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  1. 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.

    3 votes

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  2. As a consortium, our system has hundreds of location codes. We appreciate the new functionality to add locations to scopes ourselves, but it is cumbersome to scroll through the list of hundreds of branch entries each time to find the code you need to add. It would be helpful if there was search functionality, where you can type in the code, and it brings up the corresponding entry in the branches list for you to select.

    7 votes

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  3. In the PIN reset workflow, when a user enters a new PIN and confirms it with a different value, the message “New PINs do not match” is displayed. Currently, this string does not appear to be configurable via the messages.conf or messages_lang.conf files, and cannot be localized.

    This limits our ability to fully support non-English users and ensure a consistent and accessible user experience across the system.

    Suggested improvement:
    Allow the “New PINs do not match” message to be configured through messages.conf, using a key such as RESETPINSDONTMATCH, or by extending the functionality of the existing REQ

    5 votes

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  4. Currently the only hold parameters one can modify via the API are

    PatronHoldPut {
        pickupLocation (string, optional): the hold's pickup location code,
        freeze (boolean, optional): whether the hold should be frozen (suspended)
    }

    It would be very helpful if the Pickup By date – and while you're at it, the Hold Note – were added as modifiable parameters.  There have been many times when unscheduled branch closures or problems in sending hold pickup notices have caused us to want to extend hold Pickup By dates for items on the holdshelf.

    Having this functionality in an API endpoint would permit a…

    13 votes

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  5. Develop a utility to add new location codes to the so-called Branches table using a CSV file as input. Optionally permit updates (overlays) of existing location code entries so that the branch_code_num, name and/or is_public columns may be reassigned values in this way.

    Our library has very granular location codes which describe branch (or collection subset of a branch such as a display area), audience, format and genre, loosely speaking. This amounts to 220-250 location codes per branch (or collection subset). We currently have over 5,000 distinct location codes in our Sierra database, and every time a new branch is…

    9 votes

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  6. For volume records, it would be helpful to have 'volume' listed as an option in Admin - Settings - New Record Templates (see attachment). When adding volume records, it would be helpful to have the desired 'volume' template appear in the same way our item record template appears. Currently we have to always select the volume template we want to use. All the other options are listed and it would be nice to have 'volume' listed as well.

    6 votes

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  7. 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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  8. Because our library does not use fines, having the "Failed to acquire fines payment lock. If not cleared, fines payments cannot be processed" message is of no utility for us. We'd love multiple users to be able to view a patron record without this message showing up.

    7 votes

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  9. Sierra has a mechanism for parsing the free text entered into patron address fields in the client into separate fields for elements such as city/state/postal code that exist in the patronrecordaddress table. Those distinct fields may then be searched in create lists or utilized in SQL queries. However, the algorithm used to parse out those data points is extremely rigid in terms of the data it expects to see and is quite prone to mapping data incorrectly if an address entered into a patron record does not conform to those guidelines.

    For one common example in our system…

    22 votes

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  10. Despite the constant threats to our funding & the fact that some seem to treat the notion of DEI as offensive, we continue to want our library to be seen as a welcoming & inclusive environment for our patrons.

    We would like to be able to extend this to how their name is represented in Sierra & on notices/when seen in the catalog. We currently have a sort of crib sheet for staff to use to insert diacritic characters into patron names as needed, but think it would be helpful if they didn't have to navigate away from Sierra when…

    14 votes

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  11. The high demand hold report is a powerful tool that sums system items and system holds.

    Adding a "hold status" and "item status" pre-search limiters would vastly improve the use of this report

    Why add these limits?

    There is no Sierra product (including Decision Center) that allows users to deselect frozen holds from “total holds” count.

    This report counts "system holds" as any hold with any status (including item holds that will be filled by "in transit" item)

    This report counts "system items" as all items (including billed and missing) so there is no way to know how many items…

    14 votes

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  12. Our library wants to provide the patron validate role to our vendors.
    But, we do not want to give the vendors any read or write roles.

    We do this now with several vendors, but the authentication does not update the "last circ activity" field in the patron record.

    Is it possible to add a new permission that would only allow authentication but update the "last circ activity" field in the patron record.

    Why add this feature?
    Our library purges patron that don't circulate for X number of years. We don't want to delete patrons that are actively using our eVendor…

    17 votes

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  13. Staff assisting any customers who cannot pickup all their ready holds at once, would benefit from seeing and sorting the expiry date of holds in the patron's holds list. This will assist with preventing their holds from expiring and being placed again.

    7 votes

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    An item's status and pickup expiration date are displayed in the status bar at the bottom of the Holds page as an item is highlighted/selected. While you can't sort by the expiration date, this information is displayed on screen for staff users.

  14. 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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  15. PROBLEM: When I search for an item via F3 Search/Holds, after finding the desired item and clicking to place the hold, a popup screen appears called "Search for patron." If I don't have the library card number but instead type in a name, and there is only one matching result, there is no way to preview whether that patron account is truly the correct one or not. Plus, for libraries with multiple branches, it is helpful to see the preferred pickup location.

    SUGGESTED SOLUTION: in other areas/screens, there is a small i (info) button that one can hover their cursor…

    8 votes

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  16. It would be nice if there was a setting in the Receiving function to limit your search to only items available to be received. We search by PO and have to wade through loads of items already received and billed. This was available years and years ago on the old Horizon system.

    9 votes

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  17. The Situation: Our library's room checkout suddenly shorted to a hard limit of 6:00pm. I discovered that last year's spring break hours were listed in the Hours Open table and last year spring break occurred earlier in March.

    The Problem: Entries in the Hours Open table do not include the year. If the year was included, hour checkout issue wouldn't have been an issue.

    Solution #1: Add the ability to include the year to Hours Open table. Default to the current year but have the ability to change the year.

    Solution #2: Revamp the Hours Open table. Modifying the Hours…

    8 votes

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  18. This proposal suggests enhancing the Patron API key creation process by incorporating a Stat Group field, allowing staff to categorize API keys by vendor and track their usage using existing reporting tools. The proposed enhancement would modify the API key creation window to include an optional Stat Group field towards the bottom. If left blank, the default stat group (zero) would be assigned, maintaining current functionality. This change addresses a common issue where vendors do not implement the stat group provided by the library, often resulting in API-driven transactions being categorized under stat group 0. This leads to inaccurate or…

    22 votes

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  19. This idea came from a discussion at the IUG2025 Sierra Reporting Forum.

    It would be very useful to provide an endpoint to assist with gathering/generating the sorts of circulations statistics that would normally require SQL access. However, the all or nothing nature of SQL permissions is a barrier that prevents many users from being permitted to access those features. With the API on the other hand a user could be limited to simply having read access to an endpoint such as this, along with likely the bib and item endpoints so that they may craft reports without also having to…

    21 votes

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  20. Keeping our systems secure with SSL certificates is essential. Certificates need to be renewed and there is a service commitment to handle this process. But there is a better way. SSL providers can be setup to automatically renew and deliver an updated SSL certificate to our systems when their expiration time approaches.

    This idea is for Innovative to support software-only site with setting up an automatic SSL renewal process thereby keeping our systems safe from expiring certificates and making the process worry-free.

    18 votes

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