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PINES Acquisitions Module Software Requirements Specification for Evergreen

PINES Acquisitions and Cataloging Joint Subcommittee and the PINES staff
2009

Table of Contents

Revision History

1.Introduction

1.1 Purpose and Perspective

1.2 Product Scope and Features

1.3 Intended Audience

1.4 Document Conventions

1.5 User Classes and Characteristics

1.6 Operating Environment

1.7 Design and Implementation Constraints

1.8 User Documentation

2. System Requirements

Category: General System Requirements

Category: Financial & Legal Requirements

Category: Selection Requirements

Category: Ordering Requirements

Category: Vendor database and Interface Requirements

Category: Receiving Requirements

Category: Cataloging Requirements

Category: Processing Requirements

Category: Invoicing Requirements

Category: Inventory & Record Maintenance Requirements

Category: Reporting Requirements

3. Workflows

Workflow type 1: Generic ordering process

Workflow type 2: Vendor cataloging

Workflow type 3: Purchase list sent to libraries from vendor

Workflow type: Approval plans

Workflow type: Standing order plans

Workflow type: Donated materials

Workflow type: Paper ordering

4. Use case list for Specifications

Use case name:

General selection list and order record creation

General workflow for purchase/selection list supplied by vendor

Vendor requires paper order form, website form, faxed or emailed form

Standing order plans

Approval plans

Donated materials

Broad Search Utility

Simple Search Utility

Create and Send Order Record

Revision History

Initial Draft / February 2009
Name / Library System
Pauline Abbide / Dougherty County Public Library
Judy Atwood / Athens Regional Library System
Angie Barnes / Sara Hightower Regional Library System
Janet Boudet / Roddenbery Memorial Library
Holly Bowden / Athens Regional Library System
Cheryl Brown / Lake Blackshear Regional Library System
Yvonne Carmichael / Clayton County Headquarters Library
Carolyn Fuller / Henry County Library
Judy Golden / Houston County Library system
Elaine Hardy / PINES/Georgia Public Library Service
Karen Haven / Three Rivers Regional Library System
Holly Jarrell / Uncle Remus Regional Library System
Tina Jordan / Chestatee Regional Library System
Peggy King / Chestatee Regional Library System
Jessica Kuhr / Flint River Regional Library
Russell Liner / East Central Georgia Regional Library
Natalie Marshall / Flint River Regional Library
Vicki Marshall / Flint River Regional Library
Leslie Partridge / Lee County Library
Sara Paulk / Fitzgerald-Ben Hill County Library
Kay Scoggins / West Georgia Regional Library System
Ceil Smith / Three Rivers Regional Library System
Kim Spencer / Lee County Library
Leslie St. John / Newton County Library System
Susan Stephens / Chattooga County Library System
Tamela Thomas / Uncle Remus Regional Library System
Elizabeth White / Oconee Regional Library
Diane Williams / Athens Regional Library System
Final Draft / May 2009
Name / Library System
Pauline Abbide / Dougherty County Public Library
Judy Atwood / Athens Regional Library System
Angie Barnes / Sara Hightower Regional Library System
Janet Boudet / Roddenbery Memorial Library
Holly Bowden / Athens Regional Library System
Cheryl Brown / Lake Blackshear Regional Library System
Yvonne Carmichael / Clayton County Headquarters Library
Carolyn Fuller / Henry County Library
Judy Golden / Houston County Library system
Elaine Hardy / PINES/Georgia Public Library Service
Karen Haven / Three Rivers Regional Library System
Holly Jarrell / Uncle Remus Regional Library System
Tina Jordan / Chestatee Regional Library System
Peggy King / Chestatee Regional Library System
Jessica Kuhr / Flint River Regional Library
Russell Liner / East Central Georgia Regional Library
Natalie Marshall / Flint River Regional Library
Vicki Marshall / Flint River Regional Library
Leslie Partridge / Lee County Library
Sara Paulk / Fitzgerald-Ben Hill County Library
Kay Scoggins / West Georgia Regional Library System
Ceil Smith / Three Rivers Regional Library System
Kim Spencer / Lee County Library
Leslie St. John / Newton County Library System
Susan Stephens / Chattooga County Library System
Tamela Thomas / Uncle Remus Regional Library System
Elizabeth White / Oconee Regional Library
Diane Williams / Athens Regional Library System
Final Document / May 2009
Name / Library System
Pauline Abbide / Dougherty County Public Library
Judy Atwood / Athens Regional Library System
Angie Barnes / Sara Hightower Regional Library System
Janet Boudet / Roddenbery Memorial Library
Holly Bowden / Athens Regional Library System
Cheryl Brown / Lake Blackshear Regional Library System
Yvonne Carmichael / Clayton County Headquarters Library
Carolyn Fuller / Henry County Library
Judy Golden / Houston County Library system
Elaine Hardy / PINES/Georgia Public Library Service
Karen Haven / Three Rivers Regional Library System
Holly Jarrell / Uncle Remus Regional Library System
Tina Jordan / Chestatee Regional Library System
Peggy King / Chestatee Regional Library System
Jessica Kuhr / Flint River Regional Library
Russell Liner / East Central Georgia Regional Library
Natalie Marshall / Flint River Regional Library
Vicki Marshall / Flint River Regional Library
Leslie Partridge / Lee County Library
Sara Paulk / Fitzgerald-Ben Hill County Library
Kay Scoggins / West Georgia Regional Library System
Ceil Smith / Three Rivers Regional Library System
Kim Spencer / Lee County Library
Leslie St. John / Newton County Library System
Susan Stephens / Chattooga County Library System
Tamela Thomas / Uncle Remus Regional Library System
Elizabeth White / Oconee Regional Library
Diane Williams / Athens Regional Library System

1.Introduction

1.1 Purpose and Perspective

This Software Requirements Specification (SRS) describes the functional and nonfunctional requirements for the Acquisitions Module of an Integrated Library System (ILS).

This SRS identifies requirements for an Acquisitions Module, currently under development as part of the Evergreen Library Automation System ( The requirements were developed specifically for the PINES consortium.

The requirements in this SRS presuppose the general data structures and functionality of a full-fledged ILS. The Acquisitions Module will replace and enhance the current capabilities of commercially available ILSs, as well as add new functionality.

1.2 Product Scope and Features

The Acquisitions Module facilitates the selection, ordering, receiving, processing, and invoicing of print and non-print materials for the 50 library systems that comprise the PINES consortium, with scalability if more Georgia libraries join. Specifically, the Acquisitions Module supports the following activities, among others:

  • Identifying existing materials that require additional copies or licenses to satisfy demand
  • Identifying subject categories and formats of materials that require additional titles to satisfy demand
  • Accepting new materials requests from library staff, patrons, and vendors
  • Managing, reviewing, locating, and pricing items for possible acquisition
  • Ordering items from a variety of vendors
  • Receiving, processing, and distributing new materials
  • Obtaining or creating bibliographic and item records
  • Processing and payment of invoices
  • Identifying materials for deletion and discarding
  • Provide accurate financial reporting/data for auditing and tracking.
  • Granular permissions structure that protects access within and between systems.

The acquisition and management of serials and periodicals is a special subcategory of Acquisitions and is not included in the scope of this SRS.

The current specification presupposes the general functionality of an ILS and specifies only those requirements that directly or indirectly relate to Acquisitions activities.

1.3 Intended Audience

This SRS is intended both for library directors and staff and PINES staff who may contribute additional requirements or commentary, and for software project managers and developers who will implement the requirements. As such, it aims for a high level of readability for a non-technical audience, while providing enough specificity to be useful to a software developer.

It is assumed that when software development occurs, it will be in a highly collaborative and iterative environment in which end-users have multiple opportunities to review and refine the user interface and software functionality.

It is also assumed that the reader has a general understanding of Library services and processes and does not require definition of common Library terminology.

1.4 Document Conventions

The SRS includes requirements, process flowcharts, and use cases. Requirements include a reference to a process flowchart where appropriate. Flowcharts generally indicate the current approach to Acquisitions processes at library systems within PINES, and should be considered to give contextual information rather than to prescribe or constrain new software development.

Use cases are included for some of the most frequently performed activities. They are intended to supplement the requirements and highlight activities that offer a great potential for increased efficiency and ease of use. Again, they should be considered to be contextual rather than prescriptive.

1.5 User Classes and Characteristics

Patron / A Patron is a customer of PINES, either possessing a library card or not, either on site of a community library or not, using either print materials, media materials, or electronic resources
Acquisitions Staff / Acquisitions Staff include managers, librarians, library technicians, and library pages who select, order, unpack, receive, process, catalog, and invoice materials
Acquisitions Managers / Acquisitions Managers include management staff who oversee the Acquisitions processes.
Library Managers / Library Managers include Branch and other Managers who provide input to the Acquisitions processes and receive materials from the Acquisitions processes.
Library Directors / Library Directors include staff who plan and direct Library services and priorities
PINES Team / Members of the PINES staff at GPLS who facilitate and assist PINES libraries in design and implementation of the Acquisitions system

1.6 Operating Environment

OE-1: / The Acquisitions Module supports the needs of a large, multiple-branch library consortium. Specifically, the system must support a library consortium with 50 separate systems at 275 service outlets with potential for further growth at all levels, 20 million circulations, purchasing and processing over 500,000 items per year. It is highly desirable that searches and reports can be processed during open hours without disrupting other system functions.
OE-2: / The Acquisitions Module shall operate on a Linux or Solaris server.
OE-3: / The Acquisitions Module shall be accessible through a web-browser or a Windows-compatible client.
OE-4: / If web-browser based, the Acquisition Module shall be accessible through Microsoft
Internet Explorer (v.6.0 and later) and Mozilla Firefox (v.1.1 and later).
OE-5: / The Acquisition Module shall be accessible with screen-reading software, screen-
magnification software, and other software programs designed to increase
accessibility.

1.7 Design and Implementation Constraints

CO-1: / The Acquisitions Module shall use a fully relational database back-end.
CO-2: / The Acquisitions Module shall produce standards-compliant HTML.
CO-3: / The Acquisitions Module shall provide a development and training environment with the ability to migrate configurations to a production environment.
CO-4: / User rights and privileges will be controlled through security groups and/or “roles” that allow access control for individuals, workgroups, and arbitrary staff groups.

1.8 User Documentation

UD-1: / The software developer shall provide complete data specifications for patron records, bibliographic records, order records, invoice records, item records, hold/request records, and other records maintained or accessed by the Acquisitions Module.
UD-2: / The software developer shall provide a thorough high-level description of major processes, including patron and staff requests, sending and receiving of EDIFACT files, claim cycles, and standard reports.
UD-3: / The system shall provide an online, hierarchical, and cross-linked help system in HTML that describes and illustrates all system functions.
AS-1: / The Acquisitions Module is part of an enterprise-level Library Automation System.
AS-2: / Acquisitions processes are centralized at a single location, and accept input and provide services to multiple locations.
DE-1: / The Acquisitions Module relies on the data structures and functionality of an enterprise-level Library Automation System, including a Circulation (or Inventory Management) module.
DE-2: / The Acquisitions Module interfaces with a variety of vendor websites, via published APIs and/or automated transfer of standard-format data files (e.g. EDIFACT).
DE-3: / The Acquisitions module interacts with a patron interface, also known as an Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC), accepting input (e.g. patron materials requests) and providing output (e.g. on-order information and status, holds information, patron request status, etc.)

2. System Requirements

Priority 1 – required for launch

Priority 2 – required development for following release (before an upgrade)

Priority 3 – further development in either a future release or an upgrade

Category: General System Requirements

Req ID: / GSR-001 / Priority: 1
Name: / Support centralized and distributed acquisitions processes
Description: / PINES consists of 50 independent library systems with 275 service outlets and a union bibliographic catalog for the separate collections. Every aspect of Acquisitions requires support for distributed information gathering and input, and centralized decision making and processing with a robust, granular permissions structure protecting individual systems data and processes. This includes the selection process, receiving and processing of print and media items, and cataloging.
Related Reqs: / Related Process:
Req ID: / GSR-002 / Priority: 1
Name: / Individual and shared staff login accounts
Description: / Support for individual and shared staff login accounts; access to modules is granted by use of "roles" or "privileges" that allow each account access to as many modules as needed and preventing access to other library system accounts.
Related Reqs: / Related Process:
Req ID: / GSR-003 / Priority: 1
Name: / Keyboard macros and shortcuts
Description: / ILS client supports administrator-programmable and user-programmable macros and/or keyboard shortcuts
Related Reqs: / Related Process:
Req ID: / GSR-004 / Priority:2
Name: / Search on any field
Description: / Ability to search on any field
Related Reqs: / Related Process:
Req ID: / GSR-005 / Priority:2
Name: / Wildcard searches
Description: / Wildcard searches and substring searches in all fields (including 'number' fields, e.g. isbn, upc, etc.).
Related Reqs: / Related Process:
Req ID: / GSR-006 / Priority: 3
Name: / NOT searches
Description: / Ability to search for records that do not match a search variable (e.g. NOT youth).
Related Reqs: / Related Process:
Req ID: / GSR-007 / Priority: 1
Name: / Return to search results
Description: / After searching for a record, ability to return to intermediate results (e.g. 'Back' or 'Return to List').
Related Reqs: / Related Process:
Req ID: / GSR-008 / Priority:2
Name: / Save query definitions
Description: / Ability to save search, schedule, and output criteria for frequently used queries and reports.
Related Reqs: / Related Process:
Req ID: / GSR-009 / Priority:2
Name: / Unlimited number of review files
Description: / Unlimited number of review files (aka buckets, query result sets, selection lists, etc.).
Related Reqs: / Related Process:

Category: Financial & Legal Requirements

Req ID: / FLR-001 / Priority: 1
Name: / Auditor requirements
Description: / Software must facilitate validation of ordering, receiving, and invoicing processes using validated data, to satisfy auditor requirements.
Related Reqs: / Related Process:
Req ID: / FLR-002 / Priority: 1
Name: / Transactions post in real time
Description: / All transactions post in real time: including purchase orders, invoices, fund balances, vendor balances, vendor statistics and history, etc.
Related Reqs: / Related Process: INV011
Req ID: / FLR-003 / Priority:2
Name: / Direct interface with financial systems
Description: / Ability to directly interface with library financial system to manage funds, invoices, P.Os, payments, etc.
Related Reqs: / Related Process:
Req ID: / FLR-004 / Priority: 1
Name: / Fund attributes
Description: / The system supports an unlimited number of funds. Funds can be grouped into multiple hierarchies. Multiple funds can be used in a single order. Fund balances are visible to selectors and updated in real time. The system triggers an alert when fund balances go below a configurable level. Money can be transferred between funds with appropriate privileges. Inactive funds can be deleted with appropriate privileges.
Related Reqs: / Related Process:
Req ID: / FLR-005 / Priority:2
Name: / Manage multiple fiscal years
Description: / Ability to encumber and disencumber funds in multiple fiscal years.
Related Reqs: / FLR-006 / Related Process:
Req ID: / FLR-006 / Priority:1
Name: / Year-end fiscal turnover process
Description: / Year-end fiscal turnover process that closes out funds and transfers encumbered amounts into new fiscal year.
Related Reqs: / FLR-005 / Related Process:

Category: Selection Requirements

Req ID: / SR-001 / Priority: 1
Name: / Selection list attributes
Description: / Selection lists are collections of bibliographic records (short or full) that temporarily store titles being considered for purchase. Selection lists can be shared between acquisitions staff and can be made visible to other staff members for collaborative input. Selection list privileges can be granted to individuals or groups. Selection lists can be queried and searched by all fields. Selection lists can be created manually of automatically. Ability to create order records from selected items on selection list. Additional attributes: add notes (both vendor and local notes not viewable by vendors) to selection list; link items on selection list to appropriate fund(s), if assigned, and view fund(s) balances from selection list; ability to show similar and related titles from ILS and/or vendor catalogs; ability to create new selection lists from selected items on existing selection list; ability to manually build and share within system selection lists; ability to export user formatted lists for dissemination to individuals outside library system; transferable from hq to branches and back; ability to tie list to single vendor, multiple vendors or no vendor; be able to delete, copy, dedupe (within and across lists), edit, transfer (titles/items from one list to another), merge, print, sort by any field; ability to expand/collapse for item details; ability to enable/disable on individual items; pop-up warnings on duplicates; ability to lock/unlock lists and selections based on funding amounts and other status; global list maintenance changes; ability to pull lists from or push lists to vendors; ability to create templates for list creation; ability to list name separate from P.O. number;. Note that a single selection list and even a single item may be linked to several funds.
Related Reqs: / SR-007 / Related Process: SEL061
Req ID: / SR-002 / Priority: 1
Name: / Item attributes
Description: / Ability to map, import vendor data, create short acquisitions records; records in a form to upgrade/overlay to MARC; customizable order and display; sorting ability by any field; ability to create custom templates for item entry. Item should contain: title; author/artist; format; pub date; isbn 10/13; edition; volume; language; internal notes (invisible to vendor); external notes (visible to vendor); budget year; call no. area; P.O/account no.; library short name; collection name; selector name; date added to selection list; no. of copies to order; price ; discount price; all the fields from all vendors.
Related Reqs: / Related Process:
Req ID: / SR-003 / Priority: 1
Name: / Automatic distribution formulas
Description: / Ability to create an unlimited number of distribution formulas and create distribution formula templates based on different library and collection criteria. Ability to apply a distribution formula to an order record. Ability to track use of distribution formulas.
Related Reqs: / OR-024 / Related Process: SEL091
Req ID: / SR-004 / Priority:2
Name: / Name: patron requests via OPAC
Description: / Patron requests are collected through OPAC, through a separate webform or manually; patron information is authenticated against ILS; requested items are checked for existence in the collection; owned items are flagged for communication to patron; unowned items directly populate a selection list in the ILS so that retyping is unnecessary. Additionally, information on which vendors have the requested titles would be helpful at the review stage. Ability to manage patron requests throughout the selection and ordering process and generate patron notifications.
Related Reqs: / SR-005,SR-001,CR-004 / Related Process: PAT000
Req ID: / SR-005 / Priority: 3
Name: / Patron request processing
Description: / Patron request status is tracked in patron account; patrons receive notifications (by email and by account messages) when item is ordered or rejected, and when item is received (need this to be configurable by library).
Related Reqs: / SR-004 / Related Process: PAT120
Req ID: / SR-006 / Priority:2
Name: / Batch ISBN/UPC lookup
Description: / Batch ISBN/UPC search
Related Reqs: / CR-004 / Related Process:
Req ID: / SR-007 / Priority:2
Name: / Order records include selection history
Description: / Order records include a field showing the history of decisions made with regard to selection or rejection. This history is accessible in selection lists and through queries and reports.
Related Reqs: / SR-001 / Related Process:

Category: Ordering Requirements