Information Services Instructional Series Winter 2011 SIRSI I: CIRCULATION Workshop Agenda What is an Integrated Library System (ILS)? SirsiDynix: U of T Libraries ILS What is circulation? What are circulation functions? Demonstration & practice of circ functions in SIRSI Most of the information in the following section is taken from: Gallup, E. (2010). 'Integrated Library Systems (ILS)', Encyclopedia of Library and Information Sciences, 3rd ed., 1: 1, 2808 2819. SirsiDynix Symphony Workflows in database help screens Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/integrated_library_system What is an integrated library system (ILS)? An automated system used by libraries to track items owned, orders made, bills paid, and users who have borrowed. Generally made up of a relational database, software to interact with that database, and two graphical user interfaces (one for public users, one for library staff). made up of discrete programs called modules, each of them integrated with a unified interface. Each module performs a different function; various modules work together. Each user (patron) and item (book, DVD, etc.) is assigned a unique ID in the database that allows the ILS to track its activity. At U of T, the user ID is the TCard barcode, and the item ID is the barcode on the book that gets scanned when you borrow or return an item. many different kinds of ILS available U of T Libraries uses SirsiDynix s Symphony.
2 ABOUT ILS MODULES: Acquisitions module Functions include: ordering and receiving books, journals, DVDs, and other items for the library s collections. creating purchase orders of the items to send to vendors. updating vendor info (who you buy the item from) and fund info (the part of the library budget that will pay for it) in order to track and stick to the acquisitions budget. reports: used for ordering, claiming (items ordered, but not received), and accounting. This info also gets linked to bibliographic records and serial control records users can then see items marked ON ORDER and RECEIVED, in the UTL catalogue Cataloguing module In the cataloguing process, cataloguers create/edit various records for each item, e.g. a bibliographic record, and an item record. At UTL, all the records in Sirsi form the huge database that is the U of T Libraries catalogue, and allow the cataloguing staff to maintain bibliographic control over all UTL collections. The catalog is the core of the SirsiDynix Symphony database. It contains all the bibliographic and physical copy information in the system. Conceptually, the catalog can be viewed as a complete shelf list. from SirsiDynix help screens. The cataloguing module is concerned with: o bibliographic descriptions: i.e. the metadata for book, DVD, etc. author, title, imprint, subject headings, physical description, etc. o title control data used when MARC records are being loaded into the catalogue. o call number and item info this is used to record which library has the item, in which collection, its call number, its status (available or checked out), etc. Cataloguing also deals with Authority Control, i.e. standardization of terms used to describe the items in the catalogue. Serials Control module manages the constant updating needed to process new issues of journals (and other serial publications) being received by the library on a daily basis receiving new issues is done through a process called Serials Check in. This info allows users of the public catalogue to see which issues of a journal are in a particular library, which is the most recently received issue, etc. It is also used to track claims (go after publishers for issues that have not been received).
3 Circulation module The content of today s workshop. Read on! Reserves module Reserves is used to further process items already held by a library for special purpose: to circulate items required by students in specific courses on a reduced loan period. This allows access by the largest number of students: usual reserve loan periods are 2 hours, or 1 or 2 day loans.of reserve materials is often short (1 2 hours). Items can be put on reserve, and then taken off reserve, as needed. Online public access catalogue (OPAC) this is the module that people use when they search the library catalogue online i.e. U of T Libraries catalogue is the U of T Libraries OPAC, accessible to anyone at www.library.utoronto.ca different types of records from the ILS work together to provide the info seen by users when they search the public catalogue, as the following figures show. Fig. 1: Catalogue view of an Inforum book, also held at 3 other UTL libraries: HOLDINGS info: this info comes from a behind the scene ITEM record
4 Fig. 2: DETAILS information tab of the same book \ This info comes from a behind the scene BIBLIOGRAPHIC record Fig. 3: The MARC view of the same data: Information in the MARC VIEW is the same bibliographic data as in Fig. 2, but with the data shown in numbered fields, where 100 = Author; 245 = Title; 650 = a subject heading. This set of numbered fields is a standard known as MARC (MAchine Readable Catalogue) format. A standard format allows libraries to share bibliographic information amongst themselves.
5 Systems Administration Installing, updating, on going maintenance, and customizing/configuring of all work modules, as well as the public catalogue for the use of the library organization. Staff interface (back end) of the ILS The part of the ILS that library/systems staff use to perform the daily functions of library work such as acquisitions, cataloguing, circulation, course reserves, serials control, etc. At U of T, the staff part of the ILS is called SIRSIDynix Symphony Workflows. Further reading: For a list of companies in this sector: Library Technology Guides: Automation Companies http://www.librarytechnology.org/companies.pl If you are interested in technology in libraries: Library Technology Guides. (1999 2010). Maintained by Marshall Breeding. http://www.librarytechnology.org/ Comprehensive web resource that aims to provide comprehensive and objective information related to the field of library automation. It provides information on the technology products, companies, and trends that impact libraries. Whether you are in the process of selecting a library automation system, or just want to keep up with developments in the field, Library Technology Guides is the place to start. Automation System Marketplace: http://www.librarytechnology.org/automationsystemmarketplace.pl This gives the lay of the land in the ILS industry: an annual round up by M. Breeding, published in April 1 issue of Library Journal.
6 SirsiDynix Symphony: U of T Libraries integrated library system http://www.sirsidynix.com/products/symphony Fig. 4: View of Workflows menus for selected modules: Cataloguing functions Circulation functions Course reserves functions Serials controls functions About the SIRSIDynix company from http://www.sirsi.dynix.com/company based in: Huntsville Alabama, Provo Utah and St. Louis Missouri in the U.S.; Number of countries served: 70 Types of libraries served: public, academic, school, special, corporate, gov t, consortia, state & national. Clients served: 4,000 Library locations served: 23,000+ Year that Sirsi was founded: 1979 Year that Dynix was founded: 1983
7 What is circulation? Morris, Vanessa J. and Bullard, Jeff E.(2010) 'Circulation Services', Encyclopedia of Library and Information Sciences, 3rd ed.,, 1: 1, 1005 1011 Goals of circulation: register new users (borrowers)., or update existing users charge out items to registered users receive & process items as they are returned to the library. generate fines and receive payment for overdue or lost items. allowing users to renew items allowing users place items on hold in an ILS, different types of records work together to perform different circulation functions. Records involved in circulation: User records, item records, charge records, hold records, and bill records. Continuous updating of information is needed since: o books are signed in and out o books are renewed o books are requested (placed on hold) o users continually added to the database o fines on overdue items keep accumulating Circulation processes must take into account: Does it even circulate? Items processed as PERIODICALS or REFERENCE do not circulate. What kind of item is it? is it a Course Reserve? then 2 hour loan, 2 day loan, etc. is it a piece of Inforum equipment? then due back by the library s closing time. Is it a regular item from the stacks? then 2 week loan
8 What category of user is it? Different UTL libraries have different loan periods for different categories of people. For example: o ischool Masters student [FIS_GRAD] = 2 weeks for Inforum items. o ischool Masters students [FIS_GRAD] = 6 weeks for Robarts items. o ischool PhD students, faculty, staff [FIS_FAC] = 90 days o undergraduates [UNDERGRAD] = 2 weeks at most UTL libraries What is the closing time of the library? Different libraries in the UTL system have various closing times. Different days may have different closing times (e.g. 5pm on Saturdays, 10pm weekdays) This info is needed to show the correct due time of 2 hour loans. Table of circulation rules: To take into account the above conditions, the ILS draws on info from a table of circulation rules. It contains info on the different loan periods assigned to different categories of users for different types of borrowable items. This table is maintained, and edited by staff at central system at UTL. The effect: when a user signs out a book or piece of equipment, the system shows the right due date, and right due time. Circulation functions in SirsiDynix Symphony CHARGING: checks out books and other items to registered library users. shows the due date and due time DISCHARGING: Checks in items returned by the library users: the items can now be borrowed by someone else. Upon discharging, the screen will show: o If the book is on hold for someone else o Where the book should be shelved e.g. stacks? course reserves? o If the book came from some other U of T library o If the book is overdue, it will show the fine amount due.
9 USER RECORDS: Batches of new borrowers can be entered into the system. At the beginning of every term, new student information is dumped from ROSI into SIRSI DISPLAY USER Can see information about an individual MODIFY USER Inforum staff uses this command to make changes to existing users. This shows the ADDRESS part of the user record. Changes can be made to update user s address, or email, etc. Can also change other things like PRIVILEGE (from FIS_GRAD to FIS_FAC) if someone goes into the PhD program.
10 RENEWING: Allows user to extend the loan period of something they have signed out. o Can RENEW USER when the user does not have the books with them o Can RENEW ITEM when the user has the book with them. Sirsi will not allow a renewal if: o The item has been placed on hold for other user(s). o The user has used up all their renewals (U of T community gets 3 renewals) o The item is a Course Reserve item. This can be overridden by different levels of passwords used by library staff. HOLDS: Allows user to request an item that is signed out. o Can be done by users directly from the OPAC o Can be done by staff from the Workflows back end Holds cannot be placed on items that are physically in the library. When the requested book is returned and DISCHARGED: o A message pops up showing that the book is on hold for a particular user. o Library staff process the book to make it available for the user to pick up. The system automatically sends an email message to the user letting them know that their hold has arrived in the library. Allows staff to perform maintenance work such as: o Removing holds from books that users never come to get. FINES/PAYING BILLS: Allows staff to receive fines payments from users. o Can pay part of a fine, or the whole thing o For multiple fines, can pay a fine associated with a particular item, System keeps track of all fines paid or forgiven. System does not keep track of cancelled fines o used when fine is a result of the library s action, e.g. a book was not discharged properly. Once fines reach $25.00 for most users, they are blocked from borrowing. Table of circulation rules dictates fine limit, e.g. Alumni borrowers are blocked at $10
11 ITEM SEARCH & DISPLAY What the patron sees in the catalogue: View of UTL CATALOGUE Holdings tab What the back end shows: View of CIRCULATION module Item search & display command
12 SOME OTHER FUNCTIONS CLAIMS RETURNED Allows staff to mark a book in the catalogue if the user claims to have returned it, but the item has not been discharged. This stops fines from accumulating. DISCHARGING BOOKDROP Allows staff to backdate a discharge, to allow for books left overnight in the bookdrops. This way, the user is not wrongly fined. OUTPUTTING REPORTS The ILS has the capability of printing out countless number of reports in each module. These are crucial to the ongoing work of the library. They are also very important for year end statistics collection. Example of a CIRCULATION REPORT Can run a report of IN TRANSIT items to see which of our books are between libraries. Can track down items that were discharged awhile ago, but have not made it back to us yet. Example of another CIRCULATION REPORT At the end of the year, can run a report to show how many Course Reserves were signed out at the Inforum. These statistics, and many others like it, are then submitted centrally for all the U of T libraries.
13 For more help: Individual consultations: Nalini Singh 416 978 7069 nalini.singh@utoronto.ca Any of the Information Services staff will be happy to assist you at the Inforum Information Desk. Meebo chat: http://www.ischool.utoronto.ca/inforum technology email: help.ischool@utoronto.ca Online evaluation for this workshop: http://www.ischool.utoronto.ca/webform/sirsi i evaluation Your feedback is important to us. Please take a few minutes to fill out an evaluation of this session. Thank you.