SCLS Technology News

New Help Desk software

SCLS will be switching to new Help Desk software on Tuesday, September 6th!

Why are we switching?

• The software we currently use for Help Desk tickets is no longer supported and will lose functionality in October

What’s the new software like?

• The new software has similar functionality but is more user-friendly
• There will still be a User Portal for library staff to submit and manage their own tickets
• Tickets can still be created via the Help Desk Portal, by sending an email, or by calling the Help Desk

What will change?

• The new Help Desk Portal will be available from both inside and outside the SCLS network
• There’s an app (if you’re into that kind of thing… 🙂)
• To use the Help Desk Portal, library staff must have a library-branded email address to create an account (no @gmail.com or @hotmail.com addresses!)
• We will add Knowledge Base articles for self-service
• Portal differences – Library staff can…
  • resolve tickets
  • edit comments
  • more easily add multiple attachments to a ticket
  • add comments to Closed tickets (which will re-open them)
  • add additional accounts to CC: on the ticket

What does SCLS staff love about the new software?

• It is more user-friendly and has additional functionality that may be implemented in the future

How will we get to the new Help Desk portal?

• The new Help Desk portal address will be announced in an email the week before Go Live

What do library staff need to know to use the new Help Desk Portal?

• The new Portal will function similarly to our current Help Desk Portal
• It will be accessible from inside AND outside the SCLS network
• Library staff will need to have a library-branded email address to create an account. Without an account, you may still submit tickets by calling the Help Desk or sending an email.
• Library staff will continue to receive ticket updates via email

What will happen to the old Help Desk Portal and any open tickets?

• Please try to close any open Help Desk tickets before Sept 6th
• Beginning on Sept 6th, SCLS staff will move any remaining open tickets to the new software
• The old Help Desk Portal will be unavailable after Sept 6th

We expect there may be an occasional hiccup as we transition to the new software. We look forward to your feedback (and patience) as we get adjusted!

Help Desk number changes

In March 2020, we temporarily changed our Help Desk number to better provide support while working remotely.  On Monday, November 29, we will switch back to our original Help Desk number and add a new toll-free option:

• (608) 242-4710
• (855) 583-2148 (toll-free)
  
  

Your library will be receiving updated "SCLS Technology & ILS Support" cards in Delivery. Please review and share this information with all staff at your library and be sure to recycle the old, outdated “SCLS Technology & ILS Support” cards.

As a reminder, the SCLS Help Desk is available Monday through Friday, 8:30am until 5pm. Issues can be submitted by phone, Help Desk portal, or email.  After-hours support for urgent system-wide or building-wide issues will continue to be provided using the after-hours support phone number.

The SCLS Help Desk is a service for library staff only.  Contact and support details can be found here: https://www.scls.info/technology/help.html.  Please do not share this contact information with library patrons.

SCLS Technology Contacts

Do you have an idea for a new technology that you would like SCLS to consider supporting? Great! Each SCLS Technology services member library now has a Technology Contact. Take your idea to the contact at your library and, if appropriate, they will submit a ticket via the SCLS Help Desk. You will find a list of contacts on the SCLS Technology support page (https://www.scls.info/technology). There is also a new email list that will be used to communicate about SCLS technology services. Contacts are automatically subscribed, but anyone from any SCLS library may subscribe. To subscribe, look for the Existing Lists link on the SCLS technology support page.

Image by Colin Behrens from Pixabay 

Social Distancing and PCs

As libraries are starting to provide curbside service and planning for the future, we have received a couple questions and inquires about patron and staff PCs.  More specifically about moving PCs to help with social distancing once allowed to open up again.  If your library has the space to move PCs we can help plan what to move and where, as well as making sure there is an internet connection. For libraries with limited space we can also make some recommendations too. 

For libraries that already have a plan about PCs that’s great!  Please submit a help desk ticket and let us know what you are moving just so we can keep our records up to date and accurate.

For more information and help please submit a help desk ticket or email Craig Ellefson, or Emily Waring.

The end of Windows 7

As you may have already heard, Microsoft is ending support for Windows 7 on January 14, 2020. This means Microsoft will discontinue all support and all updates, including security updates.

If you've been keeping up with your PC rotation plan (replacing 1/5 of your PCs each year), you should be prepared and all of your PCs should already be running Windows 8.1 or 10. If you've fallen a bit behind or you're not sure where your library stands, the rest of this post is for you!

What you can do

Check your library's Workstation Status Report and confirm that your library's PCs are up-to-date (in terms of both age and "installed OS"). If they're not, plan your replacements now! You can consult this recent blog post for ordering deadlines.

SCLS plans for SCLS-supported Windows 7 PCs

SCLS-supported Windows 7 PCs will be turned off on March 31st, 2020. If a major vulnerability is found between January 14th, 2020 (end-of-life) and March 31st, 2020, SCLS reserves the right to remove Windows 7 PCs immediately.

Windows 7 PCs not supported by SCLS

• Self checks and sorters - ILS staff will communicate with libraries about plans for Windows 7 self checks and sorters.
• SCLS-as-ISP computers - If your library has Windows 7 computers that have SCLS-as-ISP network connections, you should plan to replace these PCs. The library is responsible for any security issues introduced by computers on SCLS-as-ISP connections.

Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

The new wireless system is coming!

SCLS wireless will be changing

You may have already read in the Tech Committee reports or heard at an All Directors meeting --- wireless will be changing! Why? The SCLS equipment has reached end-of-life. The new system that SCLS has selected (Meraki) will be cloud-based and will eliminate the need for SCLS server room equipment.

The rise of wireless

When we implemented our current wireless system in 2011, most libraries had a small number of Access Points (APs) and there weren’t huge numbers of library and patron-owned wireless devices. Now, in 2019, *everything* wants a wireless connection --- laptops, tablets, smartphones, smart watches, printers, copiers, and even TVs! When we move to the new wireless system, SCLS will likely recommend your library increase the number of APs so you’ll be prepared for the future and you and your patrons will have the best possible wireless experience!

Where are we at now?

• SCLS staff have been testing the new APs and writing documentation
• We’ve been formulating plans for deployment
• We’ve been piloting the new APs at SCLS for the past 2 weeks (if you were at SCLS recently for a meeting, you may have already used the new wireless!)
• We will begin 2 library pilots soon

What’s the timeline?

We hope to begin library deployments in July and have the project completed (if possible) by the end of the year.

What libraries need to know

• SCLS will need floor plans for your library!
  To help with planning and for documentation in the new system, SCLS would like to request digital floor plans for your library. Start thinking about what you have and where you might find these. Details will be included in a future email to the link-directors and scls-ew lists.
• SCLS will cover the cost of replacing libraries’ existing access points
  Libraries will need to cover costs for hardware (APs, power injectors, etc), port fees, and cabling for any additional APs added to the library.
• SCLS will likely recommend additional APs for libraries
  SCLS staff will use their experience with wireless and knowledge of your buildings to recommend a number of APs we believe will provide excellent wireless coverage for years to come. Dan will be talking more about this at the July 16th All Directors meeting.

So… for now, start tracking down floor plans for your library and watch for next week’s email!

Upcoming OverDrive changes

As part of our authentication improvements, we will be switching OverDrive authentication for libraries on the shared ILS (aka LINKcat) to real-time authentication. The switch is scheduled for Tuesday, October 16^th. 

What’s new?

• For everyone:  There will be two system-level entries in the login screen for SCLS patrons.  Patrons who don’t choose their individual library’s listing and instead use the general “South Central Library System” will have these options:
  • "South Central Library System – LINKcat libraries"
    South Central - LINKcat Library*
    
    • This entry is for patrons of libraries on the shared ILS who use the LINKcat catalog
  • "South Central Library System – Albany, Amherst, Marshfield, Monticello, Pittsville, Rio, Vesper"
    South Central - nonLINKcat Library*
    • This entry is for patrons of libraries who aren’t on the shared ILS system
• For LINKcat patrons:  Changes in Koha will be reflected right away in OverDrive (new cards, renewed cards, barcode replacements no longer need wait overnight to log into OverDrive)  The downside of this is if Koha is down, OverDrive authentication will be down.

What’s the same?

• For everyone:  Each library will still have their own individual listing in the OverDrive login.  (It’s only the system-level login option that’s changing.) 
• For everyone:  When a patron gets a replacement library card, library staff will still have to use an OverDrive Marketplace account to log in and merge the patron’s old barcode and new barcode. 
• For everyone: SCLS still only allows OverDrive access to patrons who live in the SCLS service area.  Patrons who live outside the SCLS service area will continue to use OverDrive through the library system associated with their residence.
• For non-LINKcat patrons:  Authentication for libraries not on the shared ILS will not change.

* 10/16 Update - After seeing the changes in action, it was clear that these longer entries did not always display enough text, especially in the "Libby" OverDrive app. We have shortened these entries up as well as added a helpful error message for LINKcat patrons who might mistakenly select the "nonLINKcat" option.

Changing authentication for Online Resources

Evaluating SCLS authentication services

As you probably know, SCLS provides authentication services for Online Resources  (OverDrive, Flipster, Ancestry, WorldCat, and others, as well as many library-subscribed resources).

One of the projects on the 2017 and 2018 Technology Plans was an evaluation of the SCLS authentication service, which included investigating commercial products which could potentially replace our home-grown solution. Our initial review of possible options didn’t yield a clear winner, and some other time-sensitive projects have cropped up in the meantime. For these reasons, we’ll be making some changes to the existing system and picking up the evaluation of possible products again in spring.

Upcoming changes

In upcoming months, SCLS staff will make a number of changes to both improve statistics as well as simplify support for SCLS staff. Some of these changes will include:

• Authenticating LINKcat OverDrive users against the live Koha database (instead of against yesterday's data)
• Making updates with vendors and scripts to improve availability of vendor-provided COUNTER-compliant library statistics
• Sending BadgerLink traffic straight to BadgerLink (as opposed to SCLS authenticating users and sending them to the vendor)
• Eventually, doing live lookups of LINKcat patrons against Koha instead of against yesterday's exported patron data

Additional details about all of the above can be found in this document (pdf).

What this means to SCLS libraries

After SCLS staff make changes...

• links to many databases will change, and libraries will need to update these on their websites
• usage statistics for library-subscribed databases will be more accurate
• usage statistics for BadgerLink databases will be available for in-library use only (but will be more accurate)

More information will be shared here on the SCLS Technology News blog, as well as with various email lists and the weekly Top 5 as SCLS staff begin to make changes.

Plans for MyPC in 2018

Survey results

Thanks to everyone who weighed in on the recent MyPC/Papercut survey! The responses to the open-ended questions were especially helpful. We've compiled some rough results and shared them in this Google doc for anyone who's interested.

Plans for MyPC in 2018

We haven't made many changes since going live with MyPC, applying only a few quiet, behind-the-scenes upgrades to address bugs. In 2018, MyPC will be undergoing some bigger changes, outlined below. We are just beginning the preliminary planning and will share details and timelines with the list as we have them. Please invite folks at your library to sign up for the scls-timeandprint email list to stay in the loop.

New staff admin site for Guest Passes
TBS, our vendor for MyPC, has developed a staff admin portal to take the place of the Guest Pass application. Our first change in 2018 will be to install, configure, and document this new portal and then transition libraries from the standalone Guest Pass application to the staff portal. We must move to the new portal because the old Guest Pass application is not compatible with future versions of MyPC.

MyPC server upgrade
Once we're settled in to the staff admin portal, the next step will be to upgrade MyPC on our servers. This will result in some feature enhancements and bug fixes which we hope will address some of the issues mentioned in the survey feedback.

MyPC client upgrade
Once the servers are upgraded, the last step will be to upgrade the MyPC client application on library PCs.

Original photo by Charles Deluvio 🇵🇭🇨🇦 on Unsplash

Mobile hotspots: post-pilot plan

The SCLS mobile hotspot pilot project is well underway. Staff hotspots have been out at libraries since late June, patron hotspots since late August, and the two mobile circulation kits are available for reservation.

SCLS staff met earlier this month to talk about the future of hotspots and shared this "post-pilot plan" with the pilot libraries. The plan includes details about end dates for the pilot project, vendor contact info for libraries interested in getting their own hotspots, and service considerations. The good news? If your library has only an occasional need for a staff hotspot, you can continue to borrow one of the SCLS mobile circ kits through the end of 2017.