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Recommendation

The Resource Sharing Operations SubTeam recommends the following basic shape of project plan for 2023 of the Replace VDX with Tipasa project:, without dates for summer 2023, but with an anticipated golive date no later than summer 2024.

The RS OST should move as soon as possible into defining the testing phase, including establishing communication lines with OCLC, identifying the UC testers, and identifying major milestones.

Phases Timeline and descriptions:

OCLC Development + UC testing phase (Feb/Mar 2023 - May 31, 2023 To begin as soon as possible)

OCLC to deliver solutions to identified gaps in Tipasa (UC and select OCLC only), focusing on delivering those labeled ‘showstoppers’ as soon as possible, by April 26th at the latest.

UC to confirm that each solution has been met sufficiently as delivered, communicating to OCLC any deficiencies. UC testing to conclude on May 3rd.

From May 3rd through May 10th, RS OST will write the results of the testing and draft the decision page to decide if Tipasa is ready for Implementation Phase or Contingency.

From May 10th through May 24th, RS OST will solicit feedback from stakeholders on decision page.

On May 31, 2023, UC will decide if Tipasa is ready for Implementation Phase or Contingency.

Implementation Phase (June 6, 2023 - August 1, 2023 Golive no later than summer 2024)

RS OST assumes an 8 week implementation phase.

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Implementation includes training and configuration in Tipasa and Alma. Training will be open to any and all staff that will be using Tipasa, most likely those that currently use VDX, WSILL, Alma Resource Sharing, or Alma Fulfillment Network.

VDX Decommission phase (August 1, 2023 - August 2024 on year after golive)

On August 1, 2023 Tipasa golive date, no new requests will enter VDX software.

After August 2024 one year after golive date, all active VDX requests will either be closed or re-created in Alma/Tipasa infrastructure. UC will inform OCLC and CDL Resource Sharing Team that VDX is no longer in use at UC.

This allows sufficient time to account for all long term loans to high value UC patrons in VDX.

Impact

Reasoning

Removal of Summer 2023 GoLive date

Upon reviewing the proposed timeline at the Feb 22, 2023 RS OST meeting, several weaknesses were found with the timeline:

• Short testing timeline for UC (6-8 weeks) would put too much pressure on UC testers to define test cases and conduct tests

• The current state of testing (see Findings of Tipasa Pilot) indicates that more time is needed for testing

• No time in between testing & implementation phase:

  • does not allow sufficient time to receive & approve the implementation plan from OCLC

  • does not allow sufficient time to expand the project from testers to the UC staff who would be involved in implementation (all UC ILL staff)

  • may not allow sufficient timing to consider how the summer 2023 implementation plan could be protected from the SILS membership changeover on June 30th.

The RS OST recognizes the potential risk the golive delay puts on lowering OCLC’s priority in delivering required functionality. The RS OST will seek other methods to ensure that OCLC’s priority does not put a summer 2024 UC Tipasa golive date at risk.

Findings of Tipasa Pilot

The UC RS OST engaged in a Tipasa Pilot with OCLC from September 2022 through January 2023. The findings of the UC RS OST is that the Tipasa product in its current state is not ready for implementation at the UC.

The Tipasa Pilot project revealed several gaps in the Alma and Tipasa integration (UC and select OCLC only). The gaps are to a number and degree such that manual remediation on UCs part would effectively halt any non-consortia interlibrary loan traffic in or out of the UCs. This would negatively impact UC patrons, as roughly 47% of materials supplied to UC patrons are filled from outside the consortium (from UC Library Annual Statistics, 2021-2022, table 5, pages 5-6).

Dependency on OCLC product for OCLC interlibrary loan partners

While several other interlibrary loan broker software products exist, each software product connects with the network of libraries on the software. In order for UC to do interlibrary loan business with OCLC network libraries, some form of interaction with the OCLC interlibrary loan broker software would be necessary.

At this point in time, and for at least several years, the partner library networks on any of the budding interlibrary loan software products is not at a number to sufficiently impact the volume of transactions filled from outside the UC consortium. UC’s interlibrary loan fulfillment depends on the OCLC network of libraries, and thus on an OCLC interlibrary loan software product.

Tipasa recommended product for UC

Within OCLC’s suite of interlibrary loan software supporting the OCLC network of libraries, there are three offerings: WorldShare ILL, Tipasa, and Discovery to Delivery. OCLC also has a relationship with Atlas Systems, who develop and maintain the ILLiad interlibary loan software, which connects with the OCLC network of libraries.

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ILLiad: Sold through OCLC, but developed and maintained by Atlas Systems, ILLiad is a widely used and popular ILL product in the library market. However, due to a lack of a cloud or software as a service (SaaS) offering, and potentially limited system integration, this solution was not recommended to UC.

Contingency

If on, May 31, 2023, the RS OST decides that Tipasa is still not ready for production implementation at UC, a new go/nogo date would be set to consider a later implementation date. UC would continue to work with OCLC on testing any identified gaps delivered in the interim.

RS OST would consider a possible Winter 2023/24 golive depending on development and delivery Tipasa showstoppers, availability of staff during winter holidays, & curtailment. A Summer 2024 golive may be a more feasible option.

Risks of Contingency

A later production implementation of Tipasa could potentially conflict with OCLC’s planned sunset of VDX. A mitigation to this risk would be to ask OCLC to extend their support of the known and stable VDX product until such a time as they are able to provide a replacement product that UC meets.

As we continue on the VDX product, a risk of knowledge/personnel loss both at OCLC and UC becomes a risk. The VDX product and CDL’s services supporting VDX are known to a handful of people. If the product becomes more thinly supported, there may be difficulty in finding replacements for any potential knowledge loss if a person separates from the respective institution (CDL or OCLC).

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