5/30/2006

For Chair:

Betsy Friesen
Technical Services Specialist
Technical Services/Library Enterprise Operations
University of Minnesota Libraries/160 Wilson
309 S 19th Av. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55455
612-626-4981

I have been working on becoming one with the Aleph since 2001, when
the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities began implementation of
Aleph as our ILS. My initial relationship with Aleph was as
cataloging module trainer and self-appointed Aleph humor coordinator,
while I was cataloger and acting head of technical services, at our
Bio-Medical Library. In early 2004, I moved over to the main library
to become the technical services field specialist for Aleph. I have
attended the last three NAAUG meetings, presenting at two of them and
moderating at the third. This year I served on the ELUNA planning
committee for the Aleph product track. I am interested in becoming
an Aleph product group leader, because I like the Aleph system (well,
most days) and I really like working with the Aleph users I have
met. I think I can contribute work and organizational experience to
the Aleph Product Group and maybe even a little fun here and there.

For At-Large Leaders:

Name: Barbara Anderson

Title: Head of Cataloging

Contact information:
Barbara Anderson
Head, Cataloging Dept.
VCU Libraries
Box 842033
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, VA 23284-2033
Tel: 804-828-2287
Fax: 804-828-0151
Email: bjandersvcu.edu

I have been Head of Cataloging at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) for over 20 years and have worked on library system conversions (including profile preparation, data review, workflow design and staff training) from Dataphase’s ALIS system to NOTIS (1990) and from NOTIS to Aleph 15.2 (2003). I served on the committee that selected Aleph as well as on the system implementation team, conducted general staff training on basic Aleph GUI functions, prepared and led most of the cataloging training sessions, and continue to work with cataloging and systems librarians to modify and maintain tables relating to cataloging and authorities. Because of my work with the implementation group and a recent stint as Interim AUL for Public Services, I have also developed a general understanding of and appreciation for the tables and functionalities of the OPAC, as well as the circulation and reserves modules.

In addition to Aleph (we have since upgraded to version 16), VCU has purchased and implemented SFX and MetaLib. We are in the process of implementing ARC, and Verde is up next. No doubt Primo is right behind. Of course, I have a keen interest in enhancements to the Aleph functionalities that support “traditional” MARC-based cataloging and authorities functions, but of critical concern is the development of products that will enable us to provide integrated access to multiple physical and electronic resources using a variety of metadata schema.

Within my own institution, I have participated in the NAAUG enhancement ballot process, and I served on the 2005 NAAUG program planning committee. I have come to appreciate the responsiveness of Ex Libris support staff and the ingenuity and helpfulness of other Aleph users. I welcome the opportunity to work with Ex Libris and the ELUNA community to maximize the functionality of current and future products.

Beth Siers Brennan
MARC Database Manager at the MIT Libraries
siersmit.edu 617-253-0706

Experience with Aleph: I was the leader of the Cataloging Implementation
team when MIT migrated to Aleph in 2001, and coordinated all cataloging
efforts in our subseuqent upgrades. At MIT, I am responsible for
bibliographic and authority record loading, tables maintenance for
cataloging validation, loading and indexing tables, problem solving and
error reporting and resolution, and workflow improvements. I am also the
liaison between cataloging and systems and with our vendors, including
ExLibris and our authorities vendor, LTI.

Prior involvement with NAAUG: I was on two enhancements groups, System
Admin in 2001-2, and Cataloging, Authorities and Non-Roman Scripts in
2003-4. I also was a member of the 2004 Program committee. I presented a
program 'Batch Loading Bibliographic Records' at NAAUG in 2002.

Reasons for running: I find the user group to be extremely helpful in so
many ways. Our collaboration and support of each other is invauable, and
helps my work at a very tangible level. The ability to speak to ExLibris
with one voice to shape the future of what Aleph will become is another
very important function of user group support. In order to do this we need
leaders within the organzation to step up and be heard.

Name: Donna Hirst
Title: Head of Library Automation, University of Iowa
Contact: donna-hirstuiowa.edu

Experience: Currently on the ELUNA Steering Committee as Past Chair of
NAAUG. Served as chair of NAAUG, NAAUG Steering Committee, Chair of the
NAAUG to ELUNA Transition Group. Served as Chair of NAAUG Local
Arrangments for 2003 and Chair of the Program Committee for 2004.

Rationale: I believe that ELUNA is very important for both our
libraries and Ex Libris and their products. A healthy users group
supports services and communication across product groups and within. I
am interested in a strong ALEPH Product Group, and I believe that within
the new ELUNA organization we have the potential for an even stronger
ALEPH group than in the past.

Jonathan Rothman
Senior Systems Librarian/Analyst
University of Michigan Library Systems Office
300 Hatcher Library North
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1205
734/936-2321 734/647-6897 (fax)
jrothmanumich.edu

Statement: My experience with Aleph began with the University of Michigan's implementation planning process, starting in 2002. I played a variety of roles throughout our planning and conversion processes, but the biggest was as the analyst and programmer responsible for the conversion of our Acquisitions and Serials data from our stand-alone Innovative Interfaces acquisitions system. My role included extensive work with Acquisitions and Serials staff to plan and specify our conversion, writing, testing, and running conversion programs, setting up all of the Acquisitions/Serials related tables, etc. Since our STP, in summer 2004, I have had primary responsibility for supporting Acquisitions and Serials and, more recently, I have also had primary responsibility for OPAC support. I also contribute to governance and policy making, serving as the chair of our Library Technology Committee, a member of our OPAC Working Group, and a member of our electronic resources Steering Committee. I have been attending NAAUG meetings for each of the last three years, and have benefited greatly from the information sharing within our community of users. I hope to become more active in ELUNA so that I can contribute more to that community. As a librarian/programmer/analyst working on support and development of ILS systems for the past 23 years (and with Aleph for the last 3), I believe that I can bring a perspective which would be useful in the Aleph Product Group leadership.