Frequently Asked Questions - Colorado Nexus



Need to justify membership in Colorado Nexus to your administration?
Here is a great compilation of the benefits of Colorado Nexus for students, faculty, and librarians!

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The following are some Frequently Asked Questions about the Colorado Nexus project:

1. Will we be able to change the records on the Union once the database is built?
2. Can we customize the messages on the main Colorado Nexus web site?
3. Does membership in the Colorado Nexus require our loaning any and all our books out to anyone in the project?
4. How is an ILL request handled?
5. Our school library has restrictions for student access to certain books. How can we be sure that students won't borrow a restricted book from another library?
6. How are we to know the standing of borrowers who request ILL materials? We don't want patrons borrowing our resources who have a history of losing books.
7. Are we allowed to key in our own records?
8. Why does a K-12 school with two small libraries have to pay for two licenses while a library with five times the staff and resources only has to pay for one?
9. We already have a maintenance contract with Follett. How will we transfer?
10. Will anyone in the project have the ability to edit our records?
11. Follett software has certain requirements that some of our library computers can't meet. Does this mean we have to buy new computers or just operate with fewer machines?
12. Do we have to have a new Windows NT server at every site for this project to work?
13. How many perspective possible new members are there?
14. How will increasing costs in connectivity, hardware, software, maintenance be paid for?
15. What is the cost of merge and dedupe of the union for new members?
16. What is the cost of merge and dedupe for the union for additional years?
17. Will libraries receive an exception report for the merge and dedupe at the union?
18. Will there be an opportunity for professional cataloging/library suggestions?
19. How will we maintain a quality MARC database?
20. Technical support will be available from what sources?
21. What does the maintenance cost include?
22. Describe what happens during the merge process.
23. What date are Follett machine readable records due to be received by Follett for inclusion in year one database and how are those records to be sent?
24. Can libraries alter their databases after records have been sent to Follett?
25. Do libraries receive "cleaned up" records from Follett?
26. Will libraries have "see also" or "see" references added to individual databases from the union and will the union include "see also" or "see" records included in local catalogs?
27. May a library withdraw records from the union in the future and would they lose or gain any changes that have been made?
28. Are all libraries using uniform cataloging systems?
29. How will the union identify items the library does not wish to circulate?
30. Will using various digit barcodes be possible with the 4.05 Follett software version and will it require a new scanner?
31. Will all libraries be required to stamp their names on material for identification?
32. What kind of hardware do I need to have at my site?
33. When does my application and additional information need to be submitted for Colorado Nexus membership for year one?
34. How will participation in Colorado Nexus benefit my library?
35. How are we to know the standing of borrowers who request ILL materials? We don't want patrons borrowing our resources who have a history of losing books.


Will we be able to change the records on the Union once the database is built?
Yes! The Union server should synchronize with the local servers enabling remote sites to add or delete records as usual. The Union will then communicate with the remote servers and make the appropriate changes. The most important feature to this project is that records are live and always current!

Can we customize the messages on the main Colorado Nexus web site?
Yes! We will be able to completely customize the Colorado Nexus web site and can include any banners, messages or warnings needed in the project. Also, since each site that has the Web Collection + is on-line with their own mini-web site, further customization down to the local level is also possible.

Does membership in the Colorado Nexus require our loaning any and all our books out to anyone in the project?
No. This project is designed to affirm local control by establishing individual databases at all local sites. Each individual library will have it's own collection that is managed by school staff. Libraries may choose to limit the number of Interlibrary Loan (ILL) requests honored, make certain sections of the collection unavailable for ILL or even suspend ILL operability entirely. That said, it behooves us all to share collections because the strength of the project lies in collaboration. By working together we can develop our collections to limit over-lap and provide our children with a high quality regional resource. The ultimate decision on this will always be at the building and district level.

How is an ILL request handled?
The on-line user will have an ILL button located next to the record of the book to be requested. This button will create an Email message that will include the record information and will automatically route to the owning library. The Library staff will receive the message and be able to decide whether or not honor the request.

Our school library has restrictions for student access to certain books. How can we be sure that students won't borrow a restricted book from another library?
All ILL materials will come to the requesting library, not to a student. If there are any restrictions on materials, the library staff on site will see the book(s) before the students can access them. We are investigating whether ILL requests can include the local library staff who may then block the ILL request with a simple Email message.

How are we to know the standing of borrowers who request ILL materials? We don't want patrons borrowing our resources who have a history of losing books.
First, student records are confidential so we cannot maintain a single database of all the patrons. At this time, our library staff will have to supervise students making ILL requests which is another reason we are trying to set up the software so the managing library staff receive copies of all ILL requests made from their libraries.

Are we allowed to key in our own records?
Libraries are in control of their own collections and may enter records in any manner they choose. The project organizers strongly encourage the members to use databases that can insert complete "MARC" records to help assure the quality of the on-line database. Again, the ultimate control lies with the local library and if the school deems a staff member competant to manually catalog records, there can be and will be no objection from the Colorado Nexus project.

Why does a K-12 school with two small libraries have to pay for two licenses while a library with five times the staff and resources only has to pay for one?
This is still a sticking point between the Colorado Nexus and the Follett Software Company. Follett indicates that licensing must be assessed by individual site not volume of records. Our position is that our staff members are becoming certified in technical support from Follett and should greatly limit the support load on Follett. The only other benefit from the maintenace contract is the free software upgrades. We are currently negotiating a different arrangement. We have indicated that if the maintenance contract does not fit the needs of our membership, that we will not maintain such a contract with Follett. Please stay tuned on this one.

We already have a maintenance contract with Follett. How will we transfer?
Follett will synchronize your contract to match the project. If your contract expires a month before the Colorado Nexus project is set to begin, you will be billed a pro-rated amount for the month. If your contract expires after the beginning of the Colorado Nexus contract, you will be refunded a pro-rated amount.

Will anyone in the project have the ability to edit our records?
No. Each library will have access to its own server and data. It will be possible to establish remote cataloging with special permissions but this will not be the normal arrangement. Only schools or libraries that choose to share cataloging services from a remote site will have this facility enabled. Otherwise each library controls its own data.

The Follett software has certain requirements that some of our library computers can't meet. Does this mean we have to buy new computers or just operate with fewer machines?
Yes and no. Yes, to load the Follett cataloging and circulation software, certain hardware requirements must be met. However, older machines that have Internet access and a web browser will be able to access the project web site and conduct searches of holdings. The cataloging software must be loaded on at least one Pentium-class machine so the library staff can enter new books and the circulation software must be loaded on a second Pentium-class computer so the scanner can be attached to check books out to students. The rest of your machines can be older and used to search holdings on-line. This makes older 486 machines viable in this project.

Do we have to have a new Windows NT server at every site for this project to work?
No. In fact, as long as buildings are connected over a network, several databases can be loaded onto a single server. The cataloging and circulation software can be loaded onto a Windows NT 4.x, Novell 5+ or an Apple G3 server. However, there will need to be an Windows NT server (Web Collection+ loads only on NT) between the local databases and the Internet to enable the on-line communications with the central server.

How many perspective possible new members are there? All Colorado libraries, public, private, and school are invited to participate.

How will increasing costs in connectivity, hardware, software, maintenance be paid for? Small increases will be posed to the membership. Large increases will be addressed by seeking outside funding sources.

What is the cost of merge and dedupe of the union for new members? Each new site (that is, not in the original grant) will be charged a $160 setup fee and $0.01 per record to be merged and de-duped.

What is the cost of merge and dedupe for the union for additional years? The same as above.

Will libraries receive an exception report for the merge and dedupe at the union? Yes, exception reports are part of the service.

Will there be an opportunity for professional cataloging/library suggestions? Each participating library is autonomous and locally controlled. Nexus is a forum for professional development and collegial growth and will work to provide as many opportunities for professional cataloging and library suggestions as possible.

How will we maintain a quality MARC database? Each grant site will have Alliance Software and access to Alliance Subscription to insert their own MARC records. The Union will serve as a MARC database resource and will access Alliance and BookWhere 2000 to supply MARC records. Depending on how the library chooses to interact with the union, the union will be able to correct brief records. There may also be state-wide resources in the future for acquiring MARC records.

Technical support will be available from what sources? Technical support will be available through two avenues. Colorado Nexus members will first seek technical support locally from the Colorado Nexus support team. Technical support will also be available directly from Follett should the support team be unable to meet specific needs as long as a maintenance contract is in place for Follett through Colorado Nexus.

What does the maintenance cost include? The maintenance includes technical support through the Colorado Nexus support team and if they cannot answer the questions, directly from Follett. This also includes software upgrades.

Describe what happens during the merge process. The data is merged into one big database. The duplicate records are then de-duped. The copies are appended to the record.

What date are Follett machine readable records due to be received by Follett for inclusion in year one database and how are those records to be sent? Records should be sent via ftp with special instructions from Colorado Nexus technical support staff immediately if retrospective conversion is needed. If records are in a current Follett format (version 4.0) the records must be sent via ftp before January 7, 2000. Be sure to rename your microlif file before sending to Follett… they get lots of exports from all over the country entitled "microlif.001" Simply rename to your library name J

Can libraries alter their databases after records have been sent to Follett? Yes, libraries may make changes in their database and when the union is activated, communication between the union and the local database will update union records to include revisions made on local databases and vice versa if the library sets their program to accept revisions from the union.

Do libraries receive "cleaned up" records from Follett? Libraries that are paying for retrospective conversion will receive "cleaned up" records.

Will libraries have "see also" or "see" references added to individual databases from the union and will the union include "see also" or "see" records included in local catalogs? Follett software has the ability to create and maintain authority records. Authority records are not synchronized between remote sites and the Union.

May a library withdraw records from the union in the future and would they lose or gain any changes that have been made? Libraries may withdraw their holdings from the union by formal notification to the Colorado Nexus project director. This would have no affect on the local database; it would mean that the connection to the union would be severed. The local database would not be altered in any manner. Colorado Nexus would withdraw all records for that entity from the union.

Are all libraries using uniform cataloging systems? No, each library has local control.

How will the union identify items the library does not wish to circulate? All records are individually cataloged by individual libraries and identified as circulating or non-circulating (reference, special or western history, genealogy etc..) during the cataloging process.

Will using various digit barcodes be possible with the 4.05 Follett software version and will it require a new scanner? The DOS scanner is not sufficient for Colorado Nexus participation. The image team 3800 scanner is recommended, but the 3400 should be adequate. Older scanners will not work properly. This recommended scanner will read all current barcode types. The 3800 is included in the extended price list for Colorado Nexus members.

Will all libraries be required to stamp their names on material for identification? It will be recommended that libraries identify their items, however implementation of this will depend upon the local library.

What kind of hardware do I need to have at my site? You will need a server on your network that is at least a Pentium II (or a Macintosh G3), with 128 MB of RAM, and about 3 Gigabytes of storage space available on the hard drive. You can run the Catalog and Circulation software on Windows NT, Novell and Macintosh G3... BUT the Web Collection will ONLY load on Windows NT. This does NOT mean everyone must be on NT, however. It does mean that there needs to be an NT server somewhere on your network that the Novell or G3 servers can "see." The NT server does not need to be very large if all it is doing is hosting the Web Collection and one NT server can service many databases on multiple servers. IF, however, you only plan on having one server in the entire network...THEN it must be NT to run all the Follett applications for the Colorado Nexus.

When does my application and additional information need to be submitted for Colorado Nexus membership for year one? The membership process must be complete and data sent to Follett by January 7th.

How will participation in Colorado Nexus benefit my library?
Brenda Bailey, Director, Networking and Resource Sharing, Colorado State Library.
    "Participation in projects like Colorado Nexus is important because it supports resource sharing for the whole state. First, it allows libraries to easily check the holdings of others nearby geographically, simply by checking a single, aggregated union catalog for the region. Secondly, it allows other libraries outside of that group to find out what resources are available from the group with a single search. And finally, in the future, it will allow them to check for holdings within the entire state of Colorado simply by doing a single search through ACLIN. As much as possible, the ACLIN search interface will use Z39.50 protocol to connect out to the union catalogs – a faster, and more technically sound method of providing complete holdings information than trying to connect out to several hundred individual online catalogs."

    Colorado Nexus provides an opportunity for public libraries to directly participate in the improvement of student achievement.

Click here for a more comprehensive listing of membership benefits.


How are we to know the standing of borrowers who request ILL materials? We don't want patrons borrowing our resources who have a history of losing books.
First, student records are confidential so we cannot maintain a single database of all the patrons. At this time, our library staff will have to supervise students making ILL requests which is another reason we are trying to set up the software so the managing library staff receive copies of all ILL requests made from their libraries.


Still didn't find the answer? Email us your question or click HERE to access a list of Advisory Council members or feel free to post your question to the Colorado Nexus Members-Only listserv.