The Sierra application and database servers will be updated to Sierra 1.2.2 on Tuesday, November 11, 2014. There is no downtime required for this update. However, a Sierra restart will be required after the install in order to download new SDA (Sierra Desktop Application) software.
This update resolves several reported known issues.
For more details, click on the Release 1.2.2 link on the Sierra SharePoint
The UAL Catalog now displays the SearchOhio icon in addition to the OhioLINK icon. Users can now pass their search directly to SearchOhio from the UAL Catalog.
Due to network difficulties during the Sierra upgrade earlier this week, III has rescheduled for the afternoon of Thursday, July 17th.
For complete details on Sierra 1.2.1 please go to: http://blogs.uakron.edu/liblog/2014/07/11/sierra-update-1-2-1-to-be-installed-on-7152014/
The Sierra application and database servers will be updated to Sierra 1.2.1 on Tuesday, July 15th. There is no downtime required for this update. However, a restart will be required after the install in order to download new SDA (Sierra Desktop Application) software.
This update resolves several reported known issues and includes the new read-only API feature that will all Sierra to interact with other systems.
For more details, click on the Release 1.2.1 link on the Sierra SharePoint
From the 7/9/2014 Digest…
On Monday, July 14, Information Technology Services will begin deploying Microsoft and other third-party updates including Adobe Flash, Shockwave and Web browser IE 9. These updates will become mandatory on Friday, July 18, at 3:30 p.m. and will be automatically “pushed-out” to all University-owned computers at that time.
Depending upon which updates are needed by your computer, you may be required to restart yours after the updates are installed. After the installation of IE 9, your computer may need another update, which may require an additional reboot.
Please see Mike or Noah if you have any questions about these updates.
In preparation for the new statistical year starting today, July 1, 2014, changes were made to the Internal Use Count fields and also starting today we’ll begin to use the YTDCIRC field to track item checkouts for statistical year 14/15. Starting in statistical year 15/16 YTDCIRC counts will be moved to the LYRCIRC field and YTDCIRC will be reset to zero.
Internal Use Counts
Internal use counts are used to collect in-house usage statistics for library materials that do not circulate. These statistics (counts) can be stored in the INTL USE, IUSE3, and/or COPY USE item fixed fields depending on the purpose of the count. These fields have been renamed in our Sierra system as follows:
INTL USE IN HOUSE COUNT
IUSE3 PROJECT USE
COPY USE SPECIAL USE
Internal use counts track activity that doesn’t involve a circulation transaction such as a checkout, renewal, or booking. IN HOUSE COUNT will be used to track in-library usage of materials and will be zeroed out at the end of each statistical year. The PROJECT USE and SPECIAL USE fields can be used for library projects, gathering short-term usage statistics, small area inventories, and such. These fields will be zeroed out as necessary, depending on the duration and scope of the usage.
Zeroing the counts in these fields does not impact stored circulation data in the In house or Circ Activity Web Management Reports as these reports draw from historical data stored on the Sierra server . However, “real time” reports such as Sierra Statistics or the Title Circulation Report draw from the record as it is at the time the report is being run, not as it was at a specified time period.
Later this summer we will start offering a Sierra Training session on how the IN HOUSE COUNT field will be used, how the PROJECT USE and SPECIAL USE fields can be used, and how to run reports and gather statistical information from these fields.
YTDCIRC and LYRCIRC
Sierra uses the YTDCIRC field in the item record to automatically count the number of times an item has been checked out during a statistical period. Sierra uses the LYRCIRC field to store the number of times an item was checked out during the previous statistical period.
At the end of the statistical year the count in the YTDCIRC field will be moved to the LYRCIRC field and the YTDCIRC field will be zeroed out. These counts may be used during the review process by comparing the TOT CIRC (total circulation) field to YTDCIRC and LYRCIRC fields or they may be used for other statistical purposes.
The Sierra application and database servers will be updated to Sierra 1.1.2 Wednesday, October 16th. There is no downtime required for this update. However, a restart will be required after the install in order to download new SDA (Sierra Desktop Application) software..
This update resolves several reported known issues and introduces some new functionality including an optional compact browse and OCLC Control Number Expansion.
For more details, click on the Release 1.1.2 link on the Sierra SharePoint.
I recently made two changes under the Resources section of the UL Portal
In preparation for the Discovery service (Search-A-Roo) launch on Saturday, September 28th, Serials Solutions catalog records have been suppressed from the UAL Catalog. We will replace these records with new records in the near future. In the interim, if you need to know if we have access to an ejournal search the A-to-Z list.
On Saturday, Sept 28th we will make the new EBSCO discovery service (Search-A-Roo) available from the library homepage. You will see the search box prominently displayed. It does not replace any of our existing resources, but does provide a way for our patrons to search most of our resources at once.
In conjunction with this, we will also make the switch to the new A-to-Z List for eJournals that we receive as part of the EBSCO discovery service package. This replaces our old A-to-Z.
Finally, as part of this implementation we will temporarily suppress our catalog records for the majority of our ejournals. We will be replacing these records with new records in the near future. In the interim, if you want to know if we have access to an ejournal you simply need to search the A-to-Z list instead of the catalog.
The implementation of this new discovery service is a work in progress, not only for us but for all the OhioLINK libraries that have embarked on this adventure! We appreciate your patience and your feedback as we continue to develop this service.