YEEK! This week's blog is going to be all about technology, not Cappy Dick's area of expertise, but live and learn I guess, and this week its heavy on the learning. Of course we have a couple of days off for Thanksgiving to do the living part too and to give our addled brains a rest.
We have now officially be running the new Evergreen 2.3 for a week and hopefully most of the glitches are worked out. If you encounter anything strange do let me know so we can inform Lit if need be. Last week we discovered a few anomalies that were NOT supposed to be occuring and that Lit was unaware of, so we shouldn't be shy about reporting strangeness if need be.
Firstly, please take the time to look at MY ACCOUNT on our home page and familarize yourself with the various screens and options that are available to patrons. This will be helpful when you encounter questions about the new format.
If a patron reports that the MY ACCOUNT is not working, be sure they are NOT trying to access it from a bookmark to the OLD homepage or the old MY ACCOUNT page as these look similar but are now disabled. Recommend that they try to get in by typing in the library url instead and accessing it that way, and if that works they can bookmark the newer version.
Please also look over the new registration form in EG. You will quickly discover, if you haven't already that it is necessary to use a different format to put in the birthdate and expiration date then we have been previously using. There are examples by each, of the new correct format (and EG won't let you complete a registration with the old formate). For the expiration date, the easiest way is to click the correct date on the calendar, and then it will self-fill for you.
There is new User field on the registrations now which we do not fill in, but it is a good idea to encourage patrons to access it with MY ACCOUNT and to populate the pick up location with the branch of their choice. I believe that if they do not do this, the item will continue to show up at the home branch that we fill in when we do the registration but there is some speculation from higher ups that this may not necessarily be the case.
Richard is working on new procedures that will allow branches to share their CLAIMS RETURNED buckets with other branches so we can do system wide searches. When he has set it up he will be emailing all of us with instructions as well as putting it in the Green book.
UPDATE: As of Monday, 11/19/2012 Richard has published the changes in the Green book. Please take the time to read them and refer to them until you are familiar with this process.
Capitola has its own claims returned bucket and this is where we should be listing any items that a patron says they returned, that are still showing checked out to them. Please remember when you are marking an item claimed return to enter the return date within the loan period even if the patron says they returned it after the due date. (see item 2.4 in the Green Book: Marking items claimed returned and also Work Flows section 4)
If you check in an item that has a status of claims returned, please check our bucket and remove the item.
It will not remove automatically. If you are unsure how to do this, you can leave it on my desk with a note and I will take care of it.
Currently I am searching our claims returned bucket once a week but if any of you are lacking for something to do, please feel free to search it yourself.
Our claims returned bucket is found under cataloging/ manage copy buckets/ CAP_ClmRtn_month.
If you have any questions about how to access the bucket or do any of these steps please ask and I will do the best I can to walk you through the steps. We are all learning these procedures so no worries if you are not clear on this. Soon you will be an expert and then we will have another upgrade just to keep us all from getting stale.
If people wish to know donations the friends of the library accept, please direct them to the friends website
FSCPL.ORG where there is a handy button they can click that says DONATE. From there, if they click on Book Donations it spells out what the library will and will not accept. Explore this yourself as its a good idea
to be familiar with what kinds of donations we can accept at the service desk.
Patrons can also access the Friends page from the library home page. There is a Friends selection on the top of the home page.
Janis O'Driscoll is sending out a What's New once a week list of things happening in the system.
I am posting that on the clipboard behind the service desk, as well as any new procedures and Evergreen information that comes out, so feel free to flip through all those papers when things are slow. If you find something wildly out of date, don't hesitate to liberate it from the clipboard. I am trying to keep things current but I can use all the help I can get.
The theme for story hour this week is Families so look for those books at my desk and feel free to take or add items as per usual.
Ok, my fingers are tired and I suspect your brains are too, by now so I say, Happy Thanksgiving. Have a wonderful week and enjoy your time off!!
Cappy Dick
P.S. Welcome back, Barbara. You were missed by all!
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Saturday, November 10, 2012
HEY, MONDAY IS A HOLIDAY!!
Ahoy me hearties,
Cappy Dick was feeling generous and declared you should all have Monday off, so I hope you enjoyed your time away and are back refreshed and ready for a new week!
We have weathered our Evergreen upgrade and things seem to be working pretty well. I think there are some improvements and it definitely looks different and has some different settings so do take time to explore both the behind the desk version and also the public version. If you have a personal library account, I recommend you log in to it and see what the patrons are seeing, in case they have questions.
There is also an e-mail I have printed from Lit in case patrons are using an old bookmark on their personal computers to get to the website and are ending up with the wrong homepage and trying to log in. I have posted it on the clipboard, so please review it.
Speaking of the clipboard, I will always try to put relevant information that we might need to refer to quickly, on the clipboard near the sign in sheets so try and make a habit of checking there for new information when you sign in each day. This blog is only weekly and as we all know things change in our system constantly, so this is one more way to keep informed.
Also please check the branch Gmail which is bookmarked on the middle computer on the service desk. I try and leave it open on a tab all day on that computer so we can check it periodically so give it a gander when you can.
Heck, with all this reading how will we have time to actually work? Well, all those people that say "Oh, you are so lucky to work in a library, you must get to read all day" maybe weren't so far off the mark after all.
We are still having an inordinate number of items either not checked in properly, or not routed to the correct branch (many non-Capitola titles on our shelves) so I am going to INSIST that for those of us on the service desk, we use ONLY the check in computer near the phone to check items in. This means, please do not take items from the drop box to any other computer to check them in. I believe that multi-tasking at the other computers is causing some of these mistakes as you are often interrupted mid-transaction and things are getting mislaid and then mis-shelved.
Of course if during a patron transaction you need to check in an item at the other service desk computers, that is fine. You don't have to run to the check in computer in that case, just do remember where the checked in item needs to go next.
Lit has configured the columns on most of the evergreen pages on our three service desk computers.Please do not change these configurations without checking with me. If you see a sub attempting to change these cut off their hands, uh, i mean , gently remind them to not touch.The computer in the check in room has not been changed so you may need to set up the columns there according to what works best for you. Just remember to save list configurations if you want them to remain in place.
The J New Fiction has been moved once again. It will now live on the small table as you enter the children's area. I will be posting the New York Times best seller list of J Chapter books at the end of that shelving, should anyone ask.
The J holiday books are now displayed on the backside of the top shelf of the adult display books, facing the J New Fiction. If you go to the children's area this will make a lot more sense so do wander over and figure out what I am talking about.
Ken is still making us new shelving for the J Graphic Novels but until he has those in place we will continue to use the rolling red cart near the J New Fiction table.
The story time subject this week is Thanksgiving and as we already have those displayed, if you find any add them to the display and if you need them for the pulls list, you know where to look.
Kari will be hosting her second Tea and Talk adult get together on this Wednesday morning at 9:30. There are fliers if any patrons are interested.
There are also our ongoing Tales to Tales on Wednesday, Teens and Tweens group meeting Thursday afternoon, and pre-school story time on Friday, so as far as programing goes it will be a full week.
Hope you remembered to honor all our veterans and had a fine day off.
Happy Week!
Cappy Dick
Cappy Dick was feeling generous and declared you should all have Monday off, so I hope you enjoyed your time away and are back refreshed and ready for a new week!
We have weathered our Evergreen upgrade and things seem to be working pretty well. I think there are some improvements and it definitely looks different and has some different settings so do take time to explore both the behind the desk version and also the public version. If you have a personal library account, I recommend you log in to it and see what the patrons are seeing, in case they have questions.
There is also an e-mail I have printed from Lit in case patrons are using an old bookmark on their personal computers to get to the website and are ending up with the wrong homepage and trying to log in. I have posted it on the clipboard, so please review it.
Speaking of the clipboard, I will always try to put relevant information that we might need to refer to quickly, on the clipboard near the sign in sheets so try and make a habit of checking there for new information when you sign in each day. This blog is only weekly and as we all know things change in our system constantly, so this is one more way to keep informed.
Also please check the branch Gmail which is bookmarked on the middle computer on the service desk. I try and leave it open on a tab all day on that computer so we can check it periodically so give it a gander when you can.
Heck, with all this reading how will we have time to actually work? Well, all those people that say "Oh, you are so lucky to work in a library, you must get to read all day" maybe weren't so far off the mark after all.
We are still having an inordinate number of items either not checked in properly, or not routed to the correct branch (many non-Capitola titles on our shelves) so I am going to INSIST that for those of us on the service desk, we use ONLY the check in computer near the phone to check items in. This means, please do not take items from the drop box to any other computer to check them in. I believe that multi-tasking at the other computers is causing some of these mistakes as you are often interrupted mid-transaction and things are getting mislaid and then mis-shelved.
Of course if during a patron transaction you need to check in an item at the other service desk computers, that is fine. You don't have to run to the check in computer in that case, just do remember where the checked in item needs to go next.
Lit has configured the columns on most of the evergreen pages on our three service desk computers.Please do not change these configurations without checking with me. If you see a sub attempting to change these cut off their hands, uh, i mean , gently remind them to not touch.The computer in the check in room has not been changed so you may need to set up the columns there according to what works best for you. Just remember to save list configurations if you want them to remain in place.
The J New Fiction has been moved once again. It will now live on the small table as you enter the children's area. I will be posting the New York Times best seller list of J Chapter books at the end of that shelving, should anyone ask.
The J holiday books are now displayed on the backside of the top shelf of the adult display books, facing the J New Fiction. If you go to the children's area this will make a lot more sense so do wander over and figure out what I am talking about.
Ken is still making us new shelving for the J Graphic Novels but until he has those in place we will continue to use the rolling red cart near the J New Fiction table.
The story time subject this week is Thanksgiving and as we already have those displayed, if you find any add them to the display and if you need them for the pulls list, you know where to look.
Kari will be hosting her second Tea and Talk adult get together on this Wednesday morning at 9:30. There are fliers if any patrons are interested.
There are also our ongoing Tales to Tales on Wednesday, Teens and Tweens group meeting Thursday afternoon, and pre-school story time on Friday, so as far as programing goes it will be a full week.
Hope you remembered to honor all our veterans and had a fine day off.
Happy Week!
Cappy Dick
Saturday, November 3, 2012
YAY! TIME TO HIBERNATE
YO,
Well we made it through Halloween unscathed, despite the fact that Riley had a REALLY BIG SWORD on his costume! And we even got to hibernate for an extra hour thanks to the end of daylight saving time on Sunday. Hope by now you have corrected your watches and clocks (those of you who are old school and wear timepieces instead of using your phones) so that y'all get to work on time, and lets hope our patrons have too or we will have a heck of a time getting rid of certain ones who shall remain un-named when we close.
No big news this week EXCEPT that the new EVERGREEN 2.3 is supposed to be installed so check the Capstaff email to see if there are any relevant updates. I hope it all runs smoothly and that all the Evergreen glitches have been resolved, but I am not keeping my fingers crossed to tightly...too hard to type that way for one thing. If there are two Evergreen Icons on the desktop DO OPEN THE ONE THAT SAYS 2.3. I will clear the old icons (2.09) off the various desktops when we have the all clear from LIT.
We still don't know when Barbara will be rejoining us, but we are sending her, her mother and her family all of our best wishes from afar. In her absence various aides will be filling in some of her hours. You may see Peggy Stone (aide from LSB and GP) around a bit as she is taking lots of the hours.
You may see her teenage son Judah working on his computer in our staff room as that is a quiet space for him to study while she is working.
If you do see an aide working that you haven't been introduced too, do introduce yourself and offer your help should they have questions. Each branch is a bit different in terms of shelving and procedures so direction is always welcomed, I am sure.
We have two new displays for November. In the adult area, adjacent to the New books, the Theme is :Share your Table. We have fiction and non-fiction titles there reflecting cookery, Thanksgiving, Charity and Good food reads. There is a whole genre of mysteries and fiction around recipes so if you see any of those in the stacks, please feel free to add them to the display as well as other titles you think might be appropriate for our display.
In the children's area I have put out the small smattering of Thanksgiving books and to bulk up the display, also books with autumn and harvest themes, so again, if you see any titles that you think would merit showing off in that area, please do add them.
This year SANTA CRUZ READS will be reading John Steinbeck for THE BIG READ and as recognition of writing as a form of activism, SCPL, Friends of SCPL and SANTA CRUZ WRITES are sponsering a writing contest open to the community. There is information available at www..santacruzreads.org and there are entry forms at all the libraries. Ours are by the sit down reference station at our service desk.
Our story hour theme on Friday is Trucks. There is a stack by my desk should anyone be looking for them or have picture books to add.
I think that wraps it up. Happy Autumn and don't forget to vote!!
Cappy Dick
Well we made it through Halloween unscathed, despite the fact that Riley had a REALLY BIG SWORD on his costume! And we even got to hibernate for an extra hour thanks to the end of daylight saving time on Sunday. Hope by now you have corrected your watches and clocks (those of you who are old school and wear timepieces instead of using your phones) so that y'all get to work on time, and lets hope our patrons have too or we will have a heck of a time getting rid of certain ones who shall remain un-named when we close.
No big news this week EXCEPT that the new EVERGREEN 2.3 is supposed to be installed so check the Capstaff email to see if there are any relevant updates. I hope it all runs smoothly and that all the Evergreen glitches have been resolved, but I am not keeping my fingers crossed to tightly...too hard to type that way for one thing. If there are two Evergreen Icons on the desktop DO OPEN THE ONE THAT SAYS 2.3. I will clear the old icons (2.09) off the various desktops when we have the all clear from LIT.
We still don't know when Barbara will be rejoining us, but we are sending her, her mother and her family all of our best wishes from afar. In her absence various aides will be filling in some of her hours. You may see Peggy Stone (aide from LSB and GP) around a bit as she is taking lots of the hours.
You may see her teenage son Judah working on his computer in our staff room as that is a quiet space for him to study while she is working.
If you do see an aide working that you haven't been introduced too, do introduce yourself and offer your help should they have questions. Each branch is a bit different in terms of shelving and procedures so direction is always welcomed, I am sure.
We have two new displays for November. In the adult area, adjacent to the New books, the Theme is :Share your Table. We have fiction and non-fiction titles there reflecting cookery, Thanksgiving, Charity and Good food reads. There is a whole genre of mysteries and fiction around recipes so if you see any of those in the stacks, please feel free to add them to the display as well as other titles you think might be appropriate for our display.
In the children's area I have put out the small smattering of Thanksgiving books and to bulk up the display, also books with autumn and harvest themes, so again, if you see any titles that you think would merit showing off in that area, please do add them.
This year SANTA CRUZ READS will be reading John Steinbeck for THE BIG READ and as recognition of writing as a form of activism, SCPL, Friends of SCPL and SANTA CRUZ WRITES are sponsering a writing contest open to the community. There is information available at www..santacruzreads.org and there are entry forms at all the libraries. Ours are by the sit down reference station at our service desk.
Our story hour theme on Friday is Trucks. There is a stack by my desk should anyone be looking for them or have picture books to add.
I think that wraps it up. Happy Autumn and don't forget to vote!!
Cappy Dick
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