Tech Support Meeting Minutes for July 2005

Tech Support Meeting Minutes

Date: Thursday, July 7, 2005

Attendance: Kay Bauman, Donna Morris, Denyvetta Davis, Lloyd Lovely, Randy Wayland, Karen Marriott, Clyde Herrod, Teresa Goggins, Anne Fischer

Update on Action Items

1. IT will work on possibly changing the icon label “CyberMARS: making it more easily identifiable for customers IT staff has done this on some computers (wording changed to “CyberMARS Library Catalog) but needs to complete the task.
2. Janet will follow up with Library Managers who have not responded to her survey re: Materials Selection Program. Janet sent e-mail with additional responses to Tech Support Group.
3. IT will review Janet’s survey results re: manager’s needs with Materials Selection Program, and will come up with additional ideas. IT still needs to review
4. Kay will investigate customer requests for a “wish list.” This is still pending
5. Denyvetta will send an e-mail out alerting staff of the “transit” code and double-clearing materials. This has been done. Kay also mentioned and will bring up at a manager’s meeting that staff need to be real diligent in working their Tracer Lists as it has been catching items that have been coded wrong (ex. – items that staff had changed location code rather than a temporary loan so the item record did not match the label on the outside of the book).
6. Anne will discuss with Jimmy options available re: Leave Permission printing in mlsHRPay. Anne demonstrated what would have to be done to tighten this down. To make it work right, supervisors would need to lock entries that had been approved and then if the staff member wanted to change it, the supervisor would need to unlock it. There would also be issues if a staff member moved to a different department. At this time, the Tech Support Group recommends no changes.
7. Current Topics
1. Wireless Demo – Anne demonstrated how the wireless network will operate for customers when it “goes live” on August 15th. Marketing is working on a brochure that will be available beginning August 1st.
2. IT and Planning will work together on staff training. A few laptops will be taken around to the libraries to all staff “hands on” experience with how the wireless connection works. Staff will not be expected to help customers get connected. This statement will also be in the brochure. Most customers that will use the wireless are experienced with it as they use it regularly and should have very little problems getting connected.
3. Serials – Anne demonstrated the upgrade to the serials program that will allow staff to change the loan period for serials. It will now be on the holdings screen rather than needing to go to the Item Inquiry screen to make the change. The change can be made when the item is checked in or by selecting an item and updating it. The Tech Support group recommended going ahead with implementation. Jimmy will update the software
   within the next week.
4. Anne demonstrated a change in Meeting Room Booking that will allow a staff member to query the bookings but limit the search to only those they have entered or updated.
   They will need to still enter other parameters, but they can then check the box that will limit it further to just show items they’ve added or changed. The Tech Support group recommended going ahead with implementation. Jimmy will update the software within the next week.
8. Standing Topics
   Internet/Intranet – Teresa Goggins
9. Intranet – No updates
   Internet – Teresa showed three samples of new designs for the MLS Web page. Attendees discussed the three pages. Kay said that she would like to say what she likes about each page and for Teresa to then make a composite page of what people like rather than having to “pick”
   one of the three pages demonstrated.
10. Teresa will send the links to Tech Support members and would like them to send feedback about what features they like or would like to see changed.
11. ILS Issues:
1. Anne presented information regarding a new state law that allows a person that is a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking to use an address through the Secretary of State’s office to keep their real address confidential. As this is a state law, the library must be in compliance. The person that asks for a card using this address must show an authorization card that identifies them as a program participant.
   Denyvetta will contact the person from the Secretary of State’s office to come to a Library Manager’s meeting to explain the program to Library Managers to share with their staff.
2. A suggestion was made that designators appear in the author listing to indicate that material is large print.
   IT will look at this issue and have a response at the August meeting.
3. A suggestion was made to add a guide to CyberMARS to show customers how to tell if a book is at a particular library.
   Several possibilities were discussed. At this time the Tech Group does not recommend adding another help screen. They recommended that Belle Isle could use these at their library if they find it helpful for their customers.
4. A suggestion was passed along from a customer saying that they would like to have an advanced search to filter only holdings for a particular library. The Tech Group does not recommend implementing this suggestion. It would make the searches take a lot more computer time and for smaller libraries, it could be quite lengthy as they do not have the same size collections as a larger library. There is not an index by holdings in the catalog because the holdings change very frequently, i.e., material goes long overdue, an item is withdrawn because it is damaged or not being used at that library, etc.
5. A suggestion was passed along from a customer for MLS to provide “talking” computers for use by customers with impaired vision at a few libraries. The Tech Group does not recommend implementing this suggestion. If it were only implemented at a few libraries, the customer would have to drive depending on where they live or work. The Library for the Blind is located in Oklahoma City and has much more to over customers with impaired vision that we would be able to offer. The group recommends that Belle Isle get brochures for the Library for the Blind to give to customers asking for this service.
12. Action Items
• IT will review Janet’s survey results re: managers’ needs with Materials Selection program.
• Kay will investigate customer requests for a “wish list.”
• IT will investigate the possibility of having “large print” designators on the Author screens.
• Tech Group will review new web page design and provide feedback to Teresa.