[238] in ad-lib
summary, 3/27 meeting
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (perkins@MIT.EDU)
Tue Mar 28 13:17:09 1995
From: perkins@MIT.EDU
To: advancecirc-lib@MIT.EDU
Date: Tue, 28 Mar 1995 13:16:54 EST
Here's a summary of our meeting yesterday of the Advance circ group:
General updates & reminders: Web page resources
(http://macfadden.mit.edu:9500/advance); Geac reserves training;
training room open labs; possible re-load of GMA data; holdings table;
passwords and security; open meeting with Goldner on 3/29.
training:
group sessions went well and individual training of group members
continues. We will have a session or sessions specifically for branch
staff in April. I will arrange this.
bug report flow:
As we use the system, we should fill out a trouble sheet when we
encounter a problem. If the "problem" is really a "desired
enhancement", note FUTURE on the form. Send the sheet to Grant and
also send a copy to me. We decided on a low-tech method of keeping
track, within our group, of circ system bugs: I'll
simply keep them in a notebook, numbered sequentially within function
(charge out, holds, recalls, financial, etc.). When the bug appears
on the Web buglist, I'll note its buglist number on the page.
testing:
I will draft a simple form for the "formal testing". We discussed
the necessary elements of this form.
Anne, Michael, and I will come up with a list of things to be tested.
We will endeavor to be comprehensive without being obsessive. Test
sheets will be filled out and distributed to the group. If a test is
successful, the completed sheet should be returned to me. If it's
unsuccessful, it should be attached to a trouble/bug sheet and sent to
Grant, and a copy to me.
testing of migrated data: Grant and Tom have offered to produce a
"transaction report" for us to check.
There is a group of "test coordinators" made up of one or two people
from each group (Perkins, Byrd, O'Neill, Young, Robinson,
Davis-Millis, Duranceau, Follett). This group will meet to discuss
and coordinate whatever cross-functional testing is needed.
* * *
I think those are the major things we covered. Let me know if I've left
something out.
Here are some follow-ups:
-Very shortly, anyone who wants to log-in and use Advance circ will
need a password. (See Grant's message to all-lib dated 3/24.) If
there are people in your unit who are using the system even though
they're not on our "implementation team" -- and of course circ staff
ARE welcome to use the system -- please send a message to Grant with
their names. Passwords can be assigned as needed.
-During yesterday's meeting I mentioned the question of how to
circulate uncataloged items. I asked Matt Goldner about this
yesterday. He says we will want to use the "placeholder" record for
this. Placeholders are discussed on p. 4-46+ of the User's Guide. (If
anyone has notes on placeholders from Matt's initial training session,
please let me know.) So, let's all investigate how this works.
-Concerning that question recently floating around about how to find
out, using a barcode search, who has an item out, and why does the
patron name seem to be viewable in the OPAC.... the answer seems to
be that if you enter the OPAC through circ and display the copy
record, the patron name is displayed. But if you just go directly
into the OPAC -- NOT through circ -- the patron name is not displayed.
That's good.
One thing that would probably be helpful: if you discover something
interesting which the rest of us might not know about, please post it
to the group on advancecirc-lib. This has already been happening to
some extent.
Thanks. -AP
