CareerBuilder Being Blocked?

I was speaking recently with a customer who was not pleased that our filtering technology appeared to be blocking the popular job searching site, CareerBuilder. While using CareerBuilder, the customer would sporadically come across our filtering message stating that the page had been blocked.

Sam and I spent some time investigating and discovered that CareerBuilder is not being blocked. Rather, one of the advertisements that appears on CareerBuilder is causing our filter to trip. This add is attempting to automatically divert us to the ErrorSafe website.

ErrorSafe has been linked to the type of virus that I spoke of before, in which it tries to infect your computer, then sell you the solution. NICE!

If you should come across the filtering message while using CareerBuilder, my best advice is to press the back button. As you may know, ads that appear on web pages change frequently. Perhaps the offending ad will not be included the next time the page is loaded.

If this annoyance continues, you may have to use another job search engine that does not include malicious advertisements.

User IDs for Agencies

Your WorkFlows life will be drastically improved once you make the connection that you check items out to internal user accounts in order to mark items missing, to discard items, to send items to tech services, to set aside items for repair or story hour, etc.

Knowing which User ID to check the item out to just became easier. On the agency abbreviation page of the wiki, I added links to many new pages that list personalized user id's for each agency. Click here to check it out.

If you have any questions regarding this process, please let me know (email, phone, comments, wiki discussion page, etc.).

The Importance of Trapping Your In-Hand Holds

A customer calls and asks if you have a copy of a certain book. You check the shelf and you do indeed have it. You place that hold with the pick-up location's agency hold account (cenhold, levhold, etc.).

What is the next crucial step???

Trapping!

Placing a hold just lets the computer know that a customer wants a book. Trapping lets the computer know that a staff member has that book in their hand.

So what happens if you forget to trap? Let's say that you have placed the hold. You then put the P-slip in the book with the customer's last name, first initial, and the current date. You then put that item on the hold shelf.

Guess what will appear on the next Pick List? You got it. That same book. The Pick List shows all available items that have holds placed on them. You placed the hold when you had it in your hand. But you forgot to trap it.

So now, you or a co-worker is now looking for a book that is currently on the hold shelf.

So... along with the advice in the previous post, if you see a hold on the Pick List for an agency hold account, then something is wrong. So what do we do?

In the end, all we want is for the customer to get the material that they need. Every situation is different and there is not one answer. It may take some creative thinking in order for us to do that. If you need some help with that creative thinking, just give me a ring and we'll work it out together.

If you have any questions regarding this process, please let me know (email, phone, comments, wiki discussion page, etc.).

Placing Holds for Items Available at Other Locations

We have received our first Pick List report! I have received notice that a few copy level holds were placed with agency hold accounts on items showing available at other agencies. Copy level, agency hold account holds should only be used when a staff member has the item in their hand.

If you are helping a customer who wants a book placed on hold that is available at another location, you have a couple of options:

First, you can suggest what we have always suggested: that the customer (or you) call the location with an available copy. That location would then place a COPY level hold on the item (because they have it in their hand) with the pick-up location's hold account (pkyhold, cenhold, etc.). This guarantees immediately that the customer will have a copy. Because we are placing a hold with an agency hold account, the customer will NOT be notified when this item reaches the pickup location. We give the same advice we always have ("I will send this book, it should be there tomorrow, but I would suggest calling to make sure it got there"). This process is described in detail here.

Second, if the customer would rather not call or if the location with an available copy is currently closed, you can place a TITLE level hold on the item. It is necessary to have the customer's library card number since it is not possible for a staff member to get their hands on the book. This hold will appear on the owning agency's next pick list report. The customer will then be automatically notified as soon as the item reaches the pickup location. These are the same procedures we follow if all copies are checked out, detailed here.

If you have any questions regarding this process, please let me know (email, phone, comments, wiki discussion page, etc.).

Go Live Wiki Upgrades

I added some content to the Go Live wiki. The new content fleshes out all of the tasks you can accomplish with the "check out tool".

You use this tool to mark items missing, place holds on 7 day books or new DVDs, send items to various departments in Tech Services, etc.

Click here and take a look when you get a chance.

Also, I noticed that some people were getting lost in the wiki due to the various links to different pages. Therefore, I placed all Go Live contents on one page. You can still view the original version, or you can use this page.

If you have any questions regarding this process, please let me know (email, phone, comments, wiki discussion page, etc.).

Detailed Display Too Daunting?

When using WorkFlows, you have the option to view an item's Detailed Display. You click on the Detailed Display button at the bottom of the screen. This shows you all sorts of information regarding an item. For some of us, maybe too much information!

However, if your search retrieves only one record, then you will be taken automatically to the Detailed Display. For some of us trying to get used to the initial search screen, this can be a bit daunting.

Not to fear, though. Escaping the grips of the Detailed Display is not a hard thing to do. All you need to do is click on the Return to Search button at the bottom of the screen. This will return you to the familiar search screen.

Now, don't disregard the Detailed Display. It is a great thing! How else will you find out how many people have a hold on a book? Also, viewing the Detailed Display of an item saves that Item ID, which makes certain tasks (such as placing holds on an item or marking an item missing) easier.

If you have any questions regarding this process, please let me know (email, phone, comments, wiki discussion page, etc.).