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  1. For volume records, it would be helpful to have 'volume' listed as an option in Admin - Settings - New Record Templates (see attachment). When adding volume records, it would be helpful to have the desired 'volume' template appear in the same way our item record template appears. Currently we have to always select the volume template we want to use. All the other options are listed and it would be nice to have 'volume' listed as well.

    7 votes

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  2. In the PIN reset workflow, when a user enters a new PIN and confirms it with a different value, the message “New PINs do not match” is displayed. Currently, this string does not appear to be configurable via the messages.conf or messages_lang.conf files, and cannot be localized.

    This limits our ability to fully support non-English users and ensure a consistent and accessible user experience across the system.

    Suggested improvement:
    Allow the “New PINs do not match” message to be configured through messages.conf, using a key such as RESETPINSDONTMATCH, or by extending the functionality of the existing REQ

    5 votes

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  3. Library staff would like to be able to see more details on holds that have been placed, including how the hold was placed (Sierra Desktop vs. SierraWeb vs. Web vs. mobile app, etc.) and who placed the hold (Sierra login if not the patron).

    Right now, it is not consistent how holds information is displayed.

    If you view holds w/in a patron record (holds tab), you don't see when the hold was placed or how they placed it. However, if you View Cancelled Holds, you see the date/time it was placed, along with the date/time it was cancelled, along with…

    36 votes

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  4. Sierra supports Z39.50 but not SRU. Remote search and import/overlay of records from SRU-only sources seems to be increasingly important. We have begun to encounter potential partners who are no longer able to offer Z39.50 access because their systems only support SRU; likewise, we would like to be able to offer SRU ourselves to maximize interoperability.

    GPL-licensed software is available to add SRU support to Z39.50-capable systems such as Sierra (for example, CQL-Java, yazproxy and metaproxy):

    https://www.loc.gov/standards/sru/
    https://www.indexdata.com/resources/software/cql-java/
    https://www.indexdata.com/resources/software/yazproxy/
    https://www.indexdata.com/resources/software/metaproxy/

    2 votes

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  5. It would be great if the logic & momentum that introduced Send To - Rapid or Global Update in Sierra 6.3 & will soon allow the same shortcut to Delete Items could also be applied to Globally Purge Charges.

    The state of Ohio has a statute of limitations on debt collection that has us purging money owed longer than 5 years on a weekly basis. While this is bazonkers IMO, apparently it's also the law of the land, & it would make the process much more quick & convenient if we could select a file in Create List, navigate to…

    4 votes

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  6. The Situation: Our library's room checkout suddenly shorted to a hard limit of 6:00pm. I discovered that last year's spring break hours were listed in the Hours Open table and last year spring break occurred earlier in March.

    The Problem: Entries in the Hours Open table do not include the year. If the year was included, hour checkout issue wouldn't have been an issue.

    Solution #1: Add the ability to include the year to Hours Open table. Default to the current year but have the ability to change the year.

    Solution #2: Revamp the Hours Open table. Modifying the Hours…

    8 votes

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  7. For testing purposes, it would be beneficial to be able to make a backup of a patron PIN, assign a new temporary PIN, perform the testing from the patron's perspective, and then restore the original PIN. This way we would not have to inconvenience the patron by asking them to reset their PIN when testing has completed.

    We can retrieve the encrypted PIN with this API GET request:
    https://library-app-server:443/iii/sierra-api/v6/patrons/patron-record-number?fields=varFields
    but the PIN string will be re-encrypted if we attempt to write it back using the patron record PUT request. We would like to have the option of passing a directive…

    4 votes

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  8. 5 votes

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  9. Please add the ability to transfer an item-level hold to the bib level. In our system, holds automatically attach to an available item. When the item that has captured the hold is unavailable for some reason (ie. the item has gone missing), there is no easy way to deal with the hold if there isn't another available item. You only see the option to transfer the hold to another specific item. If these are all circulating or unavailable and there is a list of holds at the bib level, you cannot currently transfer that item hold back to the bib…

    1 vote

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  10. The Time to Holdshelf feature in Sierra is useful in keeping patrons from showing up too early to pick up their holds. As seen in the attachment "Discovery Layer View" – which in our case happens to be BiblioCore – the availability status correctly reflects that the recently checked-in item "Easter Mice!" is not ready for pickup because the item is en route to the pickup location (which in this case is a set of freestanding pickup lockers in a remote area of the county).

    However, the holds status as displayed in the SDA incorrectly reports the item as being…

    25 votes

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  11. Idea: Create an additional notice type, Hold Pickup Reminder/Courtesy, that can be configured to send a reminder notice to patrons that they have a hold ready for pickup that is about to expire, similar to the courtesy notice for checked-out items.

    Relevance: When you place an order for pickup at most other businesses, you are sent a reminder email before the pickup deadline that the item is ready for pickup. Libraries would benefit from a similar option, especially those that use hold pickup lockers where there is limited space for holds. This way, if a patron decides they don't want…

    35 votes

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  12. Problem: The text of emails sent when using the Approval and Denial notifications in Recommends cannot be currently altered. We would like to be able to provide more customer friendly email templates to patrons that allow us to explain why an item was denied or what the process is for items that are approved.

    Impact: Being able to communicate with our patrons at the outset of the process will save staff time by not having to have go back and forth with customers over email to explain processes and reasons for purchase requests. Additionally it will improve the customer's experience…

    5 votes

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  13. Idea: add the money owed fixed field as an option for a data point in the Bills Notice Data Library for print templates.

    Value: Some libraries would like to be able to call out to users how much in total they owe on their account, not just the total of the items on that particular bill. Adding this field to the data library would enable them to do so.

    5 votes

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  14. In Sierra, on Windows 11, when you click "Tile Vertically" so you can see multiple records at the same time, it makes the windows too long, so that the bottom of the windows get hidden behind the taskbar if it is locked. It does not do this if you maximize a record window, or if you use snap. It only seems to be the "Tile Vertically" function.

    We use this function a lot to compare records for deduplication, and it is really annoying to have to manually resize windows so you can see the whole thing.

    16 votes

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  15. Issue Description:
    At our institution, item record numbers in Sierra are either 8 or 9 characters long, including the check digit. We’ve encountered issues during import/export processes where 8-character item record numbers inadvertently match 9-character ones—particularly when the check digit is excluded—leading to data mismatches and processing errors.

    Proposed Solution:
    We suggest padding item record numbers with leading zeroes to standardize their length, which would help prevent unintended matches and improve consistency.

    Current Workaround:
    Our current approach involves separating items into two groups—those with 8-character and those with 9-character item record numbers—then importing them separately and merging the files manually.…

    1 vote

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  16. Problem:
    In the current version of the Sierra system, restricted or sensitive bibliographic records can only be suppressed from the public catalog but remain visible and accessible to catalogers within the system. This visibility creates the risk of accidental editing, publishing, or mishandling of these records, particularly:

    • Restricted Records: Some records are sensitive or confidential and should not be visible to all catalogers.
    • Records Under Review: Records undergoing auditing or verification need protection from edits until the review is completed.

    • Recommendation:
      Introduce a feature that allows the System Administrator or Cataloging Supervisor to hide specific bibliographic records within the Sierra…

    11 votes

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  17. There SHOULD be an OpenAPI definition document available for Sierra's APIs via Swagger, but currently, there is not.

    The OpenAPI definition document (https://swagger.io/specification/) is a standardized format for describing the structure and behavior of an API. It is a machine-readable document, usually written in JSON or YAML, that provides a comprehensive blueprint of an API's endpoints, operations, input/output parameters, response formats, authentication methods, and other essential details.

    For comparison, here is an example for the Polaris API / Swagger install (on an iii training server):
    https://polaris-training.polarislibrary.com/PAPIService/swagger/v1/swagger.json

    Benefits of an OpenAPI Definition Document:

    * Standardization: Provides a consistent format
    30 votes

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  18. Our consortium would like an automated way to update the encoding level to help with managing load profiles that use the encoding level priority function. It would be very helpful to add an API endpoint for updating all the MARC Leader fields. The 008 MARC field can only be used for updating some of the Leader fields.

    5 votes

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  19. Our library has very generous allowances for both checkouts & holds on patron accounts. This can sometimes come into conflict with Sierra's seemingly arbitrary system limits. For example, when these items go unreturned & result in replacement charges, which then cannot be added because of the imposed limits. Like my waist can no longer accommodate 32" pants, Sierra cannot currently accommodate the lending policies taken advantage of by some of our more active borrowers.

    I'm sure there are other examples where these limits can manifest, but attached is an example message recently seen by staff which reads:

    CANNOT ADD FINE…

    3 votes

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  20. Considerable time would be saved if bib records suppressed from public display (by way of a suppression code) were not included in the Headings Report. These bib records are typically from electronic sets or batches that amount to hundreds of records, some with several headings for each record.

    1 vote

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