Episode 5: Circulation Constellation

Part 1: Horizon Blocks
Adding Blocks to Customer Accounts
Blocks are the first thing you see when you scan a customer's card.
There are two different kinds of blocks

1. Manual Blocks
2. System Generated Blocks

Manual Blocks

• Manual blocks are placed manually by library staff.
• They must be deleted manually when the issue is resolved.
• When these blocks are deleted they go into History Blocks.
• Horizon keeps this information in History Blocks for a time and then automatically deletes it.

Examples of Manual blocks include the following.

• Manually added fines/fees
• Message to Borrower
• See Supervisor Block
• Note Block

Blocks should include a brief but detailed message with Branch Code and Initials of staff.  Example (TOM/KG)


Language in Blocks should always be professional.  Customers have the right to look at any block on their record.


System Generated Blocks
These blocks are generated by Horizon Examples of System Generated blocks include the following.

• Overdues
• Exceeded Maximums
• Hold Notifications

These blocks are deleted when the issue is resolved.  Example:  When a Hold is checked out the Hold block goes away.  Kind of like a White Dwarf.


Blocks Currently Used

• The following blocks restrict customers from using account.
• aa supv:  See Supervisor blocks should only be added by a supervisor.
• acr:  Address correction Requested.

• The following blocks do not restrict customers from using account.
• aa tape:  Missing Tape or Item Block
• dNote:  HCPL Damaged Note
• ecr:  HCPL Email Address Correction Requested
• Note:  Comment Block- similar to Message to Borrower Block - Comments are not      specifically directed to customer
• Message to Borrower-block can be seen by customer in IPAC.

Blocks That Should Be Deleted - They should definitely go into a Black Hole

• After a customer has been spoken with about an issue like Missing Pieces, the block should be deleted.
• Holds Deleted blocks should be deleted.
• Damaged blocks should be deleted after customer is spoken with.
• When blocks are deleted they go into the History Blocks.

See Harriet for the complete policy.


Part 2:  Changing Hold Pickup Location

• Customers at times may want to change where their Hold is after it is on the Hold Shelf.
• The following procedures enable staff to change the pickup location in Horizon.
• You may want to suggest to the customer to change their location in Horizon.

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BONUS: HORIZON SHORTCUTS FOR CIRCULATION

In Horizon, when you press ALT it will underline one letter of the words in the menu bar. Pressing ALT+ the letter underlined will take you to that menu. For example ALT+B will take you to the Borrower Menu.

F1	Opens Help		F4+ESC	Closes Current Process
F2	Opens Edit | Search for an Item		ALT+F4	Closes Everything
F4	Opens Find Borrower		CTRL+S	Saves Changes
F5	Opens Add New Borrower		CTRL+F6	Moves to the Next Window
F6	Opens Edit Borrower		CTRL+SHIFT+F6	Moves to Previous Window
F8	Toggles Between CKI/CKO		Page Down	Moves to Next Page
F9	Activates the Navigation Bar		Page Up	Moves to Previous Page
F10	Prints Single Item Slip		Tab Key	Moves Cursor from Field to Field
F11	Prints Multi-item Slip		SHIFT+TAB	Moves Cursor to Previous Field
F12	Opens Code Boxes

...3,2,1 On to the Quest!

Submit your answers to the questions below using the form on Harriet. A good practice is to first type your answers into a Word document. When you are finished, Copy/Paste your answers into the form. This may save you from losing your work. Be sure to submit after you have entered all your answers into the form.

Test Your Knowledge
It's not rocket science!!

1. What are the two kinds of Blocks?
2. True or False- Manual Blocks are deleted automatically by Horizon.
3. What Blocks keep customers from checking out?
4. True or False- Blocks should be added with no initials or branch code to protect the staff.
5. List the six steps to change the Pickup Location of a Hold on the Hold Shelf.

If you have submitted all the correct answers to accomplish this mission, you will receive the Circulation Space Vehicle to add to your command. This will let you dig through our cramped but coveted Cargo Hold for a chance to win a great prize. Complete The Fleet by earning all ten vehicles, and you will also receive ten Intergalactic Training Credits.

F6 opens Edit Borros Code Bo

Episode 4: A.I. App Intelligence

What is an app? It’s pretty likely you already know since the word is so ubiquitous that it was named the 2010 Word of the Year by the American Dialect Society. They define app as “an abbreviated form of application, a software program for a computer or phone operating system.” Like the word itself, an app is a sort of shortened or condensed version of a software application. Instead of having to use a whole software package, apps allow users to pick and choose what function they’d like on their device.


Apps can be downloaded on a variety of portable devices, from smart phones to tablets. With devices that run on an Android operating system (such as most smart phones and tablets), apps can be purchased through the Android Market. Apple products (such as iPhones and iPads) make their applications available through iTunes. By now, you’ve noticed that each branch has received at least one iPad. These iPads have come preloaded with over 100 apps already installed. In this episode, we will be exploring the galaxy of apps available on these iPads and through iTunes.


...3,2,1 On to the Quest!


Submit your answers to the questions below using the form on Harriet. A good practice is to first type your answers into a Word document. When you are finished, Copy/Paste your answers into the form. This may save you from losing your work. Be sure to submit after you have entered all your answers into the form.

A Galaxy of Apps

In this section, you will be asked to begin exploring some of the apps already installed on your branch's iPad.  You will find the answers to these questions in the apps.  The iPad will need to be signed in to HCPL's wireless network for some of these apps to work. 
Google Translate
This app is a voice translator that can translate spoken word into 17 languages or translating the written word into 60 languages.  You can speak a word or phrase into the app, select a language, and have the translated phrase repeated.

1. After opening this app, select the microphone and say "I need a library card."  You may choose to translate this into any language you like.  
1. What language did you choose 
2. What was the written translation?

How Stuff Works (HSW HD)
An information junkie's dream, the How Stuff Works app is chock full of articles, quizzes, videos and podcast on a huge range of topics.  You can search for a variety of topics by touching the magnifying glass icon in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.

2. Do a search on the term "iPad apps".  What are the first 2 results?

NASA App HD
This NASA app is loaded with all kinds of information that every space explorer needs.  You can find live NASA TV  and track satellites in addition to finding information about  planets and current NASA mission information. 

3. What is Jupiter's distance from the sun in miles?

BB Magic Lite
This is the free app version for the Bob books.  Bob books are a popular early reader series that gradually increases the letters, vowels and sight words in each book as a child progresses through the series.  This app is a great introduction to the type of book geared toward emergent readers.

4. Select Play and choose one of the levels.  If you see multiple options, play the first one, 'Mat Sat.'  What does Mat do, in addition to sitting, after you complete the word puzzle(s)?

QR Codes-Decoding Secret Transmissions
A QR code is a 2-dimensional bar code used to encode content including website links, coupons, digital business cards, videos and reviews.  You’ll find QR codes in magazines, advertisements, websites, museums, and even TV shows.  Here's a fun video from Cy-Fair explaining QR codes.

Even though QR codes have been around since 1994 when Toyota designed them to track auto parts, they are becoming more common because of the increased popularity of smart phones and tablets.  You can download a free QR reader app onto your device.  Your branch iPad already has QR reader installed called Scan.

5. For the next question, use the branch iPad to scan the QR  code below. What was the message or link encoded in the QR code?

The Unexplored Frontier Before starting this section, you will need to ask your branch librarian for your branch iTunes password.


For this section, you will install an app on your branch's iPad, uninstall it, and report your findings.  Your first step to completing this assignment will be to find and install a free app:

• On the iPad, tap the App Store icon.  This brings you to the Apple App store.  You can search for apps in a variety of ways, such as price, featured apps, keyword, subject, customer rating, and so forth.  Find a free app that interests you.
• Once you've located the free app you want to install, you will tap the gray button on the left-hand side of the screen that says "FREE."  After tapping it, the button will change and now say "INSTALL APP."  Tap the button again to begin the installation process.
• You will be prompted to enter your iTunes account password. 
• The app will begin installing.  While it is installing, the app's icon on the iPad will be grayed out.  When it is finished installing, the icon will be in full color.

That's it.  You've successfully installed an app on an iPad.  Take some time to explore this new app you've discovered before moving on to the next phase of your mission.

Not all apps are winners.  Sometimes they just end up cluttering devices.  Let's learn how to uninstall an app on your branch iPad.

• Press your finger over the app you want to delete.  After a few seconds, all of the app icons will starting wiggling and a black circle with an "X" will appear on the left-hand corner of the app icons.
• Tap the "X" button on the app you want to delete.  Don't worry if you accidentally tap the wrong icon.  You will be prompted to confirm your choice before the app is actually deleted.
• Confirm that you do want to delete this app. 

6. What app did you install and uninstall?

Star-If you found a great free app that you think would be helpful or interesting to your fellow employees, please share it below in the comments section!

If you have submitted all the correct answers to accomplish this mission, you will receive the App Intelligence Space Vehicle to add to your command. This will let you dig through our cramped but coveted Cargo Hold for a chance at a great prize. Complete The Fleet by earning all ten vehicles, and you will also receive ten Intergalactic Training Credits.

Episode 3: Launching eMedia

Since HCPL started offering eMedia in 2006, the collection has grown to over 25,000 items and circulation is averaging around 30,000 per month.  Easy success, right?  Taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture, there are many other issues to consider when you think about libraries and eMedia, and the popularity of eBooks, in general.



Can't see the video.  Check it out on YouTube.

Why don't we have Harry Potter titles in the Digital Media Catalog?  The truth is that not all books are available as ebooks and not all ebooks are available to be sold to libraries.  Many publishers don't like the idea that libraries can buy a book that won't wear out and check it out for free to anyone who has a library card.  So, most of the big publishers won't sell to libraries and some, like Penguin, are now changing their minds and placing an embargo on new titles.  Others are simply charging more, which is ultimately good for libraries, but hard on the budget. [editor's note:  HP titles are now available, but concept remains the same.]

What if your vendor goes out of business? Another issue is purchasing and ownership.  When you don't have a physical book in your hand, how can you be sure that you will always have access to it?  What if you decide to switch?  Many think ebooks should be accessed as a subscription service, rather than purchased title by title, so that the purchasing is more like leasing.

Why do I have to jump through digital hoops to get a book on my device?  The rise of portable devices led to the huge popularity of eMedia.  However, compatibility issues with differing formats and devices make sure that you need some sort of chart to keep up with what item can be used with what device.  The digital rights management that helps publishers and authors feel more secure provides frustration for the users.

Amazon: friend or foe?  Library people were very excited to have Amazon Kindle compatibility with library materials, but some worried about privacy and sale issues.  Publishers are not happy with Amazon for other reasons, and libraries are caught in the middle.  What about authors who self-publish?  They have popularity in the eBook market, but how will libraries offer books not represented by a publisher?  The tangle of rights issues, compatibility issues and availability issues makes the eMedia topic interesting to watch right now.

How do we pay for it all?  Add all of this together with the fact that library budgets are not growing, to put it mildly, and adding new formats while keeping up with demand costs a great deal of money and you get some understanding of what this means for all public libraries.  Right now, we can do best by purchasing strategically, keeping up with technology, and marketing this collection and expertise to our customers.

...3,2,1 On to the Quest!

Submit your answers to the questions below using the form on Harriet. A good practice is to first type your answers into a Word document. When you are finished, Copy/Paste your answers into the form. This may save you from losing your work. Be sure to submit after you have entered all your answers into the form.

In the previous eMedia module, we had a brief introduction to different eMedia formats.  Now, let's put our hands on each of the devices and see how they work with eBooks.  Your branch should have an iPad, a Nook and a Kindle for you to use to practice.  Note that these are not the only devices people will use with library eBooks, they are just the most popular. Please check with your branch manager to use the devices at your location.  If you work at the Administrative Offices, please check with Linda Stevens or Grace Lillevig to get access to the devices.  If you need help with the exercises, the Digital Media Support Page is a great resource.

The iPad
The iPad is not yet as ubiquitous as the iPhone, but it is still the giant in the tablet market, with iPads making up around 75% of all tablets sold to consumers.  The advantage of a tablet is that you can do many, many other things besides reading or listening to books.  Some iPad disadvantages include not being able to view Flash based products or PDF documents.

1. What iPad app do you use to read eBooks purchased from iTunes?
2. What steps must you take before loading eBooks onto your iPad with OverDrive Media Console?
3. What app do you use to read eBooks from Amazon on the iPad?

The NOOK
The Barnes & Noble Nook now comes in three flavors:  the NOOK Tablet, which attempts to expand the Nook to beyond-reading activities; the NOOK Color, which is a very attractive eBook and video device; and the NOOK Simple Touch, which is the e-ink device available at your library locations for practice.  Prices are a bit higher than the Amazon equivalents, but NOOK devices have a devoted following and you can read EPUB or PDF eBooks on them.

4. What software has to be installed before you can begin reading library eBooks on a NOOK device?
5. How do you return an eBook early on a NOOK?

The Kindle
Amazon is the eBook dominator, and now also has three Kindle devices to offer:  the Kindle, the Kindle Touch, and the Kindle Fire.  The Kindle and Kindle Touch can be purchased with 3G options for constant connectivity.  The Kindle Touch is the reader available in your branches for practice. The Amazon devices are the cheapest and probably the simplest to use for reading purposes.

6. What steps must be taken if a customer receives the message "Your Kindle does not support WI-FI?"
7. What two action options are offered by Amazon when deleting a returned library ebook?

If you have submitted all the correct answers to accomplish this mission, you will receive the eMedia Space Vehicle to add to your command. This will let you dig through our cramped but coveted Cargo Hold for a chance to win a great prize. Complete The Fleet by earning all ten vehicles, and you will also receive ten Intergalactic Training Credits.

Episode 2: The EBSCO Sphere

Greetings Space Cadets, for this leg of the journey we will be exploring the vast world of Magazines and Journals.   There is an unlimited amount of knowledge to be harvested.


Scholarly Journals vs. Popular Magazines
When conducting research, scholars often rely on articles from scholarly journals rather than popular magazines.  See the table below for a list of some differences that exist between these two types of resources.

Characteristics	Scholarly Journal	Popular Magazine
Appearance	Sober and serious May contain graphs or charts Will not find glossy pages or photographs	Attractive appearance Advertisements Heavily illustrated Glossy paper
Audience	Scholars and students	General audience
Authors	Scholars in the field of study	Reporters, usually not experts on the subject
Documentation	Sources cited in footnotes and/or bibliography	Sources not cited or cited informally
Purpose	Report results of original research or experimentation	Provide general information
Article Acceptance Procedure	Many scholarly journals are "refereed journals" - they undergo a process called "peer-review" where other scholars in the field examine the articles before being published.	Written by hired reporters, edited by magazine editors, and published.
Examples	American Journal of Psychology Journal of the American Medical Association  American Quarterly	Psychology Today Newsweek National Geographic

  Duke University Libraries

The Difference Between the Three Choices in Our Database  
Academic Search Complete –  Provides a scholarly collection providing full text journal coverage for nearly all academic areas of study - including social sciences, humanities, education, computer sciences, engineering, language and linguistics, arts & literature, medical sciences, and ethnic studies, etc. Full text for nearly 4,600 scholarly publications.


EBSCOhost – Contains information on a broad range of subjects. Database designed specifically for a Public Library environment. Searchable full text for nearly 1,860 journals, including Consumer Reports and Business Week. EBSCOhost database by way of TexShare.


Tip:  At the bottom of the description of the databases there is a link that says “Title List” if you click on this link it will list all the different journals in that database.


MasterFile Premier - Designed specifically for the public library, it offers information on a broad variety of subjects, including general interest, multicultural, and business.  Use when you want to search for popular information.

Searching Tips and Tricks


How to search by publication within EBSCOhost

1. Using Masterfile Premier, click the Publications button located just above the search dialog box.
2. Browse to find out what years are covered and whether is full text for just citations
3. Often, we might have longer coverage for just citations

Boolean Operators


And - combines search terms so that each search result contains all of the terms. For example, education and technology finds articles that contain both terms.


Or - combines search terms so that each search result contains at least one of the terms. For example, education or technology finds results that contain either term.


Not - excludes terms so that each search result does not contain any of the terms that follow it. For example, education not technology finds results that contain the term education but not the term technology. 


Limiters


Limiters let you narrow the focus of your search so that the information retrieved from the databases you search is limited according to the values you select. You can use more than one limiter if more than one is available.


Common limiters that can appear in the Limit your results area include:

• Full Text – Click to limit results to articles with full text. Where an article will appear in its entirety for the user, not just a summary or abstract.
• Image Quick View – Click to limit results to articles that contain Image Quick View images available.
• Cover Story – Click to limit results to articles that were featured as cover stories.
• Local Titles – Click to limit results to articles available at your library.
• Journal/Magazine – Enter a journal/magazine name in this field to limit results to articles only from that title.
• Peer Reviewed – Limits search results to articles from peer-reviewed journals. Peer-reviewed journals are publications that include only those articles that have been reviewed and/or qualified by a selected panel of acknowledged experts in the field of study covered by the journal.
• Date Published – Use this option to search for articles within a specified date range. Create a range by using the drop-down lists to specify the months of the range and enter the last four digits of the year in the entry fields to specify the years of the range.
• Number of Pages – Enter a number in this field to limit results to a specific number of pages in length. Place the < (less than) or > (greater than) symbol before the number to search for articles with a specific page length range. For example: to search for articles that are greater than three pages in length, enter >3 in this field. You can also use a dash to enter a range of pages. For example, to find articles between five and ten pages long, enter 5 - 10.

Limiters do limit one another. If you select both Full Text and Cover Story limiters, the results that are retrieved include only Full Text items that are Cover Story items. The exception to this rule is the use of Full Text and Local Titles limiters. In this situation, use of these limiters produces a list of results that has Full Text or is part of a local collection.


(The use of limiters may also vary by database. For example, MEDLINE may handle limiters differently than e-psyche.)


To create a search using a limiter:

1. In the Find field, enter your search terms.
2. Select the limiters you want to use from the Limit Your Results section of the search screen.
3. Click Search. The Result List appears.

Subject Browse


Academic Search Complete, click on Subject Terms on top of page.  Now you can search your subject.  Let’s do Vacuum cleaners.  You have three choices on how you want to view your results.  If you click on Relevancy Ranked it will search similar a key word search.

For more in depth information please see Margaret Davis’s handout on Harriet.

...3,2,1 On to the Quest!

Submit your answers to the questions below using the form on Harriet. A good practice is to first type your answers into a Word document. When you are finished, Copy/Paste  your answers into the form. This may save you from losing your work. Be sure to submit after you have entered all your answers into the form.

Guided search

If you are unable to view this presentation please go to www.slideshare.net/ssilvey

1. For your first mission take this guided search, you must duplicate the search on your own to reach the correct answer.   From this selection which brand of Coffee maker is considered a CR Best Buy in both the A 8- to 14- CUP DRIP MODELS WITH CARAFES  and B 10- to 12- CUP     BREW-and-Dispense MODELS?  
2. In Magazines and Journals databases using EBSCOhost.  Find and select Texas Reference Center then click continue. Do an image search and find a picture from a Galveston storm and copy and paste the permalink to the form.  The permalink is located on the right hand side under Tools.
3. From the homepage using the database tab select Electronics Journal List.  Select “title contains all words” for your search.  Then select “languages and literatures” for your subject category.  Use the search Shakespeare.  How many records did you pull?
4. In MasterFile Premier click on the publications tab.  Find Men’s Health how many issues were there in 1993?

If you have submitted all the correct answers to accomplish this mission, you will receive the EBSCO Sphere Space Vehicle to add to your command. This will let you dig through our cramped but coveted Cargo Hold for a chance at a great prize. Complete The Fleet by earning all ten vehicles, and you will also receive ten Intergalactic Training Credits.