NExpress Shared Catalog

We have colorful step-by-step instructions for bringing in batches of MARC records from the Hybrid KLC (or OCLC for larger libraries) now available on the Training page, under Circulation.

Or you can download a copy today here:

Finding and Importing Records from the Hybrid KLC (.doc)

Below are some instructional videos useful for Koha training.   The videos in this post and in the referenced posts have been reactivated by Sharon January 14, 2010.

Updating a Patrons OPAC Log in and logging into the OPAC - (Silent video) November 2009
Written instructions for Updating an OPAC log in and password – Written November 2009

New Catalog Overview – Recorded November 2009 (sorry, duplicate video, I’ll hunt down the right one)

New My Account Overview video for Patrons – Recorded November 2009

Checking Out Items Using the Staff Client – a Quick and Dirty video recorded 11/09

Placing Holds – the information is still current, even if the interface has changed slightly since I first recorded these.

Pulling the Holds Pick List (from March 2009) – While the screen shots are dated, the process is the same.

Follow up Training:

Searching and Search Training and Search Bugs and Barcode Searching-  These posts include videos and exercises to familiarize yourselves with the search capabilities of Koha’s Staff Client, along with an explanation of a Known Issue related to Subtitles NOT displaying in the Staff Client (while they DO show up in the OPAC).

Transfers to Receive Report – How to instructions for using this Circulation report to see what items are in transit to your location

Managing the Holds Shelf - How to instructions for using the Holds Awaiting Pick Up circulation report to clear out expired holds from your shelf

In CIRCULATION > CHECK IN, there are two checkboxes in the Options section:

* Forgive Overdue Charges
* Dropbox Mode (Book Drop)

These are two separate functions that can be used independently, or in conjunction. The Forgive Overdue Charges allows checkins without fine acccrual, regardless of how late the item is. Dropbox Mode simply sets the checkin period back one business day, to the last business day the library was open, based on the Koha calendar for that library.

-Mickey

Each Item in the catalog has a wealth of information attached to it, including last circulation history information and last borrower barcodes.  For this example, we are using Overbrook’s copy of I, Alex Cross.

To access this information: Search for a title, Select the title from the Results List, and Click on the Items Tab:

Scroll down until you  find Your Copy (or use ctrl+f to search for a barcode):

1. Home Library – The owning library for this item.
2. Current Location – Where the item is currently located or en route to to fill a hold.  This item is currently in transit from Overbrook to Atchison to fill a hold.
3. Status Information – Use the drop down menus to set the Lost or Damaged Status of an item.  Use Missing if the item cannot be found and is not checked out.
   • 
4. Total Checkouts and Checkout history – The total checkouts includes transaction data brought over during migration and checkouts with Koha.  The “View Item’s Checkout History” tracks how an item moves through the NExpress Shared Catalog, recording a date/time stamp for each ’scan’ at a library.
   
5. Last Borrower and Previous Borrowers – Koha will keep track of the last patron to borrow an item, as well as the two previous borrowers.  The Borrower barcodes are active hyperlinks that will take you the patron account if selected.

Extra: What if it’s currently checked out?  The Checkout Status will provide information about who has the item checked out and when it is due.

One of the Great Features of the Koha catalog is Purchase Suggestions.

When a patron is logged into their account in the Online Public Access Catalog, they can place a Purchase Suggestions from the “My purchase suggestions” tab or if they cannot find what they are looking for in a search, they are prompted to make a Purchase Suggestion:

What happens to all of these Purchase Suggestions?
How do you, as the Library Director or Selector, access these suggestions?

1. Log into the Staff Client using a TECH or DIRECTOR account
2. Go to the Acquisitions Module (More > Acquisitions)
   
3. Select the Manage Suggestions link
   
4. Review the Pending Suggestions and select the appropriate Reason, and choose to Accept, Reject or Delete the Suggestions.  The Reason you select will appear on the Patron’s “My purchase suggestions” page.
   
5. The Reasons available at this time:
6. Follow through with ordering the item, then update the status again, if you so choose, once it is cataloged and processed.
7. The Patron can watch the progress of their Purchase Suggestions.
   

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.
   

Yesterday we had a follow up OPAL session for the new libraries and the issue of Agent ILL’s came up briefly.

Some options:

• 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.
  • Example:

• 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.
  

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

-Sharon

Seven NEKLS libraries will be migrating to NExpress at the end of the month. Although I’m still a newbie in the KOHA world, I’m working to learn more and to help coordinate the training.

Realizing that training isn’t just about where to click and what to type, we held a session yesterday, which focused on policies and frequently asked questions. We covered six topics:

• Fines/system preferences
• Holidays
• Overdues
• Email notifications
• Renewals
• Holds

The participants asked excellent questions and our resident experts, Mickey and Sharon, gave clear explanations. I know I learned a lot.   A recorded version of the session is available (it includes the sound and the text chat) and you’ll need the PowerPoint, too.

More tales of training to come!
-Brenda

Would you like to have a search box on your website that searches only items available in your library? Ok! Just hop on over to mykansaslibrary.org for the code snippet.

We have recently rediscovered a report in Koha that we think will help libraries manage items being transferred to your library.

The “Transfers to receive” report is on the Circulation page, under the Holds Ratio report:

What this report shows is a list of items coming to your library from other libraries in the NExpress Shared Catalog, either to fill a hold for your patron or to be re-shelved.

We recommend looking at this report weekly or monthly to help find and locate missing items, items that were not transferred correctly and/or items that have accidentally been shelved at the wrong library.
(Typical clean up and maintenance that is needed when libraries do interlibrary loan!)

When you first run this report, you will see that some items have been in transit between libraries for MONTHS!

How do you go about ‘cleaning up’ this list? We’ll talk about it at the November 5 Users Group meeting, but I think a simple phone call and shelf check will do the trick in most cases.  If an item is truly lost in transit between libraries, follow your library’s procedures for managing lost ILL items.  You may want to refer to this post about the Materials Replacement Fund.

Images updated Jan. 14, 2010 by Sharon