The UCLA Library, with guidance from a campus advisory committee and input from users, will be searching for a new online information system to replace ORION2, with no changeover expected before 2003.

Data Research Associates, the company that created the operating software for ORION2, was bought out last year by another library technology firm, Sirsi Corporation. Sirsi recently decided to freeze development of the ORION2 software.

"This market development is out of our control, as mergers and acquisitions take place frequently in the fast-paced technology world," said University Librarian Gloria Werner in a letter to the faculty. "It does mean that the library will need to move to a new system."

Because of continuing problems with ORION2 since it was launched two years ago, the library has already been assessing other systems.

Although the news is disappointing, Associate Vice Chancellor of Information Technology Jim Davis, representing the joint Academic Senate-administration advisory committee, emphasized that ORION2, which will continue to be available until the new system is launched, "appears to meet at least minimal requirements.

"More important for the long term," he said in a letter to faculty, "since UCLA made its original decision, online cataloguing systems in general have evolved significantly."

Werner and Davis assured faculty members that there will be wide consultation with user groups and an assessment of faculty and student needs before a new system is chosen. As part of the process, faculty will have the opportunity to attend vendor demonstrations of systems. In the meantime, the library staff will continue work on improving ORION2.

"We are particularly eager to have faculty members participate in the functional requirements and evaluation process since you are such intensive users of library resources," Werner said in her letter.

Said Davis: "There is a need to proceed with a selection as quickly as practicable, but we are certain that getting it right is more important than doing it fast."