Support and Training Services Report September 2006

• Progress continues on the conversion from version 15 to version 17.
• The estimated date that libraries will be able to look at their own data on version 17 is early October.
• Version 17 Clients will be made available to each library. These will be available for download using the same method taught in the Client Setup Aleph Version 17 web trainings. Watch for an announcement regarding when and where the version 17 Clients will be available from.
• Support Specialists are now preparing for the Advanced Module Navigation web training sessions.
  
  

• PALS Trainers hope that libraries are practicing topics covered in the Basic Module Navigation sessions using one of the 10 test libraries that have been made available to them.
• A Version 15.5 Circulation Refresher for Eta Libraries was offered on August 24th.
• Client Setup Aleph Ver.17 web training sessions completed.
• MnPALS Serials Module Aleph Ver.15.5 In-Person Training was offered August 30 & 31. Eight institutions attended, five were new to serials and three were new staff at institutions currently running the Serials Module.
• Basic Module Navigations Aleph Version 17 web training sessions for: Acquisitions/Serials, Cataloging/Items, Circulation, and Systems are almost completed.
• Table Changes Aleph Ver.17 and XSL Forms Editing Aleph Ver.17 will be offered in October.
• Advanced Module Navigation (New Features) Aleph Ver.17 for Acquisitions/Serials, Cataloging/Items and Circulation will be offered in November and December.
• Version 17 Upgrade Training Calendar http://www.pals.msus.edu/aleph/syslibs/home.html
• A XSL version 15.5 workshop was offered on September 13, another will be offered October 12.
• Check out the following link off of the PALS homepage for a full listing of training offerings and links to registration forms.
  
  

• Collection Management for Blackwells Book Service: MSU has done some testing and responded to PALS with the results. Based on this testing PALS asked MSU to change a tag setting and continue testing with this in place.
  
  

• Providing Answer Feedback - If you choose to provide us with feedback when using the "PALS eDesk Answers" it is helpful to us. When you have viewed an "Answer" you have the opportunity to provide PALS with feedback. In the middle of the "Answer" is a section where you can submit a "Yes or No" rating. If the "Answer" helped you please select "Yes". If the answer was not helpful you can select "No". When you select "No" you will be asked to provide feedback about why the Answer was not helpful to you, possibly include suggestions for improvement. Please don't use the "Answer" feedback option to submit a question to PALS. If the Answer does not help resolve your problem please use the "Ask a Question" tab to send a request for additional assistance to the PALS eDesk.
  
  PALS will use your feedback to improve the "Answer" so the next time you look you will find a more helpful "Answer".
  
  

• Continuing to update ILL links (moving off the header on each page and moving onto the "Your Borrowing Record" page. Status: Ongoing. Approximately 3/4 of the libraries pages have been updated.
• The process to update the login pages, adding some hints for the User ID (barcode) and Password (usually their last name) is ongoing. There are 6 different login pages per Web OPAC, and 63 libraries. Approximately 3/4 of the libraries pages have been updated.
• Removed links to MULS from dropdown lists and Libraries and Collections pages.
  
  

• The group will not meet until they are asked to examine an authorities issue by the Cataloging User Group or PALS office.
• At the Spring 2006 Cataloging User Group, the Authorities Task Force reported on their activities to that point. It was agreed to send, after libraries have reconvened for Fall session, to the full MnPALS consortium proposed new field labels. These field labels are for the authority information on cross references as displayed in the WebOPAC. The Authorities Task Force recommends these changes believing them to be more understandable field labels.
• Proposed changes have been made on the Lute, development server. The information was e-mailed to all MnPALS libraries on September 15th. Libraries are given one week to examine the changes, respond with a Yes or No vote to accept or deny the changes. One vote per library, 51% of the votes constitutes a majority. If a library doesn't vote, that will constitute a YES vote. If this is approved, it will be implemented on the Harp, production, server after September 22nd.
• Web board address for Authorities Task Force http://boards.pals.msus.edu/fusetalk/forum/index.cfm?forumid=17
  
  

• The group had their first meeting of the school year on August 28th. Their meeting time has changed from 1:30-3:00 p.m. They have scheduled meetings through December for every other Monday. Items discussed at this meeting were:
  1. ALEPH 17 update from Becky Bell, PALS ALEPH Implementation Manager, on events occurring over the summer. A tentative calendar of ALEPH 17 was outlined. Nov. 1st is the tentative date for the first re-indexing before switching to production on ver. 17. MITF identified a few keyword index changes that were submitted to the PALS office for the preliminary indexing that occurred in September. These changes will be examined by MITF.
  2. Asked PALS office to identify Aleph ver. 17 indexing issues for MITF to study. Tab11_acc (access headings index) is one place there are changes.
  3. Other tasks to work on in the next few months: over-indexing of keywords (authors, titles, notes, etc.); define language keywords; address keyword indexes in general; address tab_type_config; address needs for SYS60 (holding records) indexing; and finish the MINITEX standards adjustments.
• For complete MITF minutes go to their Web board site at: http://boards.pals.msus.edu/fusetalk/forum/index.cfm?forumid=15
• The next meeting is scheduled for September 25th.
  
  

• This group has not met yet this Fall. They will schedule a Fall meeting to compare ALEPH ver. 15 to ver. 17 check_doc tables (validation tables).
• Web board address for Validation Work Group http://boards.pals.msus.edu/fusetalk/forum/index.cfm?forumid=19
  
  

• Perry has begun identifying issues that had been previously approved by this group, as well as new features of Aleph versions 16 and 17 that will need to be added to the web OPAC.
• Web board address for MATF http://boards.pals.msus.edu/fusetalk/forum/index.cfm?forumid=16
  
  

• Consortium of MnPALS Libraries Fall User Group Meetings are Monday, October 23 & Tuesday, October 24 at Minnesota State University, Mankato, Centennial Student Union.
• A draft general agenda for the day has been posted to the PALS homepage www.pals.msus.edu/pals/minutes/main0610.html.
• Invitations to register have been sent. The link to register for User Groups is available from the General Agenda.
• Watch for the posting of Subsystem Agendas the first week of October.
  
  

• MINITEX is working on a new server site payment formula for MnLINK. New server sites will be included in this formula.
• We have worked out a process with MINITEX for dealing with the Gateway and MnPALS libraries that temporarily suspend ILL service in Aleph. This will use the message of the day functionality to alert patrons that their library has suspended ILL service.
  
  

• RightNow - The Office of the Chancellor signed a 3-yr, system-wide contract with RightNow Technologies. This will allow MnSCU institutions to obtain the RightNow service application at a significant pricing discount. PALS will become the official support department for the RightNow project within MnSCU. During this past month, Rochester Community & Technical College and Hennepin Technical College both agreed to purchase RightNow for their respective campuses.
  
  

• For a complete schedule of web training, hands on training and workshops available please consult the PALS homepage. Click on Announcements, Training & Workshops, select the link under "Scheduled Workshops and Training Sessions"
• Individual invitations will be sent out each time we add a new session to our offerings.
  
  

• Circulation Refresher Web Session, August 23 - Susan & Sonja
• MITF, August 28 - Mary Ann
• Metropolitan State University RNT Training, August 29 - Kyle
• Client Setup, August & September - Dan
• Serials Training, August 30-31 - Dee
• Version 17 Basic Module Training, September - Dee, Dan, Mary Ann, & Susan
• Century College RNT Training, September 6-7, Kyle & Frank
• User Council and Executive Committee, September 7 - Sonja & Becky
• Metropolitan State University RNT Training, September 8 - Kyle & Frank
• RigntNow Technologies User Conference, September 10-14 - Cathy, Kyle & Frank
• MnLINK User Group, September 11 - Dee & Susan
• XSL Workshop, September 13 - Dan & Rod
• Normandale Community College RNT Training, September 19 - Kyle & Frank