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2008/07/02
Last changed: Apr 15, 2009 13:35 by SELCO Admin
Michael Scott, Assistant Director
I had the opportunity to visit the St. Charles Public Library on Friday, June 27, 2008. I met with Sheri Grossardt, the St. Charles Public Library Director to discuss how things were going at her library. I also had the opportunity to meet two other staff members: Mary Kramer and Pat Zingler (Mary is on the left & Pat is on the right.) They are in the midst of Summer Reading Program, using the theme "Catch the Reading Bug." I had previously visited the library when I worked at SELCO back in the late 1990s and was pleased to see that they had done an expansion to the space. They essentially doubled the size of the library allowing for them to spread out their collection and seating areas, add a meeting room, and increase the size and functionality of their information desk. It is a beautiful space with a large amount of natural light. Additionally, they were able to add a staff workroom, which I know is a welcome addition to any library. A couple of other highlights include a refurbished bench at the front entrance that looks great with new paint and a cushion and an old record (i.e. vinyl LPs) cabinet with a new marble top that currently shows off a collection of books by Minnesota authors. You can see pictures of these 2 items as well as other pictures of the library here.
The day I visited the library, the place was BUSY! Children were checking out stacks of books and picking up prizes for Summer Reading (check out the photo of the orange life jackets.) The DVD collection the library has is very popular too. The computers saw a steady stream of users as well. I want to thank Sheri, Mary, & Pat for allowing me to visit their library. They certainly have made the library THE place to be in St. Charles.
More visits are scheduled and others are being planned. Wouldn't you love to have your library featured?
2008/07/03
Last changed: Apr 15, 2009 13:37 by SELCO Admin
Mollie Pherson, Regional Librarian
So, I leave for my long-awaited two week vacation to Florida tomorrow morning, which means I need to pack the perfect summer reads for the beach and for lounging by the pool. Last week, I was on a mission to find the perfect books for my trip and I found a great article on the best summer books in my REAL SIMPLE magazine. The author of the article, Sara Nelson, surveyed popular writers and asked what books they like to read during the summer months. Here were some of the authors' favorites:
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James Patterson: No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy, Mrs. Bridge and Mr. Bridge by Evan S. Connell
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Danielle Steel: Anything by Jodi Picoult (her new book, Change of Heart, was mentioned in the article), Become a Better You by Joel Osteen
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Janet Evanovich: The Concrete Blonde by Michael Connelly, The Two Minute Rule by Robert Crais
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Jodi Picoult: The Third Angel by Alice Hoffman, Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian
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Augusten Burroughs: The Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers, The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
I have already picked up a few titles for the plane ride! I was especially thrilled to see my all-time favorite book, One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, make James Patterson's list!! It's always fun to see what favorite authors are reading! Happy Summer!
2008/07/09
Last changed: Apr 15, 2009 13:39 by SELCO Admin
Donovan Lambright, Automation Librarian
Hot off the stage at ALA is the audio recording of this year's Ultimate Debate: There is No Catalog Like No Catalog. I haven't listened to this yet but it's on my iPod and I will check it out in the next few days. Give it a listen and let me know what you think.
2008/07/11
Last changed: May 11, 2009 13:05 by SELCO Admin
Donovan Lambright, Automation Librarian
Now that the agenda and packet for the July ILS Operations / Technology Joint Committee Meeting have been posted, it seemed like a good time to post a brief summary of decisions made at the June meeting:
- EnvisionWare-We have had difficulty getting answers to some of our questions regarding licensing, pricing, and technical operation of the software. We are deferring a decision until our July meeting, when we will (hopefully) have more information.
- Spanish-Language iPac-Based on level of interest shown in the recent survey, SELCO will implement the Spanish interface at three test sites, to include one of the Rochester Public high schools. After this test, the ILS Operations and Technology Policy joint committee will decide whether to continue implementations using anecdotal evidence from the libraries and statistics on catalog.
- Next-Generation Catalog-The joint committee will view web-based demos from Aquabrowser and MasterKey, a metasearch product from LibLime. One product will be demoed in each of the next two meetings (July and August) with schedule to be determined.
- Direct Purchase Requests in iPac-No action will be taken.
- Composition of ILS Operations Committee-This will be added to the agendas for the next Users Group and Advisory Committee meetings to gather further input. An election for the school media center slot formerly occupied by Shirley Taylor is scheduled for September. Further changes may still be made and this item will remain on the joint committee's meeting agenda as old business.
- Meeting Dates-Next two meetings are July 17 and August 21.
2008/07/15
Last changed: Apr 15, 2009 13:44 by SELCO Admin
Michael Scott, Assistant Director
I had the privilege of visiting the Caledonia Public Library on July 8, 2008. Marla Burns and Eileen Jacobson welcomed me to their beautiful library, which is located on the second floor of the city hall building in Caledonia. The library is a beautiful space with plenty of natural light filling the room. The children's area is inviting and many good book choices are on display atop the shorter book shelves. There is a nice seating area with two comfy leather chairs that is popular with library partons. There are 8 public computers available for library patrons to use, and as you can see from the photos on Flickr, they were all in use during my visit. The library was also buzzing with activity during my visit from people picking up requested items, kids coming in after swimming lessons to check out books, and other patrons coming returning items they'd checked out. It was certainly one of 'the" places to be in Caledonia that day!
I want to say a big THANK YOU to Marla and Eileen for welcoming me to their library and if you're ever in the area, please stop by and see them. They will be more than happy to show you around.
2008/07/18
Last changed: Apr 15, 2009 13:46 by SELCO Admin
Aurora Jacobsen, Information Services Librarian
As we implemented WebReporter, library staff had a lot of suggestions for improving reports by adding about extra fields or columns to add reports. We logged these suggestions with the hope we could address these suggestions and implement some new reports at a later date. Staffing changes, however, delayed any new changes until recently.
After staffing normalized, Mick and I went back and looked at the list of enhancements. To determine which reports would be updated, I combed through the requests that came into the Helpdesk and the requests I had while teaching the class. Some suggestions had been made by multiple people, so they were given a higher priority, as were changes that required the addition of a column rather than an entirely new report. Once these were weighted, Mick examined the reports to determine which were the most feasible to winnow the list down. This list was shared via ILS bulletin on July 1, 2008.
New Reports added:
1. New Borrower Count broken down by btype
2. New Borrower Count broken down by city/county -
3. New Borrower Count broken down by state
4. New Borrowers by State—
5. Remove Iowa Patrons from the Bad CI/CO report
6. Weeding report by statcat that includes last CKO date
7. Expired Holds w/ Pickup Location (Updated)
8. Add copyright date to the Weeding Report—this report can only be run with publication date
9. Weeding Report w/ Dates
10. A new report that provides the average copyright age of a collection by Dewey range. The primary need for this report arose from a field in this year's State Library Report for schools. We met the need for the report by running it on off hours, but the current database structure cannot support the regular running of this report. We can send it out on request, but cannot add it to the reports suite.
Unfortunately, we have learned that there is a limit to modifications we can make to reports in this database structure. We initially proposed 5 other reports we have determined are not feasible at this time. Those are:
1. Add ability to break down CKI/CKO/IHU Report by collection code
2. Add videos, CDs and other A/V materials to Titles with Best Circ report
3. Add columns for created date, last CKO date, item status, status date, barcode and copy to the Titles with Best Circ report
4. Limit for items added since a given date in the Titles with Best Circ report
5. Collection code added to Titles with Best Circ Report
This is the first phase of the enhancements process. We look forward to re-examining other enhancement requests and implementing new reports in the future.
2008/07/21
Last changed: Apr 15, 2009 13:48 by SELCO Admin
Michael Scott, Assistant Director
On July 8, 2008, I had the opportunity to visit the Spring Grove Public Library in Spring Grove, Minnesota. The visit started off by meeting with Library Director Milly Halverson and other library staff members Dawn Johnson and Sharon Engrav. We discussed the programs going on at the library, including summer reading (which is in full swing) and several author visits that have happened recently. The staff noted that the library is a busy place and it was apparent during my visit, as the computer workstations were nearly full and patrons were coming in and out to check out books and other library materials.
The library is located in a beautiful space on the main street in Spring Grove. The day I visited, the children's area was all decked out for the theme of the library's summer reading program, "Catch the Reading Bug." There are several tables available for use to the patrons and a nice seating area tucked back into a quiet corner. The space certainly is inviting and teamed with a great staff, the Spring Grove Public Library is a great place to be. To see other photos from my visit, take a look at the Spring Grove section of SELCO's Flickr page.
Thanks Milly, Dawn, and Sharon for a great visit!
2008/07/28
Last changed: Apr 15, 2009 13:50 by SELCO Admin
Michael Scott, Assistant Director
On July 9, 2008, I had the privilege of visiting the Mabel Public Library in Mabel, MN. As can be seen from the photo above, it was a lovely day for a visit. The library is located just off of the main street in Mabel and is open 6 days a week. On the day I visited, I met with Donna Johnson, the library director in Mabel, as well as her staff members, Donnis Thompson and Penniann Ramirez.
The library, as I've found in nearly all of my visits during my first year, was a busy place. The public computers were all filled at various times with children and adults. People were coming in and out to pick up requested items or to check out items from the library's own collection. Of course, people were also returning their materials as well. As I've said before, it is certainly one of the places to be in town.
Mabel Public Library has many of the same amenities that other libraries in the region have. There is a nice children's section in the middle of the library where children can easily find books to read. The back section of the library contains the non-fiction collection and the longest table I think I've ever seen. The table, which is popular with several patrons in town, came from the council chambers when a new table was purchased. As you'd expect, the DVD and video section is quite popular and located in the front of the library, across from the large circulation/information desk.
The library staff in Mabel is certainly proud of their space and take great pride in making it a place that patrons enjoy visiting. I want to thank Donna, Donnis, and Penniann (a special thanks to her for coming over from her other job this summer at the school!) for welcoming me to Mabel. To see more photos from my visit, click here to see visit the SELCO site on Flickr.
Last changed: Apr 15, 2009 13:52 by SELCO Admin
Donovan Lambright, Automation Librarian
Got an email that reminded me how important libraries are in bridging the gap between the haves and have-nots of the Internet age. This came from an intern working for the non-partisan Minneapolis Saint Paul Host Committee, which is responsible for organizing local efforts for the 2008 Republican National Convention:
We have been working very hard to recruit 10,000 volunteers to assist in this event. Interested volunteers, who do not have internet access, have been directed to visit their local libraries for help accessing our website, www.msp2008.com, to learn more and apply. We wanted to pass along the very positive feedback we've received from these individuals (many of whom did not know free internet is available at their local libraries).
I do not intend this as an endorsement of a political party or an ad for their convention. Regardless of your political affiliation, however, I think we can all agree that this is a good reminder of how crucial libraries are in bringing people together.
2008/07/29
Last changed: Apr 15, 2009 13:54 by SELCO Admin
Donovan Lambright, Automation Librarian
As you may know, SELCO has been developing a Spanish interface for the iPac. At the request of the ILS Operations and Technology Policy joint committee, we are gauging interest in this catalog before we roll it out as an option for all Online Libraries.
To help us determine whether we should proceed, we need three libraries to try it out and give us feedback. As a development partner (they helped check the translations) the Rochester Public Schools are already signed up so only two more libraries are needed. If you would like to participate, please contact me no later than Tuesday, 08-26-2008.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q. What kind of information do you want from my library?
A. SELCO is attempting to gauge interest in the Spanish iPac. Based on your usage, we want to know if you think it would be worth offering for patrons. While feedback on the translations and interface are always appreciated, our primary focus is assessing interest from both patrons and Online Library staff.
Q. How long will my library be using the Spanish iPac?
A. One month. After that, you may continue using it if SELCO decides to continue offering it.
Q. How is SELCO going to make that decision?
A. Feedback from the three participating libraries will be submitted to the ILS Operations and Technology Policy joint committee, which will make a recommendation to SELCO.
Q. What is involved in setting up the Spanish iPac?
A. The Spanish interface is simply another profile in the iPac. Most Online Libraries currently have two profiles, one that searches the entire database and one that searches only the library's holdings. A Spanish-language version of these two profiles will be created, for a total of four.
Q. How will patrons find and use the Spanish iPac?
A. There is a new tab that toggles the catalog between the English and Spanish interfaces. In addition, the library can create a web link directly to the Spanish interface. The Spanish interface is identical to the English one except for the text language. Searching and other functions work the same way in both versions of the catalog.
Q. Are the search results in Spanish?
A. Search results are presented in the same way regardless of which language is being used. If the title is in Spanish, the record is in Spanish. If the title is in English, the record is in English. The Spanish translation is only used for the catalog interface; the intellectual content of the title records is not changed.
Q. Will there be a Value Added Service fee for the Spanish iPac?
A. No. The Spanish iPac will be offered as part of the Integrated Library System (ILS) and is thus covered by the Basic Automation fee.
Q. Will my library have to use the Spanish iPac?
A. No. If we decide to offer this interface, it will be optional for each Online Library.
Q. Who do I call if I have questions?
A. Contact the SELCO Help Desk at 507-529-4469 or 866-529-4469
Q. Can I try it out before volunteering?
A. Be my guest!
2008/07/31
Last changed: Apr 15, 2009 13:56 by SELCO Admin
Donovan Lambright, Automation Librarian
Lately, a number of people have asked me how the ILS Operations and Technology Policy Joint Committee develops their meeting agendas. Is there some Svengali behind a curtain tweaking the agenda for his/her own private purposes? Or titanic behind-the-scenes struggles, right out of The West Wing, as factions wage bureaucratic war over what the committee will be allowed to discuss?
Ha. We wish it was that exciting.
The reality is much more mundane. The process for creating the monthly meeting agenda starts three weeks before the meeting when Jonya issues a call to the committee members for discussion items. The committee has one week to submit items. As they come in, Jonya forwards them to the committee chairs, Ann, and myself for discussion. Most of the time, we simply add the items to the draft agenda but occasionally we'll contact the committee member for further explanation first. Most of the committee members representing Online Libraries use this time to poll their constituents for suggestions.
When the week is up (two weeks before the meeting), Jonya starts assembling the agenda and pulling together any background documents to be read before the meeting. This step usually involves a lot of nagging as Jonya bugs us to get our documents ready. All this information is assembled in a final packet which gets sent out...
...one week before the meeting. Jonya also posts it to the SELCO website. At the same time, she sends out a copy of the meeting notes from the previous month for everyone to review and correct. The notes are not put on the website right away since they are pending approval. That happens on the day of the meeting.
Hope this sheds some light on how the joint committee picks topics for discussion. Other committee members, please feel free to add your comments to this post!
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