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  1. For some fragile items that we don't want to put in transit (e.g. telescopes, vinyl records), we want to be able to limit check-ins to the owning location. We can communicate these limits to patrons on our website and through signage or labels, but we'd like there to be an option within Sierra to generate a pop-up (with an option to override) so staff are alerted to tell the patron they have to bring the item back to another location.

    8 votes

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  2. It can be useful to check the number of users in each group currently logged in to Sierra. In our case, there is a self-checkout group that should have a specific number of logged-in users throughout the day that requires monitoring.

    The number of users in each group logged in to Sierra over the course of the day is available by SSH (in Admin Corner, "Number of INNOVATIVE users by hour").

    Monitoring this information in an automated way is not straightforward. Admin corner can send an email, but only from an interactive SSH session. It is possible to automate an…

    1 vote

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  3. I would like to add an optional parameter to the Sierra API endpoint for checking in items to allow for backdating those transactions as you can within in the client as it may help with automating some projects.

    For an immediate example, I have identified a number of items that were not removed from the checkout table correctly due to locked patron records, where the were placed in transit and I can see a time the checkout ought to have occurred via the in transit message. I would like to write a script to correct these failed checkins once they…

    5 votes

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  4. Currently, the notices for Current Checked Out Items allows for daily or weekly scheduling, but it would be handy to have the ability to set this at a longer time frame such as monthly, quarterly or by semester as most of our materials check out for much longer periods of time (16 weeks or longer generally), and some users find the weekly reminders tedious.

    Either the option to set the automated notices to a longer time period, or the ability for patrons to choose a longer reminder period (opt in to weekly, monthly, etc notice) would be very helpful.

    5 votes

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  5. Each week staff go into Create Lists and repopulate a designated review file with current data from a system-generated list. Two examples of system-generated lists include the OVERDUE ITEMS and PURCHASE ALERTS files. It would be great if our site could schedule Sierra to identify a specific list number and replenish or refresh the contents of it with most current system file's data. This would make the task fully automated. It's important to our system to be able to designate which list or review file number to use for each system-generated file job, however. We are a consortium and our…

    2 votes

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  6. Improve diacritic searching in Sierra to include Semitic languages, especially Arabic! We have a fair number of Arabic books in out collections, and a large Arabic community, but Sierra support for Arabic characters does not seem complete. We often find that Arabic letters in Sierra is replaced by a white square, which seems to mean that the character is not supported. The names appear fine in Vega but the non supported letters do not seem to be indexed in the search results. This is an important language for members of our community and support for it is important in our…

    9 votes

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  7. 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 faster way to change the user. At this time you must first remove previous user (Admin - Clear Permissions) and then add new user (Admin - Set Permissions). Staff suggested one function that would both Clear previous and Set new Permissions. E.g. Set Permission could remove the old user and then ask the new user. We set up macros for both functions so staff can use them instead of drop-down menu. However, I suppose…

    3 votes

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  8. One of our branches uses shielded RFID pads, and the software could hook in to their previous ILS and context switch the current RFID action (tag on, tag off, no change) depending on the active function screen by overlaying a screen over the ILS to track the toggling.

    Can support for this functionality be offered for Sierra? I assume it would involve working with the RFID vendors to get it up and running.

    The current workaround is to use Sierra macros to trigger the RFID function change, but this is reliant on staff remembering to press the keys which may…

    2 votes

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  9. In the print/send orders function, it can be easy to accidentally upload an order to a vendor multiple times. As a means to mitigate this error I propose a two part feature.

    As a first step, the system should provide some indication when viewing the orders to ftp queue if an order has already been ftp'd once. I could see two methods for accomplishing this. 1) Add a column to the queue display for sent date, taking the most recent date present that has been appended to the ISBN pick field in a record from having been previously sent. 2)…

    30 votes

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  10. 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.

    16 votes

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  11. Can we get some new skins to choose from for the SDA/Sierra Web?

    There are currently two: Half Dome & Glacier Point.

    We currently use colors to differentiate between our Production instance of Sierra & our Test version. However, we also have a Training database.

    Variety is the spice of life! How about a rose-colored skin, a powder blue, or a "Millennium Green" as an homage to the Millennium database?

    24 votes

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  12. Persistent Column Resizing in Summary Tab:

    Currently, users can resize columns in the Summary Tab (Orders, Items, and Holdings) during a session. However, these adjustments are not retained after the session ends, requiring users to reapply their preferred column sizes each time they log in.

    I propose an enhancement to allow users to permanently save column resizing preferences across sessions. This feature would greatly improve usability and efficiency by enabling a more customized and consistent interface tailored to individual workflows.

    This enhancement would benefit users who frequently manage data within the Summary Tab by reducing repetitive actions and ensuring a…

    9 votes

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  13. I had first suggested this over a decade ago when at another library that was struggling how to balance its combination of branch & research library users & the sort of requests they might make. While no longer there, I still see it as a potentially useful means for staff to develop their request processes & create limits within limits.

    What I'd like to see is the ability to not only set a hold threshold, but as is the case for the Max Items A-D allowed as applied to checkouts, allow a similar breakdown for holds.

    Optimally, this would allow…

    16 votes

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  14. Passkeys are both easier for people to use and safer than using passwords and PINs. Passkeys allows users to sign in to their account using the same mechanism they use to unlock their device - fingerprint, face recognition, etc. There are a couple of good introductions to the benefits of Passkeys over traditional username/password credentials here:
    https://fidoalliance.org/passkeys/
    https://developers.google.com/identity/passkeys

    8 votes

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  15. Our catalogers would like the option when choosing a field and selecting "Move to Bottom of Group" that it could go to the bottom of the list of numbered tags it is part of instead of the field name of tags. An example is moving a 5xx field to the bottom of a list of other 5xx fields, and not to the bottom of the record if there is an 852 (also a note) field.

    10 votes

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  16. The ability to log into admin corner, view all users and with one click disable them (not delete, but deny them log in access) would be helpful for those with revolving part time employees.

    We have student employees that change out regularly, but sometimes they come back as graduate student help, etc within a short time.

    Being able to simply turn off an employees access and review it within a year or less to determine if it should be deleted or held would be helpful for keeping our staff accounts cleaned up.

    18 votes

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  17. When matching on an ISBN for record loading, it should be possible to limit the match to the first 13 (or 10) digits. There are often extraneous data in 020 subfield |a. There are now other subfields where that is supposed to go, but it frequently ends up in |a anyway, and then your record loading won't match.

    7 votes

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  18. The ability to create custom print templates is an essential component of many parts of the system. LX Starter is a viable replacement for the templates used for notices but not for the printing of things like due slips, spine labels, and hold slips that must remain within the SDA to support daily workflows.

    Print templates are designed in a third party software called Jaspersoft Studio, but Sierra's documentation lists version 6.0 as being the last supported version of that software. However, that version is roughly 10 years old and the installer only seems to exist as an old link…

    46 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.

    4 votes

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  20. We are a Consortia of 51 libraries with 25 Acquisition's Units. We would like to see how many copies each library has ordered. This was available in Encore.(see screenshot) Vega does not show order records at all so we would like to see more detailed information in Sierra. Currently, you can only see that other libraries have ordered, not number of copies (see screenshot)

    15 votes

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