System Circulation Heads Meeting Minutes

Large Conference Room

Systems Office

Bangor

10am – 2pm

October 21, 2003

Present:  Joyce Rumery (ORO), Jerry Lund (ORO), Casandra Fitzherbert (USM), Barbara Higgins (BPL), Stephanie Ralph (LEG), Louise Hinkley (MSL), Janet Brackett (FAR), Dale Kuzcinski (LAC), Christine Hepler (LAW), Greg Stowe (LAW), Laura Gallucci (SYS), Janet Babb (OCS), Stephanie Bresett (FK), Nancy Fletcher (PI), Judith Clarke (AUG),

  1. Minutes from the November 6, 2002 meeting were approved.
  1. Jerry Lund(ORO) agreed to be secretary of the day
  1. Janet Brackett (FAR) was elected the new Circulation Heads Chair.
  1. Patron cleanup and fine swapping
    1. Laura Gallucci’s (SYS) suggestions for revisions to patron clean-up procedures were approved (handout 1)
    2. Fine swapping. Stephanie Bresett (FK) asked if a statement of charges could be printed and mailed every summer to encourage return of materials.  The System Circulation heads agreed that each library would attempt to send out statements to these patrons each summer.  Libraries that did not or could not add these fines to patron records in ISIS would make an attempt to do so.  (added, L. Gallucci, 01/05/2004).NOTE:  At their November 2003 Meeting, the Library Directors resolved to do the following with regard to fines and fine swapping:

                                                               i.      The Directors resolved to keep the patron records of patrons with exceptions in URSUS indefinitely.

                                                             ii.      Because these patron records would be kept indefinitely, fine swapping was not necessary.

                                                            iii.      Recommended that at the next circ heads meeting, we resolve to put this info in the circ heads document.

  1. Course Reserve records :  Committee agreed to adopt the proposed section to the standards document regarding Course reserves (handout 2) but to investigate using all caps in the titles of Course reserve records.  All caps take up considerable amount of real estate and are hard to read.  The all caps in titles convention is also used for temporary order records and on the fly records.  Catalog standards committee needs to be consulted to consider relaxing this practice.  Work needs to be done to harmonize the different sections of both standards documents so that they support each other in the treatment of temporary record creation.
  2. Notices: 
    1. MilCirc notice printing:  It is not possible to print Millennium notices to a local printer; however, Release 2 Phase 3 will enable staff to use a system printer with a fixed IP address. Innovative will configure up to ten system printers for free. Those wishing to print from Millennium Circulation should provide Laura Gallucci with the IP address of a networked printer.
    2. Text of requestor circ notices:  Dale Kuczinski(LAC) pointed out that the notice text for systemwide requestor notices causes confusion at USM.  USM patrons often confuse which library is their home library because USM has four libraries.  Committee agreed that systemwide requestor notice should not be changed, but USM libraries should have their own. 

c.       E-mail bills and fines:  Janet Brackett (FAR) asked if anyone was doing this, was it possible.  Yes, possible.  Committee agreed to start sending bills and fines by e-mail.

d.       Copies of Circ e-mail notices:  Committee agreed to explore this possibility.  Update:  as of Jan 04, this is not possible due to system options limitations.  It is not possible to send cc of notices to only one cc address for one library.  Issue tabled until further notice.  2/04 L. Gallucci

e.       Bounced email addresses. Let Laura know if you want to set up a bounced email account.  Must use an URSUS e-mail account for now.  Update:  set up for all interested libraries as of 2/04.  L. Gallucci.

  1.  Maine InfoNet
    1.  Request function, renewals and fines:  Louise Hinkley (MSL).   There are a lot of issues regarding InfoNet transactions.  Some of these are:

                                                               i.      Hold Cancellations, overdues and bills for MINERVA patrons.  Are these being generated as they are on URSUS?  (Update:  recently addressed with Karl 1/04.  L. Gallucci)

                                                             ii.      Renewal issue:  Materials loaned to InfoNet libraries are not supposed to be renewed.  On the URSUS end, there is a six week loan rule for MINERVA.  Is there a comparable loan rule on the MINERVA end for URSUS? (Update:  Yes, and this loan rule also has no renewal.  Asking Karl about what is causing this problem).

                                                            iii.      Training:  URSUS staff feel that more training is needed for other Maine InfoNet libraries because of the amount of books they receive improperly processed.

                                                            iv.      Requestor:  URSUS staff are constantly canceling holds on materials that may not circulate to Maine InfoNet patrons, but circulate to URSUS patrons.  How can these cancellations be prevented?  Update:  the solution to this problem is to create ghost item locations that map to non circulating status in InfoNet.  This is a complicated solution and likely to be tested in the summer 04. L. Gallucci

                                                              v.      Delivery service:  S.Bresett(FK) agreed to send along delivery site list. (Done and posted).  Committee agreed that a consistent address scheme (either codes OR full addresses) needed to be provided. 

                                                            vi.      Other:  Circ staff agreed to send along other issues.  Update:  as of 2/04, have received no new issues.  L. Gallucci.

    1. Report on InfoNet meeting.  Brief discussion about outcome of meeting ( no resolution to any issues that we are aware of).
    2. Procedure Maine InfoNet notices:  Gallucci (SYS) (handout 3)
    3. Visiting patron function: Brackett (FAR) 

                                                               i.      Because of this function, technically courtesy cards are now free.

                                                             ii.      How does visiting patron function check patron?  Checks on mblock status.

                                                            iii.      How does requestor check patrons? Checks local loan rule and determiner tables, as well as mblock field.

    1.  Blocks on items: Brackett (FAR)  Same issue as 7.a.IV.
  1. Nelinet Strategic planning session:  Hinkley (MSL)  No one heard any news as of this meeting. Update:  Nelinet recommended their governance proposal, the MSL is in process of figuring out funding for project.  2/04 L. Gallucci
  2. Multi User Card – Brackett (FAR)
    1. Holders of multi user cards cannot use reserves.  (ex.  If a USM class is held at Far, USM students cannot use Farmington reserves).
    2. Local logons is an issue (ex.  USM class at FAR, USM students do not have a Novell Network account to get on the computers).
  3.  Pickup at a library other than the patron's home library --  Ralph (LEG). Considering going to cards.  How does this work?  “No pick-up at sites and centers only at campuses. There are no checkout terminals at sites and centers and staffing is minimal.”
  4. Loan rule field changes since last release – Gallucci (SYS) (Handout 4)
  5. Millennium ILL pilot project – Gallucci (SYS)  Millennium ILL is in pilot mode at Fogler, used for books only.  Possible demo at Spring meeting.
  6. Duplicate checking on new patron records -- Gallucci (SYS)  This is not officially turned on, although system options indicate that is should be. Committee agreed to turn on.  Turned on 10/22/03 L. Gallucci
  7. Finding items with outstanding holds for your library. Gallucci (SYS) (handout 5)
  8. Peoplesoft update -- Gallucci (SYS)  Faculty staff patron load transition is complete. 
  9. Millennium enhancements release 2002 phase 3: Gallucci (SYS) (handout 6)
  10. Contact list and minutes for archiving:  Gallucci (SYS)  On Library support, an updated contact list will be generated, as well as the archiving of minutes. 
  11. Other: 
    1. Issues resulting from Multi campus use:  (Brackett/FAR) UMF hosts masters level classes through a program at USM.  USM students coming to the UMF campus cannot use reserves if a UMF professor teaching class puts materials on reserve (UMF checks out reserve items to UMF students only).  Should the multi user card be extended to include borrowing privileges now?  Marilyn’s suggestion, borrowing privileges at the course level, but how to do it? Looking into creating discussion about this at the Director’s level.
    2. Billed items are renewed when renewed in a group of legitimate items in MilCirc.  This problem is currently in software engineering at III.
    3. Faculty renewal dates.  Somehow faculty are able to renew overdue materials for over six months when the Loan Rule restricts it to 90 days.  Reason:  The problem is that the loan rule due date changes while the material is still out because professors never return the materials on time.  When the material is renewed, the new settings never suspect the material is overdue, but the loan rule knows enough to know that it is a renewal, hence it renews the material for 90 days after the current due date (usually 1 semester plus 90 days at that point).