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FOLIO Implementation Project: FOLIO Implementation Project Overview

Guide for FOLIO/EBSCO Migration

Project Overview

Guiding Principles for Innovation in a new Library Management System

 

Since 1994 the libraries in the University System of Georgia have been guided by a vision for “One Statewide Library” that proposed universal access to a core level of materials and information services for every student and faculty member in USG.  Almost thirty years later, the 26 USG Libraries now have over 11 million physical holdings and provide access to over 45 million electronic resources.  Despite the fact that the information landscape has changed significantly, the shared USG library goals of universal access, cost-sharing of electronic resources, collaboration, and increased efficiencies are still relevant.  But, as the information landscape continues to shift we need to look forward and continue to seek out ways to innovate.  The following principles should guide the investigations, discussion, and recommendations related to how we implement our next library system and how we work together to ensure a core collection of resources and services needed for teaching, learning, and research at all USG institutions.

 

  • Innovation

    • Participate in the development of new features and applications in the LMS

    • Consider and explore new workflows, approaches, and/or innovative solutions to day to day activities

    • Take advantage of open source neutrality and interoperability to build new services

  • Collaboration

    • Migration provides a significant opportunity to strengthen our connections across USG as well as the larger open source community

    • Surface/discover unrecognized areas of collaboration with external systems and/or stakeholders

  • Transformation

    • Rethink workflows to gain efficiencies

    • Take advantage of software development opportunities to design tools and processes that improve workflows or eliminate redundancies

  • Opportunity

    • Shape the future of FOLIO and OpenRS core products

    • Transition from vendor-owned to community-owned solutions

    • Reallocate cost savings to other initiatives

  • Strengthen

    • Leverage the ability of OpenRS to build and expand resource sharing capabilities beyond USG libraries

    • Build in-house expertise to support these community-owned solutions and collaborate with other libraries to do so

 

Scope of Project (High Level)

  1. Implement FOLIO

  2. Implement OpenRS

  3. Implement Panorama

  4. Evaluate use of OPAC (Locate) and Discovery (EDS)

  5. Expand patron load integrations

  6. Evaluate authentication methods

  7. Reconsider API usage

Timeline (High Level)

Now – GUGM 2024: Pre-Implementation Phase

  • Creating Project Teams – Complete
  • Determining project tools - Complete
  • General Data Cleanup evaluation tasks – Provided to institutional leads and GIL Committees
  • Building out project plan and detailed timelines – In process
  • Panorama/Bibliograph implementations – In process
  • GIL staff access to pre-implementation FOLIO environment – January 2024
    • GIL staff to test authentication, patron loads, integrations, basic library test data loads – January – May 2024

GUGM 2024: Official Implementation Kickoff

May 2024 – June 2025: Implementation Phase

  • June 2024 – Institutional project teams should be formed
  • Summer 2024 – Institutional Access to FOLIO pre-production environments
  • July 2024 – February 2025 – FOLIO member tenant implementation begins including data extract iterations and configurations
  • February 2025 - FOLIO releases version of application that USG will go live with
  • March 2025 – Dress Rehearsal – Full extractions of all data required (EBSCO will perform a full load, integrations, and build test strategies. 2 weeks
  • April 2025 – Pre-live training provided by EBSCO and GIL Staff.  
  • June 2025 - USG Go-Live

Post-Implementation Phase

  • Post go live configuration support and training

Communication Plan

Communication Plan/Highlights

Weekly
  • Updates Implementation Team and/or Institutional Leads
  • Updates to GIL Coordinating Committee and EBSCO
  • Updates posed to LibGuide
Periodic (weekly to bi-weekly)
  • Updates to wider library community
Monthly
  • High Level Project Update posted to LibGuide and listservs
  • RACL Report

Project Team Tools

  • Libguides

    • Knowledge base for project.  Resource providing high level information that will remind stakeholders about project information and points to where to find authority source 

  • Monday.com

    • EBSCO Project Management tool

    • EBSCO will set-up institution specific Monday.com instances

  • Ebsco connect

    • Access to EBSCO trainings and ticketing system

  • Microsoft Teams

    • Collaborative space for the Implementation team to communicate, chat, post project team files

    • Utilize Chat Channel in Teams as primary means of communication 

  • Jira

    • FOLIO community issue tracking system

EBSCO/FOLIO Contacts

  • EBSCO FOLIO Implementation Consultants
    • Heather MacFarlane
    • Jennifer Pearson
  • EBSCO FOLIO Data Implementation
    • Jesse Jensen
  • EBSCO FOLIO Program Manager
    • Jenna Ashburn
  • EBSCO FOLIO Product Manager
    • Kahlilah Gambrell
  • EBSCO Consortia Development
    • Dennis Bridges
    • Tim Auger - OpenRS
  • Others
    • Harry Kaplanian - Head of FOLIO Project Management