CCS News
MAY 1, 2015
CHRIS’ CORNER:
My new Civic does not have a volume knob on the radio. Instead there are both steering wheel controls and a touch screen slide bar. While many car reviewers dislike this new design, I have quickly grown to appreciate it. This design change broke my ingrained habit of reaching for a knob and encouraged me to start using the steering wheel control, which is both safer for the driver and incredibly more efficient.
This design change is a result of the concept Kaizen, which means “change for the better.” Kaizen first became popular in manufacturing and has spread to other areas as well. The key is to constantly revisit everything in order to think about how it could be changed for the better and eliminate waste.
Being new to CCS, I have the benefit of fresh eyes. However I’m sure those of you who have been at CCS longer than 2 weeks recognize things that could change for the better. I’d love to hear your Kaizen ideas for CCS. Please feel free to email me your suggestions cholly@ccs.nsls.lib.il.us
FROM THE COMPUTER ROOM:
TWO OF THE HOTTEST TOPICS FOR THE "COMPUTER IN LIBRARIES" CONFERENCE:
(1) BibFrame which will allow our content to be discoverable on the web. Web discovery of our content was a heavily repeated must have for the future. [Editor’s Note: this is Linked Data, also perhaps the major buzz at the SirsiDynix National Users Group meeting (COSUGI).]
(2) MakerSpace which is a teen oriented space within your library serving the Maker Movement. This positions the library to engage with the teens in our communities. If we build it they will come. A number of CCS libraries have implemented Maker Spaces or something similar already and more are in the works.
CCS SOCIAL WEBSITE:
We are in the planning/development stages of creating a social/collaborative section of the CCS website, where all of the library groups can share ideas, documents and tricks & tips on virtually any subject. This would be driven by you, the library staff, and have aspects such as profile pages for both individuals & groups, file sharing (documents, pictures, videos etc.), chat rooms and more. The product we are currently leaning toward is EasySocial – you can read more about it at: http://stackideas.com/easysocial. You can view a demo of their product here, http://easysocial.stackideas.com/ , and also a demo of the administrative backend here: http://easysocial.stackideas.com/administrator/.
NON-BAR CODE ENTERPRISE USER ID OPTION IS READY! (THANK YOU, JOEL HAHN):
The project to move driver's license, etc. data from the Symphony user Alt ID field to the LICENSE field is complete. More than 150,000 user records were modified.
For those libraries who record drivers' license/state ID/etc. information, please make sure that your staff are using the LICENSE field for that. Do NOT use the Alt ID field for license/ID numbers anymore. (Also, please make sure that your staff do not enter the hyphens in drivers' license and state ID numbers; there are a few people out there who are still doing that.)
For those libraries who record a brief description of the type of ID that was presented at registration, please make sure that your staff are using the TYPE_OF_ID field for that. Do NOT use the LICENSE field for "type of ID presented" notes anymore.
If a patron insists upon using something other than the bar code as their Enterprise user ID, please enter it in the ALTID field. It must be 20 characters or less, entered in upper case, and not obscene. You can also set your Enterprise Profile to display the ALT ID in My Account. The bar code for a patron with an ALT ID will also still work to access Enterprise.
CCS MEETINGS NEXT WEEK:
None! (How did that happen? Don’t worry, there will be plenty the following week.)
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Thursday, April 23, 2015
CCS News April 24, 2015
CCS News
APRIL 24, 2015
FROM THE COMPUTER ROOM:
New CCS Website:
Last week, we deployed our new CCS web site (from which you’re getting this newsletter!). The login for the members section is the same as the old site – please contact your admin if you have misplaced the login info. The response so far has been very positive; but still, if you have any issues, suggestions or comments, please send all correspondence to joday@ccs.nsls.lib.il.us.
BLUEcloud Central (formerly Universal Admin) and Web Services for Symphony 2015.04 Released:
SirsiDynix has announced the release of the rebranded BLUEcloud Central 2015.04 (formerly Universal Admin) and Web Services for Horizon and Symphony 2015.04. We have not scheduled the upgrade for the Web Services yet, but will give plenty of advanced notice when we do so.
Among the changes is a rebrand of Universal Admin to BLUEcloud Central. Sirsi felt that Universal Admin—as the launch pad for all BLUEcloud products—should be renamed to better represent its core purpose within the BLUEcloud Library Services Platform.
The BLUEcloud Central 2015.04 release includes feature additions and bug fixes for BLUEcloud Analytics, BLUEcloud PAC, BookMyne for Android, MobileCirc for Horizon, and Web Services for Horizon and Symphony. A highlight of the features (pertinent to CCS Libraries) include:
BLUEcloud Analytics:
MARC Record Data – MARC record data is now available for BLUEcloud Analytics. Support for both UNIMARC and MARC21 is included. Users can create reports utilizing the catalog ID, indicators, subfield data, subfield names, subfield position, tag numbers, and tag position. They can also generate robust reports on MARC data to review the accuracy and content of their catalog and easily distribute these reports to catalogers who need them. Delivered prompts and reports provide a jump-start into your catalog data. Users can also create their own custom reports using the Standard Reports interface within BLUEcloud Analytics. (Note: CCS is still waiting till more types of data become available, most likely in the June-July time frame, and will have a rollout plan available in a couple weeks or so.)
StackMap:
We have started the investigation process of integrating StackMap into Enterprise. For those of you who are unfamiliar with StackMap, it is a feature that implements with any catalog system or mobile device to locate physical resources, such as books, within a library space, according to a map provided by the library. Interest was expressed after PLA 2014, but we opted to wait till the basics of Enterprise were in place. You can get more information on their website www.stackmap.com.
StackMap is a paid service. In order to move forward with an estimated quote, we would like to know which libraries are interested in this product . Any interested libraries should email jpadilla@ccs.nsls.lib.il.us
CHRIS’ CORNER:
(Editor’s Note: New CCS Executive Director Chris Holly has instituted what will be a regular feature of this bulletin. Your Editor would like to note how confident I am in Chris and the good he is already doing and will do with and for CCS, and what a joy he is to work with. We’re both thrilled to have the transition overlap we do, and retiring is a lot easier knowing CCS is in such good hands.)
What do butter, hammers, grape juice, and camping gear have in common with your ILS? They're all managed by cooperatives. Like Land-O-Lakes, True Value, Welch's, and REI, CCS belongs to the people who use it. The members set up these organizations to provide themselves with the goods and services they need.
I have always been impressed by the unified power and community of cooperatives. Because of their implicit nature, cooperatives do not lose sight of what ties us together as people. Being a member of REI, I went to business school with a goal to learn more about cooperatives because I believe the successes of cooperatives are key to greater community engagement and creating a strong society.
On my first day, I led the CCS staff in a brain-storming exercise in which they helped educate me about CCS. We looked at elements of the Mission Statement, and they talked about their work and how it supports those elements. The one concept that they collectively came back to is that CCS is a cooperative. It's about the members!
I welcome your ideas and comments on what it means to be a part of CCS. Please feel free to email me with your own thoughts.
cholly@ccs.nsls.lib.il.us
With all of that said, it's truly an honor to become your next Executive Director so that I can help address your collective needs.
CCS MEETING NEXT WEEK:
Tues., 4/28, 10:00, CCS: Database Management Task Force
APRIL 24, 2015
FROM THE COMPUTER ROOM:
New CCS Website:
Last week, we deployed our new CCS web site (from which you’re getting this newsletter!). The login for the members section is the same as the old site – please contact your admin if you have misplaced the login info. The response so far has been very positive; but still, if you have any issues, suggestions or comments, please send all correspondence to joday@ccs.nsls.lib.il.us.
BLUEcloud Central (formerly Universal Admin) and Web Services for Symphony 2015.04 Released:
SirsiDynix has announced the release of the rebranded BLUEcloud Central 2015.04 (formerly Universal Admin) and Web Services for Horizon and Symphony 2015.04. We have not scheduled the upgrade for the Web Services yet, but will give plenty of advanced notice when we do so.
Among the changes is a rebrand of Universal Admin to BLUEcloud Central. Sirsi felt that Universal Admin—as the launch pad for all BLUEcloud products—should be renamed to better represent its core purpose within the BLUEcloud Library Services Platform.
The BLUEcloud Central 2015.04 release includes feature additions and bug fixes for BLUEcloud Analytics, BLUEcloud PAC, BookMyne for Android, MobileCirc for Horizon, and Web Services for Horizon and Symphony. A highlight of the features (pertinent to CCS Libraries) include:
BLUEcloud Analytics:
MARC Record Data – MARC record data is now available for BLUEcloud Analytics. Support for both UNIMARC and MARC21 is included. Users can create reports utilizing the catalog ID, indicators, subfield data, subfield names, subfield position, tag numbers, and tag position. They can also generate robust reports on MARC data to review the accuracy and content of their catalog and easily distribute these reports to catalogers who need them. Delivered prompts and reports provide a jump-start into your catalog data. Users can also create their own custom reports using the Standard Reports interface within BLUEcloud Analytics. (Note: CCS is still waiting till more types of data become available, most likely in the June-July time frame, and will have a rollout plan available in a couple weeks or so.)
StackMap:
We have started the investigation process of integrating StackMap into Enterprise. For those of you who are unfamiliar with StackMap, it is a feature that implements with any catalog system or mobile device to locate physical resources, such as books, within a library space, according to a map provided by the library. Interest was expressed after PLA 2014, but we opted to wait till the basics of Enterprise were in place. You can get more information on their website www.stackmap.com.
StackMap is a paid service. In order to move forward with an estimated quote, we would like to know which libraries are interested in this product . Any interested libraries should email jpadilla@ccs.nsls.lib.il.us
CHRIS’ CORNER:
(Editor’s Note: New CCS Executive Director Chris Holly has instituted what will be a regular feature of this bulletin. Your Editor would like to note how confident I am in Chris and the good he is already doing and will do with and for CCS, and what a joy he is to work with. We’re both thrilled to have the transition overlap we do, and retiring is a lot easier knowing CCS is in such good hands.)
What do butter, hammers, grape juice, and camping gear have in common with your ILS? They're all managed by cooperatives. Like Land-O-Lakes, True Value, Welch's, and REI, CCS belongs to the people who use it. The members set up these organizations to provide themselves with the goods and services they need.
I have always been impressed by the unified power and community of cooperatives. Because of their implicit nature, cooperatives do not lose sight of what ties us together as people. Being a member of REI, I went to business school with a goal to learn more about cooperatives because I believe the successes of cooperatives are key to greater community engagement and creating a strong society.
On my first day, I led the CCS staff in a brain-storming exercise in which they helped educate me about CCS. We looked at elements of the Mission Statement, and they talked about their work and how it supports those elements. The one concept that they collectively came back to is that CCS is a cooperative. It's about the members!
I welcome your ideas and comments on what it means to be a part of CCS. Please feel free to email me with your own thoughts.
cholly@ccs.nsls.lib.il.us
With all of that said, it's truly an honor to become your next Executive Director so that I can help address your collective needs.
CCS MEETING NEXT WEEK:
Tues., 4/28, 10:00, CCS: Database Management Task Force
Thursday, April 16, 2015
CCS News April 17, 2015
CCS News
APRIL 17, 2015
FROM NEW CCS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CHRISTOPHER HOLLY:
Hello, from my new office! It’s a welcome shift after 10 years of working out of random hotel rooms and a home office in the corner of my kitchen. I’m thrilled to be on board. As one of my first initiatives, I will be scheduling visits to your libraries in the coming weeks. I look forward to meeting you in person to listen and learn about your libraries and communities. We can share ideas on how CCS can best serve you.
Thanks,
Chris
(Editorial note: all of us at CCS are very pleased and excited to have Chris here. He brings a lot to the table and will definitely move CCS forward.)
FROM THE COMPUTER ROOM:
NCOA Post Processing:
Some of the libraries who opted-in to the NCOA address update processing have requested automated database modifications based on the results. If your library is planning on requesting database changes based on the NCOA results, please open a Wonderdesk ticket before June 1st.
Ebsco Novelist Recommended Reading:
Fox River Valley/Dundee Library has reported success in integrating the Novelist Recommended Reading product at their 3M self-check devices. This service offered by Ebsco is an extension of the Recommended Reading feature used in Enterprise and can advise patrons during self-check circulation. Holdings information is uploaded from our database to Ebsco on a regular basis, allowing your recent holdings to be available. For more information about deploying this product, contact your Ebsco sales associate and open a WonderDesk ticket so CCS will be kept in the loop.
NON-BAR CODE ENTERPRISE USER ID:
Our project to move driver's license data out of the "Alternate ID" field and into the "License" field so we can use ALT ID for a non-bar code Enterprise user ID has begun, and should be complete by the end of April. An email has been sent to Circ and Shelp explaining the plan and guidelines, and it will be discussed at the May 15 Circ meeting.
AUTHORITIES NEWS:
Last week, CCS sent a file of 9557 bibliographic records to Marcive for authorities processing. 5980 records were updated and returned to CCS, as well as 4251 new authority records. All of these records have been loaded into our system.
Marcive also sent two other files, one of which was loaded and the other will be loaded next week . The one that will be loaded next week contains 3096 updated authority records. The file that was already loaded, contained 286 new authority records that were needed in our database, but were not available before this time.
Virginia Seward
CCS Authorities Librarian
CCS MEETINGS NEXT WEEK:
Wed., 4/22, 9:30-noon, Schaumburg: SLUI (Statewide SirsiDynix users group) spring meeting (you must be registered, it’s free)
Wed., 4/22, 1:30, CCS: Continuing Education Steering Committee
APRIL 17, 2015
FROM NEW CCS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CHRISTOPHER HOLLY:
Hello, from my new office! It’s a welcome shift after 10 years of working out of random hotel rooms and a home office in the corner of my kitchen. I’m thrilled to be on board. As one of my first initiatives, I will be scheduling visits to your libraries in the coming weeks. I look forward to meeting you in person to listen and learn about your libraries and communities. We can share ideas on how CCS can best serve you.
Thanks,
Chris
(Editorial note: all of us at CCS are very pleased and excited to have Chris here. He brings a lot to the table and will definitely move CCS forward.)
FROM THE COMPUTER ROOM:
NCOA Post Processing:
Some of the libraries who opted-in to the NCOA address update processing have requested automated database modifications based on the results. If your library is planning on requesting database changes based on the NCOA results, please open a Wonderdesk ticket before June 1st.
Ebsco Novelist Recommended Reading:
Fox River Valley/Dundee Library has reported success in integrating the Novelist Recommended Reading product at their 3M self-check devices. This service offered by Ebsco is an extension of the Recommended Reading feature used in Enterprise and can advise patrons during self-check circulation. Holdings information is uploaded from our database to Ebsco on a regular basis, allowing your recent holdings to be available. For more information about deploying this product, contact your Ebsco sales associate and open a WonderDesk ticket so CCS will be kept in the loop.
NON-BAR CODE ENTERPRISE USER ID:
Our project to move driver's license data out of the "Alternate ID" field and into the "License" field so we can use ALT ID for a non-bar code Enterprise user ID has begun, and should be complete by the end of April. An email has been sent to Circ and Shelp explaining the plan and guidelines, and it will be discussed at the May 15 Circ meeting.
AUTHORITIES NEWS:
Last week, CCS sent a file of 9557 bibliographic records to Marcive for authorities processing. 5980 records were updated and returned to CCS, as well as 4251 new authority records. All of these records have been loaded into our system.
Marcive also sent two other files, one of which was loaded and the other will be loaded next week . The one that will be loaded next week contains 3096 updated authority records. The file that was already loaded, contained 286 new authority records that were needed in our database, but were not available before this time.
Virginia Seward
CCS Authorities Librarian
CCS MEETINGS NEXT WEEK:
Wed., 4/22, 9:30-noon, Schaumburg: SLUI (Statewide SirsiDynix users group) spring meeting (you must be registered, it’s free)
Wed., 4/22, 1:30, CCS: Continuing Education Steering Committee
Thursday, April 9, 2015
CCS News April 10, 2015
CCS News
APRIL 10, 2015
FROM THE COMPUTER ROOM:
INTERNET EXPLORER AND MOBILECIRC:
There has previously been a problem with the MobileCirc web interface and Internet Explorer (stemming from our Web Services URL). We have recently changed the Web Services URL in Universal Admin to reflect better our secure connection to the Symphony server. This should eliminate any problems with web browsers complaining of an unsecure connection. If you still experience issues, please open a WonderDesk ticket & we will investigate.
NEW CCS WEBSITE:
We are now ready to begin deploying the new CCS website to production. We will be moving it from the current development server location to our normal service provider & will be redirecting the ccslib.org address sometime this Saturday. This will have no effect on any other applications or services we have – if you have a direct bookmark to Director’s Station or WonderDesk, they will still work. Even after the switch, feedback is still wanted, welcomed & appreciated. The username and password for logging in to the members only section will remain the same for the time being. We will schedule a password change after a successful move.
NO HALT & RUN:
The halt and run did not execute Thursday morning, 4/9/2015, due to a maintenance report that adjusts the bill counters in the patron’s record running long. We expect tomorrow’s halt and run to execute at 6:20AM on schedule. Pending policy changes will take effect Friday morning.
RE-INDEXING POST MORTEM:
Our apologies again for the disruption caused by the problems with our Symphony re-indexing over the weekend and the spillover. We do this pretty much every Easter and it’s been smooth until this time. The best diagnosis we’ve seen was that the Sirsi software and Oracle stopped playing nicely together during the Browse indexing. Sirsi also advised us of a couple of ways to speed up the report in the future; we got approximately 80% done with the Browse indexing after 27 hours, obviously intolerably slow. (Sirsi also advised us that when we do this in the future, we can keep the system up except for the first fifteen minutes or so.) To Sirsi’s credit, they tried to fix our issues without undertaking a complete new re-indexing, but that approach just wasn’t effective. We opted to limp along with circ working okay but searching occasionally problematic (especially for a browse search will no hits), figuring that was better than being totally down with libraries open on a post-holiday Monday, especially when we didn’t yet have confidence a second re-indexing attempt would go any more quickly. On Tuesday, the determination was made to let Sirsi run a re-indexing for us overnight, with frequent monitoring and status reports so we could figure out whether we were on track time-wise. As it turned out, the Browse re-indexing took about 9 hours (the estimate was 6-8) and the Key Word (estimated at two hours) took slightly less than that. After we cleaned up a SmartPort problem with a Halt & Run late Wednesday AM, normalcy seems to have returned.
A good number of staff members put in time and sacrificed sleep (especially Bob Barth who was here at 4 AM Monday and monitored the re-indexing through the night Tuesday) to try to get this straightened out. I do want to commend them as well as expressing our regrets that the problems occurred. Finally, thanks to our membership for patience, understanding, cooperation and support.
CCS MEETINGS NEXT WEEK:
Tues., 4/14, 1:30, CCS: Enterprise Implementation Task Force
Wed., 4/15, 9:30, CCS: SCRAP
APRIL 10, 2015
FROM THE COMPUTER ROOM:
INTERNET EXPLORER AND MOBILECIRC:
There has previously been a problem with the MobileCirc web interface and Internet Explorer (stemming from our Web Services URL). We have recently changed the Web Services URL in Universal Admin to reflect better our secure connection to the Symphony server. This should eliminate any problems with web browsers complaining of an unsecure connection. If you still experience issues, please open a WonderDesk ticket & we will investigate.
NEW CCS WEBSITE:
We are now ready to begin deploying the new CCS website to production. We will be moving it from the current development server location to our normal service provider & will be redirecting the ccslib.org address sometime this Saturday. This will have no effect on any other applications or services we have – if you have a direct bookmark to Director’s Station or WonderDesk, they will still work. Even after the switch, feedback is still wanted, welcomed & appreciated. The username and password for logging in to the members only section will remain the same for the time being. We will schedule a password change after a successful move.
NO HALT & RUN:
The halt and run did not execute Thursday morning, 4/9/2015, due to a maintenance report that adjusts the bill counters in the patron’s record running long. We expect tomorrow’s halt and run to execute at 6:20AM on schedule. Pending policy changes will take effect Friday morning.
RE-INDEXING POST MORTEM:
Our apologies again for the disruption caused by the problems with our Symphony re-indexing over the weekend and the spillover. We do this pretty much every Easter and it’s been smooth until this time. The best diagnosis we’ve seen was that the Sirsi software and Oracle stopped playing nicely together during the Browse indexing. Sirsi also advised us of a couple of ways to speed up the report in the future; we got approximately 80% done with the Browse indexing after 27 hours, obviously intolerably slow. (Sirsi also advised us that when we do this in the future, we can keep the system up except for the first fifteen minutes or so.) To Sirsi’s credit, they tried to fix our issues without undertaking a complete new re-indexing, but that approach just wasn’t effective. We opted to limp along with circ working okay but searching occasionally problematic (especially for a browse search will no hits), figuring that was better than being totally down with libraries open on a post-holiday Monday, especially when we didn’t yet have confidence a second re-indexing attempt would go any more quickly. On Tuesday, the determination was made to let Sirsi run a re-indexing for us overnight, with frequent monitoring and status reports so we could figure out whether we were on track time-wise. As it turned out, the Browse re-indexing took about 9 hours (the estimate was 6-8) and the Key Word (estimated at two hours) took slightly less than that. After we cleaned up a SmartPort problem with a Halt & Run late Wednesday AM, normalcy seems to have returned.
A good number of staff members put in time and sacrificed sleep (especially Bob Barth who was here at 4 AM Monday and monitored the re-indexing through the night Tuesday) to try to get this straightened out. I do want to commend them as well as expressing our regrets that the problems occurred. Finally, thanks to our membership for patience, understanding, cooperation and support.
CCS MEETINGS NEXT WEEK:
Tues., 4/14, 1:30, CCS: Enterprise Implementation Task Force
Wed., 4/15, 9:30, CCS: SCRAP
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