MnPALS Circulation User Group: Spring 2008

Minutes

Present: Leah Anderson/Concordia; Kathleen Ashe/Southwest State; Cathy Colby/PALS; Carrie Curie/MSCTC-Moorhead; Susan Dueis/PALS; Bev Ehresmann/CSB/SJU; Sharon Evensen/Vermilion CC; Cynthia Jorstad/Northland CTC; Thulani Jwacu /MCTC; Bonnie Kalla/CSB/SJU; Konstantin Kaltsas/Winona State; Liz Keeler/Metro State; Michael Kirby/Dakota County TC; Joan Klanderud/South Central CC; Peg Lawrence, Rosie Mock, Joni Myers/Minn. State Mankato; Kathy Ness/Minn. State Moorhead; Karen Ostovich/Crown College; Nicole Reuter/CSB/SJU; Linda Richter/PALS; Stuart Rosselet/Bemidji State; Al Rykhus/PALS; Pat Sauerer, Amy Schneider/St. Cloud State; Jenn Schwichtenberg/CSB/SJU; Lucy Schwietz/Dept. of Health; Pam Sukalski/Minn. West; Janet van Oosten/Crown College; Lynne Weber/Minn. State Mankato; Angela Wortham/St. Cloud State

1. Opening Remarks – Pam Sukalski, Convener (MWL) for Gretchen Pyle (on leave)
   
   
2. Recorder – Kathleen Ashe (SMSU)
   
   
3. Additions/Changes to Agenda : Moved agenda item no. 11. Booking to after no. 6
   
   
4. Fall 2007 Minutes. Joan Klandrud/South Central moved to approve, Rosie Mock/MSU Mankato seconded. Minutes approved.
   
   
5. Steering Committee Elections
   • New State University representative : Angela Wortham, St. Cloud State University
   • State Government Libraries and Special Libraries – Neither group requested representation. Most members do not use the circulation subsystem
     
     
   Angela Wortham (SCSU) was elected User Council representative. Pam Sukalski (MnWest) will remain as interim convener for Gretchen Pyle, who is convener.
   
   
6. PALS Report – Susan Dueis (PALS)
   Susan highlighted several circulation issues, most were also reported on in the Spring 2008 PALS Support and Training Services Report, p.23-24.
   • New Forum Board for Circulation issues. Takes place of circ list. Susan demonstrated the forum for circulation discussion. She is on the PALS communications team. The new Quick links logo was pointed out with links to the forum and wiki. All are encourage to post and set up email notification for when new items are posted to the board. PALS may also send out emails informing of something new on forum to encourage people to go look.
   • PALS Support Center answer No.2347 Changes to Tab15 and 16. Edited for people using self check machines.
   • Two new answers dealing with holds and hold requests reports. No.3229 includes info on hold request and letter statuses.
   • No. 3230 is a description of hold request reports. It recommends which ones to run. Cir06 cir17 cir11 or 12.
     
     
7. Booking -- Update on Training Schedule – Cathy Colby (PALS)
   Training will be scheduled after v.18 implementation, probably toward the end of June and also in the fall. Moorhead State and Metro State asked to be added to the list of institutions wanting Booking training.
   
   
8. Best practices and shortcuts sharing. Susan Dueis (PALS)
   Streamlining Manual Patron Registration in v.18 using tab 31 and tab_map_privileges – Susan reviewed how to set up two tables to enable automatic creation of aleph level statuses when manually entering patron registration at the local level/status. Using tab 31. Column 22 Automatically create aleph record. Enter Y(es) for local statuses. Will create an aleph level status automatically so say yes here and then go to tab_map_privileges. Put in sublib local status and aleph status you want assigned. For example for local status 11 assign aleph status 01. (Currently it is a two step process set up aleph level student then set up local patron status.) In tab31 put in ALEPH for all of aleph statuses rather than the ### which is the default setting in there, then for your local status put in XXX50 or branch level. Don’t need last line in the table anymore the default aleph line at end, instead use ##### as the default setting. Then go to column 22 auto create ALEPH (status) record and in lines for the local status put Y. In the lines for 01 02 aleph level statuses just leave blank in this column.
   Then in tap_map_privileges put in XXX50 local patron status 11 equals aleph level status 01.Then in ALEPHADM go to application configuration then circulation, find the line for fast patron registration and change the default setting of N to Y. Then go to circ pull up fast patron registration form then at patron sublibrary assign the ssu50 patron status put in 11 it will automatically create aleph level patron status 01. Susan will put together answer in Support Center with these instructions.
   • Libraries may not want to set up automatic aleph level status for community patrons if they don’t want to be responsible for what their community patrons check out at other institutions. If there is no aleph level status (01, 02, etc.) then the other libraries can’t check items out to your community patrons. If the other library chose to check out items to your community patron they would have to re-enter as their own community patron.
   • For community patrons may want to set time out for 6 months then if no items are checked out the system will automatically delete the patron.
   • This whole process of how to handle community patrons may need to be addressed in the discussion of the Consortium of MnPALS Libraries Circulation Policy (see #10 below).
     
     
   Cynthia Jorstad asked for clarification that aleph level statuses are 01-10, statuses from 11+ are locally assigned.
   
   
9. Reports – Susan Dueis (PALS)
   • Procedure for requesting new or modified reports or services—See link. Essentially all requests should be submitted through the Support Center.
     • Proposed Reports and Service Process Draft -- Revised April 2, 2008
   • Susan mentioned two of several circ reports that are in development: an active user report and activity level ; a cash owing list which put the information from the cash-06 into a single list format. Carrie Curie/MSCTC said that they have developed a way to use the cash-06 and make a list for their institution. She will put this information in the forum.
     
     
   Kathleen Ashe/SMSU reported that the Reports Task Force is adding more complete information to the Help for some of the reports. She suggested that if people see particular problems with completing some of the report forms they should request improved Help screens through the Support Center.
   
   
10. Consortium of MnPALS Libraries Circulation Policy – Submitted by Jay Nordstrom (GAC)
    Link to policy Jay was unable to attend so Susan reviewed this item. The topic came up because of some issues that GAC had with a request. One problem identified has already been addressed by PALS – a list of libraries with their ADM codes : Link to ADM code list
    
    It was noted that the consortium’s Circulation Policy has not been reviewed and re-approved in a number of years. Item 7 in the policy notes that it is to be reviewed annually by the PALS Deans/Directors/Coordinators Executive Committee. It was thought that discussion could take place on Circulation forum board about revisions to the policy and at some point, the policy would be forwarded to the DDC/EC for review.
    
    
11. Update on motion passed at Fall, 2007 User Group re: PALS considering creating a work around for the link to ISRS/Business Office – Susan Dueis (PALS).
    As requested at last fall’s user group meeting the PALS office investigated developing a work around so that credits could be sent to ISRS/Business Office as well as debits. It was determined that this would take up significant resources to implement and that it could create unseen side effects. Susan is looking at a possible solution in v.18 but has not yet been able to test it. There was consensus that if there was no solution in v.18, this request for a work around should be dropped.
    
    The discussion continued with a question on how libraries are tracking patrons with lost items and outstanding bills once the library has passed this on to their business office for billing and collections. Libraries strive to maintain some information because often enough patrons will return at a later date. It was requested that libraries post their procedures on the Circulation board in the forum so that we all could review and improve our processes.
    
    
12. Aleph v. 18 Q & A – Susan Dueis (PALS)
    Susan demonstrated the 2400+ hour day now available in the calendar tab17 to facilitate library open hours after midnight.
    
    We also had a lengthy discussion of p-circ-77, the process that will delete expired patrons which is now working in v.18. Al Rykhus described the process and said that it had been tested to make sure that it wouldn’t delete patrons with items checked out. It will however delete patrons with blocks which led to a long discussion on procedures libraries have implemented to maintain information on patrons with lost items after bills have been sent to business offices and the items have been removed from the patron’s record. This discussion continued the discussion in no.11 above.
    
    
13. Workday interest.
    After some discussion Liz Keeler (Metro State) moved that the Circ User Group hold 1 user group meeting and 1 workday a year. Cynthia Jorstad (Northland CTC) seconded the motion. In further discussion it was agreed that it would be up to the User Council to set the dates, that is whether the workday should be in the fall and meeting in the spring or the other way around. Motion was passed unanimously.
    
    Topics suggested for workday: Circulation overview, Inventory (Peg Lawrence (MSU Mankato) is presenting on this topic at ELUNA), Fines/Billing processes, Training students.
    
    
14. Work Plan – Susan Dueis (PALS)
    The DDC/EC recommended that the PALS Office should spend 20-25% of it’s time on new initiatives. Therefore, what circulation related items on the current workplan could be dropped? It was agreed that we should use the Circulation board in the Forum to prioritize items or say what should be dropped.
    
    
15. Adjourn. Joni Meyers (MSU Mankato) moved, Konstantin Kaltsas (Winona State) seconded to adjorn the meeting.
    
    

Agenda

1. 12:00 Opening Remarks – Pam Sukalski, Convener (MWL)
   
   
2. Recorder – Kathleen Ashe (SSU)
   Please identify yourself when speaking at the meeting to ease the recorders job. The recorder may ask you to repeat your comment to verify their notes.
   
   
3. Additions/Changes to Agenda
   
   
4. Approve Fall 2007 Minutes
   
   
5. 12:10 Steering Committee Elections
   • Need a State University representative
   • State Government Libraries and Special Libraries want representation?
     
     
6. 12:20 PALS Report – Susan Dueis (PALS)
   • New Forum Board for Circulation issues
   • PALS Support Center answers
     
     
7. 12:35 Best practices and shortcuts sharing
   • Streamlining Manual Patron Registration using tab 31 and tab_map_privileges – Susan Dueis (PALS)
   • Other?
     
     
8. 1:00 Reports – Susan Dueis (PALS)
   • Procedure for requesting new or modified reports or services
     • Proposed Reports and Service Process Draft -- Revised April 2, 2008
   • Discussion of existing reports
   • Suggestions for new Circulation Reports
     
     
9. 1:10 Consortium of MnPALS Libraries Circulation Policy – Jay Nordstrom (GAC)
   http://www.mnpals.org/sections/Consortium_Policies_Circ.html
   
   
10. 1:25 Update on motion passed at Fall, 2007 User Group re: PALS considering creating a work around for the link to ISRS/Business Office – Susan Dueis (PALS)
    
    
11. 1:30 Booking -- Update on Training Schedule – Cathy Colby (PALS)
    
    
12. 1:35 Aleph v. 18 Q & A – Susan Dueis (PALS)
    
    
13. 1:45 Workday interest?
    
    
14. 1:55 Work Plan – Susan Dueis (PALS)
    
    
15. 2:00 Adjourn

Discussion Notes for Agenda Items:

• Kathleen Ashe (SSU) – UC Rep – State Universities – 2008
• Gretchen Pyle (SMU) – Convener – Private Colleges and Universities – 2009
• Pam Sukalski (MWL) – Acting Convener and Alternate UC Rep – Consolidated/ Community/Technical Colleges – 2009

• Filtering drop-down list of profiles in new patron registration forms (both fast and regular). This has been tested and is working.
• Entering closing hours after midnight directly into Tab 17. This will be in the April service pack, so it has not been tested yet.