CCS News
APRIL 25, 2008
FROM THE COMPUTER ROOM:
iBistro Response Time – this continues to be at the top of our list to monitor constantly with Sirsi’s help. The measures of the last week have been fruitful, response time has been improved and we will have better logs if and when response time becomes an issue again.
Patch Cluster 5E - this is performing well and we have confirmation that we can now print receipts in Fine-Free Discharge.
Indexes Rebuild – this went well and we have Bob to thank for nurturing the index build through the weekend, starting it at the proper time and bringing everything back onboard in sufficient time for Sunday. Thanks Bob!
Behind the scenes in the computer room with DNS – as if the last week was not enough we have been analyzing our DNS (system by which emails are routed and domains are resolved) with ICN, NSLS and SirsiDynix all involved. DNS settings on the Internet had been adversely affecting incoming messages on a few non-CCS listservs and we needed to fix the situation. This has had no impact on outgoing emails – a situation which we watch closely at all times.
Local Notices Printing – this initiative is in full swing now as we have been helping libraries with printer settings and testing of the notices.
SVA – SVA did have some trouble on Tuesday night when we were installing new messages. Frank was able to restore SVA quickly however the same evening. We will be working with Sirsi on the root cause of the issue.
POLICY CHANGE REMINDERS:
Here are three things to consider when you are changing circ policies:
1) Please use WonderDesk to communicate the change request, rather than e-mailing an individual staff member who may be gone for an extended period. Nobody sees a WonderDesk update message any later than he or she would see a personal e-mail, and more will see it this way.
2) Please use the policy change templates from the Sirsi Resource page of the CCS web site when possible, to make sure we have all the required information.
3) Please note that we do not reboot the system on the first day of the month, in order to allow all the monthly statistical reports to run to completion. That means that we cannot make new policies take effect on the 1st, although we understand the logic behind that timing. Usually the best alternative is to have the changes take effect on the 2nd of the month.
JAVA (NON-)DISPLAY OF RESHELVING LOCATION:
In response to an incident we opened about the inconsistent display of the Location RESHELVING in the Java Client, Sirsi responded as follows:
The Java client is working as designed, in this case. The RESHELVING location is primarily an iBistro feature and does not always display in the Workflows client. For example, if you view the "100 GREAT POEMS BY WOMEN A GOLDEN ECCO ANTHOLOGY" title (item ID 31488001217322) in the opac, you will see that the location shows as 'Being returned to a standard shelving location.'
However, the RESHELVING location will display in certain areas of the Workflows client. If you use the Check Item Status wizard to look at item ID 31488001217322 and click on the glossary, you will see the RESHELVING location displayed as the current location. This glossary can be found in other areas of the client, as well.
The RESHELVING location will also display when viewing a record using the Red Book helper (Display Bibliographic Description) on the Item Search & Display wizard. So, if your staff would like to see this location in the Workflows client, make sure they have access to this helper (right click the Item Search & Display wizard, select Properties, then check the Display Bibliographic Description checkbox on the helpers tab).
DID YOU KNOW?
Did you know that we’re nearing the end of the first series of scheduled CCS training sessions (covering Essential Skills, Circ, PAS, and ILL) for libraries implementing Java during Phase I of the project? I’d like to take a look back on what we’ve done so far and evaluate the classes that have been delivered. To that end, I’ll be sending out a (mercifully brief) survey to all of CCS in the next week or so, but I welcome early input from Phase I training participants to help me identify issues that I should add to the official appraisal document.
Among other things, I’ll be asking whether enough sessions of each kind of training were available, if the training sites were reasonably accessible to everyone who wanted to attend, and if the curriculum was appropriate for the needs of the attendees. I’d also like to know what was good and bad about the content of the sessions, the training materials, the delivery of the sessions, the training environments used, and if any topics were over-emphasized or under-emphasized in the sessions.
Any and all suggestions about how I can improve training for the Phase II libraries would be much appreciated. And if you have not yet participated in one of the local CCS training sessions, but have suggestions on any of the above issues, I’d like to hear them as well. Please send all comments directly to me at kenv@ccs.nsls.lib.il.us (not to the shelp-l list). Ken Victorson
CCS MEETINGS NEXT WEEK:
Mon., 4/28, 10:00, CCS: Tour (you must be registered!)
