Catalogue unavailable from 9pm tonight

SirsiDynix will be performing scheduled maintenance on the catalogue tonight from 9-9:30pm. During this time the catalogue will be unavailable. The maintenance will increase server memory. Apologies for the inconvenience.

Searching for DVDs? It's easy

If you're looking for a DVD title try adding the format to the Title Search. This works with all non-book titles and helps particularly if the title is a common word. Thanks to SirsiDynix for adding this popular feature back into the catalogue for us.

Looking for The Godfather on DVD

1. Select Title from the 2nd drop-down menu.
2. Type godfather dvd in the search box and click Search.

Upgrade news: Library app, Lists and more

My Lists

We sincerely apologise that any lists members had on the previous catalogue were not transferred with the upgrade to the new Library Management System. Unfortunately we discovered this too late to advise members for backup purposes.

For anyone wishing to re-create their extensive lists I would recommend periodically emailing or printing the lists as a back-up.

Library app

As a result of the upgrade the Library app has had to be re-submitted to Apple so is temporarily unavailable. We will advise via the website and social media as soon as this is available. Apologies for any inconvenience.

In the meantime, please access the library catalogue via a web browser on your device.

Update bookmarks/Favorites

The web address of the library catalogue has changed. Please update your bookmarks/favorites with the new address:

https://erlc.ent.sirsidynix.net.au

New feature - Branch holdings on Brief Results

We've added one of the most requested features to the new catalogue. Members will now find the title availability - branch, date due etc under the title on the Brief Results screen.

Thanks for your patience! If you have any questions, please ask library staff.

Renewals via Safari on iPads and iPhones

There is currently an issue with catalogue renewals and pop-ups via the Safari browser on iPads and iPhones.

After selecting your items a pop-up comes up asking if you are sure you want to renew, but you get no response when you tap Yes or No.

Solutions:

1. Download the ERL Libraries app from the App Store. On an iPad if it doesn't appear in search results be sure to select iPhone Only from the first drop-down menu in the App Store. It is an iPhone app but can be used on an iPad.

2. Use another browser eg Chrome. The issue only occurs with Safari.

3. Tap in the white area of the pop-up and then tap on the yes button.

Hopefully the issue will be resolved soon.

Cheers, webgurl

Note: Thanks Casey-Cardinia Library Corporation for the tips.

Checkout history has arrived!

We are trialling the option to view a history of checkouts within the My Account section of Enterprise.

When you login to your account you can enable this feature through the Personal Information tab - Select Preferences. Make sure both Show My Checkout History and Record My Checkout History are ticked.


The history feature will not show up for previous checkouts only NEW checkouts that have been returned, from the date the history option was enabled.

Members may also view Digital Checkouts from Overdrive eLibrary by selecting Digital Checkouts from the Checkouts tab.

Catalogue searches now include variant titles

The catalogue was updated today to allow for easier searching for items with variant titles, for example House & Garden as well as House and Garden.

With this addition we won't be able to add ERL to the title search for magazines anymore. However you can easily search for the ERL titles by selecting Eastern Regional Libraries from the first drop-down menu. If you are searching from the website, type the title in the search box and once you reach the results make sure Eastern Regional Libraries is selected in the first drop down menu and click search again.

UPDATE 5th September: Changes have been made to allow members to add erl to searches for magazine titles to retrieve the records belonging to our libraries.

Enterprise catalogue now has automated PIN reset 24/7

PINs are used in conjunction with the library card as a secure way of logging into your account on the library catalogue.

Previously if you've forgotten your PIN, you've had to fill out a form and wait until the next work day. With the recent Enterprise upgrade we can now offer automated PIN reset 24/7. Click the image below to enlarge.

To reset your PIN:

1. Visit the library catalogue.
2. Click the Log In link at the top right. A pop-up box will appear
3. Click the Forgot my PIN link on the pop-up box.
4. Enter your full library card number at the prompt (starts 20023).
5. IF you have an email address attached to your library record, an email will be sent to that address.
6. Click the Reset my PIN link in the reset PIN email you receive.
7. At the prompt, choose a new PIN. 

PINs need to:

• Be between 4 - 10 characters in the interest of your security.
• Have no spaces or use any special characters e.g. ~ ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) + _ .
• Be either alphabetical (all letters), numerical (all numbers) or alpha-numeric (a mix of letters and numbers).

They can be upper or lowercase. It is not case sensitive, you can type in either case regardless of what was set up at the library.

Catalogue update - issues with the server maintenance

There were issues with the server update last night. Consequently while the catalogue is up and members may search, the availability display, place holds and login to My Account are not currently available.

All of our branches are working offline - both Self Check machines and staff at the desk.

SirsiDynix have been working all night and we hope to have a resolution soon. Apologies for the inconvenience. We'll keep you posted.

9:07am Update: System is not expected to be back until after 4pm.

3pm Update: System has been restored. Members may now login to their accounts, place holds and view item availability.

Thanks for your patience!

webgurl

Catalogue upgrade Tuesday 14th January & alert for IE8 users

The library catalogue will be unavailable from 2am Tuesday 14th January for approximately 2-4 hours while a catalogue upgrade is undertaken.

Internet Explorer 8 users - There are issues searching this upgraded version of the catalogue with IE8, a system error appears. SirsiDynix are working on a fix but in the meantime I would recommend upgrading your browser via Windows Update or at Microsoft.

Chrome, Firefox and more recent versions of Internet Explorer do not give this system error.


Cheers, webgurl

The 10 "Power Library User" tips that will save you time

We all probably know someone that has the library all figured out, the "Power Library Users". They get the most out of their public library service and save a lot of time while they're at it.



The following is a short list of tips that will get you on the way to becoming a "Power Library User" at Eastern Regional Libraries. Is it any wonder that all relate to the virtual library. You may have some of your own you'd like to share, so feel free to do so in the comments... so notepads ready? Here goes....

10. Troubleshooting via social media
Power Library Users don't wait for a library visit to sort out issues with downloading eBooks or trouble with their account. They head straight to our Facebook or Twitter pages and connect with library staff there. In addition, we frequently answer questions coming in from members via the Contact form on the website.

9. Suspending your holds while you're on holiday
Have you ever been frustrated to discover one of your holds has arrived while you're on holiday and are unable to pick it up? A great feature of the Enterprise catalogue is the ability to suspend/unsuspend your own holds. Click on the Holds tab in My Account, select the holds and click on the Suspend Holds button. You may reverse it via Cancel Hold Suspension once you're back home.



8. Can't find it at ERL? Switch your search to All Libraries
Eastern Regional Libraries is a member of the Swift Consortium including 19 Victorian libraries. If ERL doesn't have a copy of the item you're looking for, change the target of your search from Eastern Regional Libraries to All Libraries. You may place holds on titles at other libraries.



7. Long waiting list for a physical copy? Check our digital collection
Some titles may experience lengthy waiting lists if they receive some buzz in mainstream media. Power Library Users know to check our Overdrive eBook collection in case we have a digital copy of the title.

6. Get the App
With the exponential increase in the use of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, it's worth downloading the apps we make available via the library website. BookMyne allows you to search the catalogue and renew & place holds without having to scroll, pinch etc. The OverDrive Media Console app manages the search and download of digital content such as eBooks and eAudiobooks from our OverDrive collection. Downloading the Zinio app and registering will give you access to our digital magazine collection. We're adding more content all the time.

BookMyne - iTunes Free
BookMyne - Android Free
ERL Libraries Free
Overdrive Media Console Free
Zinio Magazines Free

If iPads and eBooks are still new to you check out our free talks in our libraries.

5. Favourites
Over the past few years many members have enjoyed receiving email alerts when titles by their favourite author have been added to the collection. While Favourites is not available with the new Enterprise catalogue, they may be maintained via the previous eLibrary catalogue and the report will still be sent via email. You will need to be logged into the eLibrary catalogue using your userID and PIN to add, modify and view Favourites. Discover how to add authors to your Favourites through the catalogue guide.

4. Research 24/7
Just because the physical library may be closed doesn't mean that you can't access our resources. Eastern Regional Libraries subscribes to a vast range of online resources, most of which are available remotely from home 24/7. Click on Online Resources on our library website and you'll find encyclopedias, newspapers, online study materials, language courses and more.

3. Placing multiple holds at once
The new Enterprise catalogue allows members to place multiple holds at once, for a series or books by the same author or on the same subject. Just click the checkbox beside the desired titles in the brief results and select Place hold(s) from the action menu at the top.



2. Signing up for date due reminders
This one saves money too. Notify library staff of your email address and we'll add it to your membership record. You'll receive an email 4 days before the item is due so you can renew or return the item on time. Notify the library of any change to your email address and make sure your Inbox isn't full.

1. RSS feeds
There are two places I use RSS feeds regularly. Firstly on the catalogue, to stay updated with the latest titles on a subject. I construct a search and click on the orange RSS feed icon at the top of the brief results. I add the feed to my preferred feed reader, in my case Firefox's Live Bookmarks. I don't need to perform the search over and over, I simply go to the feed.



The other area is the Events Calendar. By clicking on the Upcoming Events link in the calendar and selecting my favourite branch then clicking Go I can view the events in my branch for the next 30 days. By clicking on the orange RSS feed icon on the results page I can add this feed to my preferred reader. If I want to know what's on this month all I need to do is go the the reader. Similarly, on a smartphone I can add an event to my calendar by touching the "9 icon". Voila!



Do you have any favourite tips to share? Let us know in the comments below, on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

Cheers, webgurl

Some features of the new Enterprise catalogue you may not have spotted

Well the wrapping is off and everyone is playing with the new Enterprise catalogue and we thought we'd share some of the new features. How many have you spotted? Complete list of Enterprise features

Searching

• The new catalogue uses fuzzy logic searching - a “Did you mean…” message pops up to correct misspellings/typos, and gives results for related terms. People are used to this with web searching.
   
• Searching for DVDs and magazines is even easier. Members can select DVD or magazines from the first drop-down menu and type in the title.
   
• Relevance sorting of results. When a person does a search, the catalogue returns a relevance percentage for each search result and displays each result in order from highest to lowest percentage relevance. Results found in the Title and Author fields are weighted to be more relevant than results in other fields. An exact match in the Title or Author fields will result in a score of 100% relevance. A match in any other field will result in a lower relevance percentage.
  e.g. a search of William Shakespeare in all fields will display titles that have this name in the title or author or both first before any title that might have the name in subject.
  Results may also be sorted via publication date, title or author.
   
• The brief results screen offers 3 ways to view the displayed results. List view includes summaries, thumbnail view has just the book covers and Cool Iris is a floating display of the book covers.

Rooms

The catalogue now has content pages for subject links such as Business, Health and Employment. A DVD page on which we’ll be posting reviews of DVDs in our collection has been added. We’ve also added a page for Online Resources. The catalogue guide contains tutorials with screen images.

New titles

A slideshow has been added to the front page of the catalogue for new Adult Fiction.
A new titles page includes titles added to the collection in the current year:
Adult – CDs, DVDs (feature films, documentaries), Fiction, Non Fiction, Audiobooks, Large type, Graphic Novels
Junior – CDs, DVDs, Fiction, Non-fiction, picture books, teen

Holds

Members can place multiple holds by selecting titles and choosing Place Hold(s) from the Select an Action drop down menu at the top of the results.

My Account

• Logging in via the login form at the left will take members straight to My Account.
• Members can now suspend their holds themselves if they are going on vacation. As well members can edit the pickup location.My Account now displays the place in the hold queue. It is an approximate place as it shows the place within the entire consortium hold queue. ERL members have access to ERL items first so the actual queue place will often be shorter.
• My Account now displays Payment History
• Barcodes of items are included in the Checkouts. Great for magazine borrowers.

Lists

Members can create custom lists once they are logged into the catalogue. These lists will not expire. Lists created while not logged in will expire.

Important notes

Updating browser language for Australian date format
Some members may notice the dates displaying in US format MM/DD/YYYY. The new catalogue is set to display in the language setting of the browser. The default language on most browsers is English (US) and can be changed easily to English (Australia). Change browser language For members using the Chrome web browser add English (United Kingdom) and make this the default language.

Application error
If you get an Application Error has occurred error message please click the back button on the browser and refresh/reload the page. It is only a temporary error message. Alternatively you may reload the catalogue page in your browser by selecting it from your bookmarks/favourites.

Favourites
Favourites are not available with the new Enterprise catalogue. However they may be maintained via the previous eLibrary catalogue and the report will still be sent via email. Members will need to be logged into the eLibrary catalogue http://swft.erlc.sirsidynix.net.au/ using their userID and PIN to add, modify and view favourites.

Cheers, webgurl

Sneak peek of our new library catalogue

I've been spending the last few months configuring the new catalogue and want to give our members a sneak peek. It's fully operational so you may login with your user ID and PIN on the site, as well as place holds etc.

Go to Enterprise catalogue

A few things you'll notice:

• the barcode of items borrowed will appear in My Account - a much sought after feature for our magazine borrowers.
• if you click on the first drop down menu you'll find a field labelled DVD. Select this to just search for DVDs.

Explore the site and please leave me some feedback or ask questions through the website feedback form. I'm still testing and adding tutorials to the catalogue guide. Once I've finished I'll be making the full transfer to the new catalogue on our website.

Just a note that favourites will always need to be maintained via the old catalogue site so a link to that will always be available.

Cheers, webgurl

Catalogues Down for Maintenance over Christmas

Just letting everyone know, the online Catalogues will be receiving some holiday love over the Christmas Period and will be down for maintenance until 9am Thursday the 27th.

Sorry for any inconvenience! Please contact one of our branches within our Christmas Hours should you have any queries.

Until then, have a fantastic holiday,

The ERL Virtual Team

Notice: Disruption of Internet service & website Wednesday 27 June

Update: The changeover for our new Internet Service Provider has been confirmed and will take place on Wednesday 27 June. ERL internet services and website will be unavailable between approximately 8am - 10am whilst this chageover takes place.

We apologise for any inconvenience!

Cheers, Anoewyn

Where have my favourites gone on the catalogue?

If you've discovered on logging into the catalogue that some of your favourited authors and subjects aren't appearing it may be because of a recent purge. Previously the author and subject of items borrowed were stored as favourites, leading to a mass of extra data on the server.

An alteration was made so that only those authors and subjects manually added are stored as favourites and those ones added automatically by the system were removed.

It's easy to add your favourite authors and titles manually by following the instructions on our Catalogue Help - Favourites.

Cheers, webgurl

Notice: Disruption of Internet service & website Thursday 21st June

Due to a changeover of Internet Service Provider at Eastern Regional Libraries on Thursday 21st June there will be a disruption to the Internet service and website availability on that day.

• PCs are not available for booking on that day
• The library website may not be available for a period of time on that day
• The catalogue will be available for searches, renewals and holds directly through the following link: Library Catalogue

Cheers, webgurl

Library catalogue will be unavailable from midnight tonight

Due to a planned upgrade the library catalogue will be unavailable from midnight tonight until approximately 4am. We apologise for any inconvenience.

So for all the night owls, please plan your renewals and holds earlier than usual or wait a few hours.

Cheers, webgurl

Happy 2000th blog post - what's happening with Web Services at ERL

With my 2000th blog post I wanted to share some things we're working on at the moment with the website and catalogue.


360 Search

In the next few weeks we will be offering 360 Search from SerialsSolutions. It is a federated search service, so you may search all of the online resources with the one search query.


New catalogue layout

I'm also working on the settings for a new catalogue layout. I will also be moving the web links section of the website over to the catalogue and building it up to become an information portal.

National Year of Reading

I'll be working on a National Year of Reading page to inform members about what we've got planned this year.

Newsletters

We're working on some new designs for the newsletters using MailChimp.


It's busy!


Cheers, webgurl

Library catalogue is back online

The library catalogue is now back online. You may login and and renew, place holds or search.

Apologies for any inconvenience as we had some system issues today.

Cheers, Maryanne

Library catalogue is currently down

The library catalogue is currently unavailable. We apologise for any inconvenience. We'll advise as soon as the service is restored.

Cheers, Maryanne