Over this past weekend, the PALS Support Center interface was upgraded. The functionality remains mostly the same, but there is a new look to the interface. We have added a link to the PALS forum and are working on adding a link to the PALS wiki.

We hope you enjoy using the new PALS Support Center interface. Please contact the PALS Office with any questions or concerns.

Work continues on the upgrade to Aleph version 20 and we are on track for a January 30, 2010 switch to production.

We are now ready to have the consortium libraries begin to work with version 20. It is important that you install the version 20 client, look at the data that has been migrated from version 19 (as of November 30), and test functionality. Please look especially at new/changed functionality, but it is a good idea to check out other, often used, functions to make sure all is still working as expected. You have until January 28 to test, but if you find something that you think is a problem, please let us know right away to give us time to check into it. Use the PALS support center and select product "Version 20 Upgrade".

Everything you need to start testing can be found on the PALS web site. Here you will find the following:

July 16: PALS partners with East Central Regional Library to implement the Evergreen Open Source Library System

East Central Regional Library now has a new library system thanks to an innovative partnership with PALS. PALS provided migration and configuration services, trained ECRL staff, and wrote documentation on the use of the system. PALS is providing hosting services and ongoing support to ECRL.

PALS is excited to provide services to public libraries, and this partnership is an example of intergovernmental cooperation that ensures tax dollars are used to maximum effect.

For more information contact the PALS Office.

Also see related story from the Isanti County News.

June 29: Updated priv-08, priv-09, priv-13 Reports in Aleph

PALS has updated the priv-08, priv-09, and priv-13 reports in Aleph to have a Sublibrary dropdown choice in the report setup window. If you have used these reports in the past, you cannot simply rerun the reports from the previous service forms, due to the additional sublibrary parameter.

We are making this Sublibrary dropdown choice addition to other priv reports. We will send additional messages to the mnpals-discuss list as we move them over to production.

Please view the Help windows for these reports for additional information. If you have questions, please let us know. You can call, email or enter a question via the Support Center.

At the meetings of the Executive Committee and the User Council on September 9, PALS will propose a timeline for the upgrade to Aleph version 20 for their endorsement. We propose to do this upgrade over the next two months, with a goal of upgrading the production server during the weekend of November 6-7, 2010.   Although at one time we were considering scheduling this upgrade for the spring of 2011, this fall now seems like the better time to do it for the following reasons.