SCLS maintains a Status Wiki ( http://sclsstatus.pbworks.com/ ) -- a web page with information about SCLS services that have known issues or planned downtime. Checking the SCLS Status Wiki can be done from any browser (even a browser on your phone!) and will quickly let you know if the issue you're having at your library is something that SCLS is aware of and/or already trying to fix.
As we head into our ILS migration in December, it will be important for all library staff to know about the Status Wiki and how to access it, as we'll be posting updates about the migration to the wiki. The Status Wiki is a quick and easy way to make information available to member libraries --- much quicker than the phone trees of days gone by, and much easier (hopefully!) to keep track of than multiple emails.
How does SCLS staff become aware that a service is down?
Most of the time, we become aware that a service is down when libraries call the Help Desk or put in Help Desk tickets (we always appreciate a heads-up about services that are down!). In some cases, we may receive notice from the vendor or run across the problem ourselves, and occasionally we will post notices ahead of time about services that will be unavailable because of planned maintenance (ex. planned maintenance by BadgerLink or a database vendor)
How quickly do SCLS staff post information about the status of a particular service to the Status Wiki?
The speed with which information about the status of a particular service is added to the Status Wiki depends on staffing, how much the phone is ringing off the hook, how much information we're still trying to gather about the scope of the problem, and who's working on the problem. Between 8:30 and 5, we have more folks who can pitch in to handle issues so the Status Wiki will likely be updated more quickly. On nights and weekends there is just a single person taking emergency support calls, returning calls, updating the Status Wiki, and submitting a ticket with the vendor, so getting information into the Status Wiki will happen more slowly. If a service is having issues or is completely down, we try to get the information posted ASAP. If it seems like the problem is only happening at a single library, we'll likely hold off on posting anything until we can confirm it's more widespread. Updates are added as more information becomes available.
How long is the delay while SCLS tries to fix the problem before SCLS acknowledges the problem on the Status Wiki?
As soon as we can confirm that the problem is system-wide or being reported by multiple libraries, we will post information to the Status Wiki. The SCLS Status Wiki was established as a way for libraries to quickly check if there are system problems and outages (eliminating a call to the Help Desk for known problems) and for SCLS to share an update as quickly as possible -- a better alternative to the old "phone tree" where it took at least an hour to disseminate information to all libraries.
If you have suggestions for ways to improve the Status Wiki, we'd love to hear them!
Comments