Illinois - Software

"Top 10 Windows tools for IT pros"

2009-11-19T19:52:52Z

"Top 10 Windows tools for IT pros" -- http://www.infoworld.com/d/windows/top-10-windows-tools-it-pros-792

Is Millennium Really All That?

2009-10-05T00:53:08Z

My MLS classmates and I are writing a review of the Millennium ILS (Innovative Interfaces, Inc.) for one of our courses. This system seems to be an extremely popular choice for all kinds of information centers and organizations, and has received an incredible amount of positive press. We cannot find any "downsides" to the product... But is that really the case?

If anyone has an opinion about Millennium, we would love to hear it, positive or negative. Thanks so much.

RE: Re: RFID

2009-08-06T20:42:57Z

Any librarian contemplating RFID should read this: Feds at DefCon Alarmed After RFIDs Scanned.

Here's some text:

It’s one of the most hostile hacker environments in the country –- the DefCon hacker conference held every summer in Las Vegas.

But despite the fact that attendees know they should take precautions to protect their data, federal agents at the conference got a scare on Friday when they were told they might have been caught in the sights of an RFID reader.

The reader, connected to a web camera, sniffed data from RFID-enabled ID cards and other documents carried by attendees in pockets and backpacks as they passed a table where the equipment was stationed in full view.

It was part of a security-awareness project set up by a group of security researchers and consultants to highlight privacy issues around RFID. When the reader caught an RFID chip in its sights — embedded in a company or government agency access card, for example — it grabbed data from the card, and the camera snapped the card holder’s picture.

The thing is ... a person can cobble together an RFID reader for less than $50. What he/she can do with the data is extremely important.

Re: Online Office/Productivity Software

2006-09-18T19:54:03Z

Hey, 'reriker', I don't want to ruin a great soliloquy, but I do want to step in and mention that there's another thread where a couple of members talk about using Google's Writely (about halfway down the thread).

mozilla firefox/IE7 for public computers/FortresGrand/Active Directory

2009-05-04T19:33:24Z

Has anyone had problems using M. Firefox browser instead of IE7? We keep flipping back and forth ...having some Adobe flash and Java installion problems with IE7...but experiencing Firefox crashes on the the public computers.

We also have products from FortresGrand installed : time limit manager and clean slate. We're not sure which one or combination is creating the freezing and crashing issues.

We are also on MS Active Directory

I would appreciate any feedback.

Thank you,

Rebecca

RE: Re: Cybraryn

2009-04-30T20:04:35Z

I agree - filling out the webform request seems to help. They worked with us this week on an issue, sent me an email this morning to make sure things were OK, and suggested I reply through the webform. I did, and received an answer back almost immediately. Now that our other issue is fixed, we plan to upgrade too.

RE: Re: Cybraryn

2009-04-27T13:47:36Z

I've been running CybraryN in my library for many years now, and agree that the tech support has recently been much improved. The support team has been very helpful and attentive both over the phone and through emails. I usually hear back from them within a few hours. I've also noticed that it helps if you fill out a support form on their website, which generates a case number they can track.
We recently received a new version from them, which has fixed many of the problems we were having in the past. You should try upgrading to the new version. They don't charge a fee for upgrades.
Good Luck.

RE: Re: RFID

2008-11-13T23:38:32Z

I know it makes good sense for some libs to do it now, but by and large it still seems like a "we're gonna end up doing this some day" sort of thing for most libs. And the smallest? Who knows if ever, eh?

Still, I'd love to find stories of libs that were just gah-gah over there success with RFID. Oh, and how do you spell "gah-gah"?

RE: Re: RFID

2008-11-10T17:17:31Z

When we were doing site visits to look at RFID in action, one library had an automated check-in system that was capable of checking in multipart items. The system contained the information about how many individual parts there were for a particular item, and would either check in the item if everything was present or would print an exception receipt. However, I suspect that checking in those types of items is not sufficient for most libraries. We manually inspect DVDs, CDs (including audiobooks), etc., because they are so susceptible to damage. Now, that would be one heckuva machine that could do all of that ;-) (and probably at one heckuva price, too!)

RE: Re: RFID

2008-11-10T17:02:36Z

When our head of circulation last attended a meeting involving libraries using RFID she brought back a couple of interesting tales.

The "management tale" is that RFID hasn't resulted in a loss of circulation staff.

Much of this is because a great deal of circ in a modern public library consists of AV material, which is composed of parts. An automated system can't open a DVD case and see that the DVD is actually there ... so someone has to do so. *If*(say) a DVD case gets on the shelf missing one of two DVDs there is no way to know who forgot/stole the one.

RE: Re: RFID

2008-11-07T00:48:25Z

I've been wondering about current price points for RFID.. Have they dropped with the same ferocity that Moore's law seems to be pushing component development? A couple years back some people were predicting prices (for materials, not staff time to process items of course) would get cut in half at least over the next 5 yrs or so. Anybody here know if that has panned out?

PS: What I wouldn't have given for this system back during my shelf reading days of yore:

RE: Windows Vista

2008-09-24T21:17:27Z

I'm coming a bit late to this discussion, but...

we at our library system are discouraging our members from switching to Vista, for now, as there are rumors that our ILS doesn't work well with Vista. Soon, I know that will have to change, as Vista will be the only option for libraries using Windows.

One of the issues I see as being problematic is that both our ILS and Vista are "resource hogs" - they use an immense amount of computing power and each tends to slow down any but the newest, fastest PCs. I fear that we will be seeing LOTS of complaints from our members when they start trying to run both.

I bought a new PC back in summer of '07 which had Vista pre-installed. Had I known what a nightmare it would be, I would have requested to stick with XP. Vista is very slow, and though I don't have the most powerful PC that was available at the time, the fact that it is so sluggish makes me very much dislike Vista.

RE: The great OPAC debate

2008-09-23T12:59:53Z

The WorldCat Local pilot project, which some of the Illinois library systems are participating in, does exactly that. When it's set up, the display will show the local library holdings, then the consortial holdings, then Illinois library holdings, and finally all of WorldCat. The project is being coordinated by Lincoln Trail Library System.

RE: Suggestions for ILS for Central American library

2008-09-22T18:29:33Z

You may want to look at Koha: http://www.koha.org/

RE: Suggestions for ILS for Central American library

2008-09-21T12:46:32Z

Thank you so much for your suggestion Deborah. I will certainly look at it. Sounds like it is popular in this area of the world. Thanks again.

Dana

The great OPAC debate

2008-09-18T23:48:46Z

My own library is part of a largish consortium (CCS) in northeastern Illinois. It would make perfect sense to me if after searching within our library alone (the default) and searching within the consortium the OPAC could search ever wider rings of ownership, eventually WorldCat, w/o the user having to do more than click on an OK for a wider search.

Pray that he/she can spell, though ...

RE: Suggestions for ILS for Central American library

2008-09-18T19:11:37Z

Mandarin Library Automation offers an affordable system that is currently used in many school libraries in Puerto Rico and in public and school libraries throughout South and Central America, as well as many other places around the world. The core client-server program, M3, is available free. (Tech support requires payment of a reasonable maintenance fee.)
It's just one possibility you might look at. The website is http://www.mlasolutions.com.

RE: Re: The great OPAC debate

2008-09-18T16:00:15Z

"actually finding what they are lookin for"

This is the big point. I know when I go into an OPAC and do a keyword search on a word...I expect to get titles with that word in them - not just somewhere in a note. I think most users have that expectation. When I don't get the kind of titles I expect, I understand why. But, most users don't. They just think the OPAC sucks. And they're right.

Some of the newer OPACs are dealing with some of these issues - such as adding relevancy ranking - but that's still not solving the problems, just improving it slightly. The "next-gen" OPACs I've tried do a better job than some of the more standard OPACs.

RE: Suggestions for ILS for Central American library

2008-09-12T12:04:19Z

Just wanted to add that I just read the doc on How to automate a small library and got lots of good info from it.

Suggestions for ILS for Central American library

2008-09-12T11:54:30Z

I am living in a small town in Panama which is about to have a lovely new public library (and for those of you who know what public libraries are like here - in some ways this is a FIRST public library). They will have a "librarian" who does not have training in technology, library services, etc. And they need a system that will serve as OPAC, user database, and everything else; plus being not-too-expensive and useable by the librarian mentioned above. I would LOVE to hear suggestions, ideas, etc for systems. FYI, I expect their opening day collection to be about equal to that of an elementary school library serving 750-1000 students, but they DO need room to grow. And, of course, the collection will be predominantly in Spanish. Any ideas will be greatly appreciated!
Dana