IHLS, as it begins its negotiations with Polaris, has distributed a survey to every IHLS member library as a way to gauge interest in functionality available with a new automation product. The distribution for this survey was by library email/contact information in L2. If your library has not updated information in L2, you may not have received the email. Here is the email and link that was sent out. If you have not already done so, please help us by filling out the survey for your library.
"At this point in our timeline of events and activities to become one big happy LLSAP for the southern half of Illinois, we will begin negotiating a final contract with Polaris soon. At the same time, we are working on a new member fee formula that will be different from the formulas currently used by each of the LLSAPS. Our goal is to develop a formula based in part on population, port use, circulation, and functionality of the software that is used by the individual library, and that is different from the formulas currently used by each LLSAP.
We do need some information from all of you in order to proceed. Now is not the time to commit to the modules you will use when it's time to merge to the new system, but we would like to know what modules you would be most interested in using, so that we make sure we include (or exclude, if there is limited or no interest) those modules in our negotiations and fee formula planning. Please follow the link below to the survey that lists the modules that are available for Polaris and check those modules you would be interested in using at your library. We would appreciate it if you would include the name of your library, since we will probably need to review the information gathered many times during our negotiations with Polaris.
Thank you for your help with this huge undertaking, and, as always, if you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact Joan Bauer (elCat), Chris Dawdy (GateNet), Pat Boze (LINC), or Tracy Edwards (Silnet).
The survey can be found at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/R3Q9XNG