Minutes of TDR Meeting, January 28, 1999

Present: Doug Horne, Helene Leblanc, Susan Moskal, Bo Wandschneider

1. Admin pages on TDR Web-site.

Bo reminded everyone of the potential usefulness of the Administration pages that can be found under the staff links on the TDR pages. Several points were highlighted:

i) This page is normally password protected so that only TDR staff can access it.... sometimes the password box will not appear. Let Barry know when this happens.

ii) This page should be used and updated by TDR staff to include any frequently visited (and forgotten) links. Currently links to ICPSR, DLI sites, and statistics are most commonly used, but anything can be added.

iii) There are stats here that show access to data sorted by institution

iv) There will also be a database of TUG data requests.... useful for ordering of data and checking to see whether someone has already ordered (and may be working on) a dataset.

2. Publicity:

i) newspapers: We have had some success with getting articles in campus papers, and it is clear that we will each have to approach this individually. It was suggested that we may have more success in the long run if we involve Chief Librarians in these articles.

ii) Datalinks: The next issue of Datalinks will be the first with the TDR up and running, and Bo described how we go about creating a distribution list at Guelph. It is hoped that the next issue will include local applications of the TDR from each institution. Submissions should be in by the first week of February.

iii) Listservs: Susan has sent messages out to Lists and the DLI Newsletter (although we are not sure about future publications dates).

iv) Bo described the CAUBO submission that we are currently working on. The submission will be made available to all prior to being sent to the association.

3. Expanding services:

i) Bo described several new additions to the U of Guelph's services:

- a password and ID function id now available to allow distance users the ability to login (previously they had to validate themselves through the U of G UNIX which might involve a long-distance charge).

- there have been some efforts made to make the B2020 table on the TDR web-page more intuitive - we discussed further changes that might be made for ease of use including some new column headings and wording of the titles.

- Bo described some of the steps taken at Guelph to make CD-based databases available on the same machines as Trellis - we have managed to make half a dozen of these databases avialable on selected machines outside of the office (previously only available during office hours).

4) Resource commitments:

- we discussed the current levels of resource commitments (human and equipment) at the three institutions - at this stage it is clear that it will be some time yet before Waterloo and Laurier are fully up to speed in terms of fielding inquiries and mounting data. There was some discussion of what is currently not being done and how we might go about accomplishing everything that we had hoped to in establishing the TDR. It was agreed by all that each institution will have to deal with the problem individually, but that additional commitments must be made in people and time if we are to have a truly effective cooperative service that will be able to deal with future demands.

5 ) Cataloguing -

- Susan updated us on progress being made towards cataloguing datasets - Susan is dealing with cataloguers at Waterloo and looking into previous claims made by Statistics Canada that cataloguing copy would be supplied by the DLI.

6) There was a brief discussion of the structure of the front TDR page and the entire site, and several recommendations were made and will be carried out.

7) Next Meeting : 1^st Week in March.... day and time yet to be determined.