FALCONS Meeting Minutes – November 2018

FALCONS Meeting Minutes – November 2018

Date: November 15, 2018

Present: Aimee D. (Cortland), Gayle James (Cato), Priscilla Berggren-Thomas (Homer), Sandra Groth (Aurora), Lisa Simenza (Poplar Ridge), Anna Chappell (Port Byron), Pat Berry (Groton), Marcia Enright (Candor), Cathy Sorber (Apalachin), Jen Schlossberg (TCPL), Nora (FLLS), Deb (FLLS), Sarah (FLLS), Rex (FLLS), Eric (FLLS), Jenny (FLLS)

Via Zoom: Carla Jones (Union Springs)*, Chris Brewster (Waverly)*, Lisa Carr (Auburn)*, Liz Helmetsie (Spencer)*, Shannon O’Connor (Ovid)*, Theresa Mekeel (Cortland)*, Ksana Broadwell (Trumansburg)*, Heidi Eckerson (Alternatives)*, Brandi Rozelle (Waterloo)*, Tammy Kubinec (Newfield)*
Minutes: Prepared by Jen Schlossberg at Tompkins County Public Library

Introductions:

  • Pat Berry from Groton

Announcements:

  • Bed bug hotbox – FLLS purchased a new one that you can have sent to your library. It is for member libraries and not the public.
  • Bullet aid 2018 has not been released yet.
    • 2019 has disappeared because of election – no aid
    • There may be something along the lines with Democrats
  • Grant writing workshop coming up
  • Priscilla motioned to approved the minutes from the last FALCONS meeting

Old Business:

  • One Card, Many Libraries
    • Patron are refusing to have their cards merged because they will lose access to TCPL’s DVD collection
      TCPL will be releasing their DVDs in January
    • DAC discussed some One Card issues which will be taken back to the counties
    • Merging questions
      Sandy asked if someone is changing their home library should they get a card from their new home library along with changing the home library in the account. Rex said yes because it is important to change the prefix to match. Jenny will attach merge tips to bulletin
    • Email one card issues to Lisa Carr
  • Annual Computer Bulk Buy 2018 (Follow-up)
    Eric hasn’t heard back from 5 libraries
    See https://www.flls.org/computer-network-services/bulkcomputerpurchase/ for more information.
  • Patron Privacy and PatronID data scrub in Transactions Database (Follow-up) was turned starting 10/27/2018. Transaction database is scrubbed after 3 years and happens nightly. There is a report in Polaris>Circulation>”Remove Patron ID from circ transactions” available that will report how many PatronID’s were scrubbed in the selected time range.

Volume numbers in periodicals and videodiscs
Rex is checking errors, creating screen shots, and sending them to directors daily.
Please remember that it is so important to member libraries and their patrons that this is done correctly.

New Business:

  • 2019 FLLS Closed Dates and Polaris Dates Closed table updates
    Finger Lakes Library System Closed Days
    January 1 – New Year’s Day
    January 21 – MLK Jr. Day
    February 18 – President’s Day
    May 27 – Memorial Day
    July 4-5 – 4th of July and Floating Holiday Day
    September 2 – Labor Day
    November 28-29 – Thanksgiving Day and Day-After Thanksgiving
    December 24- 26 – Christmas Eve, Christmas, Day-After ChristmasPut in closed dates for 2019 – 21 days before New Year. Instructions can be found here https://www.flls.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Updating-the-Polaris-Dates-Closed-Table.pdf
  • Upcoming Patron Purge (discussion on patrons with old charges)
    • Who has the right to purge – can’t collect debts older than 6 years
    • Look at patron purge parameters
    • We will be purging in January, let Rex know if you would like to see a RecordSet of patrons with very old fines.
    • Cathy Sorber mentioned that going fine-free is easier than trying to collect debts
    • Chris from Waverly said they operate under the how-can-you-pay scenario
    • Fines are one thing, replacement costs are something else
  • Barcode Locations on Items (preparing for technology advances)
    • Front cover close to the bottom toward the spine
    • Horizontal to the bottom of the book
    • Same with CDs

Institutional knowledge doesn’t always get handed down which is why some libraries use a different method.

TCPL uses scanners that have a combined scanner/desensitizer. If barcodes are oriented in different ways or in hard to scan locations, it slows down check out.

Rex is looking at automated sorting machines and they have to be able to read the barcode so having the barcode in the standardized location is critical.  The automated sorter will scan and sort by barcode, doesn’t need RFID tags.

Barcode duplicator would be needed to assist libraries to move barcode from inside covers and cases for proper placement.  Rex is looking into that.

  • Jen mentioned that donut property sticker gets stuck in car stereos. TCPL has stopped using them and started using Sharpies for property identification.
  • Deep Freeze and Symantec Endpoint Protection Counts
    Endpoint can interrupt some of the updates
    Moving away from Symantec for Windows 10 computers which will make updates easier
    Uninstall Symantec on Windows 10 PCs and remove them from your account

    • Eric has instructions
      • Symantec
        We are moving to Windows Defender for Windows 10 instead of Symantec.
        FLLS currently pays for over 600 Symantec licenses right now and there is no grace period for renewals so we will be looking for early counts for Symantec and Deep Freeze so we get the licensing counts correct with the vendors. You will receive a bill as usual for the updated counts.
      • Deep Freeze
        Renewal in January for bulk renewals
        Only installed on public PCs
        Don’t count Chrome devices
        Upgrade console – box will appear with upgrade info. Choose to skip upgrade, remind me later, download
        Eric has instructions on CNS webpage at https://www.flls.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/FaronicsDeepFreezeConsole.pdf 
  • Polaris upgrade to 6.1 –
    • PAC and LEAP enhancements can be found on FLLS’s protected site at https://www.flls.org/wp-admin. If you do not know the username and password, please contact FLLS Support at 607-319-5614
      • Some enhancements:
        • Integrated econtent for Recorded Books like OverDrive.  Will cost money like Overdrive
        • Novelist for PowerPAC-Accelerated development paid for by Central library consortium and others.
          • Better integration
          • Similar titles enabled
          • Goodreads ratings
          • Lexile ratings
        • LEAP
          • Bulk change
          • Reset passwords
          • Record Sets can export to Excel

Open Discussion:

  • Need to change Polaris password every 6 months
  • Freebies from NYLA
  • Rob Scott from Ingram – Jenny will try to schedule him for the February 21, 2019 FALCONS meeting
  • Jen Schlossberg can be a source for bed bug information. You can email her at: jschlossberg@tcpl.org
  • Acquisitions
    • Lisa Carr would like training on ACQ before Ingram visit
    • Rex will arrange training – Rex will contact Michael (Jen S. contacted Michael about this and is waiting for him to return from vacation.
  • Cathy Sorber – Family Literacy Grants – ideas?
    • Felt boards and puppets
    • Hands-on manipulatives
    • Preschool backpacks – two books, puzzle, activity related to book, book for parents to interact, booklet that you can keep changing table
    • 5 and under http://www.ecresourcecenter.org/learning-materials
  • Erate update
    • Rex got an update from Spectrum, 100 Mbps connection available using eRate discounts but the library must be CIPA (Children’s Internet Protection Act) compliant by the beginning of the program year (6/1/2019).  Need to filter using Meraki Advanced security license
      • All libraries are currently filtering except Apalachin, Auburn, Cortland, Interlaken, Lansing, Lodi, Moravia, Newfield, Ovid, Port Byron, TCPL and Trumansburg.
      • Jen Schlossberg mentioned that the American Library Association does not support filtering in libraries.

2019 FALCON Meeting Dates:
February 21, May 16, August 15 & November 21

 

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