Skip to content
Innovative Idea Exchange

ILS - Sierra

  • Hot ideas
  • Top ideas
  • New ideas
  • My feedback

286 results found

  1. We need the ability to report on items based on the fund used to purchase them. Recently, I was asked to create a list of items added to the database using a specific fund code. This cannot currently be done in Create Lists because there is no common field that links item records to their associated order records.

    Create Lists also does not allow us to pivot from an item record to its attached order record, or vice versa. This creates a significant reporting gap.

    This functionality is important because a single bibliographic record can have multiple items purchased using…

    4 votes

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)

    We’ll send you updates on this idea

    How important is this to you?

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)
  2. Please add the ability to report on patron record renewals. We currently use the Created Date field to track the number of new library cards issued. However, there is no reliable way to determine how many patron records have been renewed. While the Last Updated date changes whenever a patron record is modified, it is triggered by many different types of updates, making it impossible to distinguish renewals from routine record maintenance.

    Having the ability to track patron renewals would provide valuable statistics for monthly reporting to our Board of Control and Parish (County for the rest of you...) administration.…

    4 votes

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)

    We’ll send you updates on this idea

    How important is this to you?

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)
  3. We'd like the ability to attach a volume record directly from the Serials Check-in module. Currently, because this functionality is not available within Serials Check-in, staff must rely on workarounds and switch to other functions to complete the task. Adding this capability would streamline workflows, save time, and make the Serials module more efficient and useful.

    4 votes

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)

    We’ll send you updates on this idea

    How important is this to you?

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)
  4. The accounting transaction tables in SierraDNA allow you to query information you would normally only have access to via a retained posting register. However, it is hardcoded to only retain information for 2 weeks, which isn't enough time to do anything meaningful with that data.

    Ideally I'd like to see data for a full fiscal year but if there needs to be a limit for whatever reason, maybe tie it to the related payment history file.

    4 votes

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)

    We’ll send you updates on this idea

    How important is this to you?

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)
  5. Add a new Max Owed for Renewals within the Patron Blocks table that is separate from the Max Owed dollar amount/threshold. Sometimes patrons accrue more fines when renewing overdue materials via the online catalog or app on their own. Added charges from renewals online may also put them over the set threshold preventing them from renewing additional materials. The only way around the situation is for patrons to work with staff and the staff override the renewal using Sierra. When patrons use the "Renew All" feature in our discovery catalog and encounter the above issue, they are no longer able…

    4 votes

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)

    We’ll send you updates on this idea

    How important is this to you?

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)
  6. We've updated many of our data fields to have long names that make sense to front end staff who see patron and item records, however Create list sees the long name values when creating a list search, but the export of the data exports the system name. For example PCODE3 is called "Local Library" for our system, but a create list export defaults back to PCODE3. It would be nice to be able to export using the contexual long name so admins and create list users don't have to have a cheat sheet or remember what the system code is…

    4 votes

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)

    We’ll send you updates on this idea

    How important is this to you?

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)
  7. When a Sierra SDA login is created the system utilizes individual summary view properties for the various search functions. By default in cataloging if you open up the summary view of a record you see item records, in search/holds you see holds, in place orders you see orders and in serials checkin you see checkin records.

    However, when the staffer changes that setting from the record view properties menu (say to change this to view all), it can impact all 4 search functions. It would be better to split this review view summary option out so it may be set…

    4 votes

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)

    We’ll send you updates on this idea

    How important is this to you?

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)
  8. From time to time we'll see support tickets where, because of some glitch in the discovery layer, a patron has managed to place upwards of 60 bib level holds on a title.

    The holds need to be cancelled in Sierra, so you select 'All.' However, doing so, you still have to address each item individually with a series of additional pop-ups. Over & over again.

    This is just one example where I'd like to see selecting 'All' allow for making a single, batch change on the selected records.

    4 votes

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)

    We’ll send you updates on this idea

    How important is this to you?

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)
  9. As a consortium, we schedule several monthly jobs/tasks for all 78 library locations. Scheduler does not allow you to copy an existing job/task and apply it to another library. We had to manually add each job, even though the majority of the parameters were the same. (78 lib * 5 tasks each is a lot of manual work.) And/or we should be able to create a template to reuse.

    4 votes

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)

    We’ll send you updates on this idea

    How important is this to you?

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)
  10. For libraries using floating collections, the system should support automated redirection of duplicate copies at the point of check-in to other branches that do not currently hold a copy of the title.

    The system should surface eligible destination branches automatically, eliminating the need for manual title-level analysis by staff.

    In multi-branch library systems, the workflow should allow configurable prioritization rules to determine the destination branch when redistributing items.

    Prioritization logic could be applied in the following order:
    1) No copy of the title is currently available/on the shelf at the receiving branch
    2) Title (or item if not possible) has…

    4 votes

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)

    We’ll send you updates on this idea

    How important is this to you?

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)
  11. Sierras Homebound Patron Report currently excludes items that are checked in via selfcheck (SIP2). Since almost all check-ins in our libraries are done through selfcheck machines, the report provides an incomplete history and is not usable for tracking items checked in for homebound patrons.

    Please update the report logic so that all check-in methods, including selfcheck check-ins, are included. This would ensure accurate reading history and make the module much more useful for libraries that rely on automated check-in workflows.

    4 votes

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)

    We’ll send you updates on this idea

    How important is this to you?

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)
  12. We use the Repeated Bills feature, where after the bill is sent day 30, we send a repeat bill (#2) on day 40 and a final repeat bill (#3) on day 50. Unfortunately, when you run the Notice job for Repeated Bills, there is no way to tell whether the repeat being sent is for day 40 (#2) or day 50 (#3) except if you scroll through all of them and do the math as it pertains to the item status date. Staff haven't been doing that regularly. Ideally, there would be a column that showed you what # of…

    4 votes

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)

    We’ll send you updates on this idea

    How important is this to you?

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)
  13. 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/

    4 votes

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)

    We’ll send you updates on this idea

    How important is this to you?

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)
  14. With the increase in bot attacks causing DOSS downtime, it is important to be on top of server security. The Apache module "modsecurity" has been around for over 20 years and there is an active community creating rules (https://coreruleset.org/) to block bot attacks. I think that Innovative should include modsecurity in their Apache build and actively support or provide the option to its customers to include rules to increase server security.

    4 votes

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)

    We’ll send you updates on this idea

    How important is this to you?

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)
  15. 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…

    4 votes

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)

    We’ll send you updates on this idea

    How important is this to you?

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)
  16. 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

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)

    We’ll send you updates on this idea

    How important is this to you?

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)
  17. 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.

    4 votes

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)

    We’ll send you updates on this idea

    How important is this to you?

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)
  18. 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

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)

    We’ll send you updates on this idea

    How important is this to you?

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)
  19. When using Manage Holds, information about any recalls that have been issued for items on hold is not displayed.

    This information can be found by consulting the item record (right click, "Edit item", then open the item) and checking for a "Recall Date" value, but it would be very helpful for us if this information could be included directly in the Manage Holds results. For example, the "Hold Status" column could include indication of recalls to provide a fuller picture of the situation at a glance.

    This idea could be incorporated in work on the following related suggestion:
    https://ideas.iii.com/forums/951745-ils-sierra/suggestions/48633872-improve-standardize-information-available-when-vie

    4 votes

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)

    We’ll send you updates on this idea

    How important is this to you?

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)
  20. Z39.50 database display names are limited to 50 characters in Admin Corner, but the contents of this field is truncated (at some length < 50) when displayed in the "Selected Databases" dialog in Sierra.

    The 50 char limit may seem generous, but for multilingual organizations (and/or multilingual databases or those that just have long names!) it can already be a challenge to abbreviate the database name in each language to fit while still retaining sufficient information. Truncation of this field further reduces the functional length of the database name.

    As-is, the "Selected Databases" dialog can be dragged wider by the…

    4 votes

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)

    We’ll send you updates on this idea

    How important is this to you?

    We're glad you're here

    Please sign in to leave feedback

    Signed in as (Sign out)
  • Don't see your idea?