?

Are you out there?

RSS - and Still I am so Confused

I have 'verified' that I did, indeed subscribe to some feeds. PHEW! I have no idea what happened, but many thanks to b.c. for at least showing me where to look to see if anything took.

I have no idea what is going on with this assignment anymore, but continue along as if I do. As a teacher, it worries me that I am trying to build upon a faulty base, and will have to continue to do so to finish this program. I really hope this is not a layer on top of layer approach - if it is, I am dead in the water.

Hopefully, Flickr will be easier that RSS in terms of making sense... I

This would be noticed....

Image of The library mobile. P\'s ex-girlfriend drives one of these around L\'ville. We think it\'s hysterical. - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Adding an image to your post

Several people have asked about adding an image or graphics to the blog. Adding an image to your post is pretty easy. After you do it once, it will be a snap from then on.


First, go to the "Compose" screen and click on the next-to-the-last icon on the toolbar, just to the left of the eraser. (When you roll your mouse over it, you'll see an "Add Image" text message). This will open a new window that walks you through the steps to upload your image.


You can select an image from your computer, or link to an image that is already on the web .



From here, there are 3 steps to adding your image:

1. Click the "Browse" button to locate images on your hard drive (or network), or, enter the URL of an image on the web.
2. Clicking the "Layout" button allows you to select the way your images will appear in your post: the left, center and right options will determine how the text of your post flows around the pictures (the "left" option was selected here).
3. The "Size" option lets you scale the pictures to different sizes in the posting area. I used the default selection "Medium" for this image. (You also might want to uncheck the box labeled "Use this layout every time?").

All that's left is to click the "Upload Image" link and you're done. (This first time you upload an image you'll also have to first "Agree" to the "Terms of Service").

You can upload images in JPG, GIF, PNG, TIF or BMP format. When you upload an image through Blogger, it gets stored on Picasa Web Albums. Picasa is a free image-hosting website provided by Google that anyone can upload photos to. You can choose to make your images public or private. If you don't already have an account with Picasa, it will be created for you when you upload a photo to the blog. To access the photo on Picassa, go to http://picasaweb.google.com/home and click on the link "Picassa Web Albums". Log on with the same logon and password you use to access the blog.

You can add the text of your message either before you upload your image, or afterwards.

Give it a try.

Printing At Branch Circ Desks

It is very awkward to switch between two font sizes in Workflows. The following is a solution to that problem. Thank you to Poulsbo for coming up with this great solution for our printing problem.

Receipt Printer and Branch Accounts

Each day before your branch opens:

On circulation desk terminals only; bring up two Workflow Accounts using your branch login and password.

• Double click on the work flows Icon on your desktop.
• Enter your branch login and password.
• Set the Theme Color to your branch Theme and a 10 point font for the account where you will do everything in Workflows with the exception of processing/checking in holds.
  

Minimize Workflows and go back to your desktop.

• Double click on the work flows Icon on your desktop.
• Enter your branch login and password.
• Set the Theme Color to Primary Red, and an 18 point font for the account where you will be processing/checking in holds.

To change the Theme (color):

• Click on Preference
• Click on Desktop
• Click on Desktop Setup
• Click on Themes
• Select the Color & Click OK

To set the receipt printer to print Patron Check Out receipts in a 10 point or 18 point font size:

• Click on ‘Preference’ in the Standard Toolbar
• Click on ‘Peripherals’
• Click on ‘Receipt Printer’Click on Attributes
• To change Font size click on the gadget.

Set receipt printer to 10 Verdana to get a 10 point font on the check out receipt. Printer will printer faster in this setting.

When processing shipment HOLDS and on terminals in branch workrooms set receipt printer to 18 Verdana to get an 18 point font to make reading and filing available holds easier.

Printing HOLDS 18 Verdana

Printing Check Out List 10 Verdana

Setting the font size to a 10 point font puts the due date on one line on checkout receipts. This makes for a shorter receipt to hand out.

Always set the 18 point font account in RED, RED will be the color for accounts processing holds throughout the KRL system. Staff who work multiple branches will know which account they are in wherever they are working.

Thank you to everyone for helping to solve these problems.

discharging wizard

If you hadn't already noticed the discharge wizard now tells you what to do when an item is not charged. It catches holds and in-transits and you do'n have to go into check item status. Just putting in my two cents about a positive change from the upgrade. =)

Font size for HOLD SLIPS

The current recommendation for font size (as per the Trainer's Meeting June 20th) is:
18 Verdana for HOLD SLIPS
11 Verdana for PATRON RECEIPTS
Depending on the branch set-up, this could mean resetting the font size
while processing the shipment holds.
Checking in materials during the day, at a terminal that is also used for
PATRON CHECKOUTS, will result HOLD SLIPS printed in 11 Verdana.
In YP at BI we currently have this situation.
Presently, we just turn the 11 Verdana slips 90 degrees left and write the
first 3 letters of the last name (we always do this anyway). The slips are a little
short, but the full name usually shows. These slips do not seem that bad to me.
I'd be interested to know other points of view!
Susan B. @ BIYP

Where Am I on the Hold List?

I was able to find this information by a rather cumbersome method. What is the quickest way?

"Freezing" windows

We've had some problems with certain windows locking up here at MA (graying-out options or not allowing us to enter information into any input fields), and up until now I've found a way around it in the checkout and discharge windows. However, this morning we had the "display user" window stuck open; it could not be closed, no information could be entered into the user ID field, and we had to shut down the unicorn client and bring it back up to remedy the problem. The work-around (hitting alt-O and then accepting the error that pops up) didn't work at all, perhaps because it was not the fault of the scanner as the other window freezes are.

Is anyone else having this problem?

Font size for hold slips

A font size of 18 regular will print a hold slip on which the last name will always print to the left of the slip, with the exception of three-letter surnames. This should make uniformity easier when placing the hold slip in the book or media item, and easier reading on the holds shelves.

Changing default search type

Good news! We can change the default "Item Search" type at an individual terminal. Right now, all are set at the default "General" and "Keyword" search. If you prefer to set your terminal for a different default search such as "Title" and "Browse", here's how:
1. Right click on "Item Search" in the left hand menu.
2. Left click on Properties.
3. This brings up a screen where you can change the default setting to your own preference.

If you share the terminal with others, you should agree with them on what's the best default setting. This can be changed on a temporary basis; when you exit Workflows it will ask if you want to save the properties.

Modify User Record

What happened to the button in the User Display that said "Modify This User?" That was very useful. Now you have to click on Modify User on the side bar then click on the button with their user ID on it, or search again for your user. Is there anyway to get that button back in the User Display?

Sloooooow Printing

edewald said...
I am almost certain that printing using our receipt printers will linger as our greatest challenge to providing service to our customers if it is not investigated correctly.Mainly, the printing on these machines is too slow, detrimentally slow.

I believe from working with the options, the issue is not the font size or layout. I think it's a processing situation. Perhaps there are too many "pixels" being printed as opposed to the old workflows printing settings. For example, maybe instead of processing 100 pixels per millimeter of printing, it is processing 500 pixels per millimeter of printing. The 500 pixels would result in greater detail, but slower processing and printing, much like the resolution of a picture. I realize my numeric figures are wrong, but I'm just trying to illustrate.

I hope this issue remains a priority until it is made efficient. It is currently very difficult to share information with our patrons, because our printers are taking an embarressing amount of time to print.

I'm very OPTIMISTIC about everything else!
June 14, 2007 7:40 PM

Change Hold Location items on POSH

I just discovered this by accident: I had a DVD on my POSH that I couldn't find, so I marked it missing. Later on, purely by accident, I found the item on the holds shelf. I checked Item Status and, indeed, it was marked missing, but the hold was for the same person, different branch. There was no indication on the POSH that the item would be anywhere except DVD-Adult. So, if you can't find an item on the POSH and it's last discharge date (shown on POSH) is recent, check for the item on your hold shelf under the same name that the new hold is for. When you are ready to mark the item missing, after you enter the barcode and hit "Mark Item Missing" you will get an override message saying that the item is on hold for so-and-so. Before overriding, check your holds shelf to see if the item is there under the name of so-and-so. It just might be there.

Printing check item status and bib records

Today we were experimenting with printing hold slips, bill payments, and patron information.

However, we ran into a problem trying to print the "Check Item Status" screen and any part of a bib record. Printing wasn't an option for "Check Item Status" and the program froze if we hit F12. The program would also freeze when trying to print the bib record. This could potentially be a problem when it comes to snags.

Anybody have any tips for printing in these two areas? Or is it just because of the test server that we cannot print in these two areas?


~Silverdale Staff

Placing holds - current title

When you look up an item, then try to place it on hold for a patron, the item will not carry forward as the "current item" unless you have clicked on "detailed display." So, to place a hold:
1. Look up the item.
2. Click on "detailed display" - don't just highlight it in the list.
3. Click "Place hold" wizard, enter patron's card #.
4. The item should show up as the "current item" and you don't have to search for it again.

OneYearSuspendedHolds?

How much havoc will this create on green-dot rotation books?

Detailed Display

When in Item Search, why is the detailed display type so faint you can barely read it?

interface

Personally I found the user interface to be more intuitive than the one we’re using now (loved it in red). However, I know that I lack the experience of many of my co-workers since I work primarily as a page. So maybe I just haven’t had the chance to get used to the current interface — but from a standpoint of design I’d say there’s much improvement.

Now I should temper this by saying that I haven’t worked with it yet — out on the "frontline". That will be the real test.

Suspended Holds

The following question came to me through email, I am sharing my answer.

A year? Why would someone want to suspend their holds that long?

Good question. Most patrons would not suspend a hold for that long, it would count as one of their fifty holds. This is just an option we are offering to patrons as a way to manage their hold list. In Dynix days I would often place a new title on hold that I did not need until fall (pruning). When patrons are reading a series they could place the entire series on hold then activate them as they read them. No lists to keep or holds to keep replacing.

Thank you for asking, I am going to post this question on the Sirsi Blog where other staff might want to contribute a comment.