·     MARISA IACOBUCCI, Adult Services Coordinator 

Update on the September System Meeting – Mini-Workshop on Disaster Planning & Collection Salvage 

I wanted to let everyone know that John Dean, the Preservation and Conservation librarian from Cornell, will be giving our mini-workshop on Disaster Planning and Collection Salvage!    I recently took a half day workshop in August that he presented through SCRLC; he was very knowledgeable and it was very helpful.   

I encourage every library to send a representative from their library if possible. 

Hope to see you there! 

PS – If you have not already, please let me know by Friday, September 16th if you plan on attending.  Thanks! 

NOTE: The above was also sent by e-mail to member library directors. 

 

·     ERIC FRANKS, Computer Network Specialist 

Monthly Internet Connection Maintenance 

Along with your Windows and AntiVirus updates the CNS department recommends power cycling your network equipment once a month. This can help smooth out your connection especially if the Internet Service Provider (ISP) has made any updates or changes to their service. 

Power cycling the equipment should only take about 5 minutes.  We recommend doing the power cycle before or after normal business hours and with your computers turned off. 

Except for Poplar Ridge*, all of the libraries in the system have either cable or DSL (or both in a couple of locations) from companies such as Road Runner and Clarity Connect. 

Cable modems from Road Runner will usually be labeled "Motorola," "Road Runner" or "Surfboard." Other companies may be labeled differently. The DSL modems will probably have various company labels on them. 

The modems will always be paired with a router. The routers that are installed can be from "Netopia," "Linksys" or "Belkin." For each modem in your library, cable or DSL, there will be a router. So libraries with two Internet connections will have two pairs of equipment. 

Usually the quickest and easiest way to cycle the power on the modems and routers is to unplug the power cable from the back of the equipment.  The power cable us usually small and black and is the only cable that can be unplugged from the backs of the modems and routers without undoing any type of connector.   

Some libraries are set up so that it's easier to pull the plug from the outlet or power strip side or to turn off a power strip. If you have a procedure already in place for turning the power off to your equipment, please continue to use that method. 

Unplug all of your modems and routers.  Once the power cable has been removed, leave the equipment off for one (1) minute.  This is the recommended minimum time for all cable and DSL modems.   

After that minute, plug the cable and/or DSL modem in first and wait about 15 seconds.  Then plug the power back into the router.  Given another 15 seconds the network should be back and ready for you to turn on your computers. 

The reason that we are recommending this additional monthly procedure is that we’ve been finding, especially with the Road Runner connections, that resetting the modem and router seems to keep the connection running smooth and fast.   

If you aren’t sure what type of Internet connection you have in your library, or have any questions about unplugging your equipment, please give the Computer Network Services department a call.  This article, with pictures, is on our web site at http://www.flls.org/cns/howto/internetmaintenance.htm 

* I believe Poplar Ridge already has a procedure in place for resetting the wireless connection, please continue to follow that procedure. 

= = = = = 

PowerPAC Passwords 

When we migrated patron records from Dynix to Polaris the conversion team automatically filled in the PowerPAC password field with the last four digits of the patron’s telephone number.  Any patron that did not have a phone number listed on Dynix or has been added since the migration will need to have the password field filled in before they can log into PowerPAC. 

The password field on the General page does NOT automatically pull in the phone number when new patron records are added. 

If a patron is having problems with their password you can update it for them from the General page of the Patron Registration screen.  We would suggest setting the password to the last 4 digits of their phone number by default.  The patron can then update their password from the Patron Account page in PowerPAC

 

·     KATHY PARKHURST, ILL/Ref Coordinator 

A big thank-you is due to everyone who is filling in the correct codes on the slips for In-Transit books sent to other libraries in the delivery. 

However, several codes are still getting confused, so I’m sending an updated list of codes and library names.  

Please use these 3-4 letter codes when identifying where items should be routed: 

Finger Lakes Library System Routing Codes

APAL         Apalachin Reading Center
AUB           Auburn - Seymour
AURO        Aurora- Aurora Public
BERK         Berkshire - Berkshire Free
CAN           Candor - Candor Free
CATO         Cato - Cato Free
CIN             Cincinnatus - Kellogg Free
CORT         Cortland - Cortland Free
DRY            Dryden - Southworth Library          
FAIR           Fair Haven - Fair Haven Public
GRO           Groton - Groton Free
HOM           Homer - Phillips Free
INT              Interlaken - Interlaken Public
ITH              Ithaca - Tompkins County Public
LODI           Lodi - Lodi Whittier
MARA        Marathon - Peck Memorial 
MCGR        McGraw - Lamont Memorial Free
MOR           Moravia - Powers
NEVA        Newark Valley - Tappan-Spaulding
NEW          Newfield - Newfield Public
NIC             Nichols - Geo. & Susan Platt Cady
OVID          Ovid - Edith B. Ford Memorial
OWE          Owego - Coburn Free
POP           Poplar Ridge - Hazard
PORT         Port Byron Reading Center
SENF         Seneca Falls - Mynderse
SPE           Spencer - Spencer
TRU            Trumansburg - Ulysses Philomathic
UNS           Union Springs - Springport Free
WAT           Waterloo - Waterloo & Historical
WAV          Waverly - Waverly Free
WEED       Weedsport - Weedsport Free

ALTER       Alternatives Library
ACF          Auburn Correctional Facility
CCF          Cayuga Correctional Facility
FPCF         Five Points Correctional Facility