ECIUG '06: Extra Info from Chit Chat

I asked Beth Whitney (from London P.L.'s Cataloging Dept) re Year End tips for Larry:

• make sure you take all the stats you want before you close the books
• LPL carries encumbrances over to the next year
• 0's out expenditures
• advise us to email III and say this is what we're going to do on X day, is it ok?...can we have a contact person to communicate with directly on that day?
• follow every single word in the instructions

I emailed the listserv with other questions I was given to ask...the day was too jam-packed to get them all in in person!...will post answers here as I receive them...

ECIUG '06: googleanalytics

Dave from LPL (impromptu presentation)

• googleanalytics is a free utility that can tell you all sorts of things about how people use your opac
• copy code to botlogo in wwwoptions to apply to all pages
• (Claudia from E&S added it to our website last week and I'll add to opac)
• includes map of where users are coming from, overlay re what parts of page people are using, info on browsers, screen resolution, sofware (java, flash etc.), connection speed
• nifty...but makes me think 'what is google getting out of this'...check Stephen Ab's blog to see if he has commented
  

ECIUG '06: Re-Indexing Our Database

Raj Jain (Head of Cataloguing) / Karen Marshall (Director of Tech Services)
University of Western Ontario

• Why?...public service request for e-books index and Journal title index
• decided to re-index to achieve this, and solve a bunch of other problems (eg. with RACER)
• indexes can only be build with data from marc records
• check / re-check / check again what you think the system *should* be doing and what it is actually doing
• indexing takes a long time...and there are performance issues while it's going on

ECIUG '06: Use of Preferred Searches

Eeva Stierwalt from London Public Library

• use Preferred Searches and email alerts for home service patrons
• "exclude books I've read" used in conjunction
• nifty
• I need to look in to our email alerts...on OPAC imp. cmte list of things to do
• LPL uses false email addresses which include patron name and route number, so they get info they need from bounced email file
• suggest to SR/JAg/LAK for our home service patrons
  

ECIUG '06: Graphical Self-Check

Eeva Stierwalt, London Public Library

• currently implementing Graphical Self Check at all branches
• previously had CODOCO big self-check machines
• empowring patrons...mirroring retail experience (Walmart, Home Depot etc.)
• free-up staff to provide quality service
• LPL has NO security gates at branches, so easy for them...no desensitizing equipment required
• speed / convenient / fun
• pilot project outline:
• 7 member team
• identified locations
• best practices research
• looks at other iii libs using this...average number of self checkouts = 54%...most not using security systems (theft rate = same)
• reviewed lending policies
• so peeps could cout as much as possible
• equiment and furniture needs assessed
  
• pilot set up
• customization with iii
• roll out
• followed up with stats
• peeps love it
• touch screens
• only need electircal outlet and internet plug-in, computer, hand-held scanner
  
• signage/advertising
• staff simply scan a barcode to log in and out
• market to staff...train them to train the peeps
• periodic survey for feedback
• teach peeps to know difference between library barcode and publisher's barcode, and to *read* the screen re error messages...must bring "lock box" items to the desk
• have a staff monitor for the first while
  

ECIUG '06: Enterprise Backup Development

Fangmin Wang, Ryerson University

• talked about how at Ryerson they use a third-party backup program
• uses Backup API (Application Programming Interface...how one piece of software communicates with another)
• went with alternate method becuase III's standard backup method is not very convenient...labour intensive, routine task...and Ryerson's IT dept. has a huge IBM "tape robot"
  
• on the iug list there's a linux verion of the backup script (contributed by Mike Lynch)
• they use the Millenium tape back up as a secondary back up
  

ECIUG '06: Beyond the OPAC - Providing Additional Avenues to the Catalogue

Mike Cunningham
Web Services Librarian
Cambridge Public Library

• web sites vs. opacs...how to drive traffic to your opac and within opac
• RSS feeds, php with mysqul database
• create lists for new items, export to text file, delete field names, save as ANSI, opne in phpmyadmin...etc...
• opac enrichment and reviews...link new movies to imdb...embed relevant booklists from an extrenal ColdFusion aplication
• can reference external javascript files in botlogo wwwoptions...all automated links, slicker than Syndetics
• reviews incorporated into opac...also kids' and teens' sites
• in-house build reviews system...cheaper / simpler than iii's
• can also use javascript to remove stuff from the opac, for eg. "kill call # linking" which confuses patrons...removes the hyperlink tag...nice!
• alternate opac search via z39.50 (eg. Ann Arbour, Plymouth State...OPAC massaged in to a wordpress format...slick)
• Hot Items list at AADL...criteria = # of holds...John Blyber's blog comment re analyzing holds...didn't work for Cambridge...used "view outstanding holds", then:
• sent to email
• save email as text
• Perl script
• retrieve bib # and # of holds
• online form
• Cold Fusion
• access d-base
• Book cover browser...nice...
• inspiration from itunes' cd cover browse
• used Yahoo Carosel and Reflections JS
• hot book cover browser...purple eye icon on "new books, cds, and more" page...check it out here
• thankfully, Cambridge is all about SHARING...has policy to share code for all this nifty stuff
• see his complete presentation here
• check out Mike's blog
  

ECIUG '06: III Company Update

Maruta Skujina (our Customer Support person) and Mary Chevreau (Maruta's boss, oversees all of N. America)

• What's new with R2006:
• ecommerce integration with graphic self-check, also RFID compatable
• teleforms will now "speak" the patron's name
• SUSHI: Standardized usage stats harvesting initiative...use with ERM
• "Tickers"...in Acquisitions and Serials...little reminder notes linked to records to remind another staff person to do something to that record
• WebPAC Pro..."Going Pro"
• check out csdirect for official info
  
• free upgrade from R2006
• place a commitment service request to helpdesk to request
• some new stuff that's coming down the pipe will be based on webpacpro
• one big feature = "Right Results"...relevance ranking...rates title and author hits higher than notes, for eg.
• III offers a "WebPAC refresher service"
• WebPAC Pro options (extra cost?):
• spell check..."did you mean?"...drop-down dictionary
• community reviews (staff can vet before publishing)
• RSS feed builder
• RSS...
• incoming feeds (free in R2006)
• outoging feeds
• via Create Lists
• webPAC Pro
• outgoing 1:1 feed for patrons record events
• my record feeds ... notification of change eg. you have fines (not specific amount)
• CASE
• robust list of electronic packages and titles
• A-Z list
• marc record service
• case.iii.com
• useful for TBPL?...not sure...
• subscription service, updated monthly
• Program Registration Module (similar to events)...cost????!!!
• calendar
• patron self-reg
• integrated with patron dbase and My Millennium
• programs are in OPAC, so show up in searches...nifty
• staff interface: Registration Desk...easy to email registered peeps, can do create lists with reg info
• TODO: compare with e*vents re cost and functionality...would we be able to use for internal room booking?...staff only?...repress from public view type of thing?
• Millennium Load Scheduler
• automate Create Lists
• nifty
• cost?
• can NOT change parameters in saved search strategies though...so, could not use for new/hot...simply runs exactly the same search again...does not even refresh the review file

Coming in 2007: ENCORE (insert fireworks here....)

• III's answer to the callenge of how to make the library a starting point for patrons' searches...support richer content in the results...allow community participation
• ratings, reviews, tags BY patrons, in the opac
• will transform the library's web interface
• will be introduced in R07 (but costs extra...sale on now...)
• "best bets" suggestions to push out recomendations
  
• federated search results (will it work with AGent?)
• runs on apache server...uses AJAX and other new technologies
• Westerville and 12 other libs are deveopment partners
• ENCORE is a "presentation layer"...slick single-search-box and book shelf of new titles' book jackets
• tagging...can be cloud or list
• faceted searchging
• for eg check out Zappos shoes
• can search for all books rated "excellent", search reviews...search non-marc info
• Federated search integration with Research Pro
• SmartLinking for librarian-suggested resources with Pathfinder Pro
• rich in info...easy to use...2.0
• Maruta showed a falshy marketing DVD (can we borrow or download it to show staff?
• it is possible to have ENCORE without having all the other bits
• ENCORE comes WITH a server...set up and ready to go...special introductory pricing now...
  

ECIUG '06: Overview

Wow. Just got back from spending a jam-packed day at Kitchener Public Library with about 65 peeps from other III libs in Ontario. London, Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge, Western, Brock, Ryerson, U of Ottawa were all there. It was great to meet Eeva Stierwalt from LPL and lots of others who I have been emailling a great deal over the past year. I presented on E-Commerce, which went well even though I was a nervous newbie. SO many ideas and inspirations and things to do!