admin

admin

Scanning Grants

FYI - The digitizing grant program is still available from the BPL.  Here is the link to the grant form.

Scanning Grant Request

Someone from the Digital Services department at the BPL should be in touch after you submit the grant.  We are not sure how long that process takes.

Automatic Renewals


The following libraries in the network began an autorenewal process today:
Attleboro, Acushnet, Berkley, Bridgewater, Carver, Dartmouth (both locations), Dighton, Easton, East Bridgewater, East Freetown (both locations), Fairhaven, Fall River (both locations), Foxboro (Boyden), Halifax, Hanson, Lakeville, Mansfield, Mattapoisett, Middleborough, New Bedford (all sites), North Attleboro, Norfolk, Norton, Pembroke, Plympton, Rehoboth, Rochester, Seekonk, Somerset, Swansea, Taunton, Westport, and Wrentham.

Update: Marion and Wareham also now autorenew materials.

If you checked an item out at one of these libraries, any item that is eligible for renewal will be renewed 3 days before the due date and email/text notices will be sent alerting of that. If you normally receive Voice notification, you will not receive a call but your items should be renewed as well. You will then receive a reminder notice for any item due in 3 days that could not be renewed.

If your checkout library is not participating in the project, you will still receive reminder notices.

Auto-Renewal Info

1.  By Monday, August 20 SAILS will have made a change in all circulation rules that allow renewals so that the renewal due date will be from the original due date rather than from the date on which the item is renewed. This is viewed as a service to all patrons whether or not the library is offering AutoRenewal.  At the same time the rules will be updated so that patrons will not be able to renew items in Enterprise until 4 days before the item is due.  This is intended to prevent patrons from checking out an item and immediately renewing it in order to have it for an extended period of time.  Staff will be able to renew items at any time in Workflows. You may need to check the "seen" box to get an item to renew, if it is earlier than the original due date.
2.  By Tuesday, August 21 SAILS will have set up the necessary email and SMS reports to begin Auto Renewal for staff members from libraries that have opted in.  NOTE:  Auto Renewal is only available if the item type's circulation rules allow for a renewal and the patron has not reached the maximum number of renewals.

3. By Sept. 2nd, for public libraries who have opted in to this service, this is how it will work:

3 days before an item is due, the Autorenewal notices will generated.  Notices will be delivered either via Email or Text message.  Voice notification patrons will not receive a notice unless they have an email address in their record but their checkouts will be renewed as well if it is possible.
Only items that can be renewed and which have not reached their renewal limit are eligible for Autorenewal.  The due date of the Autorenewals will be based on the original checkout date.
Once the autorenewal notices are sent out a second reminder notice will be generated.  This will be different than the reminder notices that will go out to nonparticipating libraries because they will list items due in 3 days and specifically say they are no eligible for automatic renewal.  Voice notification patrons will receive a reminder notice if they have not opted out of the notices but they will still receive a generic reminder call.
Renewals will be based on where the circulation transaction took place not the home library of the patron.  The renewals take place immediately and are recorded as a circulation transaction.
Note: If you receive this error in workflows, you need to select the SEEN option in Renew to be able to do it in Workflows.
"Cannot renew at this time. This item will be available for renewal after: 8/20/18, 23:59"

Changes in Monthly Statistics

A major goal for SAILS this year is to migrate from using Directors Station and Workflows for statistical reports to using Blue Cloud Analytics.  Our public libraries received ARIS stats this year from reports generated using this new portal.  We are now moving our monthly compiled reports from Directors Station to Blue Cloud Analytics (commonly referred to as BCA)
For July statistics, you will receive your normal Workflows reports except for the monthly cataloging reports which will be emailed in Excel format on the 4th of the month. We will not sending out an Excel Workbook with compiled stats but will be delivering those reports using a Google Drive feature called Team Drive.
We will send out an email when the network July reports have been run and we will include instructions on how to access them.  Those reports will be available a few days after the first.  Our testing has shown that these results are as accurate if not more so than reports run in Workflows.
Our hope is that over time we can completely discontinue running monthly reports in Workflows and begin using the freed up computing capability to start running personalized welcome messages to new patrons and card expiration notices to patrons whose borrowing privileges are about to expire as well as other notices for our K-12 and academic members that are appropriate.

We Heard You! – Training for FY19

One comment we received a couple of times on our last survey was why the SAILS staff can’t come out to libraries and do onsite training, since staff can’t easily get to our offices. Well we love coming to libraries to train! There are many benefits doing training at the library. The main one is that everyone at the library hears the same information. Procedures are done because “we’ve
always done it that way” and you may not know there are other ways of doing what is being tried. Maybe there’s a more efficient way of doing it or  sometimes we hear of a frustration point at the circ desk, for example, and it turns out something isn’t working properly because the properties at the workstation need to be changed. Being onsite often brings out these
issues, since being at the place it happens triggers the memory of what’s happening. We can also help you change your properties if we’re there and can also see examples of what’s happening and better troubleshoot.
If having us come out and train your staff sounds good, we have a form online at:
https://sailsinc.org/training-request-form/
We will need the approval of the director to train onsite but the form is open to anyone and can possibly get a conversation going if you’re not quite ready to schedule the time. If you have any questions or concerns, please email support@sailsinc.org.

SAILS Mobile – Marketing

Link to Mobile App Self-Check Flyer: https://sailsinc.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Self-checkout-flyer_FINAL-1.pdf

Links to app in stores

Apple/iOS/iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sails-mobile/id928540707?ls=1&mt=8
Android/Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sirsidynix.SAILS2gobm

Anyone that had the old BookMyne+ app installed should see a direct update available for this new mobile app.

Social Media Sample Text

We are very excited to announce the availability of the SAILS Mobile app in the Google Play and Apple stores!

Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sails-mobile/id928540707?ls=1&mt=8
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sirsidynix.SAILS2gobm

You should download it today and take advantage of these great features:
• Search for items in the network by title, author, subject, or general keyword and place holds on interesting titles.
• Manage your account - view your checked-out items, fines, account information and manage holds. You can also link accounts to manage your family's checkouts and holds, all in the same place.
• Find libraries in the network, see if they're currently open, and decide what events you want to attend.

Social Media Graphics

Download the following for various social media types. These are sized specifically for the different platforms. Each graphic is one side of the printed postcard.

Facebook Post

Facebook Post

Facebook Post

Facebook Post

Facebook app

Facebook App

Facebook App

Facebook App

Twitter

Twitter

Twitter

Twitter

Instagram

Instagram

Instagram

Instragram

Changes to Discard Procedures

We have received requests from time to time for a list of titles that have been discarded by a library.  Under our old procedures we often couldn't provide a full list because the system was removing discarded titles once a week with a few exceptions.
Starting July 1, 2018 we will be changing our process.  This will not affect how your staff members set items to discard.  Discarded items will be shadowed.  The only change is that titles will remain in the system until the following month.  You will receive a list of titles discarded in the previous month.  It will be your  responsibility to maintain a record of titles that have been discarded after you receive that list.  Those titles will be permanently removed the week after the list is generated.
This will allow you to track the actual titles being discarded without burdening the system with storing too many titles no longer in the system.
Please note if you have already requested that we not remove your discarded titles until you request it we will continue following those directions.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Deborah K. Conrad, Executive Director

4 Frequently Asked Questions About Libby…Answered!

If you are reading with Libby, the answers to these FAQ’s will help you read more efficiently, manage your holds, and overall improve your reading happiness.

Find the answers to these questions...

HOW DO I RETURN A BOOK EARLY?

HOW DO I SEE MY PLACE IN LINE FOR A HOLD?

HOW CAN I VIEW MY BOOK PROGRESS?

HOW CAN I CHANGE THE TEXT OF AN EBOOK?

The post 4 Frequently Asked Questions About Libby…Answered appeared first on OverDrive Blogs.