Tech Support Meeting Minutes for September 2001

Tech Support Meeting Minutes
September 17, 2001

Attendees: Debra Spindle, Anne Fischer, Jimmy Welch, Teresa Goggins, Norm Maas, Sue Hall, Jana Hausburg, Vickie Dixon, Lisa Myers, Jane Carvajal, Judy Walden, Denyvetta Davis, Donna Morris, Kay Bauman and Karen Marriott.

1. Issuing Library Cards Off-site -- Debra Spindle
   It was agreed that the goal of this process is to issue library cares to those who do not already have cards. Most of this occurs as part of some school visits. The process as currently performed:
• Take the library card applications to the school.
• Children have the forms filled out and return them to school with their parents' signature. week)
• School's teacher or office will verify the information. (1 week later)
• Library will receive the applications back, check for existing library cards and then re-visit to hand out cards. (1 week later)
2. The concern is that this process takes about two weeks. Could we take the cards to the school when they return the following week and just take a pile of cares to issue on the spot? The problem is that staff feels Circulation Control would have to delete cards when the students are found to already have a card. However, Automation doesn't think this is a problem Denyvetta discussed her experience with the shorter process. Since there doesn't seem to be a problem, then the process can be:
1. Take the library card applications to the school.
2. Children have the forms filled out and return them to school with their parents' signature.
3. School's teacher or office will verify the information.
4. Library will make a return visit and handout library cards.

   Whole process is completed in one week.
   Telephone System
   Norm Maas brought up the issue of a new telephone system. There is a committee being formed to investigate and decide on a phone system for when the new library opens. He suggested that Automation should maintain the phone system. At the same time Donna Morris has found at least one consultant through Don Beck & Associates who is not connected to any specific phone system.

3. September 11, 2001
   Norm Maas suggested that there be information on NYC and Washington DC disasters on our Web page.
4. ILS Issues
1. It would be great if you could design the catalog to show a particular library's holdings only in CyberMARS. (2) Also it annoys some patrons and me too that titles that are no longer in the system are kept in the catalog. It wastes your time. Surely, there is a way that you can keep it in the catalog without having the title show up in the public catalogs.
• There is not easy solution to make to the computer program. There would be trade-off's involved such as longer response time (slower system). The reason we have a system catalog is to better serve all of our customers. Our libraries are designed for browsing in the library. We think the customers need to understand that using the publication the "joy of Subjects" you can find where different subjects are so that they can browse the shelf. While browsing the catalog gives what is available in any library and allows the customer to place a reserve.
2. Consider this, if a customer browses the shelf and doesn't find anything, then they have the ability to search or browse the catalog to find if what they want is at another library. At this time the solution we will be taking is to see if we can better train our staff to understand how our libraries work in this area.
• To have all items removed from the CyberMARS so that customers do not see it is not feasible. This kind of change would slow the catalog down tremendously. Remember that if an item is extremely overdue, it remains in the unavailable mode for 3 years, at which time it is automatically removed. Also, there are implications to the Interlibrary Loan processes if it were to be changed. As it currently stands, if there isn't a single library in the system with the title in question, the customer has at his disposal all the information needed to place an Interlibrary Loan request. It is because of these concerns that the requested change will not be made.
3. I have cleared books and later found it didn't clear on the person's card. I did a shelf check and found the book and had to clear it a second time. This has happened five or six times. Yesterday I issued a new card to a customer, checked out some books to her and later looked up her name and found the same card number twice on the screen. (2). Also could the customers get more than 30 minutes on the gates computers? I have several adults going to college and by the time they find what they need their time is up. I can't say I blame them for being upset, most of them are working mothers that don't have a lot of extra time. -- Extension Library
1. There are several reasons why the books didn't clear, especially if the sound is turned off. When clearing materials be sure to watch the screen because if a message comes up about a problem with the item, then the next action you take will clear the message and not the item. Jane Carvajal will look into sending an ILS Trainer our to the extension for some assistance.
2. Since the Extension libraries do not have separate Internet computers, it was agreed to alter how long people can access the Internet via the Gates computers to 2 hours. This will happen only at the Extension Libraries.
4. I have trouble with the HRPay getting my hours right on the printout. It leaves off one day each pay period, and sometimes 30 min. 2 days a week.
5. The problem in this case is that Auto Entry has been set up incorrectly. Someone will be contacting you about visiting and reviewing this process. This item lead to a discussion of other problems that have occurred with HRPay. Jimmy Welch noted that all computers have updated HRPay software to fix those problems.
• New web printing complaint. A customer was fairly good at "guessing" about what page he wanted printed and would set the printer to print only that page. If he were off he'd go back or forward a page as needed. He didn't wind up with page 3 of 3 with just a line or 2 on it. The new web doesn't give us an option and if you only want page 1-3 you get all 10 or whatever the site has. This runs up his printing cost.
• CyberMARS request for material from home or library computers. CyberMARS ignores Extension check outs as the "last building used' to rout reserves and request for material. Some customers have complained about having to change the building for materials to be sent every time. (3). MLS HRPay. Is there any way to put a pass code in for our signature until the signed paper work can follow? Extensions mail is 2 days a week some Wed/Fri & some Tue/Thurs. If Pay has to be in early, and a family member is ill we have to change time or try to guess how sick they are going to be 4-5 days ahead of time. If we guess wrong this messes up our time and the substitutes time. If we had a way to doe it, this would cover the building workers for any last min. changes that need to be made.
6. Microsoft's Internet Explorer program has a print preview function. We held off making a switch to Internet Explorer until it had this feature. To access the print preview do the following:
7. Step 1: On the Menu bar, click on File.
8. Step 2: Click on Print review
• The designation for each extension library is not ignored. CyberMARS library preference is not "last building used" but last library they checked material out of. If they have placed reserves and the reserves have not come in for them to check out material from the extension, then it will continue to use the last place they did check out materials from. As soon as a customer checks out material from your library then it will become their preferred library.
• Donna Morris stated that she would discuss the HRPay problem with Doug, to see what solution can be arrived.
• On CyberMARS, I really appreciate the addition of the "processing, Please Wait" message at the bottom of the screen. Unfortunately, customers are consistently missing it, since it is discreetly placed in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen. So they are still saying things like, "Is this working?" or they repeatedly click to try to get some response. Is there any way the cursor could change to an hourglass, or the "processing, Please wait" message could appear in the middle of the screen as a pop-up window or something really obvious like that?
• My other request is on the V-Circ: under the "Financial" tab, when you choose "Pay other". Could the windows for "choose account" and "choose type" possible be enlarged a bit AND the font size decreased significantly so that staff can see more than a few characters without scrolling? I think that seasoned clerks are very used to this by now -- and it's no problem for them. But when pages or reference staff or (heaven forbid) a manager who has no clue what she's doing, shows up to work at circ it takes a long time to figure out what account and type to choose under these tabs. This is because the font is so large, and you have to scroll to read the choices.
• The history behind the hourglass is that Microsoft removed it in this current version of Internet Explorer. At this time Automation has fulfilled the request by adding the necessary programming.
• Keep in mind that Vcirc was created for the touch screen computers. In order to accommodate individual finger sizes the font was made the size that it is. Because of this no change will be made.
• One thing I've noticed is that error message which keep coming up when customers attempt to access the Ebsco host periodical program in databases.
  The trailer of our filter company caused this error message. Automation has requested N2H2 to turn it off. It has been done and should now be fixed.
• When materials are on order, it seems that the media icon is almost always a book, no matter what media was ordered. After the material is cataloged, the icon shows up correctly. In the last year, Cataloging has gotten at least one question/comment a month, asking us to change the icon to match what it should be. This isn't a great deal of questions, but it is pretty frequent. Can anything be done about the media icons for on-order materials?
• Cataloging
  After Automation discussed this issue with Pauline Rodriguez, Cataloging Manager, he found it appears most frequently on CD's. This has been rectified for any CD's purchased in the future.
• Might it be possible for customers to indicate that they do NOT want to receive the automatically generated notification of reserves waiting via U.S. Mail? Some people would like to have the option of automatically generated email notification. They said they would probably be able to pick their reserves up more quickly this way, because of the 2-3 day lag in US Mail delivery. (2) Someone else suggested that they don't even need email, because they can check on our web page now that Automation put in the cute jumping kangaroo to advise them of reserves waiting.
• At the annual retreat in which the Tech Support Committee identifies and prioritizes work for the coming year, this issue was selected. However, it was not a high priority item for development this year. Making this change involves allowing customers to enter their email address, change their email address, etc. It is a highly desirable feature that has to wait until other projects are completed.
• This committee feels there would be a number of problems occur if no notice is sent. They include an increase in the number of items sent back before the customer comes to get it. It was suggested that we add the Jumping Kangaroo to CyberMARS also. Automation will report of this possibility at the meeting next month.
5. Internet/Intranet
   Teresa Goggins, Webmaster, reported on the progress toward a redesigned web site. There will be a new section accessible on the page called @ Your Service. It will have links for Kids and others off it for information. The new Calendar will be available in October on the new site. Automation plans to have the new site up for staff to view in October. Then inaugurate the new page for our customers in November.
   At the Web committee meeting, Teresa introduced a couple of new looks for the Intranet page. More info on that later.
6. New Business
   Automation has created two new email addresses that will be included as footer to all Tech Support minutes.

   Techconcerns address is for items that need to be fixed immediately, but is not urgent. An example of this is the HRPay problems that were issues this month, and the Ebsco Host problem.

7. Techsuggestions is the address for making new requests for changes to the libraries programs.