing dliorder email messages. It was agreed that Debbie's critical role is to create MASS records for EDS orders and to add holdings to these records. Members debated whether the contact person should be the equivalent of the data librarian at other institutions. Eventually it was decided that Susan would take on this responsibility as contact person. Debbie will automatically be informed by email whenever Susan places a request for DLI material. Susan's dliorder email will be forwarded to Albert whenever Susan is absent for an extended period of time. 6. Statistics Shabiran commented that we need to be consistent concerning what information we collect and that we must agree what information is important: for example # of datasets, # of patrons, # of contacts, etc. Richard noted that Amos Lakos and the Authentication Subgroup are looking into this same issue in connection with networked CD-ROMs; members expressed interest in reviewing the decisions of this Subgroup and possibly using these as a basis for EDS statistics-gathering activity. Meanwhile Shabiran will reconcile her procedures for recording statistics with those of Susan and will ask Doug to do the same. For example, each contact with a patron will be recorded as a separate statistic. Richard will notify Amos of EDS's interest in his work with the Authentication Subgroup. 7. EDS Advisory Group Susan reported that she sent an email to EDS members today informing them who had responded to her faculty letter. 8. Leisure Studies Data Bank Deferred until next meeting 9. Software Licensing Associate Richard outlined the background to the proposal for this new position and reported that Jerry Gray of the Tech Transfer and Licensing Office is planning a meeting on January 29 to discuss responsibilities (job description), qualifications, and funding with representatives from IST, Purchasing, and the Library. The incumbent would be responsible for licensing-in issues, licensing-out issues, price negotiations, maintaining a database of site licenses and other software users. EDS members were generally agreed that there was a need for such a position and suggested that the Associate could coordinate purchase/lease arrangements at the TUG level. 10. Disk Space Allocation Richard distributed a copy of a document prepared by Charles Woods which outlines the disk drive space allocation on the /eds file system. The Electronic Network Access Committee is interested to know our growth needs for existing EDS databases and we have been notified that EDS will have to apply for space for new acquisitions. Albert volunteered to compile space estimates for the growth of existing EDS databases; Richard will review space needs for the cartdata area. EDS will review these estimates at its next meeting. Concern was expressed that EDS must request space for new datasets that are acquired through DLI or ICPSR and which are already paid for through consortial arrangements. 11. Forthcoming EDS Workshops Carol mentioned she would like to offer a hands-on workshop to show members of the academic community how to access resources linked to the Library's EDS Web page; in particular she is interested in the census data available from the University of Toronto. She also mentioned Statistics Canada's thematic search tool and CANSIM This will be promoted on IST's workshops Web page. Members agreed that the workshop would be offered in late April so that faculty members would be able to attend; Shabiran and Carol will offer this workshop jointly. Susan will give an EDS workshop in room 428 on January 30, from 10:30 until 11:30 or noon. 12. Next Meeting EDS will join Margaret Hendley's meeting on January 22 at 1 pm to hear Mark Haslett talk about software/platform standardization. The next regularly scheduled meeting will be February 5 at 1:30 in room 407. Future meetings are booked in room 407 every second week thereafter.