• JAN AGUIRRE, Specialist & Training Coordinator

Polaris Tip of the Week for Friday 6/30/06 bulletin

When a patron’s card expires in Polaris, the software automatically insets a block that will display every time this patron’s card is scanned at Checkout. Updating the expiration date is done in Patron Registration.  See Below

 

 

Left clicking on the Patron Registration button will open up the patron’s registration workform and allow you to change the term.

• Select the number of years and the term “years” to update the expiration date.
• After changing the date, save the record.

 

 

Once this date is changed and overnight processing is run, this block will automatically disappear. However, if you don’t want to wait until the next day, you can manually delete the block.

• Left click on the Patron Status button.

 

 

• Go to the General screen.
• Highlight the block  
• Left click on the Delete Block button.  See Below

 

  

 

• MARISA IACOBUCCI, Adult Services Coordinator

Have you considered attending ALA, but have hesitated, perhaps because of funding?

Three individuals who one of the "Sustaining Public Access Computing in Your Library" workshops that are happening throughout the state will have their expenses paid to attend the ALA conference in June 2007. 

By attending this workshop you not only will enjoy a stimulating learning experience, but you will also find out how you may have an opportunity to attend ALA 2007 in Washington DC!

You can register on-line for the workshop on August 24^th, at:

http://host.evanced.info/nys_rls/evanced/eventcalendar.asp

If you have difficulty linking to the site, try copying the URL above and pasting in the location bar of your browser

 

•  LINDA BEINS, ILL/Reference Coordinator

 ILL DELIVERY REMINDER

There will be no delivery on Monday, July 3 and Tuesday, July 4; FLLS offices will be closed.

Electronic Databases - HeritageQuest

TCPL had created a HeritageQuest brochure that summarizes the information that is available from this genealogical database and offers tips on how to use it. Feel free to make copies for yourself and your patrons. [Answer OK to Would you like to open this file.]

 

Web Resources - Immigration

The NY Center for Books, an affiliate of the Library of Congress has developed Immigrant Writings Resources, a list of resources relating to immigration and the immigrant experience in New York.

 

NOVEL Databases Evaluation

The NYS Library is conducting an evaluation of the NOVEL databases and is looking for patrons who have used the databases and would like to participate in a focus group discussing the databases on July 13 at TC3 in Ithaca. Please send me the name, address, and phone number/email of interested patrons or ask them to contact me. (607 273-4074 or lbeins@flls.org)

It’s not too late to complete the online NOVEL Survey to give your input on the electronic databases offered through NYS.

 

 Reference Question of the Week

 Last Week’s Question of the Week:

 What worldwide package delivery company is located in Memphis,TN? When was it founded and by whom? What were the total revenues for the last fiscal year? Don’t forget to give us the source of your information.

Julia Lon, TRU, and Jen Schlossberg, TCPL, correctly answered FedEx. This Memphis, TN Company was founded by Frederick W. Smith in 1971. It took several years to begin actual operations but as of May 2005, their operating revenues topped $29.3 billion. Jen used the Business and Company Resource Center database which can be searched by company name, product name, product type, and location. So a patron, relocating to another city, could use the Business and Company Resource Center to get a list of the major employers in that city or state.

 

This Week’s Question of the Week:

My head is still in Memphis. Last weekend, at the tail end of a visit to the National Civil Rights Museum, a gentleman came up to my friends, my husband, and me and, thinking we were a group from Seattle he was to meet, identified himself as Rev. Kyles. Having just seen the exhibit we knew that Rev. “Billy” Kyles was on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel just a few steps away from Martin Luther King Jr. when King was assassinated. He talked to us for almost 30 minutes; we were thrilled.

During the conversation, Rev. Kyles told us that he is often asked what Martin Luther King Jr., Ralph Abernathy, and he talked about earlier that afternoon. What is his response to that question?

[Use the Custom Newspapers database, with the search term ‘billy kyles’, and read the article from the Roanoke Times 02/05/06. If you have the time read the other articles that recount some of his various speaking engagements.] You can also view his remarks at a web cast of the Jan. 2005 Northwestern University Martin Luther King Jr. Day commemoration. 

Please send reference inquiries for future Questions of the Week!

           

•  REX HELWIG, Computer Network Manager

I would like to welcome the Cortland Free Library into the family of on-line libraries within the Finger Lakes Library System.  The enormous task of getting them ready for going on-line started about 3 years ago when Kay Zaharis became the Library Director in Cortland.  Although the process of getting every last item onto Polaris will continue for some time, they started circulating on-line with Polaris on Monday June 29^th.  Congratulations and thank you to everyone that contributed to making this happen.  Cortland items are still restricted from having holds placed on them from other library patrons.  We are planning on giving them a couple of weeks to get used to Polaris and develop the new workflows that will be needed before we include Cortland items for system-wide holds.

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• Directors’ Advisory Council (DAC) members: 

If you have any questions or concerns regarding FLLS library service, you are welcome to contact a DAC member from the list below. 

Beverly Dann, Waverly Free Library
Janet Steiner, TCPL, Ithaca
Judy Barkee, Ulysses Philomathic Library, Trumansburg
Kay Zaharis, Cortland Free Library
Lois Maki, Newfield Public Library
Mary Frank, Peck Memorial Library, Marathon
Sally Otis, Hazard Library, Poplar Ridge
Stephen Erskine, Seymour Library, Auburn
Susan Robey, Groton Public Library