Tech Support Meeting Minutes for October 2010

Tech Support Meeting Minutes

Date: October 26, 2010

Attendance: Kay Bauman, Janet Brooks, 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. The browse by shelf number functionality in the staff catalog will be shared with others to obtain feedback.
• Kay received feedback from the library managers and feelings were neutral towards the shelf number browsability and from this reaction, this function will not be added to the Staff Catalog. Since the customer number lookup feature was bundled with this feature, customer lookup will be added at a later date.
2. The notice at the bottom of the page for Multi-Volume entries is now more pronounced.
3. New Business:
• Jimmy demonstrated a portable/wireless library card application entry system to have when a library employee is away from a library location having people fill out library card applications at school visits or other events. With this system, you can search by name to see if someone
  already has a card, if not, you fill in the information and have a scanner with the device to scan a new card and add it to the system. This could be useful during summer reading to use inhouse when circulation lines get long and gives the possibility to use it at other events away from the library.
• Tech Support agreed that this would be an invaluable device, but realizes that there will be many procedural details that need to be worked out before we can use it.
• The next step will be to get a group of circulation clerks, library managers, and circulation control together to think of scenarios and procedural issues that may come up. This will be shown at the manager’s meeting in November where they can discuss further steps.

Changes to the Internet / Intranet:
Internet

• New Teen Read Pages for Teen Read Month
• BooktoberFest – Integrated twitter on the BooktoberFest which allows users to input what they are reading
• Individual library pages have been revised – Teresa encourages libraries to send in events and other news/information to add to their page for customization

Intranet

• New Committee Page is up it has- information about each committee and rss feeds for committees
• Focus Pages
• United Way pages
• The marketing resources page is updated regularly with new resources Revisions Coming Soon:
• Benefits Page
• Forms
• Policy and Procedures update
• Development/Endowment and volunteer services

ILS Issues:

1. A librarian noticed that customers were having difficulty figuring out how to print and make documents single spaced in Word 2007. She asked if the default settings could be changed to make it more user-friendly.
• This can be frustrating to people that aren’t used to Office 2007 and IT can set defaults up on the public computers but they would like to get more input from staff on all of the setting that need to be changed before they change the settings on the public model. A tip sheet at the computers could also be useful and IT would also need to know which settings need to be changed versus what details would be better for a tip sheet. IT will solicit feedback.
2. A librarian asked if the MLS database access page could be re-designed and updated to have information about what the database is, how to use/cite them, add widgets and make the page a more inviting and user-friendly resource.
• The current page is easily maintainable as it is in an XML format behind the page and allows for the user to go to multiple databases without  having to login for each one. A redesign has been thought of, but adding more information creates problems with screen space and  maintainability. Currently there is an “i” graphic that will show  more information about the database when a mouse hovers over it. Marketing  will work on some more inviting graphics to highlight this feature. Database marketing is a goal this year and Marketing will be adding featured  databases to the front page of the library website there will also be staff training and marketing resources for the featured databases which will  help make everyone more informed about our databases as well.
3. There was a problem with a customer’s ILL request not identifying the item as an ILL material.
• This notice is generated from data exported from OCLC and the item type should say ILL instead of BK or DVD if it is an ILL.
4. A customer asked if there could be an increase in the delay between the time an email reserve notice is received and the time the person has  to confirm this notice before a U.S. mail notice is sent. The current delay is one day and the customer asked for it to be increased to 2-3 days  with the corresponding pickup time shortened.
• If a delay is created, this affects inventory and the time the book is on the shelf, thus creating a delay for pickup, return and availability to other  customers. Also, while this customer may be okay with their pickup time being shortened, not all customers would and we occasionally have  delays in the U.S. mail as it is which could cause customers to receive the notice after the item has been sent on to the next customer.
5. An employee requested a pop-up prompt in the staff catalog to remind staff to ask a customer placing a reserve if they have set up e-mail  and/or text notifications. Many customers don’t know about this feature and if they know about it, it could eventually save the library system   money on postage.
• There could be a flag in the staff catalog that can alert staff to whether or not a customer has notifications set up so the reference librarian can  notice the flag and tell the customer about this service. Marketing will also work on a more noticeable graphic for CyberMARS to alert customers to this feature.

Action Items:

1. The wireless card entry device will be shared with the library managers for further discussion.
2. IT will solicit feedback on possible Word 2007 defaults and tip sheet information.
3. Marketing will work on a new graphic to replace the information graphic on the database page and will provide graphic to IT for incorporation on the databases page.
4. IT will work on adding a flag to the staff catalog to alert staff to remind customers about setting up notifications.
5. Marketing will work on a more noticeable graphic for CyberMARS to alert customers to the notifications page and will provide the graphic to  IT for incorportation into CyberMARS.