Tech Support Meeting Minutes for May 2002

Tech Support Meeting Minutes

Date: May 28, 2002

Present: Sue Hall, Lisa Myers, Teresa Goggins, Jim Welch, Anne Hsieh, Donna Morris, Debra Spindle, Norm Maas, Traci Jinkens, Anne Fischer, Karen Marriott, Judy Walden, Janet Brooks, Kay Bauman

• Terms of the Rotating Positions
• Each term will serve a period of two years. Crystal Giles will replace Jana Hausburg in August 2002. Debra Spindle will continue to serve for the next two years.

• Update on Administrative Names and Contact Phone Numbers on the Web Site
• Names are already up under “Contact Us”. Those names are:
• Executive Director’s Office Human Resources Office - Norm Maas Richard Rea
• Public Services  - Judy Walden
• Office Public Relations Office - Scott Carter
• Library Endowment Trust - Ernestine Clark

• Update on E-mail Notifications for Reserves and Overdues
• Since this started back on May 1st, 158 staff members have signed up to use this service and there have been 1374 reserve notifications. Jim would like to go forward with offering this service to the public on June 3rd. Special e-mail accounts have been created for Midwest City, Del City and Southern Oaks for reserve notifications.
• Prepaid Fees Account
• Anne H. presented to the group spreadsheets indicating that this account is in the negative by a significant amount. The prepaid fees account needs a positive balance. This account was created seven years ago initially for MAAD (Magazine Abstracts and Article Delivery) service. This made customer usage of this service at home much easier by allowing them access of a prepaid fees account. We stopped MAAD service in 2000. The problem with MAAD was it allowed customers to get into a negative balance. Inactive customers are deleted from the system after five years. This is an important factor in the increase of the negative balance. Tech Support believes that we need clarification on how we use the prepaid fees account. This may be a training issue or a policy and procedures issue. A sub-committee will need to be established to further investigate this problem. There was a suggestion to budget for prepaid negative balance. Kay will write up a recommendation from Tech Support regarding prepaid negative balance.
• Update on Combining the Application Form and Internet Form
• There is a problem with the combination of the two forms. The age differences required for applicants of one year between the two forms pose a problem for intertwining the two applications. Instead of combining the two forms, there may be a streamlined procedure that could take place.
• Judy will discuss at the next Library Manager’s Meeting.
• Update on Removing Customer Library Card Numbers from Checkout Receipt
• Customers have vocalized their approval of this change. Some staff have encountered problems with having to remember customer’s name and/or card number to further assist them at the circulation desk. Automation has received comments from only one library regarding this new feature.
• Tech Suggestions/ILS Issues
• An issue was raised regarding customers wanting to place a reserve for a specific volume of multi-volume set or for a specific year. Staff and customers are finding this problematic. A question arose on whether “Special Instructions” print out on System Reserve Search Lists. Jim & Anne F. will look into this to see if it is still currently in use.
• It was felt among group members that this could be a training issue also.  A suggestion was made regarding the design of the Library web page. Customers and staff are having problems knowing what they can click on the web site, specifically the metrolibrary.org. Automation will put words below the metrolibrary.org to indicate to staff and customers that they can click on this header.
• A technical suggestion was made about adding 10-key tutorials to the Gates computers.
• Automation foresees many problems with doing this:
1. It would need to work with all of the Gates computers
2. There are over 100 Gates computers in our system and the dollar figure could add up
3. Because of this significant amount, the software would need to budgeted for
4. The particular software in question needs the CD to work. It will not work just by installation.
5. Tutorials may be easier to find on various web sites Janet will ask her staff to look for online tutorials. Some examples of tutorials could be mouse tutorials, typing and 10-key. Janet will continue to include Anne F. and Teresa on her findings.
• The suggestion to include the MLS web site address on customer receipts was discussed.
• This project has been discussed before and will be done. Scott Carter has agreed to create several taglines, including the web site.
  There was a “Mouse Issue” brought before the group regarding left-handed mouse users. This could be an arrangement/configuration issue. Anne F. and Donna will investigate this further.
• A technical suggestion was made regarding our catalog. The suggestion indicated that it would be helpful when searching titles to have a link for the author so that customers are able to look at what other works the author has under his/her name. Jim will look into this for the next Tech Support meeting.
• A suggestion was made regarding removing the CyberMars icon from the Gates computers. The person felt that customers were getting into the Internet through CyberMars but they can also get to the Internet through many other software programs on the Gates computers. Automation does not recommend removing the CyberMars icon because it really isn’t the problem.
• Another item discussed was making the floppy drive available on the Internet computers. Anne F. will work on making that available. This process may take a little while before it can be implemented, as there are repercussions with the CyberMars computers because of the way NT policies work.
• Internet/Intranet
• Teresa handed out highlights of what’s been happening with the Internet and Intranet.
• Internet:
• The following links are now listed off the main page:
• Database
• Kids stuff
• MAPS Progress (since April)
• Find Your Library page has been refined to include hours. The name on the main page is now called Locations & Hours.
• New items added under SERVICES are the Teen Page. Teen Zine has been added under the Teen Page.
• ENDOWMENT PAGE has been refined to include links to:
• $1 Million Fund Drive
• Fact Sheet on the Downtown Library
• 2001 Donor List
• Asian American Month has been added to our site. Special thanks go to Janet & Sally in Materials Selection who contributed to this project.
  @YOUR SERVICE page now has a link to SPOTLIGHT ON which features past highlights on African American. Asian American will be included when the month has past.
• Intranet:
• Thanks to Kay, Teresa was able to add several Ad Team minutes that were missing from the meeting minutes page on the Intranet.
• Online forms have been added.
• In process and upcoming:
• Kids Page is currently being reorganized to include:
• Parents resources
• Homework by age category
• Award books by age category
• Home school information
• Coming soon……Senior Page
• Miscellaneous
• Norm brought up the topic of marketing our magazine databases. From his discussions with various groups in our community, he has learned that customers are not aware of our services. In order for us to market our service to customers, we need a coordinated marketing campaign. Scott will need to advertise/market the Library’s web site and target the various groups that we are trying to reach. It was felt that we need to be more visible, more accessible to teachers, students, parents and media centers. There will need to be a brainstorming session on what attempts will need to be made in order for our organization to be the “best site in the country for homework help” and we need to decide on what we are going to sell them.
• Further Actions to be Taken:
• At next Tech Support meeting, discuss if we want to promote e-mail notifications for reserves and overdues to customers.
• Kay will write up a recommendation from the group regarding:
1. Negative balance of prepaid account
2. Transfer money from fines account to write off customers negative balance
3. Every May, Automation will run a prepaid fees account balance for Anne H.
4. At the end of every fiscal year, Business Office will transfer money from fines account to write off customers negative balance
• Sub-committee needs to be established to discuss Prepaid Fees Account. Suggestions for group members include: Debra Spindle, Lisa Myers, Sue Hall, Denyvetta Davis and/or Judy Walden
• Judy will discuss at next Library Manager’s Meeting the “streamlining” of application forms and Internet forms.
• Judy and Ernestine will need to send Teresa the document regarding “Room Naming” so that she can include on the Internet.
• Janet and MSL staff will investigate online tutorials on the web and work with Anne F. and Teresa on this project.
• Scott will come up with marketing ideas for trailers on customer receipts and work with Automation on accomplishing this.
• Jim will look into having an Author link from the Title Search screen on the catalog and report back to group members at the next meeting.
• We need to brainstorm on what attempts can be made to sell our web site to parents, teachers, students and media centers. Be thinking about how we can address their concerns and how we can tailor our message differently to each group.
• Anne F. and Donna will investigate left-handed mouse configuration/set-up further.
• Jim & Anne F. will investigate search lists and see if the “Special Instructions” print up.