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FOLIO Community Onboarding

Onboarding new FOLIO members

Kat Berry

Kirstin Kemner-Heek

Alexis Manheim

Martina Schildt

Petra Schneider

Sharon Wiles-Young

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FOLIO Onboarding process�

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Onboarding process to get to know…

  • … FOLIO
      • Community and software
      • Meeting structure
  • … the new members
      • Learn areas of interest as well as capacity
      • Point to areas of need and possible engagement
      • Find areas of engagement together
      • Fix the commitments
  • … and follow up
      • Offer ongoing contact and advice, organize mentors

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Onboarding steps

Pre- information

1st onboarding meeting

2nd onboarding meeting

Stay in touch…

General information for new members to watch recordings or wiki prior to first meeting

Onboarding group identifies potential mentors related to interests and resources

Q&A | Carve out areas of interest and engagement | Point out needs and propose roles of engagement

Plan focus of engagement | Presentation of specific roles that are of interest | Mentorship | Clarify whom to report to

Find mentors

Ongoing opportunity for feedback & questions | Standing offer to help

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FOLIO Introduction�

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What is FOLIO?

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“The Future Of Libraries Is Open - FOLIO is a collaboration of libraries, developers and vendors building an open source library services platform.

It supports traditional resource management functionality and can be extended into other institutional areas.”

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(Source: folio.org)

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FOLIO - Goals and target group

  • Goal
    • Development of a full market competitive Library Service Platform (LSP) to serve as library management system and more ….
    • Open source, sustainable, innovative, flexible, enhanceable
    • Interoperability and extensibility
            • example: working with university identity management or other systems
  • Target group
    • Academic and research libraries
    • Public libraries and special libraries

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Many characteristics of FOLIO

  • FOLIO is hosted by the Open Library Foundation (OLF)
  • FOLIO is an open source project
  • FOLIO is a software development project
  • FOLIO is a migration and implementation project
  • FOLIO is community and governance
  • FOLIO is a cooperative project

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FOLIO … is open participation!

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“Libraries cannot afford to dismiss the value benefits of using and contributing to open source communities”*

  • FOLIOs code is open source and secured under the umbrella of OLF
    • “Safe haven” of code under the OLF - Apache 2.0 license
    • Data security, data safety, data ownership → data sovereignty, no vendor lock-in
  • Open APIs: quick, non proprietary add-ons possible
    • Invites institutions to participate cooperatively and transparently in development
    • UX and technical requirements exist, qualified new requirements may be added to main release
  • FOLIO the project is sustained by a community of FOLIO members and their customers
    • Not a classic open source initiative, participation is institution based
    • Community and institutional engagement is key for sustainable software usage and healthy development environment

(Open Source Library Systems: A Guide by R. Wilson & J. Mitchell, Rowman & Littlefield, 2021)

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Open Library Foundation (OLF)

  • Umbrella organization since 2016
    • “ … ensures the availability, accessibility and sustainability of open source and open access projects for and by libraries.” (Source: https://openlibraryfoundation.org/)
    • Annual member conference WOLFCon
  • Current projects: FOLIO, GOKb, ReShare, VuFind, ARC
    • Each project is self-organized
  • Governance
    • OLF Board (7 members) - President: Tom Cramer, Stanford University
    • OLF Executive Committee, senior program officer, treasurer, secretary

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FOLIO - Members (2022)

  • Auburn University - Supporting
  • BSZ (Konstanz) - Supporting
  • BVB (Munich) - Supporting
  • CU Boulder - Empowering
  • Cornell University - Sustaining
  • Darmstadt University Library - Supporting
  • Duke University - Supporting
  • EBSCO Information Services - Enabling
  • EPAM - Contributing
  • FAU University Library Nuremberg-Erlangen - Supporting
  • Fenway Libraries Organization (FLO) - Contributing
  • Five Colleges Inc - Supporting
  • Frankfurt University Library - Supporting
  • GBV (Goettingen) - Empowering
  • Giessen University Library - Supporting
  • Grand Valley State University - Contributing
  • Hangzhou metadata co.ltd - Supporting
  • HBZ (Cologne) - Empowering
  • HeBIS (Frankfurt/Main) - Supporting
  • Index Data - Supporting
  • JIANGSU JIATU NETWORK TECHONOLOGY CO.,LTD. - Supporting
  • Kassel University Library - Supporting
  • Knowledge Integration - Supporting
  • LMU Munich - Supporting
  • Lehigh University - Sustaining
  • Leipzig University Library - Sustaining
  • Mainz University Library - Supporting
  • Marburg University Library - Supporting
  • Michigan State - Supporting
  • Missouri State University - Supporting
  • Regensburg University Library - Supporting
  • Saxon State and University Library Dresden - Sustaining
  • Shanghai Jiao Tong University Library - Supporting
  • Shanghai Library - Supporting
  • Shanghai RFID Intelligence Digital Technology Co.,LTD. - Supporting
  • Spokane Public Library - Supporting
  • Stanford University - Empowering
  • Texas A&M University - Sustaining
  • TUM Technical University Library Munich - Supporting
  • University of Alabama - Sustaining
  • University of Chicago - Sustaining

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FOLIO - a bit of history …

Okapi platform is built by Index Data and EBSCO

Okapi platform

Before 2016

Start of community funded projects, e.g. ERM

Community projects

2018

FOLIO gets new governance model

New governance model

2021

Transformation process: stakeholder become FOLIO community

Transformation

2020/2021

Open Library Environment (OLE) joins as 3rd stakeholder → first governance model

OLE

2016

2018 ongoing

Releases

9 main releases - most recent Nolana (12/12), Orchid is in preparation

2019

1st implementer

First implementer Chalmers goes live in September

Diverse Community

Community develops from OLE to a more diverse community with different members, like vendors, libraries, networks, more international etc.

Ongoing

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FOLIO - Governance overview

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New governance structures since January 2021

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FOLIO – resourcing and budget

  • Membership fees: per year / various levels
  • Funding ($ 5.000 - $ 50.000 $ plus) and / or FTE (minimum 20 hrs. / week)
  • Contractual arrangement: „memorandum of understanding“ (MoU)
  • Additional contribution of members and other participants
      • Developer, DevOps, UX/UI, technical architects, product owner / project leads, SIG convener, special matter experts
  • Yearly report (latest: fy 2021/22) is available for FOLIO members

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FOLIO – cooperative project

  • Cooperational presentations and events: library conferences, FOLIO days, information events (virtual / on-site)
  • Wiki and regional web pages (e.g. Germany)
  • Membership Conference of the OLF: WOLFCon (latest: 2022 in Hamburg)
  • Growing number of implementations → implementer reports and projects
  • Various community driven development projects, like ERM, eUsage, NCIP, course reserves, single record import, serials management, Open Access/APC, …

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FOLIO – Implementations

  • Self-hosting: Texas A+M, UB Leipzig, Shanghai Public Library, …

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  • Public-service hosting: GBV: ZBW Kiel/Hamburg, SuUB Bremen, Stabi Berlin, SUB Hamburg, UB Halle, UB Braunschweig, hbz: WDR, UB Leipzig: SLUB Dresden, …
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  • Vendor services: Chalmers, 5 Colleges, Cornell, Spokane Library, Holy Cross, Lehigh, Chicago, …
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  • New participants: Library of Congress, Nat. Lib. Australia, Stanford, MOBIUS Consortium

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FOLIO Software�

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FOLIO Software

  • Software is community driven based on priorities and Special Interest Groups (SIGs), Product Owner (PO) and developer conversations
  • User interface design: consistent look and feel and with new development ensure the UX/UI design principles are met
  • System architecture - Okapi - multi-tenant
  • Process of development to testing
  • App ideas and integration
  • Interoperability of software

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FOLIO technical architecture

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Models of “How to develop” in FOLIO

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Development teams from different partners, institutions and funding

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Meet the Teams

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Models of “How to develop” in FOLIO

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  • Vendor funded development
    • like: EBSCO / EPAM (in different teams): ACQ apps, INNReach, eHoldings, SRS, many more
  • Mixed teams - vendors and community
    • like EBSCO/EPAM, Index Data, K-Int plus libraries: Inventory, …
  • Development funded by community / institutions - done by companies
    • like single record import, serials management development, ERM
  • Development group build by single institutions / (“your own”)
    • like course reserves, calendar, NCIP, bound-with

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Models of “How to develop” in FOLIO

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  • How to find a development community and enter the development of FOLIO:
    • Offer development resources to the FOLIO project: one developer or a team → Community Council
    • Offer monetary resources to hire a software vendor to build a new app or a new functionality idea → Community Council
    • Offer money or development resources through SIG/PO: find a small group of libraries in SIG that have similar functional needs
  • If this development will be done according to the FOLIO standards*, it will be integrated into the core software (flower release)

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FOLIO conceptual work

  • UX/UI Designer
    • Part of the development team responsible

for UI design and consistency (wireframes)

  • Product Owner
    • Responsible for transfer of functional

requirements into technical specifications

    • Connection to developer teams
    • Responsible for fulfilment of product timeline

and roadmap goals

  • 3 release cycles per year
    • “flower releases”
    • Release Planning group responsible for each release

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FOLIO - Information tools

  • Demo installation (FOLIO snapshot)
    • latest release
    • Login information: diku_admin | admin
  • Past release environments and German environments
  • FOLIO Jira
  • Code on GitHub
  • Testrail for bugfest testing
    • Training and accounts are needed for testers

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FOLIO Community�

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Vendors

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Service Providers, Software Vendors, and Integration Partners

Libraries

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Academic, Public and Special libraries of all sizes, worldwide

Networks/ Consortia

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Groups of libraries and networks sharing systems and resources

Developers

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Code contributors, architects, DevOps, QA and other technical professionals

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The Three Governing Councils

Product

Guides functional development and manages scope.

Community

Ensures strong and healthy community as well as smooth operations. Handles finances.

Technical

Maintains technical policies, best practices, infrastructure, and operational health.

https://wiki.folio.org/display/COMMUNITY/FOLIO+Governance+Model

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FOLIO - Special Interest Groups (SIGs)

  • Core part of community representation
  • Aligned with functional areas of FOLIO
  • Define workflow, feature requirements

and specifications

  • Most meet weekly; all are open*

*Calendar of SIG meetings with links to details and FOLIO Meetings with Zoom access info

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Provide real-world expertise, answer specific questions and provide feedback, help shape direction of development

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SUBJECT MATTER/

FUNCTIONAL

EXPERTS

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Keep the SIG functioning, set agendas, listen to concerns, coordinate effort across multiple areas

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CONVENER

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Represent the SIG in other groups to communicate, advocate, and coordinate specific activities or areas of work

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SIG LIAISON

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Roles within a SIG

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Document needs, manage

feature backlog, serve as bridge between developers and functional experts in SIGs

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PRODUCT OWNER

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Convert functional needs of experts into visual interface using mockups and wireframes, follows the UX guidelines throughout the whole ecosystem

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UX/UI DESIGNER

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Work on a team to develop code based on functional requirements from SIGs and technical requirements from POs within guidelines from architects and UX/UI designers

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DEVELOPER

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Roles related to SIGs

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Joining a SIG

  • What is your area of interest/expertise?
  • Check out SIG meetings and charge on the wiki
  • Look at Slack for recent posts. How can you contribute?
  • Contact the convener for more information and how to get up to speed
  • What kind of time do you want to put into your involvement?

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How to get started�

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FOLIO - Communication tools

Primary Communication:

  • FOLIO wiki
  • Weekly meetings
  • Slack
  • email lists
  • Folio.org
  • Github
  • Jira

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Regional project websites

  • German project website

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More ways to get involved

Documentation & Roles

  • Documentation Editor/Manager
  • Documentation Working Group (under Support SIG)
    • works with SMEs from relevant SIGs
    • meets monthly
  • Product Council Liaison

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Testing

Bugfests occur before each release

  • Have someone add you to #bug-fest
  • First time? Review helpful resources, attend kick off meeting
  • Gain access to test rails
  • Claim tests you will complete during testing week
  • Complete testing

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FOLIO – What has contributed to our success?

  • Intensive cooperation from the beginning
  • Cooperative development with partners
  • Cooperation in virtual, agile, and diverse communication structures and spaces
  • Commitment to active information sharing and transparency
  • Flexible and pragmatic approach to solve upcoming challenges
  • Start and iterate - quick correction where necessary
  • Start small – grow steady and continuously → enable trust building and resource sharing

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FOLIO … is innovative and unique

  • Building additional functionality to classical ILS, e.g. ERM, OA request management, CDL …
  • Building regional functionality, e.g. translation support, integration of 3rd party systems such as ILL, …
  • Cooperation of public and commercial development for special features
  • Consistent usage of internal and external APIs
  • International cooperation and long-term perspective
  • Free choice of business model

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Next steps: topics and questions for mentoring

  • Working with other libraries / strategic level
  • What are your areas of interest and/or expertise?
    • Join a SIG
  • What kind of involvement do you want to put into FOLIO?
    • How much time and how many people?
    • How much time do I need to invest for each role in a SIG?
  • What do your implementation plans and timeline look like?
  • Have you talked with other FOLIO implementers? Are you interested in mentoring?
  • Suggest reaching out to peers in FOLIO on your own

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Questions?

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SECOND meeting slides

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I’m moving what was marked as secondary from the community section here. If we want to add back we can.

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We’ve discussed that slides that go here would be covered in the second meeting, after they have had a chance to digest the first section.

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Subject Matter/Functional Experts

What is a Subject Matter/Functional Expert?

  • Members of the FOLIO Community who regularly attend SIG meetings and provide
    • real-world expertise,
    • answers specific questions
    • feedback to help to shape direction of development in their area
  • Time commitment varies

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Responsibilities

  • Bring real world examples from your institution
  • Share existing workflows and pain points
  • Respond to mock-ups and wireframes
  • Perform User Acceptance Testing

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Convener

What is a SIG Convener?

  • The SIG convener is a person(s) selected by the group participants to facilitate, and to some extent moderate, the group’s discussions and activities.
  • Time commitment?

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Responsibilities

  • Determine when rough consensus has been reached and discussion should move on to another topic
  • Onboarding new members
  • Coordinate meeting agendas and ensures that minutes are posted to the SIG's wiki space
  • Communicate SIG activities to the Product Council

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Product Owner (PO)

What is a PO?

  • The product owner represents user community. They work with a special interest group (SIG) to determine what features will be in the product release
  • Time commitment: 5-15 hrs/wk
  • Open product owner positions

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Responsibilities

  • Research and gather proposed features and/or user stories and requirements
  • Backlog maintenance
  • Platform maintenance
  • Product development
  • QA and product testing
  • Release management
  • Stakeholder communication and customer support
  • Support other POs, mentor new POs

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Product Owner (PO) support

Gain experience and skills

  • Opportunities to gain experience by supporting current POs
  • Contact Lead PO (Khalilah Gambrell) or if you know the PO that you want to work with, contact directly
    • Inform the PO
      • Chosen activity
      • Time commitment and duration
    • You and PO agree to the commitment.

PO Support opportunities

  • Conduct market intelligence
  • Research requirements' questions
  • Peer review requirements
  • Test drive new functionality
  • Review existing functionality
  • Review bugs
  • Review functionality with SIG
  • Write test cases
  • Organize user acceptance testing
  • Coordinate user research activities

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SIG Liaison

What is a SIG Liaison?

  • Volunteer or designee appointed by the Convener that attends meetings and/or represents a SIG on other teams or working groups
  • Time commitment varies

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Responsibilities

  • Represent the SIG in separate group(s)
  • Communicate, advocate, and coordinate on behalf of the SIG
  • Specific activities or areas of work as assigned

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Other ideas to introduce:

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  • Roadmap overview
  • Aspirations of project:
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FUN for today 2/7

From Sebastian:

I asked ChatGPT for a limerick about FOLIO. Here is what it offered:

I once heard of a library system called FOLIO

It was open source and quite versatile, oh my!

It could manage collections and services with ease

And offered a range of APIs to please

It was hailed as a game changer, no lie!

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Notes

  • Present to PC next week
    • present slides
    • explain what we had in mind and what we want to do with it
  • Ask for direct feedback and open up for comments (max. 2 weeks)
  • Find a pilot group to test the concept: new members from 2022
  • Integrate in “welcome email” as offer (FOLIO secretary SMLLC) -> wiki page of onboarding group with contact data

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OPEN source: Context for FOLIO

  • Engagement with FOLIO community
  • “Libraries cannot afford to dismiss the value benefits of using and contributing to open source communities” ****ADD to slide 20?
  • Professional development opportunities

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****Extra slides/info in the folder --

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Notes

  • goal 1: onboard new members who sign a MOU first
    • concentrate on that process in the following slides
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  • goal 2: reuse the PPT to do the same for SaaS institutions and other interested parties
  • goal 3: split the onboarding in 2 parts
    • 1. general information and questions -> maybe homework
    • 2. Come back and carve out best areas to start and connect to each other

DEADLINE January 26, 2023 -> Presentation at PC!!!

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Goals for onboarding new FOLIO members

  • Get to know new institutions and learn about their motivations to Join FOLIO
    • Hold conversations and ask questions of new institutions in the FOLIO community
    • Identify their strengths, interests and options in FOLIO engagement
  • Explain “state of the art” of FOLIO - Vision and status of the FOLIO project
    • Explain immediate needs and areas of engagement in FOLIO
    • walk the institutions through the roadmap

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Onboarding questions

  • What is the area you are most interested in?
  • What kind of resources do you have?
  • What would a potential area of investment look like?
  • What is your experience with open source?

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