Updates and Systems

Updates
In response to my last update about improving communication I got an excellent suggestion today. Updates used to be weekly, as long as there was something to report. Over the last year I started sending them out only when there was some major piece of news to report. The suggestion that I got was that I try to do them weekly, since even a minor piece of news will help us all to know what’s going on. Starting now I will try to get one out every Friday.

Systems
We are all going to miss Robin who has been so helpful and a source of knowledge for us all. I’m happy to report that we are retaining her on a consultant basis so that we don’t lose access to her expertise. This will be particularly helpful during the move from SIRSI to Innovative Interfaces and with some AZHIN applications.

I’ve been asked if we are going to fill Robin’s position. As you know we are in the middle of discussions with the College of Medicine about the IT organization within the College, the Library and Biomedical Communications. I have been attending committee meetings and Jeanette has filled in when I have had to miss a meeting. Joan and Marcus are representing the library in a subcommittee that is looking specifically at the functions of a new organization and who should fit where. Nothing has been decided. Given the uncertainty ahead of us it would be hard to even write a job description for a Head of Systems. We will keep the line open until we see what our needs are going to be.

In the meantime, if you need help with any aspect of IT, please feel free to contact Shanna about network or email problems, Spencer or Jose about desktop, lab or classroom computers, or Marcus, Ying or Stef about database, web or other application problems. Mikel is going to be working on any AZHIN questions that arise. In Phoenix, Kristy has a lot of expertise that we can draw upon. For questions that you might have sent to Robin, please feel free to send an email to Joan who will be doing her best to answer or find an answer.

This time of transition is difficult for all of us and especially hard for those in Systems who are living with so much uncertainty. But we still do need to know if you have problems or computer/IT needs. Everyone is pitching in to keep us up and running.