System Circulation Heads Meeting Minutes

Absent: Dale Kuzcinski (L/A), Nancy Fletcher (PI), Jeanne Parker (Mac), Janet Babb (OCLS)

Agenda Items:

I. Call to order and approval of minutes

Meeting called to order

Stephanie Bresett volunteered to be secretary

Approval of February minutes

No corrections

Janet Brackett made a motion to accept. Greg Stowe seconded the motion. Minutes were unanimously approved.

II. II. Borrowing libraries and overdues (Clarify fines and replacement fees) (Laura, SYS)

· Summary of issue:

The terms “intralibrary” and “overdue charges” used in the circulation policy manual are confusing. Laura asked to change those to “On Site” and “Penalties”; respectively.

· Summary of discussion:

Everyone agreed it was a positive change for the circulation policy manual.

III. III. New look to policy manual (Laura, SYS)

· Summary of issue:

Laura is hoping to use the circulation policy manual as a guide for the cataloguers’ policy manual. In so doing, Tim Pellet has converted our policy manual into a web format. Laura wanted feedback from the group about whether we liked it or not; the format; the design; manageability; etc.

· Summary of discussion:

Stephanie B. likes the printing features. Janet Brackett likes the “easier to manage” aspect, but suggested a cosmetic change. Laura will ask Tim Pellett to add some white space between the two different text boxes on the web page.

IV. IV. Statements of Charges Update (Laura, SYS)

· Summary of issue: Laura has been investigating the statements feature of Millennium. A feature has been turned on in Millennium that now makes the Home Library the return address on the statements. Running statements provides a list of items that our patrons owe, but not statements for our items that other patrons owe. As a system we need to decide if we are going to use the statements feature. Based on the functionality of the software, it is best if all libraries run statements. This would provide statements to all patrons who owe money to all libraries.

· Summary of discussion:

1. Stephanie B. asked how many libraries will partake. No definite answer given.

2. Laura says this is a summer project because some libraries such as BPL have a large volume of statements.

3. BPL has many patrons who do not have email addresses in their records. This means mailing statements. This is cost and labor intensive. BPL needs to consider this more thoroughly.

4. Issue is tabled to give all libraries more time to consider the ramifications. BPL will work with Laura to see if there are solutions/alternatives to sending statements to such a large group of patrons. The issue will remain on the agenda for future meetings.

V. V. Course Reserves training modules

· Summary of Issue: An auto-suppression feature has been turned on in Millennium. This feature operates as such: if there is a course record without item records attached to it, the auto-suppression will make this course record and items invisible in the webopac. If there are course records whose items are all listed as inactive, those records will also be invisible in the webopac. Laura has uncovered that Millennium does not function properly when it discovers a blank field. In the course reserve records, the CCode fields are empty. Laura created a list that contains course reserve records that have blank fields. She will update these records by March 25, 2005. Laura wanted to make sure that we understood this auto-suppression feature and that we wanted to use it. Laura will create the course reserve tutorial as soon as possible. This will be the last tutorial done for circulation. She will shift her focus to serials and acquisitions.

· Summary of discussion:

1. Stephanie B. was concerned that her current inactive items were already gone from the webopac. Leslie K. checked the webopac, all records seem intact. Laura explained that there is an additional “engine” that item records must go through before they are recognized by the auto-suppression feature. Since FK’s items had not been recently entered into Millennium, they have not yet gone through the “engine” and would not be suppressed.

2. The group agreed to continue to use the auto-suppression feature.

VI. VI. a. and b. Remains tabled, c. reminder not to renew items that have been billed.

VII. VII. Other: Laura informed us that Millennium was releasing an upgrade in October 2005. This upgrade will force serials and acquisitions to use Millennium. The Telnet version of URSUS will not be functional enough to handle the daily tasks required in serials and acquisitions.

Unfinished business

· Policy manual update (update Multi User card section) (Laura, SYS)

· Updating authentication database (Janet, FAR)

Meeting adjourned.