OWWLAC Meeting, Tuesday, February 27, 2018


Process for reporting to libraries and eliciting feedback, representation libraries, etc.

Representative Library County Represents Libraries
Kelsy Hibbard-Baker Geneva Ontario GOR, GPL, LYO, PHE
Judy Schewe Naples Ontario AHILL, BLO, BRI, HPL, NAP
Tim Niver Victor Ontario CAN, CS, MAC, RJ, VIC
Nancy Burns Attica Wyoming ARC, ATT, BLI, CAS, PER, PIK, SS, WAR, WYO
Frank Sykes Livonia Livingston AVO, CAL, DAN, LIM, LIV, MM, NUN, WADS
Patricia Baynes Palmyra Wayne CLY, NEW, ONT, PAL, ROS, WAL
Tracy Whitney Marion Wayne MAR, RC, SOD, WIL, WOL
To try and make sure all libraries are in the loop for OWWLAC business, the committee decided on the following processes:

  • LS will send agendas to committee 1 week prior, committee members share with their libraries for FYI
  • LS will write meeting notes with action items and outcomes and forward to committee for review, share via PLS Notes the following week, and share at the next following System Meeting
  • Committee will share notes with their libraries for comments and discussion
  • Committee representative will share with PLSDAC

The committee wonders if an OWWLAC update can be a regular part of the PLSDAC agenda.

Potential changes to various Evergreen patron and item fields

Lindsay is investigating:
  1. splitting "Default" circulation modifier into Books and Audiobooks
  2. eliminating item statisical categories that are not used (Collection Development, Electronic File Format, Genre, Physical Format)
  3. eliminating patron categories that are not used (Patron Type, Registration on File At)

Discussion:
  1. The reason to add Book and Audiobook circulation modifiers would be to clarify the materials being circulation, allow for easier reporting on those materials, and to have a true "default" option. General consensus is that this is not solving a problem, but could create problems.
    • No changes to the Default circ modifiers at this time.
  2. The reason to eliminate these item stat cats - Collection Development, Electronic File Format, Genre, Physical Format - is that they are barely used, waste time when adding copy records, and waste time when staff work with Shelf List reports (the only place they do appear). The only downside is that libraries will have to update their templates. The item stat cats Age Level, Annual Report Category, and Fiction/Nonfiction are used to create the Annual Report and will remain.
    • OWWLAC recommends removing these stat cats
  3. The reason to remove the patron stat cats is lack of use, and lack of accuracy. Both require manual updates which do not always happen. Patron Type (Adult, Child, Teen) stat cat is not used by any report or other function. Reports based on patron age level can be requested, and would be written using the date of birth for more accuracy and would allow more specificity for the age range. Residency on File At stat cat may not be relevant as libraries stop using or keeping paper files. Libraries requesting copies of registration forms happens, but not frequently. Discussion digressed into general issues relating to handling patrons where account under their names exist - with high fines - but who deny that the account is theirs. Most staff find this very stressful. Registration paperwork to check is kind of a backup in these cases; but sometimes feels like passing the responsibility off to another library.
    • OWWLAC recommends removing the Patron Type stat cat
    • OWWLAC recommends further discussion of the Registration on File At stat cat (PLSDAC?)

Postage default value

The current default value for billing for postage is $0.50, the same as actual postage cost. A member library proposed raising the defaut billing value to $0.60. What is OWWLAC's recommendation regarding when and how much to raise the postage billing value? The setting is one value for the entire system.

Discussion: Not many libraries seem to bill for postage. Updating the default price will save time for those that do.
  • OWWLAC recommends changing the default to $0.60 now, and updating keeping the default within 5 or 10 cents of the actual cost of postage going forward

"Passthru" payment type

Evergreen customization - alternate workflows?

Discussion: "Passthru" is used to indicate payments for Lost Materials or Damaged Materials bills, made at one library for items owned by a different library. The money for which is sent to the owning library, will not be counted in the payment accepting library's cash drawer, but will appear in the payment accepting library's Cash Report. The Passthru payment type is a workaround - it uses the "Work" payment type with a different label in the Pay Bills screen. It appears as "Work" in the Cash Report. It is customization that PLS must maintain through upgrades. Problems with Passthru include not all libraries use it regularly, some do not use it at all, some use it but find the process very confusing. Is it time to consider a different workflow for handling those specific bills and payments?

Discussion digressed to the topic of cash registers. Tracy Whitney (MAR) uses a cash register, and finds it easy to configure and use, and has improved her process for accounting for money taken in and reporting to her Town officials. Marion does not use the Evergreen Cash Report, relying instead on the cash register report. All other present have very different ways of handling and tracking bills, payments, and money. Lindsay quickly demonstrated the Detailed Cash Report - Monetary which provides an itemized list of payment collected at the selected library during the selected time period.

  • Passthru has been included in the updates for the March 7, 2018 upgrade
  • Should there be on-going discussions about streamlining the process of accepting payments for materials owned by other libraries?

Credit card payments

Handling credit card payments for Evergreen/circulation transactions is a two-step process. First, the bills must be processed through the credit processing software, then the bills must be paid in Evergreen. Using the Credit Card payment type requires libraries to complete extra information in a "Credit Card Information" form.

Discussion: This is informational, based on several recent questions. There is no way around this extra process.
  • Lindsay will also cover at the next OWWLUG

"Supervisor" login for libraries

Raised by Chris Finger (GPL) - they are considering a "supervisor" login, that would limit permissions for functions such as overrides to supervisory staff. We see this as potentially useful for some libraries.

Discussion:

This is an option available to any library that would find it useful. It would not impact other libraries' logins or staff permissions. In the case of a library wanting a supervisor login, or login used only for overrides, they would contact Lindsay to define their local needs and adjust permissions/staff profiles accordingly.

CCLS project update

PLS is in the early stages of proposing to bring the Chautaugua-Cattaraugus Library System (CCLS) into our Evergreen installation. This means that our two systems would share databases, with future potential for resource sharing, with the intention that it will provide a model for cooperative, multi-system ILSs in New York.

Outcomes

  • Lindsay will begin the process of eliminating item statisical categories that are not used (Collection Development, Electronic File Format, Genre, Physical Format)
    • This will impact copy record templates, changes will be coordinated with Kathryn, and covered at the spring holdings maintenance workshop (4/12/2018)
  • Default Postage bill value increased to $0.60
  • "Supervisor" logins, primarily to limit override use, can be created for libraries that need them. Contact Lindsay if interested.
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