SCLS Technology News

Ordering moratorium expired - now accepting orders again

The Ordering Moratorium has expired, and we are now accepting orders once again for PCs, laptops, and other items your library may need to check out materials to patrons.

Thank you, everyone, for your patience during the transition to our new location!

Original photo by Erda Estremera on Unsplash

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!

Major change to LibLime platform on July 21

There will be a major change to the LibLime platform on the evening of July 20 and morning of July 21. Reports, databases and self checks will be affected. Libraries with self-checks should make sure that there is someone on staff who is able to make changes to self checks and sorters on the morning of July 21. Read more in the LINK news blog post. 

Zoho Assist for remote patron PC support

Thank you to everyone who responded to our survey to gauge interest in using Zoho Assist to remotely support patron PCs. We have finalized our internal procedures and libraries with SCLS-supported patron PCs may now officially sign up to participate.

Description of the Zoho Assist service
Social distancing has become necessary with the presence of COVID-19, and this makes supporting patrons using library computers a challenge for staff. Libraries that sign up for Zoho Assist will be able to use the Zoho Assist software to remote into SCLS-supported patron PCs, and even talk to patrons using chat or headset, without leaving the reference desk. The service will be available now until August 2021 at no charge.

Documentation and FAQ
Many of you submitted questions about the service. We have posted Zoho Assist documentation and answers to these questions here: https://www.scls.info/zoho-assist

How to sign up

• Decide who will be your library's "Zoho Liaison"
  This person will work with SCLS on user accounts and rollout.
• Request accounts for participating staff
  Have your library's Zoho Liaison fill out the Request a Zoho Assist technician account form for each staff person at your library that will participate in the service.

After your library's accounts have been requested, SCLS staff will contact your library's Zoho Liaison to discuss next steps.

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.

Wireless project update

The move to Meraki wireless has begun!

Progress

In June, we shared a little bit about the project and requested library floor plans to help with planning and documentation for the new system. We had a phenomenal response, receiving plans from almost all of our libraries! (for those that couldn't provide plans, we understand -- sometimes they just don't exist!)

At the July All Directors Meeting, Dan shared more information about the new system, including costs. Shortly after the All Directors meeting, we asked libraries to fill out a short survey about their wireless coverage, and since then we've been hard at work making recommendations for number and placement of wireless access points for libraries.

BIG THANKS to everyone who filled out the survey, provided feedback about current and desired coverage, and answered our follow-up questions with additional information!

Current status

As of this first week of September, 26 of our 53 library sites with SCLS-supported wireless have decided on the number of APs for their location. 10 of these libraries are actually live on the new Meraki system. Some of these libraries are working on having additional cabling installed, and some are just waiting for us to schedule their install dates. There are also a handful of libraries that are still waiting for AP recommendations from us based on wireless site surveys we've requested from a vendor --- we hope to have these for you later this month.

Documentation

Support and report documentation for the new system can be found here:

• Support: https://www.scls.info/enterprise-wireless-support-meraki
• Reports: https://www.scls.info/wireless-reports-meraki

Questions

If you have any questions about the project or the recommendations for your library, please contact the Help Desk!

Database renewals and stats

Database renewal timeline

As you may remember, the season for database renewals through WiLS is quickly approaching. Here are all the details about the timeline: https://www.scls.info/reference/eresources/database-renewal.html. As you prepare to make decisions about renewal and new subscriptions, you may be interested in usage statistics for your subscriptions. Read on for more info…

Changes to authentication and database stats

In 2018, we made some significant changes to authentication to improve the accuracy of the stats that are available. Prior to the changes, the only counts we had were pulled from script log files and gave a very rough count of how many users requested a particular resource. After the changes, users were authenticated and put into the correct library account so that vendor usage statistics could be used. The vendor usage stats provide a more accurate picture of how much the resources were actually used. Details about all of these changes are included in this Technology News blog post. Where possible, the vendor-provided stats were pulled into data dashboards on the "Online Resource Usage Statistics by Library" webpage. 

Data dashboard stats

Locally-subscribed resources

The SCLS data dashboards for locally-subscribed resources include dashboard tabs for databases where 1) a large number of libraries subscribe, and 2) the statistics are easy to obtain by library. This dashboard is updated on a monthly basis and include tabs for these resources:

• Ancestry
• Consumer Reports
• Flipster
• NoveList Plus
• Transparent Language

OverDrive

The OverDrive dashboard includes tabs for Checkout by Month (updated Monthly), Checkout by Format (updated Yearly), and Costs (updated Yearly).

BadgerLink

The BadgerLink dashboard will be updated bi-annually (in January and in mid-July). We will add tabs for additional BadgerLink resources as statistics are available.

Stats that aren’t included in the data dashboards

If you are interested in statistics for resources that aren’t included in the SCLS data dashboards, your best option is to contact the vendor.

Additional notes:

• Chilton – A link to Chilton Library stats was emailed to subscribing libraries. If you need this info again, please contact Brian.
• Gale – A link to Gale stats was emailed to subscribing libraries. If you need this info again, please contact Brian.
• ReferenceUSA – Libraries subscribing to ReferenceUSA should have received account information for running stats by email around January 23rd. If you need this info again, please contact Brian.
• ValueLine – The account for FCH, MFD, MID, ORE, VER, and WAU is a shared account and does not break down usage by library. This is the only vendor/account (that we are aware of) that cannot provide by-library usage statistics.

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!

Changes to the Online Resources Usage Statistics

What’s changing

• SCLS has new data dashboards for Online Resource usage statistics:
  https://www.scls.info/online-resources-stats
• SCLS is now providing better vendor-provided and, where available, COUNTER-compliant statistics like those DPI wants on the annual reports. (In short, how much people actually used a resource.)
• SCLS is discontinuing statistics pulled from script log files. (The log files were “gate counts” of how many people requested access to a resource and not actual usage.)
• SCLS is proposing changes to the update frequency for the BadgerLink and Locally-Subscribed Resources data dashboards.

Background

Last year, SCLS made changes to the authentication system to:

• Authenticate LINKcat users against live Koha for OverDrive and Online Resources
• Improve availability of library-specific COUNTER-compliant statistics by updating vendor setups and our authentication system
• Send BadgerLink database links on SCLS webpages straight to BadgerLink for authentication

Plan for 2019 and forward

This year, we are changing how we provide usage statistics for Online Resources.  However, due to the increased work required to obtain and process the numbers from multiple vendors and formats, we are looking at changing the update frequency for some of the dashboards.

• Data dashboards with vendor statistics
  • Focus on COUNTER-compliant statistics like those reported on the DPI annual reports
  • Include graphs to show trends over time
  • Provide the option to download the associated data files in a spreadsheet format.
• The data dashboards won’t include all resources. The three dashboards will include:
  • Locally-subscribed resources
    • Includes dashboard tabs for databases where a large number of libraries subscribe and the statistics are easy to obtain by library
    • Proposed update frequency: Twice a year (January & July)  Monthly
  • OverDrive
    • Includes dashboard tabs for checkouts by format, checkouts by month, and costs
    • Proposed update frequency: Monthly
  • BadgerLink
    • Includes dashboard tabs for resources reported on the DPI annual report
    • Proposed update frequency: Twice a year (January & July)

Feedback appreciated!

Please take a look at the new dashboards and give us your feedback by filling out the form at https://goo.gl/forms/HhojBeL4nGThooGQ2

Reminders

• There’s a new scls-databases email list that staff can subscribe to for news and information regarding online resources.
• Also, if you haven’t done so yet, please update links to BadgerLink resources on your library’s website. See https://scls.typepad.com/scls_technology/2018/10/update-your-links-to-certain-online-resources.html for more information.

SCLS-hosted Drupal websites moving to new web server November 5-8

During November 5-8, SCLS staff will be moving 60 live and beta Drupal websites that we support to a new hosted solution outside of SCLS Headquarters. This move will allow SCLS staff to continue administering these sites on a scalable, reliable, industry-standard platform with improved support for our staff. To make this move, we are asking for cooperation (and some patience) from those who maintain library websites.

Complete website maintenance/updates before November 5

If you need to put something on your website to have it available during November 5-8, make sure it is added before November 5. This includes any edits that you do while logged into your Drupal site, or any file transfers you do using FileZilla, Dreamweaver, or other SFTP client.

Watch for status updates during November 5-8, and be prepared for small amounts of downtime

• Sites will be up and available for viewing for MOST of this time.
• Sites will be moving to the new server one at a time, 10-20 sites per day, during business hours.
• While a site is being moved to the new server, it will experience a brief (hopefully less than ½ hour) period of downtime, when it will display a maintenance message.
• Don't plan on making website updates during November 5-8.
• SFTP access will not be available November 5-8.

Plan for resuming normal website maintenance tasks by November 9

• Rose will email the scls-drupal email list with the list of sites whose moves were completed each day and update the Status Wiki.
• Once your site's move to the new server is completed, you can resume edits that you do while logged into your Drupal site.
• SFTP access will be restored on November 9 after all the site moves are completed.

Libraries should be able to resume all normal editing and SFTP processes on November 9th and should not notice any differences in how their sites look or behave. In the end, you can expect little-to-no change in your website maintenance experience, but our maintenance operations will be more efficient and secure.