267 results found
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Automatically add date/timestamp to Notes and Messages
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…
40 votes -
Allow Pickup Location Changes After Hold Is Activated (with Optional Patron Notification)
In Sierra, once a hold is activated, the pickup location becomes locked. This occurs even if an error happens or the original location becomes unavailable. The limitation creates workflow issues for libraries that use lockers, shared delivery systems, or multiple branches.
We are requesting a system enhancement that allows authorized staff to edit the pickup location of a hold after it has been activated, but before it is checked out or expires.
-Why This Is Needed:
Locker and space-based workflows: Staff may discover after trapping a hold that a locker is full or not functioning. At that point, there is…
26 votes -
Ability to Transfer Bib-Level Holds to Volume-Level Holds
Our consortium would like to request a feature enhancement in Sierra that allows ability to transfer volume-level holds to bib-level holds.
Currently, when we need to move records from a multi-volume bibliographic record (with volume records) to a monographic bibliographic record (without volume records), we must manually add or copy each volume-level hold to the bib-level record and then remove the original volume-level hold. This is a very tedious and time-consuming process, especially within a consortium of more than 100 libraries.
A streamlined method to transfer holds between volume and bibliographic levels would save staff time, reduce errors, and improve…
15 votes -
Clarify Fines Payment Lock Messaging
The current wording of the fines payment lock messaging implies the presence of fines, which is not always the case and is misleading. To reduce confusion for staff, please change the message wording to indicate that another station has the record open, therefore the fines function in the patron record is locked. This will indicate to staff the reason why it's locked (another station has it open) and what they can't do while it's locked (access the fines function in the patron record).
34 votes -
Decision Center - physical format/collection sorting
In the settings for code categories (Physical Format and Collection), you can change the display order, but it only applies to that page, not to the option menu users see when building a report.
When creating a report, the list of categories is always alphabetical. There is also a "Sort A-Z" button, which is currently unnecessary (and caused confusion as its existence implies that there could be another way).
I suggest applying the manual display order set in Admin Tools to the "edit" pop-ups in the initial filters of a report.
This would allow us to put more commonly-used categories…
10 votes -
Improving Hold Shelf Management in Sierra and IMMS
We at the Libraries of Malmö would like to suggest that Innovative and Lyngsoe develop an interaction between Sierra and IMMS to help clear hold shelves.
The issue: Currently, we have hold shelves at our libraries that are numbered between, for example 100 and 120. Each day we clear the holds that have expired the previous day. When we first implemented IMMS, we noted the shelf to clear down on a paper almanac and then wrote them off a week later.
However, we have since then coded a very simple application to keep track of this for us. The application…
12 votes -
Show item status at check-in
When checking in an item over Sierra, it would be helpful to have an extra column added for item status. e.g. Available, In Transit or On Holdshelf. This would add more transparency when processing items (especially if we are interrupted mid-scan), allow for double checking items are placed in the right pile, and help with training new staff who may want to have more visibility around the different journeys an item can take once returned. Added bonus: If it can show the additional sorting groups available in IMMS, this will assist staff even more.
18 votes -
Include Individual Item Costs in Overdue Notices
Make it an option to also include the item cost in the overdue notice as well (incentive to return!).
In our date due slips (JasperSoft) we include the cost of each item and a total cost to show what the patron saved by using the library vs. buying.
60 votesThe product team will review this idea for consideration for a future release.
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Expand invoice record fields that can be exported from Create Lists
Create Lists allows staff to create review files of invoices, but a number of useful fields from the invoice cannot be exported from the system. Notably the subtotalamt, shippingamt and totaltaxamt fields, which can all be accessed via both SQL and the RestAPI, are missing from the export options.
We would like to see these added so that fuller invoice data could be exported into something like Excel for further accounts reporting and tracking.
13 votes -
Recycling Bin Feature for Clear Expired Holds & Holdshelf & Notices
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…
8 votes -
The patron selfreg form should record the origin IP in the patron record
To inform the blocking of IP ranges from which bad actors are abusing the /selfreg form, record the origin IP in a varfield or new fixed field on the patron record.
If a varfield, the default of an x-Note would suffice, but make this varfield tag customizable via one of the administrative interfaces. Historically speaking, Admin Corner would have been the go-to place to make this customization.
7 votes -
Add timestamp to "Suspended" field in user account
Problem:
Our practice is to suspend user accounts when a staff member leaves, rather than delete it, so that we can copy the necessary permissions when a replacement is hired. We then try to delete the accounts after 6 months, but there is currently no method within the Admin App or SQL that tells you when a login was suspended, so we have to track that manually.
Value: adding a timestamp to this field would enable us to more seamlessly manage user accounts for our large consortia and ensure that unnecessary logins are periodically purged.
7 votes -
Add "mark damaged items" workflow to checkin
Staff need an easy way to make an item "damaged" when performing check-in. The current damaged workflow requires staff to be in the patron account.
All of our libraries have book drops, and every day, damaged items are returned. It doesn't make sense for library staff to stop their process, review the item record, and then review the patron account details in order to mark an item as damaged.
Can the "Mark Damaged Items" button that appears in the checkout function (checked out items) screen be added to the check-in window. I have attached an image where we would like…
21 votes -
Rearchitect iiirecord.record_metadata to provide improved audit trail accountability
It is sometimes helpful to see who created, updated or deleted a record. Catmaint provides a lot of detail but doesn't cover many record types. I propose the following solution, which doesn't have particularly burdensome storage requirements:
- Build a many-to-many table with an id primary key column, a timestamp, a code indicating the C-R-U-Uprevious-D record operation and foreign keys linking to record_metadata.id and to iii_user.id.
- Backfill this new table using the available timestamps in record_metadata, catmaint and any other table like catmaint which might provide record edit history.
- Rename record_metadata and drop its four *_gmt timestamp columns. Yes, this creates…
13 votes -
Improve patron address parser to better map data to the patron_record_address table
Sierra has a mechanism for parsing the free text entered into patron address fields in the client into separate fields for elements such as city/state/postal code that exist in the patronrecordaddress table. Those distinct fields may then be searched in create lists or utilized in SQL queries. However, the algorithm used to parse out those data points is extremely rigid in terms of the data it expects to see and is quite prone to mapping data incorrectly if an address entered into a patron record does not conform to those guidelines.
For one common example in our system…
24 votes -
Add an API endpoint which permits writing to review files
Currently, when a query is beyond the capabilities of Create Lists, it is usually possible to use a SQL query with Python to produce a report. Such a report might list record numbers of bibs/items/orders/patrons/etc which bear further examination and correction by library staff, but staff must copy record numbers or barcodes in the report and paste them into the SDA to pull up the records in question. It would be much easier if an API endpoint permitted those record numbers to be written to a review file so staff can go through them one-by-one in the SDA.
Another use…
10 votes -
Limit duplicate invoice warning by vendor
When using import invoices, Sierra will warn staff if they are about to process an electronic invoice that shares an invoice number with one already in the system. This can be quite helpful as it's very easy to accidentally download an invoice multiple times if you're not careful.
However, recently one of our libraries has found that two different vendors have been producing invoices for them using the same numerical range and these are leading to false duplicate warnings.
It would be helpful if the duplicate check compared both the invoice number and the vendor code, instead of just the…
5 votes -
Add a Stat Group When Creating a Patron API Key for Vendors
This proposal suggests enhancing the Patron API key creation process by incorporating a Stat Group field, allowing staff to categorize API keys by vendor and track their usage using existing reporting tools. The proposed enhancement would modify the API key creation window to include an optional Stat Group field towards the bottom. If left blank, the default stat group (zero) would be assigned, maintaining current functionality. This change addresses a common issue where vendors do not implement the stat group provided by the library, often resulting in API-driven transactions being categorized under stat group 0. This leads to inaccurate or…
24 votesThe product team will review this idea for consideration for a future release.
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Expand Window for Create List Export Criteria Display
When exporting from create list the pop-up window can be expanded, but the box displaying the criteria (chosen fields) cannot. We often export more fields than can be displayed within the box. It would be helpful to allow this box to show more of the criteria in a single view so that we can both check what is being exported and easily note what is included when attempting to add the same export to a different list. (We have already maxed out the number of saved exports.) Expanding the window provides an empty space underneath the section displaying the criteria.…
7 votes -
Make pop-up windows remember size and location
When creating a new bib record and using the insert drop-down box, the windows always open in the same place and the same size. If I change the location or size of the window, I have to do it EVERY TIME. This is very annoying. Let me set those parameters and make them permanent for my login.
9 votes
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