CCS News
APRIL 16, 2010
FROM THE COMPUTER ROOM:
Unicode Oracle conversion – it is time! Over the weekend on Sunday night we will be starting the live process to convert our Informix database to the Oracle Database Management System using Unicode. Thank you to everyone in the consortium for your testing, feedback, understanding, collaboration, and encouragement.
WHY ARE WE DOING THIS AGAIN?
Although our general memo about the “Unicle”/Symphony Bridge project did include a brief explanation of what this is for along with the timetable and lists of what can and can’t be done during the transition, it seems timely to provide a brief reiteration of what this is about. We have been running on a Database Management System called Informix CSAM which, although Sirsi has no plans to discontinue support, is increasingly dated. That makes product integration occasionally problematic, along with the odds on finding a new employee with any training. Oracle is very mainstream, is a foundation for much development (some Sirsi products are only available for Oracle users), and provides better tools for third party integration. Unicode, which requires Oracle for Sirsi support, provides support for a broader array of characters, especially useful for foreign language materials using non-Roman characters. This improves display in the public catalog and enables the Technical Services staff who work with the associated bibliographic records to represent them better.
If we migrate to another vendor (which we’re bound to do someday), it’s pretty much a given that we would go to an Oracle/Unicode platform, so the preparations you’re doing now with fonts etc. will not have been a detour.
We hope this helps provide some clarification for those who needed it. We know the transition will result in some inconvenience, but we have worked hard with Sirsi to minimize it. We look forward to proceeding through Symphony Bridge with everyone’s help, and stand by to sort out any uncertainties, oversights or complications. If those arise, they will have much more to do with inevitability than with any lack of due diligence. We can and will do this – together. RS
LIBRARY CLOSING:
Wilmette will be closed all day Fri. 4/23 for a Staff In-Service Day.
A FEW SUBJECT HEADING CHANGES:
The Library of Congress is continually updating subject headings so that they are now in direct order. Recently “Quilts, Amish” was changed to “Amish quilts”. Other headings that were changed so that they are now in direct order, include: “Taoist hygiene”, “Taoist philosophy”, and “Sikh temples”.
CCS MEETINGS NEXT WEEK:
Wed., 4/21, 9:30, CCS: SCRAP
Thur., 4/22, 1:30: WebFeat Webinar (NBK will host; we’ll send out access info early next week for those who wish to participate from elsewhere)
