During this unprecedented period, we want to assure you that Innovative is here to help. Innovative is operating normally and prepared to continue delivering our services. Our customer support and professional services teams are adept at working remotely and have video or teleconference tools we can use to meet with you.

We understand that many libraries are preparing to re-open or begin offering limited services due to Coronavirus (COVID-19). Innovative Customer Support has prepared a solution in order to help libraries preparing for the next step in their services.

We know that each library is unique and serves a unique community.  Please use this solution to help build the right plan for your library. 

See also: Virtua Resources to Close Physical Locations

Things to consider first: 

Before undoing changes you made previously in Virtua and Chamo to your library functions please consider the following: 

1. Will the entire library / library system opening at once, or are certain locations opening before others?
   • Consider how this will affect running notice reports, backdating returned items, requesting and request pickups, library hours/calendar settings, etc.
2. Will the library be offering limited service for a period (e.g. hold pickup, curbside pickup, shelf browsing only etc.)?
   
   • Remember to unblock requests in the catalog if you blocked them previously.
   • Should certain types of notices begin running again or run on a different schedule?
3. Will the library have the same hours of operation as prior to the closing, or will it start with more limited hours/days open?
   • Consider updating library calendar and hours where needed. 
4. Will the library be quarantining returned items before releasing them back into the collection?
   • Consider changing the time period on checkin statuses or adding a status to your checkin workflow.
5. Read the Tips for Reopening the Library blog from Alison Pruntel, Manager, Technology & Materials at Fauquier County Public Library in Warrenton, VA.

How to backdate checkins in the Virtua Client: 

In the Virtua Client, when you are ready to check in books that have been returned during and after quarantine procedures you can set a Selected Time and Date as the checkin time in your Virtua Client Checkin Window.  

1. Open the Check in window in the Virtua Client

2. Check the box next to Select Time to enable the backdate features

3. Set the date/time that your library has agreed to backdate all materials too and check in all arrived items. 

Note: There is also a setting in the Virtua Profiler for each location where you can choose the check in date for all Clients set to a particular location.  If your library is not opening all locations at once, you may consider this to be a better way to handle mass checkins.  There is also an 'Amnesty Flag' in each Location setting that will forgive all fines, one or the other option will achieve the same goal.  Remember though, that you must set an amnesty or backdate setting for each location before you perform checkins and that you must reset it after your library returns to normal operations or you will continue to perform checkins 'in the past' or while forgiving fines.

How to Unblock Requests in Chamo:  

1. Login to the Chamo admin with the admin user

2. Go to the Circulation Settings

3. Check the 'enable requests' button

4. Check the ‘Enable unit-level requests’ button

5. Select the appropriate setting for you library under the ‘Display bib-level request button’.

 NOTE:  If you disabled page requests in Chamo, reenable. This is done in the Page Requests section in the Chamo Admin interface. All the page requests types need to be added back.

 NOTE:  Many rules regarding requestability can be controlled from this panel of settings, so if you have different needs regarding requests you can take different paths to reenabling certain types of requests.  

6. If your library allows Item Level Requests you may also need to use the 'Request Buttons' settings to replace buttons and and reenable item requests.  If you chose previously to uncheck the 'show button' checkbox for each configured request button, you will want to review your request button options and check this box for the desired buttons.  

How to restart Circulation Reports for Review, Overdue, Bills, Etc: 

If your library is not hosted and previously paused reports by editing the crontab and comment out all reports with ##, you can remove these comment characters to reinstate the previous schedule for your reports. 

If your library is hosted and you instead used the edit/delete option in the scheduling settings for each notice generating report to pause or cancel notice generating reports you can use the following procedure to reschedule your reports. 

To edit your reports schedule if you deleted all scheduled jobs...

1. Locate the screenshot you took of your previously scheduled reports for reference.

2. Login to InfoStation choosing Circulation reports

2. For each needed report select the radio button next to the report name and click the 'Schedule' button at the top or bottom of the reports list.

3. Enter the schedule parameters according to your screenshot settings and click the 'Add' button to save. 

To edit your reports schedule if you chose to edit all scheduled jobs by setting the schedule to run only on a particular month/day in the future such as January 2021...

1.  Locate the screenshot you took of your previously scheduled reports for reference.

2. Login to InfoStation choosing Circulation reports

3. Scroll to the bottom of the reports list and choose Scheduled Jobs.

4. For each needed report select the radio button next to the report name and click the 'Edit' button at the top or bottom of the reports list.

5. Edit all scheduled jobs to use their previous scheduled according to your screenshot settings. 

NOTE: If you have lost your previous settings, the general rule of thumb is to run reports in the early morning before the library opens and to leave a reasonable amount of time for each report to complete.  If you open a previously scheduled report and review the logs you can get a good idea of how long the report will take to complete a scheduled run. 

Updating Due Dates for Circulating Materials:

If your library halted all circulation of physical materials during the quarantine you can help mitigate some of the clean up processes you will have to do after reopening by mass updating currently circulating materials to have a new due date.  There is a script available in the Virtua system to facilitate this due date modification.  Details on the script can be found in the System Management: Circulation guide.  The script is called UpdateDueDate.sh. 

If your library is hosted please reach out to support with a new ticket and we will help apply any needed due date changes for your library.  If you are not hosted please reference the System Management: Circulation document and if you have any questions on how to apply these changes contact support with a ticket. 

Details: 

The UpdateDueDate.sh script can either be used against all item records or with a file of item ids that should be modified according to the script parameters.  The script will ask you for a due date range for which you would like to modify due dates.  You can choose to update all items in your entire system or only items from a particular location.  If you choose to limit to location you will need to provide the correct location code.  There is a confirm (y or n) step after entering these settings.  

How to check-in and quarantine items before being allowed again for circulation:

The library may create a special status (e.g. "Quarantine 14-days") where you can set and restrict those items that you are to check-in from being circulated for a temporary period (e.g 14 days) and also have the option to set your desired 'Next Status' which will automatically be done for you when the age threshold is reached (please see 'Required Server Process' section).

Below are example screenshots illustrating the different settings/options that you can set on this new status:

You may then temporarily use and configure this new quarantine status on all or just for specific locations by setting them in the 'Check-in Status' setting for the said location/s as shown below in the example Location settings from your Profiler:

Optional: If desired, you may opt to also use the 'Use Check-in Date' setting to pre-configure your desired check-in date for this location. 

TIP: Prior to making any settings change in your Profiler, we recommend for you to make notes or take screenshots of it current setting. This will come in handy when you need to revert them back after your quarantine period is over.

Required Server Process:

You need to run or have the executable called 'ItemStatusMonitor.exe' running on your Virtua server in order for the quarantined item to have its 'Next Status' once the age threshold is reached.

To run ItemStatusMonitor.exe as a background process,

1. Log in to your server as dbadmin.
2. At the prompt, type:

(nohup ItemStatusMonitor.exe -i [interval] &)
-OR-
(nohup ItemStatusMonitor.exe --interval [interval] &)

Where [interval] is the interval (in minutes) at which you want the program to check for item statuses that need to be updated, i.e., moved to new statuses.
Tip: If you do not specify an interval, the program will check for item statuses every 60 minutes.

Example:

nohup $EXE_DIR/ItemStatusMonitor.exe -i 30

(Please refer to the System Management Cataloging Reference Guide for more details and other options on how to run the ItemStatusMonitor.exe)

 IMPORTANT NOTE:  Once the library has completed its quarantining period, make sure to update the 'Check-in Status' settings back for those Locations that you have modified for this temporary process. Refer to your notes/screenshot for reference. If the library is not using the 'ItemStatusMonitor.exe' process for other Virtua functions, you may also then stop (kill) the server process.