FALCONS Meeting Minutes – November 2016

Date: November 17, 2016

Present: Xun Jiang (Nichols), Fran Howe (Candor), Rex (FLLS), Lisa Carr (Auburn), Cheryl Austin (Weedsport), Priscilla Berggren-Thomas (Homer), Diane Pamel (Dryden), Deborah Geier (FLLS), Lisa Semenza (Poplar Ridge), Eric Franks (FLLS), Amanda Schiavulli (FLLS), Sandy Groth (Aurora), Jacie Spoon (Cortland), Jen Schlossberg (TCPL), Shannon O’Connor (Ovid), Stephanie Langer (Newark Valley), Libbie Messina (Cato), Sara Knobel (Groton), Cathy Sorber (Apalachin), Meghan Molloy (Seneca Falls), Brandi Rozelle (Waterloo), Aimee Dorward (Cortland), James Stebbins (FLLS), Susie Gutenberger (Lansing), Elizabeth Helmetsie (Spencer), Marcia (Candor), Annette Birdsall (Trumansburg), Sara Knobel (Groton), Fran Miller (Berkshire)

Minutes: Prepared by Jen Schlossberg at Tompkins County Public Library

Introduction and Announcements


  1. Welcome to Jim Stebbins, the new FLLS office manager
  2. Amanda’s announcements

Old Business


  1. Annual Computer Bulk Buy Update – Eric
    Ran into problems with Windows 10, licensing is different
    They will be setting up appointments – coming after the last few installs of LibData
    Windows 10 will be around for a little while
    FLLS does not have time to upgrade your Windows 8.1 to Windows 10
  2. Meraki Firewall – Rex
    Rex likes this new firewall because he can monitor networks remotely which gives him more control
    Rex wants the SSID to be the same for the libraries so if you go to any library using the Meraki firewall patrons will automatically connect. Due to an issue with the Nintendo 3DS not recognizing underscores, Rex needs to change the name on the public network for everyone.Rex will get everyone’s cell # to text when network is down.This firewall has robust statistics and some of this is needed for the state report.
  1. One Card, Many Libraries – Lisa Carr
    Jen will send out the minutes from the October One Card meeting.

Feedback has been good:

  • Good discussion about people about people wanting to select their home library based on loyalty, not location.
  • Lots of pieces that play into how holds are filled
  • People have been pretty happy with a few exceptions
  • Billing v reimbursement – Sarah will send out Doodle poll today
  • If you are interested in being part of this discussion, please be sure to complete the Doodle poll.
  • We will meet in December or January
  • All of the libraries need to stand together in terms of issuing one card to make the One Card work. It’s important that all of the staff at each library know that patrons can pay their bills at any library. If there is a question about a charge and you have time, you should contact the library issuing the charge.

Holds – there are three layers to how holds are filled

  1. Overarching rule is that you go into the queue in order of pick-up location
  2. Next layer – item record (my patrons my items) Pick up location – follow natural order,
  3. Third layer – preferred borrower

We could opt for another option for filling holds – first in, first out

If patrons have fines from other libraries and are ready to pay, take the money – staff need to be told this training

FLLS will talk about increasing Overdrive checkouts from 3 to 5

Cross-borrower report will be useful to see which patrons are using our library. It can be found in Reports Manager at Home > Polaris > Circulation > Patron Cross Borrowing

New Business


  1. Polaris Upgrade
    We are on a 3-upgrades-per-year schedule
    Next release will be 5.2 – early 2017
    Enhancements with this release:
  • PAPI enhancements – which have to do with the API
  • LEAP aka Polaris Web App – item record modification, create, copy, authority record, record sets (add not create)
  • Acquisitions – change PO after release
  • Availability on left side
  • PAC title list improvements – live and driven by current status – dynamic
  • Patrons can place bulk holds
  • Edit reports in SimplyReports – bib, count and list reports, but need to recreate old reports
  • Laying groundwork for responsive PAC – not two like now with a mobilePAC that is separate from standard PAC
  1. Remote desktop and printers
    Printer mapping fails when FLLS has service failure
    Powercube was failing and reconnecting without mapping – why we were having service blips
  1. Receipt printers
    Ithaca printer 610 USB (CIN, TRU) is not compliant with Windows 10. It will need to be replaced
    Rex recommends Starprinters $290
    If I280 – FLLS needs to make a change with interface to be USB printer only
    Thinprint – load a client and Rex can pick printers to map – Rex will buy – if blip, won’t affect mapping $3200 product, perpetual license
    If you have a streaky receipt, need a new print-head or printer
    Vitamin C Receipt paper – fine, but not as dark
  1. Museum of the Earth/Cayuga Nature Center Passes
    Problems with fine code, etc Jen and Sarah can talk more about
    Amanda suggested NYLA bags to circulate them.
    Create a new fine code – Misc. $1.00 $5.00 max $60.00

 Open Discussion


  1. Acquisitions Module
    If anyone wants to use the Polaris Acquisitions module Auburn paid for the cost of Ingram and TCPL paid for the cost of B&T so anyone can now use them with no additional cost. Lisa said she’d be happy to help anyone who is interested in the Acquisitions module.Lisa would like to add Recorded Books to the list of suppliers.
  1. PowerPAC
    Lisa Carr would like to have it added to the minutes again that she is unhappy with PowerPAC.Darien Library in Darien, CT customized an opensource API to overlay their Polaris PowerPAC https://www.darienlibrary.org/catalog. Some members of the FALCONS group would like to see FLLS investigate an updated interface. Library Journal wrote an article about it titled, “Darien Library Launches SOPAC3 Catalog, Website” http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2016/06/technology/darien-library-launches-sopac3-catalog-website/#_ .
    Darien Library PowerPAC Overlay
    The current PowerPAC interface was customized by the PowerPAC committee in 2006. Both AUB and TCPL are interested in committing resources to this.Rex said he’d need to put it on a training server.
  1. New Polaris Add-Ons
    Rex said that Polaris is having a sale on two add-on products for PowerPAC – the content carousel and the Feature It! Product. He plans to take advantage of this discount for $1,000 plus annual maintenance.
    The carousel allows reading lists to be integrated into the library website design.
    Feature It! allows you to create bibs for organizations and add events so they appear in your catalog.
  1. Member Events
    Cortland is having a book sale on December 1, 2, and 3 12/2 – first Friday holiday music McCarthy FamilyGroton is doing a book discussion on the New Jim Crow They will also be showing Breaking the Code and doing a program on food insecurityTCPL is receiving an exhibit from ALA and the Smithsonian called “Exploring Human Origins” and will have many programs associated with it https://tcplexploringhumanorigins.wordpress.com/

    Amanda said to promote your events as an “event” on Facebook so they can be shared.

    Rex said the Finger Lakes group is putting fiber into libraries and he is talking to them

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