Skip to content
Innovative Idea Exchange

ILS - Sierra

JUMP TO ANOTHER FORUM

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

281 results found

  1. It would be nice to have more control over Sierra pop ups. Like if you are checking in a large amount of items it is really annoying to click ok every time the item is set in transit - you most likely already know these items are going in transit!

    Also when creating a library card it would be good to be able to set a pop up "are you sure you wish to save a library card without (for ex) PIN code"? Sometimes you don't need that, but that is really rare.

    8 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. Several years ago we adopted context logins. We have established that a 1 tier login will not work for us.

    CURRENT STATE : Our Regional Library consists of 39 branches in almost as many cities. To distinguish the branch of our Sierra users we currently use a two-tiered login. This login process allows us to continue to use generic branch accounts while meeting our obligations to protect customer information. The two-tiered login allows us to collect branch-specific data and apply unique user settings, options, and settings.

    The drawback is that our staff must login twice and it may pose an…

    8 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. Would love to see the word "replacement" changed to a word that gets at the actual status. Currently the charge type of "replacement" is used for a long overdue item that has been billed or a damaged item that has been billed. To find out if the item that has been billed is damaged or just hasn't been returned you have to go into the item record to see if a damaged note has been added.

    8 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. Libraries with varied types of media in their collections require more location information associated with items than a shelfmark. We would like to see a Current Location field as standard in the item record. This field must be included in the data libraries for item paging notices as retrievals staff will need this information on retrievals lists/slips.

    Idea Value
    To record the exact location of items within the buildings, which will facilitate retrieval of less standard items or special collections items that are not easily stored in a standard sequence. Current location data is essential for museums accreditation.

    8 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. We use the hourly patron borrowing reports in Web Management Reports to track patron visits at offsite hold lockers. We would like to have this report migrated to Decision Center since this is the tool already in use by our frontline staff.

    8 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. There are 3 options in the "claim return" workflow at checkin.
    1) Checkin items (with no fines) and change status to missing.
    2) Checkin items (with no fines) and change status to claims returned.
    3) Leave items checked out (send overdue notices) and change status to claims returned.

    We always select #2, but we cannot stop staff from accidentally selecting #3. This is troublesome for us because in the #3 workflow customers get an email overdue notice when they have already told the library they have returned the item - and customers can be quite upset about this.

    Is there…

    7 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. Data Exchange should determine if a file being loaded is in UTF-8 or MARC-8 format before loading. If it is MARC-8, it should be converted to UTF-8 before loading.

    I want to be clear that I'm not talking about using the MARC bit that supposedly identifies if the character set is UTF-8. That cannot be trusted. I want a system like the character detect feature in MarcEdit, that will actually look at the characters in the incoming records and determine what character set they really are.

    There are still a lot of MARC-8 records out there, and it is not…

    7 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. There are times staff need to place holds on multiple items that are in a review file (we are working on a collection and need to change something about a group of items) and it's time consuming to go item by item. It would be nice to place bulk item holds on items in a review file.

    7 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. Sierra 6.5 saw the move of the process for restarting terminal sessions from our text-based management tool to the Sierra Admin App. While I'm chuffed enough about that to be writing this enhancement idea on Thanksgiving Day (and to be using the word chuffed), I'm hoping further development can make it even better & restore some of the functionality from the admin app that isn't available in this updated interface.

    Specifically, I'd like to be able to restart a range of terminals (for example, all staff sessions), mirroring the Restart Multiple Terminals option in text-based. Yes, we can check a…

    7 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. To inform the blocking of IP ranges from which bad actors are abusing the /selfreg form, record the origin IP in a varfield or new fixed field on the patron record.

    If a varfield, the default of an x-Note would suffice, but make this varfield tag customizable via one of the administrative interfaces. Historically speaking, Admin Corner would have been the go-to place to make this customization.

    7 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. Sierra uses a particular Load Table to determine how bibliographic records are overlaid when new records loaded via Remote Search (i.e., downloaded from another library catalogue using Z39.50)

    According to Sierra's documentation the default Load Table is "m2btab.b", but Innovative can configure Sierra to use another one if desired.

    We have found that certain projects call for different Load Tables because different sets of fields should be retained, discarded, or inserted. It is possible to change to a different Load Table for remote search temporarily (or modify the current Load Table), but that would affect all cataloguers for the duration…

    7 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. Ability for patron to add money to their Sierra patron account (via self-check) to pay for future fines, fees, and printing. We are looking to go mostly cashless, but some patrons aren't able to get credit cards (like our young patrons here after school). Our self-check machine takes cash, which would allow patrons to print and pay fees/fines with cash, even if the staff doesn't have a cash register.

    7 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. 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

    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. 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

    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. 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

    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. Searches of Innovative databases that contain authority records using Z39.50 search do not return authority records.

    The ability to search for an authority records would contribute to the quality of the database and make it easier to generate linked data.

    7 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. Currently, in order to maintain the out loc field in an item record while it is checked out for libraries with auto-renewal, the actual renewal location statistic group number must be zero. This is frustrating as the zero stat group number does not display in reports and we need all renewals to appear in reports. There needs to be a way to retain the out loc in an item record when the renewal stat group number is not zero.

    6 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. When a new library card is created in a month, Sierra auto-populates the expiration date for the card as next month +3 years, but this has to be manually adjusted every month by the Circ supervisor. It would be nice if Sierra could automatically set the expiration date for library cards created every month.

    6 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. Additional options for patron blocks would be amazing and allow additional control for libraries to select what integrated systems or circulation services are available. e.g. Block self-service options in the library (SIP2 or API), however, allow holds to be placed through discovery layers.

    The controls don't have to be limited to this. Adding the functions and options to select how these are applied from Sierra, rather than relying on integrated systems to control this would be great.

    6 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. Problem:

    Currently, the "Prioritize Paging Open Locations First" feature and the "Prioritize Hold Fulfillment at the Pickup Location" feature for Title Priority Paging are incompatible. When you have both turned on, pages will skip closed locations and page at an open location, but will not allow the hold to be filled because there is a copy available at the hold pickup location. However, the hold pickup location is not paged for that item since paging skipped that location, so they don't see that patrons are waiting. This causes staff confusion and also impacts how quickly a patron can receive their…

    6 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?