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  1. Sierra patron records should include a patron pronouns field, so that library staff can record customers' stated preferred pronouns and use the correct language in conversations and communications with customers. The field should be able to display in the Brief patron display. This step would help to support inclusion, wellbeing, and belonging in libraries.

    10 votes

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  2. In Sierra's invoicing function, when selecting an order record already paid, a pop-up box appears with a warning message stating, "ITEM ALREADY PAID FOR." Currently, the only option available is to click "OK," which immediately proceeds to the next step of entering the item's price on that paid order record. However, adding a button labeled "CANCEL" in the warning pop-up box would be beneficial to prevent staff from inadvertently continuing to pay for the item on the wrong record. Clicking "CANCEL" should close the warning pop-up without proceeding further, returning the user to the search results list. The "CANCEL" option…

    20 votes

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  3. As a default suppressed records are not included in the harvest stream. This becomes an issue when a harvested record later becomes suppressed in Sierra as the harvester does not know to remove it from its listings as its omission from the stream does not allow for identification of its suppressed state. I would recommend that the option to include suppressed records should be configurable as a harvest stream level, giving the library the ability to configure the inclusion/exclusion dependent on their business rules.

    8 votes

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  4. Technical Services Staff and Circulation Staff often ask for the ability to toggle between tabs in Check Out. We need to reduce repetitive keyboard strokes at checkout and this workflow requires staff to continually reach for the mouse during a circulation transaction.

    For example: There is no way to move from the patron check out screen to the patron holds screen without using the mouse to select the corresponding tab.

    The Check Out options (check out, checked, out items, holds, fines, check in, linked patrons, bookings etc) could be hardcoded to the drop down menu options so that Administrators could…

    8 votes

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  5. Our library recently started using LX Starter, which includes merge tags for the hold pickup location and expiration date in its template for hold cancellation notices. However, we've been told that Sierra doesn't pass this information to LX Starter and therefore this information can't be included in our cancellation emails. We would like to have this information added so we can provide additional information to our patrons about when and where their holds expired.

    15 votes

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  6. Do you want all of your patrons to receive due slips by email, every time they check out an item?

    Express Lane can be configured to automatically print a due slip, or allow patrons to choose between some combination of print or email due slips with an option to decline, but cannot be configured to automatically send an email due slip with no option to decline.

    In our special library, it is desirable to always send email due slips with no option to decline. We want our patrons, who are all employees, to receive this documentation for every loan for…

    5 votes

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  7. As the system administrator overseeing a 54-member library consortium, managing Offline File Processing is a routine responsibility. However, we often encounter delays in processing files because libraries don't consistently notify us when they upload offline files. This results in files remaining unprocessed until the next library contacts us, potentially causing unnecessary checkout delays. If we process the files too many days after uploading, additional errors may occur, making it challenging to track items adequately.

    An email notification for Offline File Processing would ensure timely handling of uploaded files. We could proactively monitor file uploads, swiftly process them, and promptly address…

    18 votes

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  8. The form endpoint is used to identify cases in which a patron must place a volume level hold or is restricted to an item's home library as a pickup location. Both of those involve item level specifics and yet the endpoint only works with bib records. This is an issue in particular with multi-location libraries/consortia who use the home pickup feature.

    As an example, a sample bib record has two attached items, one which uses the home pickup feature such that it may only be picked up at library A, and one that does not restrict pickup locations so may…

    1 vote

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  9. 1 vote

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  10. We occasionally have issues with staff abusing their ability to waive fines or deleting items inappropriately or accessing patron accounts outside of acceptable library operations. We would like to have a way to view these actions within a log file associated with each Sierra login (or filterable by login) so that these activities could be periodically audited by managerial staff and retroactively be reviewed when inappropriate system activities are believed to have taken place.

    23 votes

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  11. When a tickler has invalid data in the "Date (YYYYMMDD)" field, Sierra's nightly tickler process will fail and any ticklers on order records not already processed will not be sent. This failure will keep happening every night until the problem is discovered.

    For example, dates entered with dashes separating the elements ("YYYY-MM-DD") or with additional characters following the date ("YYYYMMDD - Note text here") will cause this kind of failure.

    In the absence of an easy way to search for invalid data in the tickler date field (e.g., Create Lists), it would be very desirable for Sierra to validate user…

    5 votes

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  12. The current documentation on loan rules, loan rule determiner, and float determiner table is very limited, and training on these important functions do not exist within Innovative's training & learning center. More comprehensive documentation with examples would help libraries better manage loan rules, and perhaps simplify how libraries' existing rules are setup.

    18 votes

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  13. We have implemented SDA Context User functionality so staff will open Sierra using shared library login and then add their own login (permissions). We would hope better indicator (e.g. color) so it would be easier to notice if personal login/permissions is added or not (or if someone has forgotten to remove their personal login/permissions). At this time when you open Sierra using the library login you can see "Sierra" and "local system name" on the upper left corner (in our case Sierra Helmet). When you add personal login your name (user account full name) will display too (in our case…

    1 vote

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  14. Hello Everyone,

    We are currently using the GET /v6/bibs/search API to take advantage of the AWS search integration, which has been working well. However, we’ve encountered limitations in filtering the search results by Material Type, Collection, Language, and Location.

    It would be highly beneficial if this API supported additional filtering parameters to narrow down results at the source. Relying on the client or webhook server to apply these filters adds complexity and can introduce delays in presenting results to the end user.

    Thank you.

    1 vote

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  15. We're currently dealing with a known issue in Sierra 6.2, where volume holds aren't being added to paging lists. Having discovered it on our end fairly recently, we've asked staff to continue running their paging lists for other items, but use the Manage Holds function to find & fill volume requests.

    The problem is that the current search retrieves such a high number of items. And while the search results display counts of the title number of holds, & the total number of bib, volume, & item level holds, you cannot currently limit them & make the Manage Holds report…

    7 votes

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  16. When users return the materials via self-check machines, we want an email receipt to be automatically sent to them. Unfortunately, Sierra does not currently support the AA element in the 10 Checkin Response. Some libraries purchased the Patron API feature to get it to work but if Sierra include the AA element, it will simplify the process.

    1 vote

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  17. Currently, authentication using the NCIP protocol does not update the CIRCACTIVE attribute in the patron account. We use this protocol to authenticate to a statewide ILL service and we'd like to know when cards are being used in this union catalog and not just our own.

    We use CIRCACTIVE to determine which cards are being used and which ones aren't. This is useful for statistical purposes, but is also linked to our patron database purge process.

    8 votes

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  18. The Item Code 1 field was going to solve all my statistical issues. I thought it had 5 characters and each character could be 0-9 which meant I could assign a meaning to each character. For example, the first character indicates agency (1 for CPL, 2 for ADL, 3 for BKM) and the second character indicates audience (1 for adult, 2 for young adult, 3 for juvenile, 4 for other) and the third character, format, etc. HOWEVER it turns out that the largest number this field can hold is 32767 which is weirdly random and very limiting when you want…

    5 votes

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  19. Similar to the keyboard codes (ex. %ENTER%), it would be useful to have a command code for today's date. In item records, we input the current date in a 995 field using a macro but must update our date macro each day. Being able to have a command for the current date would save time and lead to fewer errors when users forget to change the date.

    2 votes

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  20. Someone at CHPL is suffering from Polaris envy & suggested Sierra offer a comparable record to copy/duplicate patron records. They're hoping for a way to speed up the record creation process for families of 5 or 6 that visit the library together & all need to register for cards, which is apparently not an uncommon scenario. The ability to quickly replicate certain fields (address, home library, maybe phone, e-mail, etc.) from one record for x more should facilitate that.

    18 votes

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