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  1. 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.

    1 vote

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  2. 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…

    3 votes

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  3. Currently, only when you cancel a hold from either the Hold tab or the Hold queue do you get the option to generate a hold cancellation notice. When a defunct hold is cleared from the holdshelf (clear expired holds), we would like to see a prompt to send a hold cancellation notice(s), just as we do when cancelling holds outside of the clear holdshelf process. All those that get cleared could use the same “drop hold” message in the text of circulation notices (explaining your hold has been cancelled because it’s expired/hold pickup by date has passed). These would be…

    2 votes

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  4. 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 the Notices function.

    I had submitted a similar request that the shortcut be added to Globally Purge Charges & am wondering if this might be combined into one request or if it's easier to introduce them one at a time?

    Use case: each week, Cincinnati generates a list of customers sent a statement of charges (bill notice) via Create Lists. This list is then…

    3 votes

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  5. 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…

    10 votes

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  6. 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:

    1. 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.
    2. Backfill this new table using the available timestamps in record_metadata, catmaint and any other table like catmaint which might provide record edit history.
    3. Rename record_metadata and drop its four *_gmt timestamp columns. Yes, this creates…
    7 votes

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  7. 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…

    16 votes

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  8. Staff are really appreciating the addition of a 'Previous' button to the record creation process which allows them to back up and fix a mistake without having to go all the way through the process before returning to make a correction. Staff would like to see similar functionality within the Receiving process. We receive using the process that combines creating the item with receiving.

    Currently, for receiving an item, it will prompt you through the boxes to fill in the required information.  As you proceed through, if you make a mistake or skip something you have to cancel and start…

    4 votes

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  9. When a hold has been cleared or is defunct, the information Sierra provides integrated integrated systems (IMMS for our example) over API is not consistent In particular, when clear holds is run in Sierra. During clear holds, the item status either remains at ! On holdshelf or changes to another item status. When it remains as !, IMMS sees the hold is still active and does not instruct staff to clear the item from the hold shelf. Daily and weekly processes are needed to update the item records for IMMS to recognise the changes.

    Can the clear hold function in…

    3 votes

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  10. We have shelves for new materials, and item location codes for these ("new mysteries," "new fiction," "new DVDs," and lots more). Moving items from the new shelves to the regular shelves is a chore, both in handling materials and in knowing (and selecting) what location to change them to. It would be great if you could just get into a function in Sierra that would change the current item location (the "new" one in my example) to the permanent item location (a new field that would be added with this idea, which would catalogers would populate when the item was…

    5 votes

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  11. Today our Payment History file reached 9,999 records which is close enough to the 10k record capacity that the attached error message was displayed. Fortunately the staff member had the presence of mind to screen-capture this error dialog today so I could read its message verbatim, but this isn't always the case. It would be helpful for an error of this severity to be written to the System Messages log viewed using the web-based Sierra admin app.

    Given the low variety of error messages written to that log, there must be all kinds of similar messages which are not logged,…

    7 votes

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  12. 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…

    2 votes

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  13. There must be a configuration in Sierra to limit the number of holds can be placed at the bib level. We want to limit the hold count to number of copies in the Bib.

    1 vote

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  14. 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…

    1 vote

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  15. I recently learned that the fields included in the Expanded Display for patron records (when you rollover/click the i next to the record) are hard coded.

    I found this unfortunate, because what's shown in the Expanded Display differs depending on where you're viewing it, which in the case of patron records is either going to be in the Search/Find a Patron view or the Check Out mode view.

    Examples of where I see room for improvement here:

    1) When I search for a patron by name & come up with dozens of people with the same name, an identifier like…

    4 votes

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  16. 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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  17. I currently have a need for a Locations Served group which can accommodate 1,245 location codes. The limit imposed by Admin Corner is 1,000 location codes, and per case #08077395, Support asserts that Sierra will not support more than 1,000 location codes per Locations Served (so it's not simply a limit of the Admin Corner interface).

    Increasing this limit will potentially lead to a modest increase in memory consumption by any and all circulation processes which hold these Locations Served tables in memory, but do we really need to be concerned about Kilobytes of RAM in 2025? Other Sierra configuration…

    2 votes

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  18. It is very easy to accidentally overwrite a review file in create lists. There should be a pop-up that asks if you want to overwrite the file so that you know you're doing it.

    5 votes

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  19. 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…

    3 votes

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  20. Under the count use function, is it possible to add a location column? Currently, we have Title / Barcode / Count / Status. This way, when staff collects used but not checked out items and counts their usage, they can also see - at a glance - if the item belongs to a different floor/location and can separate it on the spot.

    This added information will save staff time and minimize the chance of something being misplaced.

    5 votes

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