Library Systems Update 29th June 2009

1. Hardware – the 4 servers in the Systems Office have all been moved to IT services now and are working successfully there, including the extra telephone lines for the automated renewals service. We have some data on them that we want to transfer to a more modern database, probably MySql and this will be investigated this summer.

Ground floor refurbishment – self service machines, OPACs etc all moved to various other floors. SB Telepen moved the 3M security system to the new entrance last week but the set up of the book security will not be finished until tomorrow (Tuesday). This work was officially requested at very short notice, only a few days before it had to be done. The old turnstiles are not being used in the temporary entrance.  All current staff loans have been extended until June 2010 automatically, to reduce pressure on the temporary issue desk

Two new Self Service machines have arrived and are in storage till after Blue Ground finished

Reading lists – some improvements to the existing reading list system eg OPAC entries for items on a list now correctly display the link to that list. Further instructions going out to staff about this.

SMS text messaging – trial will be underway soon.

2. Talis. Alto version 5 due late summer but no installation date yet. Will move to release 15 of Sybase, so major changes to the underlying database structure.

Prism 3 is now running and we have sent in a number of comments based on testing by cataloguing staff, mainly relating to foreign language  scripts and to marc tag display. Kevin and Chris  from IT have produced a suggested screen layout for Manchester.

Finance integration with Oracle – proceeding on schedule. Weekly telephone conferences between Library, Accounts and Talis staff. Test database set up on our server  now.

Decisions –  workshop tomorrow.

3. Room bookings system Hardware being put in to the room doors last week and this. Some networking to be installed next week. Software will be installed  around 13^th July.

4. SOYP I am on the IT services Start of Year Project group. I am particularly concerned with getting student data into Talis before the students arrive but can also report on any other issues.

Library systems report 5th March 2009

1. Talis. Problems with access to My Account in OPAC  have been investigated and substantial  improvements made. There is another update waiting to be installed which will also help.

 

OPAC PCs in the Main and site libraries are finally being replaced, and we are using a new browser set up  with Opera in kiosk mode instead of IE and Deep Freeze. This is working much better and gets rid of the problems of blank screens or failed links.

 

We have put in a new system for library users to request items from Store, designed to cut out the manual paper work that was being done before.

 

Prism 3 to be installed this summer. The implementation group will meet on 19^th March with Imraz from Talis.

 

Talis Aspire (reading lists) Barry, Ian and I attended a meeting yesterday . We are in the next group of sites to be converted. There will be a period of dual running.

 

Decisions – Now working correctly for all users and John and I will be meeting with users after holiday.

  

2. Self service. All systems working fine now including Stopford.  We have some new screen graphics to put into the displays  on the discharge machines using photos taken by David Ormond. Some downtime on two of the machines due to repairs.

 

3. Sentry. Our Sentry database and software are now running on a new ‘virtual’ server in Kilburn. Also the systems in each library site have been updated to the latest release of Sentry which we are beta testing.

 

Room bookings system – have had two meetings involving SB electronics to look at the design of a new system, and with Estates to sort out networking etc issues.

 

 4. E Payments. Working on facilities for external members to have payment and printing facilities.

Library Systems 27/01/2009

1. Talis. Intermittent problems with access to My  Account in OPAC  – being investigated by Talis.  No obvious cause of problems identified yet.

 

Prism – Debbie and I attended Prism 3 day last week. Useful to see the range of options available. We have been sent some preliminary trial designs for the Manchester version of OPAC and have the first project meeting scheduled for Feb 12^th.

 

Talis List version 3 (to be renamed Talis Aspire) There is a workshop about conversion and upgrade issues in Birmingham on March 4^th – Barry White and Ian Fishwick attending.

 

The Library Talis group now meets monthly, and has offered to host the next Northern region Talis User Group meeting.

 

Decisions – I have been trying to set aside some time to get more familiar with the system but so far a lot of pressure from other work.

 

 

2. Self service. Machines in Joule and Precinct have been converted to handle discharge as well as issue and appear to be working well. The Joule machine has had a timeout setting fixed which means it stays running much more reliably  when usage is low eg weekends.

 

Machine in Stopford being set up today.

 

Discharge machine in SLC had a fault last week and was out of order for most of a day. This highlights the fact that it is a single point of failure and a second machine would be desirable, both to maintain up time and to ease the pressure at busy times.

 

Have been doing some work with SLC on using the RFID scanner for automated shelf checking for missing books and hope to make this a daily routine soon – plagued by a number of technical problems.

 

 

3. Sentry. Our Sentry database and software are moving to a new ‘virtual’ server in Kilburn – with the work scheduled for next week. Have arranged for John Catchpole from SB to attend here to supervise the data transfer once the server is ready for use, and then to install a software upgrade to Sentry Isis which we are beta testing. will probably install the new software in Joule initially and then all sites.

 

The Sentry server in Systems office also two other databases held on it – the PC inventory and a subject index file used by re-cataloguing projects for storing updated Dewey numbers. Need to decide a new location for these before that PC can be decommissioned. They could move to IT data centres like Sentry but As a separate project.

 

Room bookings – Planning to move to a Sentry Isis based system with automated access to the rooms  via scanners on the doors. There will be  a meeting on 19^th Feb to finalise planning for this.

 

 

4. E Payments. Two cash machines are installed  in the Main  Library along with PCs which run the Windows payment screen. The system is working well and £701 has been taken since the start of January this year.  Counter supervisors have been given access to the system for refunds where necessary.

 

We are now working on facilities for external members to have payment and printing facilities.

Library Systems Report 04/12/2008

1. Talis hardware replacement completed as scheduled. A few problem areas, notably Talis List didn’t have the right port open – took a long time to track down. Also telephone renewals didn’t get set up straight away.

 

The  JRUL group of Talis users has met twice and seems a useful group.

 

I attended Northern regional meeting of Talis User Group in Birmingham.

 

Prism 3 and TalisList – at least one of us will go to a Prism day in January, which will look at configuration, layout and design options etc. There will then be a timescale drawn up, with a view to completing the project by June 2009 ready for the next academic year.

 

 

2. Decisions system (Management Information) installed. Training course for staff next week. Our system is installed and running with user names being created now.

 

 

3. New self service machines running well. One of the issue machines will be converted to be a second discharge. The machine for Stopford has not been set up yet.

 

 

4. E-payments – two credit machines installed in library. Web interface for paying library files etc is completed and working. Delays with credit card payment system but should be launched next week. We will be given a PC image for PCs to run the payment interface only.

 

 

5. Sentry turnstile software – we will move from a PC in the systems office to a virtual server supported by IT services. Meeting with SB and Shaz from ITS next Thursday. The server can be dual sited in two buildings, although probably only one site to begin with. Also we will beta test the next release of the software, probably starting in new year.  Note that there are also two smaller databases on the same current machine (inventory and subject index). We need to decide whether to ask for these to be on the Sentry virtual server?

 

Study room bookings – meeting on Monday to consider new system.         

Library Systems report to IS group meeting Oct 2008

Library systems report 27^th October 2008

1. Talis hardware replacement set for Wednesday of this week. Will be a few hours downtime while data files etc are transferred to the new machine.

A JRUL group of Talis users has been established – first meeting today

Mon Nov 27^th – regional user meeting in Birmingham.

2. Decisions system (Management Information) The system was installed on our hardware last week. So far there has only been time for a quick check but it appears to have installed OK. Will do further investigation after the Talis upgrade completed. Training course for staff who will use it is being planned.

3. New self service machines – mostly running well but one or two problems still to be resolved. The machine for Stopford was slightly damaged in transit from Precinct and has not been set up yet. Discharge machine in main library has been well received

4. The e-payments system still being worked on – its proved quite difficult to match login user names

to borrower barcodes. Payment machines ordered by the library not here yet.

5. Sentry software used at the Turnstiles is due to be replaced this year and I have a meeting planned with the manager of SB to discuss how we can implement it – we will be able to beta test some enhancements such as to the statistics gathering. Also SB will be making a presentation to the Leadership Team later this week.

Steve Campbell

24.10.2008

One turnstile in ML currently faulty – reported to SB. Also some faults with EDL

Library systems report 16th September 2008

1. Talis hardware replacement program is on course – the hardware has arrived and is being set up by staff at Talis remotely this week. We have some testing to start eg user names and user configurations and also need the official test plan and drop out documents in place.

Installation of the Sybase and Talis software is being done remotely this week.

2. Upgrade of Alto to version 4.3 on Sunday 7^th Sept went well with no problems.

The workshop on reservations was very useful and we have sent in some additional feedback form circulation staff.

3. Prism OPAC – there is a webinar on Sept 30^th and some videos on the Talis web site – see http://www.talis.com/prism/

4. Decisions system (Management Information) The server has been delivered to ITS and has been set up there. The Business Objects system will be installed later this month. There will then be a time for John and I to do preliminary work on using the system followed by wider staff use, training etc

5. New self service machines – have been installed but still need some further set up work which is in hand and may be finished this week, including one for discharge and also taking one to Stopford. The latest version of the Talis software has been installed but we are still running the older version at this stage while the new machines are configured.

Need to automate the system of longer loan periods for people with disability. This will be achieved by creating extra borrower types with different loan rules, but it will take a while before this is done.

6. The e-payments system (GPAS) is installed and going live soon after some final testing and updating. It will allow payment by coins or credit cards into a fund from which library fines can be paid. Facilities for external users are have been investigated but will be dealt with after this phase is completed.

Demo at https://epayments.manchester.ac.uk/logon.php

7. Integrating reading lists with Blackboard is progressing well and is now, live on the production server. Manuella is writing documentation with input from library staff.

8. Automation of Store collections – the request, retrieval and notification processes are still heavily manual and I have been asked to get a ‘reservations’ like system going which will automate much of the manual work now being done by the store team. This will be quite easy to do, but will be set up later in the autumn, after the start of term rush, and then tested in Spring 2009.

Inputting of all store requests will be via a web form when we have the new OPAC PCs installed in the library.

Start of academic year arrangements

I went to a meeting of the ‘Start of Year’ project last Wednesday, ie planning for the start of the next academic session in September. These are my brief notes on the most interesting things (to me) covered.

Registration will be on-line as much as possible. New students will be sent instructions and encouraged to register from home before they arrive in Manchester (including paying fees). They will then just have to collect their swipe card.

Early registration starts from 1st September, with most new students around the 20th/21st weekend. Extra people will be on VSD. Overseas students International sign up from 16th September. Students in halls will have access to the Hornet system from 18th September (but they won’t be given a special Hornet CD this year – all instructions will be on a 2gb memory stick sent to every new student.

Swipe cards will be issued from University Place, Joule Library, Owens Park and Business School (both buildings).

It seems that student data will be sent to the library on the next feed after they have collected their card. I asked Ian Guy whether this could be earlier but it seems that it can’t be, because the barcode number is not assigned until the card issuing procedure.

Data may take more than 1 hour to arrive at the library if other links in the system are running slower but they will try to ensure that it is within the hour, and in any case some of the steps are more like every 15 minutes.

New printing payment system – 3 machines are expected tomorrow with 9 more to come.

Shibboleth and Blackboard mentioned briefly.

Training – there will not be a big Start of Year seminar this year, replacing it with a number of separate sessions for IT support staff on:

BlackBoard and Portal
Shibboleth (Jenny)
Remedy and support requests
Printing administration
Hornet

There will be a Start of Year mtg on Blackboard on 24th July at 10.00am (location TBA)

Next SOYP mtg – probably Wed 6th Aug but TBC

Steve