Circulation Services Subcommittee Minutes

May 13, 2025 at 9:30 am

SCLS Headquarters

Action Items:

None

Present: Zach Ott (BAR), Steev Baker (SUN), Jeff Kauffeld (MAD), Margie Navarre-Saaf (MAD), Emily Harkins (WAU), Erica Kersten (PIN), Eddie Glade (STP), Tanya Bolchen (MID), Jennifer Foster (FCH), Robin Behringer (STO), Alyssa Diaz de Leon (REE), Alice Johnson (MOO), Andrew Branstad (MTH), Jackie Passant (SGR)

Absent: Ronda Evenson (VER)

Excused: Autumn Baumann (POR), Kelly Heasty (MCF), Claire Parrish (MCM), Jeff Pond (MRO)

Recorder: Michelle Karls

SCLS Staff Present: Heidi Oliversen, Cindy Weber

1. Call to Order at 9:36 am

a. Introduction of guests/visitors

i. None.

b. Changes/Additions to the Agenda

i. None.

c. Requests to address the Committee

i. None.

2. Approval of previous meeting minutes: March 11, 2025

a. Motion: J. Kauffeld moved approval of the March meeting minutes.  E. Glade seconded.

b. Discussion: none.

c. Vote: motion carried.

3. Action Items

a. None.

4. Discussion

a. AC approval of “SCLS Guidelines for Registering Patrons” revision.

i. ILS News, Email notification, blog post.  Anything else to get the word out?

1. Discussion: H. Oliversen reported that the AC approved the CSS recommendation during their April 2025 meeting and asked for other suggestions on how to get the word out.  A. Diaz de Leon suggested hard-copy sent to each library in the black envelopes.  That would be more noticeable for many staff than emails or blog posts.

b. Review recent revised Draft of Condition Issues: circ and no-circ.

i. Discussion: H. Oliversen provided colored copies of the draft of the Condition Issues list with strike-outs of duplicate entries and revisions submitted via the Google document. The group reviewed the handout.  This is an attempt to provide a standardized list of condition issues that every library can refer to when reviewing items with condition issues that are not noted in the material.  Using this guide, the libraries receiving the items to fill holds can determine whether or not the condition issues warrant sending the item back to the Owning library or the issues are minimal enough to continue to circulate the item.  Generally, if the item with condition issues is received from the Owning library, staff can assume that they are aware of the issue(s) and willing to continue to circulate the item. S. Baker said that SUN’s main concern is getting materials into the hands of their patrons because they have been waiting for that item.  Libraries can run a report to see who the last three patrons were to try to determine which patron caused the damage.  However, checkout history only displays for the people who have enabled reading history in their account.  The group agreed on the condition issues listed that allow the receiving library to continue to circulate the item, but we anticipate that we will need to do further work on this document. Once the standard list of condition issues is agreed upon, we also wish to create a generic workflow to be proposed to all libraries.  This list of condition issues, will eventually need to be approved by ILS Committee.  Libraries cannot be forced to comply.  A. Diaz de Leon thought audio books should be called a hard-disced case along with DVDs, etc.  Instead of listing all the different case types maybe we can add qualifiers later on.  We want to make it simpler for those libraries who want a succinct list and workflow for front line staff.  E. Harkins believes that these rules should be applied to items received at a library for holds and also materials returned from a checkout.  The group had a discussion and agreed that a NEW item should be an item with an Accession date within the last year.  How many libraries have staff on the front lines who won’t have time to go through this in a timely manner?  Many said they didn’t.  We want to find something we can all in a general manner and that libraries can create and variations that will work for local libraries based on their policies.  We will need to get buy-in from the ILS Committee to pass this.  Libraries can take this information and make it more specific for their library. H. Oliversen made the changes discussed during the meeting to the handout and will send it out to the group to review again.   

ii. Discuss creating and providing a “generic” workflow that libraries can use and modify for their own staff.  MCM and REE have already submitted examples, along with other information provided by other members.  H. Oliversen will email this information to the group, along with the draft revised at this meeting. 

c. Review Best Practice guidelines for changing passwords in Bibliovation.

i. Discussion: Working on a standard arrangement of changing Bibliovation login passwords for all LINKcat libraries has been tabled.  Instead, ILS staff recommend that all libraries use the information in the Circulation Manual regarding changing Bibliovation staff login passwords as a Best Practice for the next year.  We anticipate that we will be moving to a new software after the May All Directors vote and the next software will have its own level of password security.  We will investigate what are best practices for libraries before we migrate and as we learn more from the vendor.  H. Oliversen reviewed the information in the Circulation Manual with the group. Many libraries have specific staff that make and save (in the browser) password changes on workstations that multiple people use.  That is also a form of security – limiting the number of staff that know the passwords.  E. Glade asked about creating a Mozilla login for their PCs to save their passwords.  We aren’t sure how Mozilla is keeping those accounts secure and the staff station image might affect this.  This hasn’t been tested.  H. Oliversen will create another blog post about following the recommendation Best Practice for changing Bibliovation passwords.         

d. Circulation Refreshers:

i. 5/28 Patron records

ii. 6/25 Item Maintenance/Problem Items review

iii. 7/30 Last chance to ask Heidi O. (almost) anything

1. Discussion: The May 28th session will not be recorded because we will be using real patron record examples in Production and in our Sandbox.   We will also not be recording the 7/30 session.

e. Question regarding possible upgrade to 7.04 Bibliovation

i. Discussion: We have the 7.04 upgrade in sandbox.  There are some enhancements and fixes, but many of the displays are broken due to underlying upgrades/changes LibLime made to the framework. Many of the customization changes that Rose has made for us over the years have been broken and some cannot be fixed. ILS Staff have been testing the reported enhancements and fixes and reported several problems that we have found.   It seems unlikely that LibLime will be able to get everything fixed in time to upgrade Production to 7.04 before our Summer Library Reading Programs start.  The group voted unanimously to skip the updating to 7.04, especially since it seems very likely we will be changing software.  They would prefer their staff to focus on that change once it commences.

5. Plan for Next meeting:  July 8, 2025 at 9:30 am via Zoom session

6. Adjournment at 11:28 am

For more information about the Circulation Services Subcommittee, contact Heidi Oliversen.

SCLS staff are available to attend cluster meetings to share information and answer questions pertaining to this committee meeting and other departmental projects.

Circulation Services Subcommittee/Minutes/05-2025