Tech Support Meeting Minutes for July 2010

Tech Support Meeting Minutes

Date: July 27, 2010

Attendance: Kay Bauman, Janet Brooks, Kellie Delaney, Anne Fischer, Teresa Goggins, Jack Kinzie, Josh Lewis, Karen Marriott, Donna Morris, Katrina Prince, Pauline Rodriguez-Atkins, Kim Terry, Jimmy Welch

Update on Action Items:

1. Kellie and Teresa are still reviewing the results from the intranet survey and have been investigating searching options. They will be meeting with IT soon for testing.
2. Materials Selection has been using the new customer suggestion database for 3 weeks and it has improved their workflow and has saved a lot of time. Customers are getting served quickly and efficiently because the system automatically places the reserves when the orders are placed.
3. The Circ Forum discussed the RFID pads automatically checking out or in items and came up with the following:
1. This discussion indicated that this happens frequently:
• Block scanner counter—not always successful
• Have your tech explain process to repeated offenders
• Educate your customers
• Barriers and signage doesn’t help
• Mark scanner groove with a red pen marker
• Explain consequences i.e. damaged items might be accidently charge to them
4. Jimmy demonstrated the functionality of having new search parameters in the staff catalog that will allow a browse by shelf number option. He added a disclaimer to this searching page that discusses the time that searching may take and the rules that one must follow to use this searching feature. This feature would only be available on the staff catalog. After discussion on the need of this feature, the group decided it would be best to share this feature with a select group of public service staff to get feedback.
5. The issue of some 60 day fines not being at the top of a customer’s account was not discussed at the circ forum, but this issue will be fixed if the 14-day loan period for all materials is approved and goes into effect.
6. The Managers decided that we shouldn’t implement customer updates via online form because updating phone numbers would lead to people wanting to change their address online and this would cause logistical problems.

New Business:

• Staff Catalog
• Jimmy demonstrated a new card number look up function under the reserve area. This will allow staff to look up customer information by name or telephone number and reserve materials without the customer having their card with them or knowing their card number. At this time, this function cannot be added without the functionality of the new search parameters mentioned in action item 4.

Changes to the Internet / Intranet:

• There are not any big visual changes to the Intranet or Internet, but everything is staying up to date. Teresa went to compliance training and we are on track with industry standards within web accessibility.
• Internet
• Mango is highlighted on the homepage. This space will be updated often with new highlighted information.
• Newly formatted MetroTube page. Videos used to redirect to YouTube. Now the videos are embedded on our site so customers do not leave the site and can continue to browse after they’ve watched a video.
• Intranet
• Mango marketing resources are available to order on the MaC Supply Catalog.
• There is a new Marketing Resource Page. Kim would like more ideas for templates from public service staff that she can add to the templates and downloads area.
• Kellie announced the creation of the digital initiatives committee. This committee’s mission will be to expand the digital resources available to staff and customers. Kellie asked for volunteers from Tech Support to start a steering committee to help establish the digital initiatives
  committee. Karen Marriott, Kay Bauman, Kellie Delaney, Pauline Rodriguez-Atkins, and Anne Fischer will be on this steering committee.

ILS Issues:

1. An employee asked if a list of all MLS committees and the people on the committee could be listed on the Intranet.
• Kellie and Dana are working on such a list.
2. There was a comment about some staff not getting important information (like floppy disks not being replaced on public computers) and this person asked if there could be some kind of newsletter/email that informs staff of upcoming changes to computers.
• IT always sends out emails about changes to computers, and in this instance the IT techs told public service staff that the new public computers would not have floppy disk drives. It is important that every employee read his/her email, because many emails have important information.
3. A question came from cataloging regarding allowing customers to reserve specific volumes of a multi-volume set from CyberMARS.
• Tech Support discussed this at length and agrees that not having this option causes problems, however they would like to know how big of a problem it is. What is the frequency that customers do not get the volume they want? For the time being, Jimmy will make the notice at the bottom of the page for multi-volume entries more pronounced so customers will notice that they need to call a library for help obtaining the volume they need.
4. An inquiry about how to handle card applications for people over the age of 17 that have a guardian or caretaker because of medical issues or reduced mental capacity was sent to Tech Support.
• If this kind of circumstance takes place, Cheryl Mann needs to know that this isn’t an oversight and that this adult really does have a guardian. Write the name of the guardian on the application along with a note to Cheryl so she does not erase the information from V-Circ and the card holder’s account.

Action Items:

1. The new browse by shelf number functionality will be shared with others to obtain feedback.

2. Jimmy will make the notice at the bottom of the page for Multi-Volume entries more pronounced