Space Missions

Can Your Library Automation Software Do This?

David Hook

MDA

david.hook@mdacorporation.com

Space Missions

Library Databases

• Library Databases:– Library Catalog– Serials– Loans– Order tracking– Queries

Space Missions

Library Catalog

• Database: Library Catalog– Contains library holdings: books, papers, tech notes– Structure: standard library catalog fields– Links to loans database & employee database– Online request feature– Canned query to show list of new items

• Future Plans– Add more electronic resources

Space Missions

Order Tracking

• Database: Order Tracking– Tracks library orders, expenditures, budgets– Quick YTD budget reports at the press of a button

• Future Plans– Create reports broken down by department

Space Missions

Queries

• Database: Queries– Log of detailed queries/reference questions asked

and their solutions– Captures resources searched, regardless of whether

anything found or not

• Future Plans– Make search results public

Space Missions

Communication Tools

• Communication Tools:– Need for better communication / awareness of library

services

• Databases– What’s new– Blog– Newsletter– Discussion lists– Calendar of events

Space Missions

What’s New

• Database: What’s New– Contains recent company news – press releases, HR

notices, updates to the Intranet– Output is ASP page embedded into main Intranet

page - displays 10 most recent postings– Structure: Entire news posting is one field in database

• Future Plans– Create web input interface

Space Missions

Blog

• Database: Blog– Contains library/Intranet news, resource

recommendations, etc.– Don’t refer to it as a blog– Structure: entire post included in one database field– Field for ‘blogname’ – can use DB to support multiple

blogs– Tag link is a canned query to search database

Space Missions

Blog

• Future Plans– Enable RSS feeds– Open it up for individuals to have their own blogs

Space Missions

Newsletter

• Database: Newsletter– Collection of space and robotics related news items– Import headlines, first paragraph and URL of news

articles on the web into fields– Fields for classifying news items– Then use to generate weekly news summary by date

• Future Plans– Enable other individuals to input

Space Missions

Discussion Lists

• Database: Discussion Lists– Similar to a web discussion forum– By creating a field for ‘forum’, can use the database to

support several discussion forums but allow easy search across all forums.

• Future Plans– Enable threads

Space Missions

Calendar of Events

• Database: Calendar of events– Centralized schedule / calendar of events– Anyone can add to it:

• IS service outages• HR notices, social club events• Guest speakers / lunchtime presentations

• Future Plans– Promote

Space Missions

Business Process Support

• Business Process Support Tools:– Business Process Documents– Lessons Learned– Acronyms

Space Missions

Business Processes

• Database: Business Processes Documents– Contains information about and links to company

business process documents– Interface uses canned queries and image maps– Two views – one based on organization structure, one

based on process flow

• Future Plans– More detailed process flow interface

Space Missions

Lessons Learned

• Database: Lessons Learned / PPC– Forum for capturing organizational lessons learned– Program Phased Checklist – checklist of questions to

review at various stages of a program based on past lessons learned

• Future Plans– Link lessons learned database to program phased

checklist

Space Missions

Acronyms

• Database: Acronyms– Contains over 8,000 acronyms and definitions– One of most used databases in the company– Set up so that individuals can add acronyms that are

missing

• Future Plans– Link definitions to business process documents

Space Missions

Documentation Control

• Documentation Control Tools:– Internal Document Tools– Records Management Tools– Specifications & Standards

Space Missions

Internal Document Management

• Database(s): Internal Document Management– Series of indexes for managing internally-created

documents– Reports / Proposals / tech notes / etc– Interface uses ASP to generate next available number– Linked to employee database– Can generate lists of outstanding documents

• Future Plans– Generate lists of documents by employee name

Space Missions

Records Management

• Database(s): Product Assurance Records – Series of indexes for managing records in Product

Assurance Records department– Databases linked through central database of

programs & suppliers

• Future Plans– Open it up for others to input data

Space Missions

Specs & Standards

• Database: Specs & Standards– Problem: Different standard vendors; different

interfaces confusing for users– Specs & Standards database creates one interface to

all specifications and standards regardless of vendor or format

– Tracks standards that are current vs. obsolete

• Future Plans– Increase standards availability

Space Missions

Other Databases

• Other databases:– Database inventory– Spider– Supplier Selection– Internal Job Postings– Car Pool Board– Online Auctions

Space Missions

Inventory of Databases

• Database: Database Inventory– Contains list of all company recognized databases

and owners– Links to the databases themselves (where applicable)

• Future Plans– Develop standards– Online database documentation

Space Missions

Spider

• Database: Spider– Captures results of Intranet spider– Searchable index that integrates with other databases

• Future Plans– Add search of external web pages

Space Missions

Supplier Selection

• Database(s): Supplier / Product Selection– Database of suppliers and products– Indicates which suppliers are approved / disapproved– Can find suppliers based on product / service

• Future Plans– Automate supplier approval process

Space Missions

Internal Job Board

• Database – Internal Job Board (in works)– Index of current Internal job postings– Field for ‘post date’ and ‘remove date’– Output form only displays postings within the date

range

• Future Plans– Complete database

Space Missions

Car Pool Board

• Database - Car Pool Board– Allows users to post their own car pooling interests

• Future Plans– Allow edit/deleting of postings– Expand to include other types of postings – I.e.

classified ads.

Space Missions

Online Auctions

• Database - Online Auctions (in works)– Originally devised for online auction for charity– Each item for sale is its own record in the database– Fields for auction start and end dates– Input screen allows bidding based on current highest

bid

• Future Plans– Improve interface and test with multiple bids

Space Missions

Contact Info

david.hook@mdacorporation.com

http://davehook.blogspot.com