10 results found

1. always be able to freeze a hold in catalogue(s)

   Provide Libraries with the option to "always be able to freeze a bib or item level hold".

   If circulation/OPAC rules allow a customer to place a hold, the customer should always be able to freeze it.

   At this time, customers cannot freeze a bib level hold if there is an item attached to the bib that could fill the hold. Customers tell us that they want to manage their holds. They are unsure of a "Not Needed Before" date, but they know that they do not want to fill the hold immediately.

   This is important for libraries that split out their DVD seasons to different bibs, or libraries that have "super users" that want to request the maximum number of holds, but manage their own reading behaviours.

   Provide Libraries with the option to "always be able to freeze a bib or item level hold".

   If circulation/OPAC rules allow a customer to place a hold, the customer should always be able to freeze it.

   At this time, customers cannot freeze a bib level hold if there is an item attached to the bib that could fill the hold. Customers tell us that they want to manage their holds. They are unsure of a "Not Needed Before" date, but they know that they do not want to fill the hold immediately.

   This is important for libraries that split out… more

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   1 comment  ·  Discovery & OPAC (incl Encore)  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
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   UNDER REVIEW  ·  Adminmdicus (Product Manager, Innovative) responded

   The product manager will review this idea for possible inclusion in a future release.

2. Remove limit on number of links added to the Encore footer

   I would like to add additional links to the footer of Encore but there is current limit of 6 links. Please remove this limit so I have an area in Encore that I can unobtrusively add links in Encore for patrons and staff.

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   0 comments  ·  Discovery & OPAC (incl Encore)  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
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   UNDER REVIEW  ·  Adminmdicus (Product Manager, Innovative) responded

   The product manager will review this idea for possible inclusion in a future release.

3. Encore request box character limit improvement

   Currently we are having a problem when our readers fill in the Encore request note box. There is a hard limit of 125 characters which our readers routinely blast through. In trying to solve this problem, we have added a more descriptive label to the box (saying that the message has to be limited to 125 characters), but still the readers expect us to receive the information that they have typed in beyond the 125 character limit - the request box will allow them to add it in, but won't transmit this information to the library.
   The help desk told us we should add this to the idea exchange as Encore is not technically broken.
   Ideally, we'd like the 125 character limit to be enforced (ie the box will not accept more than 125 characters. Or increase the size of the box so that it can receive the long winded messages of our readers and transmit it to our customer service staff.

   Currently we are having a problem when our readers fill in the Encore request note box. There is a hard limit of 125 characters which our readers routinely blast through. In trying to solve this problem, we have added a more descriptive label to the box (saying that the message has to be limited to 125 characters), but still the readers expect us to receive the information that they have typed in beyond the 125 character limit - the request box will allow them to add it in, but won't transmit this information to the library.
   The help desk told… more

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   0 comments  ·  Discovery & OPAC (incl Encore)  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
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   PLANNED  ·  Adminmdicus (Product Manager, Innovative) responded

   This improvement will be included in Encore 6.2.

4. Separate the link of MARC 100, 110, 600, 610, 700, 710 to link to the LC Name Authority File

   In order to make webpac can link to the LC Name Authority File,
   it is needed to separate the link of MARC 100, 110, 600, 610, 700, 710.

   For example : https://cylis.lib.cycu.edu.tw/record=b3104334
   Separate the AUTHOR name link
   "Hull, John, 1946- author. http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n88011278"
   to "Hull, John, 1946- author." and "http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n88011278" .

   And then patrons can click the url "http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n88011278" to see the LC Name Authority File.

   5 votes

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   UNDER REVIEW  ·  Adminmdicus (Product Manager, Innovative) responded

   
   

5. New material type icons

   The current icons available for the OPAC for material types are woefully lacking. There's no icon for audiobooks (the modern digital type), but you have icons for cd-rom books and books on cassette. The icon I'd most like to see added is a streaming video icon. This is a very common collection item in the 21st century, but our only option is a film (reel-to-reel), dvd, or internet resource (which isn't helpful at all). Any chance we could get more modern material type icons? For ideas, simply google "streaming video icon" and look at all the options!

   Idea Value
   Users could distinguish between films on dvd and streaming films. When you use "internet resource" as a material type, that is such a catch-all that it doesn't make sense to users. Users know what streaming video is, so why not offer a material type icon for that?

   The current icons available for the OPAC for material types are woefully lacking. There's no icon for audiobooks (the modern digital type), but you have icons for cd-rom books and books on cassette. The icon I'd most like to see added is a streaming video icon. This is a very common collection item in the 21st century, but our only option is a film (reel-to-reel), dvd, or internet resource (which isn't helpful at all). Any chance we could get more modern material type icons? For ideas, simply google "streaming video icon" and look at all the options!

   Idea Value
   Users… more

   51 votes

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   5 comments  ·  Discovery & OPAC (incl Encore)  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
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   FUTURE POSSIBILITIES (IDEA LAB)  ·  Adminmdicus (Product Manager, Innovative) responded

   This idea has been reviewed with Engineering and could be implemented as a small project. Product Management will keep this issue under consideration for a future release.

6. Secure FTP support for maintaining the Web OPAC

   Sierra currently has mixed support for Secure FTP. It is available in some parts of the application, but not others. It is available for transferring files using the File Transfer Software (FTS) product, and for sending files via the Job Scheduler. There is currently no support for Secure FTP for Web OPAC maintenance. The current system only supports using the Web Master function of the Sierra Desktop Application or using insecure FTP programs.

   I'd like to suggest that Secure FTP support be added so that organizations can use it to maintain their Web OPACs.

   FTP was never designed to be a secure protocol. Any files being transferred via FTP as well as the username/password used for authentication are all sent in clear, unencrypted text. This makes it easy for malicious users to eavesdrop on FTP sessions and steal passwords and files that authorized users are accessing. While FTP was popular in the 1980s and 90s, more secure options have be available since the early 2000s. As a result, security conscious organizations simply block FTP connections. The unique port requirements for FTP also make it more difficult to pass through firewalls than more secure protocols. These days asking a security conscious firewall admin to allow FTP access to Sierra is an uphill battle, assuming they don't dismiss the request outright.

   Idea Value
   Adding Secure FTP support for Web OPAC maintenance would benefit Sierra customers in the following ways:Primarily, improved security. Usernames, passwords and files used by staff administering the Web OPAC would be properly encrypted while in transit. This is especially important for customers whose servers are hosted by Innovative, where this information is sent over the internet instead of over a local organizational network.It would simplify the firewall requirements for Sierra, by eliminating extra ports used by FTP. Sierra uses the non-standard port 1021 for the FTP control channel, but also requires extra ports to be open, not listed in the documentation, for FTP active/passive data transfers. More secure protocols such as Secure FTP share the same port 22 already used by Admin Corner application.It would provide increased security with the Web OPAC SSL certificate management. Currently Innovative does not have a good way to securely receive private SSL keys for certificate generated outside of the provided CSR generator tool. The suggestion is to "store the private key file in a directory that Innovative staff can access or send it as a zipped attachment." But if the private key is uploaded using an insecure protocol like FTP it compromises the key file and defeats the entire purpose of using SSL / HTTPS.

   Our organization does extensive customizations on our Web OPAC. We need an automatable way to upload/download the Web OPAC files in order to keep them in sync with the rest of our website. FTP is an insecure protocol that is 20 years past its due date. It is increasingly difficult to justify our use of FTP to Sierra servers to our network admins and IT departments. A more modern and secure alternative would be greatly appreciated.

   Sierra currently has mixed support for Secure FTP. It is available in some parts of the application, but not others. It is available for transferring files using the File Transfer Software (FTS) product, and for sending files via the Job Scheduler. There is currently no support for Secure FTP for Web OPAC maintenance. The current system only supports using the Web Master function of the Sierra Desktop Application or using insecure FTP programs.

   I'd like to suggest that Secure FTP support be added so that organizations can use it to maintain their Web OPACs.

   FTP was never designed to be… more

   13 votes

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   FUTURE POSSIBILITIES (IDEA LAB)  ·  0 comments  ·  Discovery & OPAC (incl Encore)  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
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7. Customize error message "No items requestable, request denied"

   We would like to customize error message "No items requestable, request denied". This error message displays when a patron places a request on the OPAC and it is denied and where we can change the message. The error message contains the name of the resource (245) and then says "No items requestable, request denied".

   We cannot find a SYSKEY for this message for the messages.conf file and it's not listed in the Rules for Requesting (ASAA). Innovative recommends adding this to the Idea Lab.

   Idea Value
   We would like to customize this error message, to make it user friendly and possibly add a link to contact the library.

   We would like to customize error message "No items requestable, request denied". This error message displays when a patron places a request on the OPAC and it is denied and where we can change the message. The error message contains the name of the resource (245) and then says "No items requestable, request denied".

   We cannot find a SYSKEY for this message for the messages.conf file and it's not listed in the Rules for Requesting (ASAA). Innovative recommends adding this to the Idea Lab.

   Idea Value
   We would like to customize this error message, to make it user friendly and… more

   15 votes

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   FUTURE POSSIBILITIES (IDEA LAB)  ·  0 comments  ·  Discovery & OPAC (incl Encore)  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
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8. Lightweight WebPAC tokens for responsive design

   Updated 2018-10-09 -- modified proposal based on a comment from a colleague offline as well as the one from an IdeaLab user.. The modified proposal calls for separate tokens of the label and for the field, e.g. {publish-label} and {publish-field}. The modified proposal also add id and class attributes to the form elements for ease of CSS use as Martin Boyce suggested in the comments.

   ---

   Updated proposal:

   Currently, the limiter tokens likely to be used on the Advanced Search page (e.g. limit by language, scope, material type, dates, etc.) are big and bulky -- they return a lot of html, including wrapping page elements in tables, adding labels to search elements, etc. This HTML-heavy response limits our ability to gracefully incorporate tokens into responsively-designed pages. Using tables for layout is so 2002; most of us avoid it at all costs.

   I'm calling for the introduction of lightweight tokens that would return only the relevant form element and nothing else; these could exist in a backwards-compatible fashion with the current existing tokens.

   For example, the {publish} token returns:

   [table border="0"]
   [tr]
   [td][label for="p"]Publisher:[/label][/td]
   [td][input type="text" size="20" name="p" value=""][/td]
   [/tr]
   [/table]

   I propose the addition of "label" and "field" tokens, such as a {publish-label} and {publish-field} token that would just return the following (respectively):

   [label for="p" id="pLabel" class="formLabel"]

   [input type="text" size="20" name="p" value="" id="pField" class="formField"]

   The lighter-weight tokens would behave in the same way existing tokens do, which is to "remember" the settings of a previous search.

   An incomplete list of tokens that would benefit from this treatment includes:

   • mattype
   • lang
   • DOCDATE (I would divide this into dateBefore-lite and dateAfter-lite)
   • sort
   • publish
   • searchscope
   • search

   Idea Value
   This addition would allow maximum flexibility for libraries wishing to make their own decisions about layout, including for accessibility purposes. It will make it easier to accomplish responsive designs.

   Updated 2018-10-09 -- modified proposal based on a comment from a colleague offline as well as the one from an IdeaLab user.. The modified proposal calls for separate tokens of the label and for the field, e.g. {publish-label} and {publish-field}. The modified proposal also add id and class attributes to the form elements for ease of CSS use as Martin Boyce suggested in the comments.

   ---

   Updated proposal:

   Currently, the limiter tokens likely to be used on the Advanced Search page (e.g. limit by language, scope, material type, dates, etc.) are big and bulky -- they return a lot of html,… more

   14 votes

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   FUTURE POSSIBILITIES (IDEA LAB)  ·  0 comments  ·  Discovery & OPAC (incl Encore)  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
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9. Increase HTTPS security for WebPAC

   Note: This might be (probably is) cross-platform, but I don't have experience with anything besides Sierra.

   There are a few security-related tasks I would like to be able to perform on the Sierra application server, affecting the web interface (WebPAC):
   Force all http connections over to httpsDisable weak protocols (TLS 1.0 especially, but TLS 1.1 as well)Disable weak ciphers

   I tried doing this via iii Support, and they were able to do at least the second bullet point, but then the login page broke. Apparently CAS needs to be updated to use a newer Java that supports the higher TLS versions. I was told this would require a feature request.

   Idea Value
   This will bring Sierra's WebPAC up to modern web security recommendations. The benefits of https, especially a well-configured https with strong protocols and ciphers, are many. Most importantly:
   Forcing https will prevent any snooping on library patron catalogue searchesUsing strong protocols and ciphers will make it much more difficult to intercept and steal login credentials

   Hopefully the value of those two items are self-evident, and don't need to be explained further.

   Note: This might be (probably is) cross-platform, but I don't have experience with anything besides Sierra.

   There are a few security-related tasks I would like to be able to perform on the Sierra application server, affecting the web interface (WebPAC):
   Force all http connections over to httpsDisable weak protocols (TLS 1.0 especially, but TLS 1.1 as well)Disable weak ciphers

   I tried doing this via iii Support, and they were able to do at least the second bullet point, but then the login page broke. Apparently CAS needs to be updated to use a newer Java that supports the higher TLS… more

   17 votes

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   FUTURE POSSIBILITIES (IDEA LAB)  ·  0 comments  ·  Discovery & OPAC (incl Encore)  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
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10. Responsive, Accessible Catalog, Discovery Platform(s)

    The current slate of example set files for WebPAC and Encore are not responsive/mobile-friendly nor are they compliant with the ADA section 508 website/accessibility requirements that kicked in 1/18/18. In some cases, this means that the current Sierra product also does not meet local procurement requirements. Aside from the time/resources devoted by multiple libraries (inefficient!) that are required by the library system to make the WebPAC/Encore responsive/accessible, the way the product is structured isn't always easily fixed by CSS, etc. (Web options, system-generated pages, etc.). These example sets have not been significantly updated in years. As mobile usage continues to climb and the library continues to look for ways to serve patrons virtually as well as physically, we need to ensure that our virtual/online presence meets the needs of all customers. And it's the law!

    *Please note: This was submitted during the Sierra Public Services pairwise, is showing with a rating of 4.31/5 and the Stage is listed as "Prioritization." Apologies in advance if this was not necessary to include in the Always Open section.

    Idea Value
    Ensure library catalog is usable and all functions are available by library patrons on a mobile device.
    Ensure library catalog is usable and all functions are available by library patrons with disabilities, particularly those that cannot make a physical visit to the library.
    Remove requirement of purchasing/maintaining separate AirPAC (which is limited in functionality). Patrons are now forced to use 2 different online products to manage their account (paying fines online is not an option in AirPAC).

    The current slate of example set files for WebPAC and Encore are not responsive/mobile-friendly nor are they compliant with the ADA section 508 website/accessibility requirements that kicked in 1/18/18. In some cases, this means that the current Sierra product also does not meet local procurement requirements. Aside from the time/resources devoted by multiple libraries (inefficient!) that are required by the library system to make the WebPAC/Encore responsive/accessible, the way the product is structured isn't always easily fixed by CSS, etc. (Web options, system-generated pages, etc.). These example sets have not been significantly updated in years. As mobile usage continues to… more

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    FUTURE POSSIBILITIES (IDEA LAB)  ·  2 comments  ·  Discovery & OPAC (incl Encore)  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
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