A lot of valuable information about holds, transits, holdings and loans can be gleamed from the Details table of a Bib record in Koha.  An illustrated discussion:

1. Location – The location shown is the Owning Library.  Libraries can see how many copies of an item they own.
2. Status – Checked out.  You can see who has the item checked out and when it is due.  The patron name is a hyperlink to their patron account.
3. Status – Waiting.  This item is on hold for a patron, waiting at the pick up branch the patron selected.  This status is triggered when an item sent from one library to another is checked in and the hold is confirmed as received.  This hold will now be OUT of the holds queue and give a status of Waiting.
   
4. Status – In Transit to Fill a Hold.  This is shows that an item has been been confirmed to fill a hold and is in transit from one library to another.  As soon as a hold is confirmed and routed to the pick up library, the Current Location of the item changes to the pick up library (even if the item is temporarily in a courier bin at the sending library).
   This status also shows that this item has been ‘linked’ to a patron for the hold.  In the Holds Queue, this will appear as an “only item” hold instead of a “next available” hold.
5. Status – Checked out and On Hold.   This is an example of a Copy-level or item-specific hold, rather than a Title-level or ‘next available’ hold.  Only staff can place copy-level holds and only the specific copy of the title associated with the patron will fill the hold, not the next available item.

Minutes (OK, more like notes…with links to additional information, blog posts and Web sites)

1. PTFS/LibLime update with Jim Minges

• LibLime is now a division of PTFS, a company relatively new to supporting Open Source Software.
• Additional support person has been added to the Koha support team there.
• Seeing faster response times to support requests
• We expect an upgrade to our system in the next few months — no other details available at this time.
• We will start submitting enhancement requests to PTFS.
• Conflict has been occurring between PTFS and the international Koha community over who controls Koha’s intellectual property, such as trademarks, domains (koha.org), the code repository and the bug repository.
  • As a result of the conflict, www.koha-community.org was started by the international Koha community.
  • NEKLS is hosting this site on the KLOW server.
• PTFS is not pushing us to LLEK and the previous management at LibLime is gone.
• Kim Beets asked about programming that we have already paid for — will it be implemented between now and the update?
  • Jim noted that a regular update to our Installation would correct many of the current issues in the system. Patches, bug fixes and feature enhancements are available, but none have been applied to our system since last June.  For example, the patch to fix the renewal bug 3378 was created in late June 2009, but was never applied to our system.
• Amy Begg DeGroff — last year’s Tech Day speaker — is the transition manager for the LibLime division.  Mickey is in contact with her about our needs.
• We have no target date for updates at this time.  Sharon hopes that when we are ready to get regular updates again, we will follow the model set with our previous vendor where a test installation will be upgraded, we will do testing, and then the updates will be applied to the production server after we’ve signed off on everything.

2. Policy committee recommendations with Robin Flory and Eric Gustafson

• Policy recommendation 1:
  Collection of fines can occur at any NExpress library. Money doesn’t have to be sent back to the library the fines initiated from.
• Policy recommendation 2:
  Damaged/lost/replacement fees can be collected at any library, but will then be sent on to the library that originally owned the material.
• Policy recommendation 3:
  With materials that are on lost or long overdue at another library, it is the owning library’s responsibility to contact the borrower’s library for replacement.
  • Discussion:  There is a report for identifying items long overdue at another library.  Please do not contact the patron; contact the library where the transaction occurred.
  • Options: Libraries should send invoices, that can then be paid out of the library’s own funds or through the State Library’s material replacement fund.
• Overall discussion:
  • System-wide, patrons are debarred at $10. Debarrment based on overdue notices is set library by library.  Dollar amount of fines is system-wide. The debarment is library-by-library.
  • The default setting for debarment is after the 3rd notice.
  • The issue of fines being waived by a non-fining library was discussed and the committee recommends that libraries respect the fine and collect them.   In return, fining libraries agree to waive having the fines reimbursed if the fines are at least collected.
  • The committee was not recommending that non-fining libraries make any additional effort to collect fines, but to clear a patron’s fine if requested to do so as a customer service.
• Confidentiality will be discussed after this meeting by the committee.
• Robin and the Committee brought up the “Fan Club” issue, where a library, on behalf of patron’s who have signed up for this service, places a large block of holds on new best-selling titles at a single time. In principle, the fan club is a wonderful customer service used by one active and one incoming library. But, at times it may not be ‘playing nice’ to the rest of the consortia.
  • Possible solutions suggested: buy more copies of these particular titles or libraries with fan clubs could place holds only on the local copies (which may mess up the system). Maybe have a local hold copy (or two) at the library for these fan clubs?
  • Proposal: If you will be placing holds for your patrons, you have a local hold copy that you do that for and then you buy a copy for the consortia. If you can’t afford to buy an additional copies, have your one copy on local hold for two months, and then release it from local hold. If it stops being circulated at your local library before those two months are up, go ahead and release it. –Diana Weaver & Rita Higley developed this statement.
  • Further discussion: What’s the difference between a book being checked out by your local patron or by the consortia?
  • Some libraries display a list of new titles or photocopy the book cover and put them on the new books shelf (Marketing new materials post). If the book is checked out, the patron can take that place-saver copy to the front desk and ask for the book to be put on hold.  The item is either available or not available, why the item is not available is not shared with the local patron.  Patrons will get books faster through the consortia.  Is there proof, though?

3. Local Holds testing with Sharon (skipped ahead in the Agenda due to the nature of the discussion)

• From Sharon: Notes about this are here for further scrutiny.
• The testing of 5 titles for 6 weeks showed that when the majority of items are cataloged with an unrestricted item type, patrons with title-level holds (next available) moved up the Holds Priority list a place a day, on average.

• Patron A went from 33rd to 19th to 10th to checked out in 4 weeks on a ‘Next Available’ title-level hold while
• Patron B went from 21st to 12th to 7th to waiting in 4 weeks on an “Only item” item-level hold.
• Patron C went from 27th to 19th to 12th to waiting in 4 weeks on a title-level hold
• For Worst Case, which had the most available copies, the average went up to 14 places in 7 days.

• As a ‘control’ – Sharon looked at House Rules and in 6 weeks, Patron A with a title-level hold went from 52nd to 5th place – 47 places in 6 weeks or an advancement of about 7.8 places per week. For the Patron B who had an item-level hold, they went from 9th to 3rd in 9 weeks!
• Not everyone in the consortia chose to participate in the test.
• The tests resulted in identifying other issues with the catalog: 3 bugs, including a major flaw in the system related to simultaneous transactions.
• Processing On Order Items using the On Order Item Type: On Order is an unrestricted item type. If you’re cataloging an on order item that will eventually be a restricted item, catalog it as the restricted item type from the beginning.  Continue to use the Status of “Not for Loan (Ordered)” to keep on order books from showing on your Pick List.
• Managing the Holds Shelf: holds are expiring and lingering for 2-3 weeks before being moved on to the next hold — please check your holds shelf list more often. New best sellers are the biggest culprits.

Back to 2. Policy Committee Discussion resumes, with several suggestions and additional facilitation by Royce Kitts…

• Proposal on the floor:  Smaller libraries can make their single copy of a best seller Local Hold for two months, then return it to the consortia after two months. The libraries with fan clubs, 1 copy for consortia, as many copies as needed for fan clubs local hold only.
• Continued discussion about opening up entire collection vs. using restricted item types, such as walk in and local hold only.
• Many are open to this. But many libraries only buy one copy. Many that are able to afford only one copy are willing to share them. Paula uses Local Hold on high-demand items just to be able to everything processed before having to send stuff out.  Other libraries feel that local hold is used on select items for a limited time to satisfy their taxpayers who come to their library and expect to find the new books advertised in the newspaper or on the Web site.
• Others felt ‘We’re in a consortia and in it together.’
• Kim Beets wanted to know if there is software-based way to have a Consortia-wide fan club? For example, a list that consortia patrons can subscribe to, to be added as holds on a popular author or title, where the holds list is randomized.  Sharon: Give the NEKLS staff time to investigate.  Kim Baker noted that SIRSI has this feature.
  UPDATE – Yes, this may be in Koha:  Bestseller’s Club and email notification enhancement bug by PTFS (thanks, Liz)
• Royce posed the question, “How are we all going to be local entities, when we’re in a consortia together?”  While we keep discussing local hold issues, but the crux of the issue hasn’t been decided.
• Is the system working OK, with not everything in collections being opened up all the way? No consistency at the moment. Is this okay?
• Jim reiterated that there is no written statement anywhere what the practice should be on holds. In our values statement, it talks about 95% of the collection being open to the to the public.

Proposals for Consideration:

1.  All materials are open and available to the consortia. There are no holds restrictions. Local holds are eliminated. –Jim
2. A library could catalog some items  as Walk-in only. Even the local library’s patrons couldn’t place the item on hold. Firm limit on how long a title could be placed on walk-in only. –Jim
3.  Every library agrees to give at least one copy of an item to the consortia.  If a library wishes to have a restricted copy, they will need to purchase a second copy for that purpose. -Diana

#1 — This one will never be a consensus. Libraries are saying it won’t ever work.  What about testing it for several months, on materials being cataloged from this point forward?  Others say, start with the least onerous policy of “Every library agrees to give at least one copy of an item to the consortia.”

Results: Voting on the Proposals for Consideration:

• Proposal 1: 9 votes
• Proposal 3: 8 votes
• None of the above: 2 votes

Jim stated that the ‘Consensus recommendation is that the entire collection is open to the consortia until August as a test. There isn’t going to be a unanimous adoption of this recommendation.’  The recommendation will be reevaluated at the August 26 NExpress Users Group meeting.

Back to 3. Koha/NExpress Catalog News with Sharon

• Hold ratios Circulation report: This report is showing that the top holds are 50 percent books and 50 percent DVDs.  If you really want to make your patrons happy, buy more DVDs.  This report is useful for collection development.
  
• Leased Books Collection update. Send Heather recommendations for titles for the leased collection. We use the Hold Ratios report to build the list, as well as reviews and print run information. Many titles will be added in June, because of summer releases.  Release dates are added to the title, following Kathleen Schram’s example at Bonner Springs.  The leased books are to alleviate holds.

4. Communication Survey with Sharon

• Currently, these are the ways NEKLS communicates with NExpress members:
  • Email distribution list, www.nexpresslibrary.org blog, News feature on the staff client, and Users Group meetings.
• The group decided that Email is the best way to communicate, with with the News feature coming in second.  Both can include links to longer blog posts at nexpresslibrary.org.
• Libraries need to send NEKLS the contact information for all staff members who need to  be added to the nexpress email distribution list.

5. Open Discussion

• Cataloging: duplicate record amounts increasing. Report to NEKLS when you run across them.  Could be another instance of simultaneous transaction issues.
• Label Maker: problems currently going on. We are aware of that. Newer version of the label maker (when it gets added to our system) takes care of the problems.
• Claudia asks all users of the label making to DELETE old label batches.
• Withdrawn status v. deleting an item: Do you use this status? If you’re not going to be reusing the record, delete the item. Don’t use the Withdrawn status.  It does not actually ‘do’ anything and withdrawn items appear on pick lists.
• When Reporting problems: It’s important to also call at the time that the problem occurs, so we can see the problem and attempt to replicate it better.  Screencasts, screenshots and as many specific details as you can provide are much appreciated.

Those present:

• NEKLS: Mickey Coalwell, Heather Braum, Jim Minges, Sharon Moreland, Liz Rea and Brenda Hough
• Atchison: Diana Weaver, Claudia Bosshammer-Bilimek and Mary Domann
• Royce Kitts, Tonganoxie
• Nancy Stover, Williamsburg
• Jenne Laytham, Basehor
• Amy Parton, Effingham
• Sue Peavey, Linwood
• Hiawatha: Anne Arnesen and Eric Gustafson
• Ottawa: Robin Flory, Lori Clayton, Linda Knight
• Karen Holthaus, Seneca
• Jerie Tichenor, Meriden
• Paula Ware, Oskaloosa
• Katherin Jones, McLouth
• Kim Beets, Bonner Springs
• Baldwin City: Claudia Gillentine and Becky Hayes
• Amy Lassiter, Winchester
• Jaclyn White, Rossville
• Leavenworth: Kim Baker and Kelly Fann
• Jeanette Stromgren, Osage City
• Sarah Walker-Hitt, Lyndon
• Rita Higley, Horton
• Peggy Waldman, Overbrook
• Dan Knupp, Silver Lake
• Eudora: Marlene Evinger and Alisha Whitis

• You can create individual ILL Patron accounts for libraries you send materials to through Agent.  If you create an ILL account, please include the terms ‘ILL’ and Your library name in the Surname field to help differentiate your “Anytown Public Library” ILL account from other libraries.

• You can give these ILL Patron accounts a patron category of Interlibrary Loan or one of your regular Adult patron categories.  The benefit of using the Interlibrary Loan patron category is that we can set up unique default circulation and fine rules for those patrons, for example 35 day loan periods with no fines.  Just let the NExpress team know that you want new rules established for this patron category.
• Another option is to create a single “Agent ILL” or “My Public Library ILL” account and check out ALL of your ILL’s to this account.  Centralia uses this solution and Tonganoxie has recently switched to this solution.
• For items on loan from outside libraries, some libraries use a Fast Add Framework to create a ‘quick and dirty’ Bib/item record for the item on loan. Ottawa also has a procedure established where they put a hold on the item at the time of check out to ensure that the ILL librarian gets the book when it is returned by the patron, so they can send it back and delete the Fast Add record.  Here is a screencast demonstrating how to create and manage a fast add bib/item: http://screencast.com/t/ZWJjNTM1

Are there other options out there worth sharing with the new NExpress libraries?  Please use the comments to add to this discussion.

-Sharon

In the recent past, several libraries have been using these cataloging specs:

Not for loan: Ordered
Collection: On order
Shelving Location: Cataloging
Item type: On order*

*We suspect that Koha gets confused when assigning holds on materials cataloged this way when/if the item type designation on the items are changed from On Order, which is completely unrestricted, to Local Hold.**

**I created an elaborate test video to recreate this scenario, but of course Koha worked just like it was suppose to!  Figures, eh?

The Best Practice is this:

• Go find a Bibliographic record from the ether
• Catalog your items as you would normally (Local Hold as Local Hold, Walk in as Walk in, Book as Book)
• Set the Not For Loan status to “Ordered”
• When you are ready to start circulating these items, edit and change the Not For Loan status back to ‘blank’

Sort of related – There is an outstanding support request regarding the “New Moon” fatal error – search for new moon in the OPAC and see what happens.  A work around for patrons and a faster way to get to the new DVD in the Staff Client is to search for “twilight saga new moon”.   A note has been posted on the Patron Catalog home page.

- Sharon

Step 1:

Step 2:

]]> http://www.nexpresslibrary.org/known-issue-barcode-searching/feed/ 2 http://www.nexpresslibrary.org/help-our-item-types-are-missing/ http://www.nexpresslibrary.org/help-our-item-types-are-missing/#comments Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:12:08 +0000 Sharon http://www.nexpresslibrary.org/?p=902 UPDATE:  As of today only 127 items are missing item types – WAY TO GO!!!  That’s awesome.   I hope this will fix the statistical reports.  Feel free to run the report yourself after a cataloging session to double check your work.  It’s the 2nd report listed “NULL Item Type report for all libraries” – just RUN it.

Sharon – Monday, July 20, 2009 during a rainstorm, while listening to Cyndi Lauper…Time after Time

Hello,

We have a theory that missing or NULL item types in the catalog are messing up the statistical reports.  There are only 274 items that DO NOT have an item type associated with them.  Please look at this Excel Spreadsheet report and edit or delete those records that belong to you.

Thank you for helping us keep NExpress tidy

Sharon

Unfortunately, if one of those items you’ve returned without using the scanner happens to be on hold for another patron or belongs at a different library, Koha DOES NOT tell you that.  You have to scan the barcode in the Check In module to activate or trigger a hold or transfer/transit from one library to another.

So, for now…please don’t use this feature.  We are reporting this bug to LibLime today.

-Sharon

All you have to do to get a hold of NExpress staff (and techie staff from Iola, Independence and Salina if they’re on that day) to ask Koha questions is click on that and give yourself a nickname!   This is open to anyone, from front line staff to Director. Even patrons are welcome, should they so desire.

Ask, comment, complain – this is an open forum for all things Koha (in Kansas).  Yesterday, we discussed reports.  Today, Chris joined us from New Zealand and talked about uber techie stuff with Liz (it was all WAY above me, but that’s OK).

-Sharon

Here it is! (Word Doc) – The May 2009 revision of the 4-per-page instructional bookmark, customized for Valley Falls

******++++++******++++++******++++++******++++++******++++++*******+++++

Brief Notes from the Users Group Meeting

(May 21, 2009 at NEKLS HQ)

• Sharon, Diana and Liz shared their impression of the KohaCon 09 conference in Plano, TX.  Notes from the event are available at: KohaCon09 with CoverItLive and at Sharon’s library blog: lybrarian.wordpress.com
• Mickey reported on the Holds notification enhancement, which is ready for testing in the TEST catalog.  When creating a new patron, the e-mail holds notification will be defaulted to ON.  Other types of e-mail notification can be selected at the time a new card is created.  More information about the various notification features of Koha will be coming soon.  Sharon will work with SEKLS and CKLS to create specifications for a Reports enhancement.
• Reports training is scheduled for Monday, June 15.  Registration is open at http://www.nekls.org
• Mickey will work with CKLS and SEKLS to create a combined Bibliographic Maintenance Package that includes bib/item merging to help with removing duplicate or sub-standard records from the catalog without losing valuable circ and item information.
• Interest in fine-related developments was expressed and NEKLS staff will to put together an overview of fine-related enhancements, in case individual libraries want to contribute.
• Diana shared that 24 libraries are now in NExpress and another 7 will be joining in the fall.  The Users group discussed the issue of duplicate patrons and several libraries shared their procedures for determining which of two accounts is the ‘keeper.’  Royce Kitts reminded existing libraries to weed inactive patrons.  New libraries joining were encouraged to weed their patron database deeply prior to migration and to use NExpress to search for possible duplicates.  The issue will go to the Policy Committee.
• The Cataloging Standards Committee will be chaired by Diana and their first order of business will be to create best practices for making labels.  Mickey will chair the Policy Committee and Sharon will chair the Collection Development committee.
• Sharon shared information about the “%” wildcard character to help with searching and invited libraries to contact her for further search training (more information in a post).
• Issues:
  • Use of the Lost Items report can help to manage the replacement or deletion of missing and lost items.  The patch for Bug 3160 will soon be added to our installation of Koha that will change the status of Items currently checked out to a patron from Lost to Available upon check in.  Development is aparently still needed so that ANY item currently marked Lost or Missing will become Available once it is checked in.  Materials marked Damaged will need to have their status updated manually.
  • We discussed managing your library’s Holds Shelf.  Jerie shared that the Cancel and Return buttons that appear on the Holds Awaiting Pickup list do NOT trigger holds.  You must re-scan the item in the Check In box to trigger and transfer a hold.
  • Offline Circ module needs to be reviewed for updates and new instructions created and posted.  This module MAY be useful during busy summer reading days, as it is faster than using the live circulation module.  Circulation speed is dependent on bandwidth.
  • Jim promised that NEKLS will send out an emergency Cell phone number and appropriate use guidelines by the end of the week.

If you have other important points to share that I have missed, please put those in the comments section.

- Sharon

Dear Diana Weaver,
The following item(s) will be due soon:
Einstein’s dreams / by Lightman, Alan P.,
Please return or renew your item(s) soon, or contact us to renew for you. Some items may not be renewable.

NEKLS HQ
4317 W. 6th Street
Lawrence, KS 66049
785-838-4090

Patrons can sign up for this by opening the “my messaging” tab after they login to their NExpress account. You  can choose how many days in advance of the due date you want to receive notice (mine is set for three). And you can also choose to receive the messages as individual emails (per item) or as a digest (one email with all items listed).

I can’t promise I will never have any overdue items ever again, but at least I will be reminded that I need to renew!