1. We use ABLE and Aleph at MIT. Depending on what you want to do with it, you may need to purchase an add-on to Aleph.

The part that we do (no add-on needed) is using Aleph's Z39.50 server to import into ABLE the citation data for monographs being sent for binding.

In Aleph:

• You'll need to set up the Z39.50 server, if you don't use it already.
• You'll need to add a barcode search to the standard configuration.
• You'll need to set up to export item data as part of the bib.

In ABLE:

• You'll need to set up mapping of MARC fields into ABLE fields. 

Our staff love it, it's been a great time saver for sending out monographs to the bindery.

The part we don't use (requires add-on), changes item process statuses for outgoing materials, and removes the item process status for materials that come back from the bindery.  There may be more to that than I'm remembering, there's documentation about it. Our staff did not find this feature all that useful within our local workflows, and we did not purchase the add-on. Christine L Moulen <orbitee@MIT.EDU>

2. It has been a very long time (and several Aleph versions ago) since we setup the ABLE software, but it continues working for us even as we move to new versions of Aleph.

Specifically, we use the "Z-link" feature for barcoded items that we send to the bindery.  I have attached some documentation written several years ago about how we setup the Aleph-to-ABLE connection, and how we use the system.  Please keep in mind that this is several years ago so pricing, individuals mentioned, and/or certain system configurations may differ somewhat.  We are currently on v.18 of Aleph.

One key difference in the document and our current workflow is that we no longer pay for an ABLE license since we do not use the automatic binding shipment update functionality.  We only use the z39.50 connection to pull item information from Aleph into ABLE.

I'd be happy to help with any questions you might have.  Again, however, I haven't looked at this setup in years.  Once we got it going it just seemed to work. Mike Rogers, mikerogers@utk.edu

3. Used to be, there was actually something to install for Able. They did away with the client software approach several years ago and moved to the web. They stumbled at first (my impression) by going with the Microsoft bastardized version of Java. But Microsoft had to discontinue their Java virtual machine and Able went with Sun Java, which is standard on Windows machines now. That’s my experience with “setup” of Able.

I can’t imagine there are security or firewall issues with Able, but then, I’m not a security expert. James C Eggleston jceggles@MIT.EDU

4. We use Houchen Bindery. They host the program on their site so this is based on them handling most everything regarding the set up. You just download a short java(?) script to your computer and you are good to go. So, your bindery company is a very helpful source for using Able. Michael Lampley, m.lampley@tcu.edu

5. from Belinda Chiang <Belinda.Chiang@qc.cuny.edu>

The current implementation sites are Harvard Wiedner and Law Libraries. I  suppose contacting Harvard OIS people such as Laura Morse (laura_morse@harvard.edu) will help. Their OIS personnel went to each campus to install. Thanks for taking an interest and investigating about this issue.

I contacted HF Group and Michael Kaplin. Barb Voyer of HF Group is also working on this.

The following is a statement from Paul Parisi, Managing Partner, ABLE

Ventures, LLC about the benefits of ABLE/Aleph interface:

The following is a statement from Paul Parisi, Managing Partner, ABLE Ventures, LLC about the benefits of ABLE/Aleph interface:

Binding Preparation?Swipe a Barcode, You?re Done

Paul Parisi

Managing Partner, ABLE Ventures, LLC

Swipe the barcode are you are done.  It is that easy.  First the library swipes the barcode on a monograph, serial, or thesis to bring it onto their binding preparation screen.  All information such as title, author, call number, ISSN, ISBN, volume, month, page numbers, and year is imported from the ILS. The book is added to the bindery shipment.  Once all the books that will be sent on a shipment have been added, a single keystroke (or mouse click) checks them ALL out of the ILS and sends the necessary detail to the binder?s computer.  Several weeks later, when the library bound books return, a single mouse click will check them all back in.  A dream of library efficiency and patron service has finally come true Thanks to the teamwork between ABLE Ventures, LLC, (a partnership of

binders, a software company and a machinery manufacturer) and Ex Libris, (a vendor to libraries), this is now a reality.  Using the Z39.50 protocol, ABLE? (a bindery preparation module in use since 1985) pulls the MARC record and associated information from the ILS and extracts the information needed to complete the binding record.  Information that remains constant such as serial binding title, position and layout of lettering on the spine, cover color, print color, and binding style is managed by the ABLE? software?automatically.  Information that changes or is used one time only, such as serial volume, month and year or monograph

binding title, author, and call number is imported from the MARCrecord and its adjuncts.  ABLE? maps the imported data so that it formats exactly as if it had been typed in by hand.   All of this is accomplished with the swipe of a single barcode  When the binding shipment is ready to be sent to the binder, it is ?Transferred to Bindery? with a single mouse click and instantly the entire shipment of books is noted as ?Checked Out? in the ILS at the same time.  This action is reversed when the bindery shipment returns and the

library selects ?Receive from Bindery??instantly checking the entire shipment back into the ILS via the Internet.

Using the ABLE/Ex Libris binding interface, it is possible to automate binding preparation, to eliminate errors and manual re-keying, and to instantly update the status of an entire binding shipment?all via the Internet.

I am also attaching the configuration document as well as the steps of search and transfer items using the ABLE/aleph Interface software.  Please feel free to condense and clarify whatever needed prior to adding to the Wiki.