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318 results found

  1. 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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  2. 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.

    24 votes

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  3. 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…

    6 votes

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  4. 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.

    21 votes

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  5. 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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  6. Currently Sierra permission 109, update uncataloged records, is tied to whether or not the bib record has a CDATE (no catalog date) field. It would be great if permission 109 could be customized by a library to be controlled by another option outside of just the presence of the CDATE field. For example, we use field 31 to control the level of cataloging of a record (including full MARC) and to suppress the bib. It would be helpful if we could tie the codes from that field to this permission. It's worth mentioning that permission 109 and the presence of…

    3 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 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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  8. 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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  9. We would like the ability for authorized/admin level staff to collectively shuffle multiple holds, so those at the bottom of the queue can be selected & moved to the top. Their order at the top wouldn't necessarily matter, as long as the group were all advanced in the queue.

    Use cases: item recalls, where tech services staff have to place dozens of holds on items, all of which wind up at the bottom of the queue & need to be shuffled individually/manually.

    Book club: we had a situation recently where staff at one branch cancelled holds on book club items…

    2 votes

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  10. Support team told us Sierra isn't designed to supply hold request date for cancellation notices. Please consider add it. thanks

    6 votes

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  11. 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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  12. I just learned that Scheduler Output MARC records can't send an FTP password that includes the characters [{}"/

    It will let me save a task with such a password and spend months trying to figure out what's wrong. If it can't deal with a particular password, it should give an error saying what's wrong with the password.

    8 votes

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  13. Idea Description
    If system generated review files could appear in Global Update/Rapid Update Review File dropdown list without even downloading them to Create Lists first that would save so much time.

    It's a normal part of my daily workflow to upload records using Mobile Worklists or Data Exchange, copy them into Create Lists and manipulate the file in Global or Rapid Update. 

    Idea Value
    With the file appearing in the dropdown list in Global/Rapid update, the file can be manipulated as usual AND users wouldn't have to remember to empty the Review File (which was only created so it could…

    36 votes

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  14. Sierra now supports SAML for authenticating staff, but still allows users to authenticate without MFA using the less secure Sierra legacy authentication method. Sierra should allow administrators to require SAML authentication instead of always allowing users to choose SAML or Legacy.

    5 votes

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  15. Since becoming a III customer in 2008/2009, it's baffled me that we don't see a representation of the total number of notices sent daily via autonotices, but instead see the Notice History feature, which shows the number of items for which notices are sent.

    I think it would be far more useful for statistical purposes if the number of notices sent for each notice type was what's recorded & shared by Sierra.

    11 votes

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  16. Our library uses the icode1 field as a statistical category code. We'd like to be able to define our icode1 values, with codes and labels stored in Sierra and visible to staff. Currently we keep a list of codes and their meanings stored in a shared drive and have to share it with our cataloguers. Staff can see the "stat category" field in item records, but there's no translation anywhere in Sierra and the userdefinedicode1_myuser SQL view is blank.

    24 votes

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  17. Currently, the ability to override a hold block is governed by permission 92.

    A hold might be blocked for a number of reasons. Staff might attempt to place more than the max number of holds allowed for a customer. They might place a hold for a customer on an item they already have checked out, etc.

    One scenario especially has been problematic for as long as I can remember:

    A patron finds an item on the shelf & takes it to a service point to check out. It turns out that this item can satisfy a hold placed by another…

    7 votes

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  18. Enhance cybersecurity by not revealing the api methods through the swagger interface to unauthenticated users. For example, a potential hacker can view the swagger interface which shows all methods and explains how to use them. This is an issue on all api endpoints including the iii sandbox. My idea is to only reveal the swagger methods to authenticated users.

    https://sandbox.iii.com/iii/sierra-api/swagger/index.html#!/patrons

    6 votes

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  19. As ILS administrators of a large consortium, we would like the RFID Server Options Table to have an additional field/column to add notes (library name, dates, staff initials). When one of our member libraries needs to change RFID entries, we sort through nearly 200 lines to determine which one needs updating. Many entries use IPs without identifying library information. We must read through old library correspondence to discern which IPs belong to the library. This task takes up valuable time when we are trying to assist a library with troubleshooting or adding and removing entries.

    An additional free-text field to…

    15 votes

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  20. The current cap of 99 invoices downloadable per day can impede & dictate staff workflows.

    Because of this, our Acquisitions staff must also set limits with vendors like Baker & Taylor, as we can receive more than 99 in a day. It would be optimal if they could download at will up to invoice limit.

    Not all shipments are dealt with sequentially, which further complicates matters.

    13 votes

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