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ILS - Sierra

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257 results found

  1. It would be helpful if LX Starter allowed for patrons to receive checkout receipts via email. Sierra currently supports customizable checkout receipt emails using Due Slip print templates, but these are difficult to work with.

    52 votes

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  2. With the new Patron Checkout Limits table, we have lost the ability to group patron types (ptypes) into a category when configuring checkout limits that also use criteria such as Library Location or Item Location.

    Currently, a separate row must be created for every individual ptype, which significantly increases setup and maintenance effort. In environments with many patron types that share the same checkout limits, this results in a large number of duplicate entries.

    We would like the ability to define and use Patron Type Categories/Groups within the new Patron Checkout Limits table, similar to the functionality available in previous…

    19 votes

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  3. Currently, when a staffer goes into Create Lists and sorts the lists using one of the column headers, while scrolling down to locate the appropriate list, Sierra jumps or hops upward thereby losing the staffers place in Create Lists. This idea is to prevent that from happening and to make the default or custom sort in Create Lists stick. This would save staff time and reduce errors as well.

    22 votes

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  4. After spending over an hour adding new print templates to every login for a new library, I am once again reminded of the inefficiency of the current methodology for assigning print templates to logins.

    Idea: Print Templates can be assigned like Permissions for Sierra. They would have their own sidebar, and logins could be added to each print template. That way, it only takes a couple of clicks to add print templates in mass to several logins, rather than clicking into the login, then settings, then print templates, then scrolling to find each print template and set the prompt. This…

    24 votes

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  5. Today, Sierra’s REST API does not provide a reliable way to retrieve a complete list of location codes (and their names/labels) as defined in Sierra’s Branches table (SDA: Admin > Parameters > General > Branches). This creates friction for discovery-layer implementations and other third-party integrations that require an authoritative, up-to-date list of locations.

    Innovative Support shared that “it’s not possible to get a list of all locations using the REST API,” and that the closest option is the branches endpoint, which only returns locations that are linked to entries in the Branch Address table, not a full representation of the…

    39 votes

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  6. With the new patron checkout limit table, we lost the ability to group itypes into a category if we want to use the other limits like library location. We need to be able to either group itypes in the new patron checkout limit table, or use a combination of the old table and the new. We really need the new library location limiter in the new table so that our ptype 30 can only checkout items at our offsite kiosk and no other library, but we now lose the ability to still group our itypes into categories. Our itypes are…

    24 votes

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  7. Make the Days closed table able to have a range of days. When we close a branch for maintenance we have to put in each day, it would be great to be able to put in a location code and then something like 5/1 - 5/25 or comma entries like the loan rule determiner table.

    15 votes

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  8. During the Circulation Forum at this week's IUG, a few libraries brought up their continued interest in going fine free, but also shared how they still faced challenges within their respective institutions from those who felt materials would not come back.

    This is a realistic concern, especially for libraries that couple going fine free with the protracted loan periods made possible by autorenewals. It can sometimes be challenging to get customers to return things, so we appreciate the availability of patron blocks that will prevent checkouts, renewals, etc., but not penalize a customer financially, like the ability to suspend borrowing…

    12 votes

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  9. We've had patrons requesting to be allowed to choose both notification methods- phone and email, not only one. This would be very useful for patrons whose phones get shut off frequently, or who have another person helping them by picking up their holds for them. Two contact methods would be helpful.

    18 votes

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  10. It would be helpful if the system automatically added a date/timestamp to Notes and Messages added to Patron and Item records by staff. Currently, we ask our staff to always add thier initials and date to notes and messages when adding them but it doesn't always happen. There are also inconsistnecies in how these are added and no easy way to search for them. We also find that notes/messages are not always removed after they are addressed.

    If we had an accurate way to determine the date a note/message was added, it would be possible to develop a retention policy…

    67 votes

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  11. Currently, when a record is deleted in Sierra, the system captures the date via the deletiondategmt, but it doesn't track the exact time, the specific Sierra user, or the process used to delete it. We would like to see this metadata enhanced to include the Sierra user, a timestamp, and the function or process used (Delete Records, API, etc.), with the date.

    Tracking these details is critical for consortium management, system auditing, and data integrity. Having this information readily available would significantly improve our ability to handle targeted staff training when records are deleted in error, investigate the…

    10 votes

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  12. Our library would like to have pages for item-level holds repeat until they are filled. Currently, the only way to achieve this is by checking the "Do Not Clear" checkbox when running the item paging list each day. However, staff have to remember to toggle this setting every time they run the list, and if they forget, all previous pages will be lost and can't be restored the next time they run the list.

    We'd like a way to have item pages persist by default.

    5 votes

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  13. Many libraries offer mail delivery services for patrons who are unable to visit in person. Currently, when items become available, these patrons receive a standard "ready for pickup" notification, even though their materials will be mailed to them. This creates unnecessary confusion and may lead patrons to believe they need to come to the library.

    Providing the option to customize or opt out of specific notifications, such as "Ready for Pickup" alerts for patrons enrolled in mail delivery, would greatly improve clarity and enhance the user experience.

    9 votes

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  14. There are various reports/files in Sierra that should be exportable to Excel or CSV for manipulation/analysis purposes, similar to our ability to export fines paid or statistical reports from the Statistics function. Candidates include Circulation Overrides (printable view puts each override on 2 lines) and other System Files (from admin app), Group Call Numbers (from Sierra 6.6), and really any sort of table or parameter that consists of columns/rows (branch table, patron type, etc.). This would save the effort of copying/pasting and attempting to fix in Excel.

    11 votes

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  15. Our library uses automated lockers to lend laptops to patrons for in-house use. We'd like to block patrons whose cards have expired from borrowing until they come to the desk and renew, while still allowing borrowing for patrons blocked for overdues since these items won't be leaving the library. Our vendor is able to accommodate this for other customers because their ILS sends the patron expiration date in the BW field in the 24 response. Sierra's response only indicates the block in the first position of the patron status element, which includes blocks for all reasons, not just account expiration.…

    8 votes

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  16. We will periodically have situations, as we did this morning, where staff move to print their holdshelf report & for one reason or another (today's was some manner of technical issues with their printer), the content of the report is lost.

    We can sometimes salvage this data from the back end by looking for holds cleared on the day by the login responsible, but it would be much easier if there were some sort of Recycling Bin style feature, where "cleared" files like the holdshelf report or paging lists were stored until the user logs out, giving them another chance…

    29 votes

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  17. Sierra 6.5 saw the move of the process for restarting terminal sessions from our text-based management tool to the Sierra Admin App. While I'm chuffed enough about that to be writing this enhancement idea on Thanksgiving Day (and to be using the word chuffed), I'm hoping further development can make it even better & restore some of the functionality from the admin app that isn't available in this updated interface.

    Specifically, I'd like to be able to restart a range of terminals (for example, all staff sessions), mirroring the Restart Multiple Terminals option in text-based. Yes, we can check a…

    24 votes

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  18. Currently in Create Lists it is very difficult to specify criteria for special fields like the leader, 006, 007 and 008. Many of these have the exact same label, like Audience, which appears four different times. Each of them is for audience as it appears in different versions of the 008 for different record types. Then it appears four more times in the 006.

    It would be helpful if each of these different audience codes were labeled in Create Lists, such as "Audience for Books," and "Audience for Music," etc. This would make it much easier to use this function.…

    20 votes

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  19. Ability to find the most checked out item in a year

    Please add a simple way in Sierra to report the most checked out item for a selected year, including the option to show the top five checked out items.

    Currently, this is very difficult or impossible to do directly in Sierra because checkout totals are not stored in a way that allows staff to easily rank items by circulation count for a specific year. Create Lists can find items based on fixed fields, item data, and limited transaction-related criteria, but it cannot easily produce a yearly “most checked out”…

    7 votes

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  20. There are 3 options in the "claim return" workflow at checkin.
    1) Checkin items (with no fines) and change status to missing.
    2) Checkin items (with no fines) and change status to claims returned.
    3) Leave items checked out (send overdue notices) and change status to claims returned.

    We always select #2, but we cannot stop staff from accidentally selecting #3. This is troublesome for us because in the #3 workflow customers get an email overdue notice when they have already told the library they have returned the item - and customers can be quite upset about this.

    Is there…

    15 votes

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