OWWLUG Meeting, Friday, February 22

10:00-12:00 at PLSHQ, Large Meeting Room


Meeting schedule & snacks & topics

Need to reschedule April's date, due to overlap with the Evergreen Conference.

Date Snacks Topic
2/22/2019 Lindsay Stratton, PLS 2019 planning, what do we want out of OWWLUG? and a proposed name change… / Last meeting before web client: web client tips & tricks
5/10/2019 Deb Dennis, PHE Evergreen conference reports / Better efficiency through column pickers
6/28/2019 Fran DeNardo, BRI The public catalog vs. staff catalog / Account settings vs. user settings
8/30/2019 Linda Chapman, DAN Upgrade to version 3.2 new features
10/25/2019 Carrie Magnan & Cyndi Fordham, CAN Reports: scheduled, ad hoc, custom / ILL service

Name change?

How about "Evergreen Users Meeting"? It makes more sense based on what we actually talk about, and OWWLAC is in the process of re-branding as the "Evergreen Advisory Committee".

Evergreen password change

Still ongoing. The reasons for changing the passwords is data security - now that evergreen is available to anybody with an internet connection and a password, we are concerned with access from outside of a library by former employees. In most organizations where employees have access to electronic systems, they change shared passwords whenever an employee leaves. That would be impractical for most of our libraries, so changing passwords annually is an initial step.

Passwords can be saved to evergreen browsers. We are not as worried about saved passwords, because those are on library computers accessible to library employees.

The new passwords are minimally complex to minimize the stress of changing them after such a long time. PLS will certainly review making future passwords more complex.

Web Client official roll out

April 1, 2019

As of April 1, access to the desktop client will be removed. After all libraries are using the web client, PLS plans to upgrade Evergreen to version 3.2. Given otehr PLS demands, we intend to upgrade around September 2019. This version of the software resolves many functionality issues we are seeing in the current (3.0) version. We appreciate your patience while we work through this transitional phase!

Potential development project?

Another Evergreen consortia is seeking development partners for a project to create "Holds Subscriptions" functionality to allow staff to create a type of user bucket in order to batch place holds for multiple patrons on a single title. There will be a new interface to manage the subscription lists, patrons will be able to see hold subscription lists they are associated with when logged in to their online accounts. Full specifications here: https://yeti.esilibrary.com/dev/public/techspecs/place_holds_multiple_patrons.pdf

Is this a feature that staff could see being useful?

Shelving Location vs. Item Attributes and Circulation

Shelving location can set collection level holdability, circulatability, and OPAC visibility. Restrictive collection level settings override copy level hold/circ/OPAC settings.

Item attributes set copy level holdability, circulatability, and OPAC visibility if more restrictive than the collection settings; they also set circulation modifiers, hold protections, loan durations, and fine levels.

Circulation rules combine circ library, patron group, circulation modifier, loan durations, and fine levels to control circulation.

Checkin Modifiers

Check in modifiers can be used to accomplish a number of "processing" tasks on items when checking them in from a patron's account or scanning an item to make sure it is in circulating status.

Force new items to fill hold requests

When new items are added to the catalog, they will not by default be immediately eligible to fill existing holds. The script that updates hold records run continuously, but only updates each hold once every 24 hours based on the date and time the hold was placed. To make sure that newly added items are matched with existing hold request, staff must retarget the holds. The easiest way to do this is to use the checkin modifiers Retarget Local Holds and Retarget All Statuses.

These checkin modifiers can be added to the check in function, and used for all check in purposes. They will not impede normal checkins.

Amnesty Mode

This checkin modifier will return items and void any associated overdue fines. This can be used during any fine amnesty program.

Auto-print hold and transit slips

This checkin modifier triggers printing a hold/transit slip after scanning hold/transit items in check in. However, the hold/transit popups do not display on screen.

If a library always prints hold and transit slips, and the printer is convenient to the workstation, using Auto-print hold and transit slips could save time, clicks, and prevent scanning over a hold/transit popup.

Clear Holds Shelf

Lindsay has not (yet) tested this checkin modifier, but we are guessing that it streamlines the process of cancelling holds and returning to circulation hold request items that have not been picked up within the set 7 days.

Clear Holds Shelf is also a function within the Holds Shelf, that can be used to BULK clear expired holds. In discussion, most staff agree that this can be a risky move, and often causes confusion if Clear Holds is accidentally used and the corresponding materials are not actually removed from the shelf.

Lindsay will test and document the various Clear Holds options and share the results.

Web Client: Clear cache

Periodically, saved data can cause problems with Evergreen displays and functions. We recommend clearing the cache periodically.

Full instructions are available:

Web Client: Chrome version

Evergreen functionality relies on an up to date version of Chrome. Generally, Chrome will automatically update, but, if staff PCs are frozen using Deepfreeze or otherwise have updates locked down, these automatic updates will not happen.

Full instructions are available:

Web Client: Evergreen sounds

Web Client: Workstation Configuration - Disable Sounds

Workstation Configuration: Default and Preferred Search Libraries

Also in the Workstation configuration screen are settings to control catalog search library and prioritize your library's holdings in the title display.

Evergreen/WebClientConfigurationWorkstationConfig#Default_Search_Library

Web Client: Scanning check in items / transit and hold slips

When scanning items in check in, either from delivery or returns, it is VERY IMPORTANT that staff
  1. Watch the screen
  2. Take prompt action on hold and transit slips
  3. Do not rely on scanner beeps to indicate anything other than the scanner works
  4. Look at the Check In screen to verify that the correct item has been processed

ALERT! In the web client, it is possible to scan over a hold or transit slip to act on the slip not the barcode. The scanner will beep, because it has scanned a barcode, but the only effective action is the auto-enter function which trigger printing the previously scanned item's slip NOT a check in. If your library prints slips, trigger the print (or use the auto-print hold and transit slips check in modifier) and put it in the item before going on to the next item. If your library does not print slips, manually check Do Not Print.

ALERT! It is also easy to scan a barcode and the cursor is not active in the scan barcode box, so the scanner beeps but the barcode is not recorded or entered into Evergreen.

Holds with no notifications

This issue is a combination of events: a problem with User Settings not transferring correctly for some patron accounts between the desktop client and the web client, notification preferences not being automatically selected in the Place Hold form, and changes in the data included on hold slips.

The result is holds becoming available, and no notifications are included on the hold slip.

For the time being:
  1. When staff place holds for patrons, verify their User Settings notification preferences, and update their records accordingly
  2. Double check the Place Hold form to ensure notification options are selected
  3. When patrons pick up holds, verify their notification preferences
  4. For EXISTING UNFILLED HOLDS update both the patron information AND the hold record(s)

Lindsay has a report of patrons with current holds that have no notifications, which she will run for libraries. The number of effected patrons is surprisingly low, although many have multiple holds.

web Client: Printing set up review

There are two methods for printing. 1 - using the standard browser print, where each time a print job is started staff must click through the print dialog (select a printer if needed, click print). This is fine if your library does not print from Evergreen on a regular basis. Or, 2 - Hatch managed printing, which is best for frequent slip printing because it eliminates clicking through print dialogs.

If you decide to use the standard browser print, you do not need to do anything.

If you decide to use Hatch printing, this is a multi-step process.
  1. Make sure Java is up to date
  2. Make sure Chrome is up to date
  3. Download the Hatch installer file from the Evergreen community downloads page
  4. Get the Hatch extension for Chrome
  5. In the web client, enable Hatch
  6. In the web client, set the Printer settings
  7. In the web client, set Print Template print contexts
Full info here: Evergreen Configuration Printing

Then here: Evergreen Configuration Printer Settings

Then here: Evergreen Configuration Print Templates
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