Minutes of October 14, 2004 meeting

Present:

J.Reinhart, N.Mukherjee, D.Meister, B.Lipinski, C.Sterback, J.Teichmann, J.Gardner, K.Anderson, T.McNally (Camden); Y.Ishii, M.Harris, CFoote (Newark); D.Voorhees A.Peteet, P.Weniger, E.McElroy. M.Tokar (New Brunswick)

Excused:

P.Bellanca, R.Smith

Agenda:

1. RUConnection updates
2. Automating PIN requests: discussion of issues, possible scenario.
3. Non-affiliated users who decline to give SSNs.
4. Various billing updates: academic holds on spring registration; alumni notices; proposed schedule for Lost Assumed and Long overdue.
5. W2004 beta testing.
6. Other items and information sharing.

1) RUConnection updates

Chris and Judy met with Bill Gonzalez at the RUConnection office recently:

• We asked if it would be possible to print www.libraries.rutgers.edu near the barcode on RUconnection cards. Bill will investigate, he mentioned space considerations and concern about similar requests from other university offices/services. We described pending changes in the RUL-UMD library agreement.
• We discussed our interest in automating library PIN requests and need to get our databases more in sync. Bill confirmed he can provide the libraries a file of SSNs and barcodes from the RUconnection database; he will ftp a test file. We would also need to send a file of barcode changes that we make back to RUconnection, and a Unicorn report can probably identify these. A regular schedule of file exchanges will be discussed after testing is completed.
• Bill mentioned a university committee is studying a new 9-digit ID number to replace SSN. He indicated it is not current policy to share their photo file; this may change. WorkFlows can display photos on user records and we might want to consider this feature in future.

2) Automating PIN requests: discussion of issues, possible scenario

Chris described how automating PIN requests might work if we populate our database with barcodes from RUconnection. With regular updates from RUconnection, we could match SSNs on AltIDs, then load barcodes if an SSN is in the ID field. A new request form (Give me my PIN) would require users to enter their barcode. A script would harvest these requests and send PIN notification to the email in the user s record. There would be no verification on SSN but sending PINs only to the email in the user record is a security check. ASC is interested in this approach and will work on the form and email message, which should include a link to Borrowing Privileges. Systems is also currently looking at NetID for remote access.

3) Non-affiliated users who decline to give SSNs

• We are encountering more guest borrowers and non-affiliated users who do not wish to give an SSN when we register them. In addition, we just learned that UMD introduced a new ID number and is no longer using SSN.
• It will remain our policy to ask non-affiliated users and alumni for an SSN, but we will no longer require it when the user is authenticated and eligible for borrowing. For the time being, all current Rutgers users and recent alumni will have SSNs in their RU-ONLINE record.
• What will we put in the Alt ID field when registering users without SSNs? Various ideas were discussed and we decided to use the barcode and enter it in both the ID and Alt ID fields.

4) Various billing updates: academic holds on spring registration; alumni notices; proposed schedule for Lost Assumed and Long overdue

• Once again, we had very short notice about the deadline for academic holds on spring registration. We will look at past years deadlines and consider scheduling our reports on a regular basis and ahead of the deadlines.
• Alumni courtesy notices have been sent out, after Bob restored email addresses.
• We are now creating bills and changing item status to Assumed Lost at 180 days overdue (previously 365). The Billing WG proposed assigning items a longoverdue status, breaking the checkout transaction link, and writing an extended information note at 270 days overdue. Rather than daily, the Billing WG was asked to consider scheduling this process once a year, immediately before withdrawing longoverdue items from IRIS.

5) W2004 beta testing

The PALCI book charged on term loan was a human error (the override was used) and not a W2004 bug. There s a new build, 105, which systems staff will place on beta testers PCs. We probably won t go to W2004 right away, there are still significant problems and the acquisitions and requests modules won t be ready. We anticipate more extensive, formal training on W2004. Access services staff who are not beta testing have expressed interest in looking at the interface and a demo was suggested.

6) Other items and information sharing

• Katie welcomed visitors to Camden and will give us a tour of the new circulation desk and office space after the meeting. Robeson is conducting an inventory.
• Responsibility for RDS and PALCI requests from the Music Library collection will be transferred from Douglass to Music staff. Logins and reports distributions will be revised. A new PALCI aged holds report started up last week.
• Chris is working on batch withdraws of missing items and has identified some items linked to old orders, lost item bills, and recall fines. The Billing WG will look at the items with bills and fines. Beta testing Workflows 2004 and work on Promptcat is ongoing.
• Media Services has a new car, white Taurus wagon,
• Chang is hiring voucher student staff. Water damage (ceiling) is repaired.
• The HV unit in LSM s parking lot has been removed. Chair and table layout at LSM will be changed.
• Imaging Services is selling flash drives now. Kilmer and Douglass will also distribute, and Alex and LSM circulation desks when Imaging Services closes at night. Desktop delivery of Rutgers articles to Newark and Camden increase 70% from August to Sept.
• Douglass is examining exit statistics and conducting a survey about the new space.
• Dana has lots of work-study students this term.

Next meeting November 11th, 9:30 a.m., Alexander Library, College Ave. Campus