Sierra 5.5 Release Notes

Simplify FTP login

Sierra allows library staff to add FTP connection information to the vendor account records. This enhancement will retrieve the FTP info from the vendor record and automatically log the user in to download vendor status reports or print/send orders. If a user selects files that belong to multiple vendors, the connection information for each vendor will be retrieved and used as necessary. When FTP connection information is not saved in the vendor record, the user still needs to manually enter the FTP login information.

Highlight numbers across all columns in Funds displays

Acquisitions staff can view the funds information within the Sierra client, but it is easy to lose your place on the screen when looking at a long list of funds and fund information. This enhancement will highlight the entire row selected in the funds display so that the staff user can easily follow one fund across the page, including the Appropriation, Expenditure, Encumbrance, Free Balance, and Cash Balance columns (also the % column when viewing the Accounting Report Table) to make it easier to see the information for the fund they are working with.

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Switch between fund code and fund name display

Acquisitions staff sometimes want to be able to toggle between the fund code and the fund name when viewing the current funds display. This enhancement enables the acquisitions user to right-click to toggle the fund code/fund name column to show either value in the funds display. The toggle works independently of the user-controlled setting (Admin > Options > Setup: Use the fund name instead of code in the fund hierarchy display).

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Export funds/fund codes from Sierra

When working in Funds, library staff occasionally want to export the information to send to colleagues or to use the data in another system. This enhancement provides a new Export option in the toolbar of the Funds function to allow acquisitions users to export columns from the funds display as a csv file. When users click the Export button, a window pops-up to select the column/columns to be exported. After selecting the columns to be exported, a csv file is saved with the exported information. At least one column must be selected to export the funds information.

Send an additonal courtesy notice

Libraries sometimes want to send patrons multiple reminders when items are coming due soon. With this enhancement, libraries will be able to send patrons one additional courtesy notice on the day before an item is due. Additional courtesy notices can be run manually or as autonotices. Additional courtesy notices will not attempt to auto-renew items that are checked out. In the event that autonotices are configured and set to run multiple times per day, an additional courtesy notice will only be sent once to a patron on any given day.

For configuration information, see Set Up Additional Courtesy Notices.

Display the location of the holdshelf

In libraries with multiple pickup locations, it can be difficult to determine which holdshelf an item is on. With this enhancement, Sierra will display the location of the holdshelf as part of the status information for an item that is either currently on the holdshelf or was recently cancelled and the clear holdshelf process has not been run. Depending on the library's configuration, the status message will include either the display name from the hold pickup locations table or the branch name. The status message will appear on the View item record screen and in the status bar of the Manage Holds display.

New workflow for Mark Damaged Items

Library staff want a workflow that makes it easy to mark damaged items and bill for their replacement, similar to the lost item workflow in Sierra. This enhancement adds a new option to the Mark Damaged item workflow that ensures a consistent experience for staff and patrons when managing damaged items. The new option is labelled Mark Damaged And Add Bill and it will be used to mark the item as "Billed" and bill the patron for replacement of the item.

When using this workflow, the item will be checked in when the item is marked damaged and a bill is added. Based on library policies, a processing fee and billing fee will be added automatically, and the damage charge will be linked to the item and the patron. When the fee is paid, the item status automatically updates to damaged. This allows the library to distinguish "damaged and billed" from "lost and billed" in reports.

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Optionally, contact Innovative Support to enable the Mark Items as Damaged feature, if it is not already enabled.

Update RFID "Resensitized" color in preferences

This enhancement allows the library to set the color preference for the Sensitization Indicator in the user's Sierra preference settings. Sensitization indicator is active only when the library uses RFID tags on library materials.

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Update item category A - D counts when items are checked in

Sierra libraries use item categories A - D to set limits on specific types of materials that patrons can have checked out at any one time. When items are returned, these counts need to be updated in real time. In earlier versions of Sierra, these counts were updated when items were checked out. With this enhancement, the counts for item categories A - D are automatically updated when items are returned so that an accurate count is constantly maintained in the patron's record.

Link to Public Display in Vega Discovery from Sierra clients

Currently in Sierra, the View > Public Display menu option will show the active record in WebPAC or Encore. This enhancement provides an option to configure the public display to show the record in Vega Discover by linking to the resource through the ILS record ID. The link will work as long as the record has already been published in Discover. Vega Discover handles incorrect IDs, unpublished records, and suppressed records by returning an error message. 

Circulation Notices Support in Vega LX Starter

LX Starter provides you with modern, professionally designed email templates for patron notices. You can add library branding to the templates and select the notices you want to enable. LX Starter supports existing Sierra rules for notices, then batches and sends notice emails.

For more information about enabling LX Starter see When will Vega LX Starter be available?

Windows Snap feature

Library staff members want to be able to easily size and position the Sierra client windows on their workstations when Sierra is one of several applications they use throughout the day. With this enhancement, staff members can use the Windows Snap feature to move and size the Sierra desktop application on their workstations.

By dragging the client with the mouse or using the Windows button in conjunction with specific arrow keys, SDA users can move and position the Sierra client on their desktop. Staff members may also use the Windows Snap commands to maximize or minimize the Sierra client on their desktop.

Because of technical limitations, the Windows Snap feature has no affect on the Sierra login window or on bibliographic and patron windows that appear in the multi-window mode.

Refreshed CAS login pages 

Systems librarians want to have customized login pages that are appealing to their users and are easier to maintain so that they don't have to put as much time and effort into updating them. This enhancement provides a refreshed set of HTML files for libraries that want to provide an updated look to the CAS login pages.

BookNet Canada Sales Data Analysis program

Sierra libraries in Canada want to send data from Sierra to BookNet Canada (BNC) so that the libraries can participate in the sales data analysis service BNC provides. This enhancement enables the library to set up a job and tasks in Scheduler to export the library's branch and circulation data weekly and send the exported data files to BookNet Canada.

Improved upload of Inventory data

Library staff want a simple way to upload inventory data files into Sierra. This enhancement provides a new feature in Data Exchange to help users upload .rdi files and convert them to rdi* files.

To be uploaded in Data Exchange, the .rdi file must have 1 or more lines where each line is like n:barcode. If the .rdi file is not properly formatted, it cannot be uploaded and Sierra will display an error message: File structure is not correct.

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OCLC ILL changes

In December 2022, OCLC is planning to retire the current ILL Direct Request service. This service allows staff to send Sierra ILL requests directly to OCLC WorldShare ILL without having to re-type the request information. Sierra has added support for OCLC's new Request Transfer service.

For more information, see Changes to OCLC ILL Direct Request Service.

*We will no longer support automatic acquiring of ILL items via OCLC with Sierra 5.5.

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To transition to the new service, please complete the following form electronically, then print, sign, and send to OCLC as indicated on the form. Once your institution has been configured for the new service, OCLC will send you an email with instructions for retrieving your API key.

OCLC Request Transfer form

Once Sierra 5.5 is available and your system has been upgraded, you can open a support ticket to request setup of the new OCLC ILL Request Transfer feature.  In the ticket, please provide an API key for each OCLC symbol used on your Sierra system.

NCIP Relais Holdshelf slip print template support

A new print template has been added for NCIP holdshelf slips generated upon item checkin. Default fields include the following: patron name, patron barcode, email, telephone, title, author, item barcode, call number, pickup location, and pull date.

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Provide SQL view access to on_holdshelf_gmt and expire_holdshelf_gmt

This enhancement adds two new fields to the existing sierra_view.hold SQL view in Sierra DNA. The fields added are on_holdshelf_gmt and expire_holdshelf_gmt.

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Provide SQL view access to hold_removed data 

This enhancement adds a new SQL view to Sierra DNA to give reports users access to information about holds that have been removed, including the time the hold was removed, the username of the person who removed it, the PID of the process that removed it, and the program name that removed it. The new view is sierra_view.hold_removed.

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Provide SQL view access to loan rule table

This enhancement provides a view of the loan rule table that can be utilized for SQL queries. The new view is the sierra_view.circ_loan_rule view. This new view gives access to the loan rule table fields that are available in the Postgres database in Sierra.

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Encore OverDrive Checkout API changes

The OverDrive Checkouts API changed in January 2022. When downloading e-content, Encore now offers a new OverDrive-hosted fulfillment experience where patrons can select a format and open the content, as well as download any necessary software.

Note that Encore 5.5 is the first release that bundles the OverDrive changes. The changes have also been delivered as hotfixes for 5.4, 5.3, and 5.2.

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Support the SDA installer on MacOS Monterey

In October 2021, Apple announced the release of MacOS Monterey. Libraries that run Sierra on Macs need to be able to install the client on the new MacOS. This enhancement adds support to the SDA for MacOS Monterey.

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Support the SDA installer on Windows 11

In October 2021, Windows 11 was released. Libraries that run Sierra on Windows need to be able to install the client on the new Windows OS. This enhancement adds support to the SDA for Windows 11.

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Transfer Collection Agency files by email is no longer available

Secure transfer for Collection Agency files was introduced in Sierra 5.3.  The transfer by email option is no longer available in Sierra 5.5.

For the smoothest transition, configure S3 transfer prior to upgrading to Sierra 5.5.  If this is not possible (for example, if upgrading from 5.2 or earlier), be ready to configure S3 transfer after upgrade. 

Upon upgrade to Sierra 5.5, any Collection Agency Settings still using email transfer will be changed to use transfer method "None," which means the reports will not be transferred, but library staff can retrieve them manually through Data Exchange (see Downloading Collection Agency Reports).

Reindex auth record phrase entries during Sierra upgrade

As part of the fix to an issue with sorting of cross-references in authority records, all authority record phrase entries must be re-indexed following the upgrade to Sierra 5.5. This re-index will happen automatically after the commit phase of your Sierra upgrade and must be completed to sort see references in the correct order.

Ampersand in Sierra passwords

Sierra passwords should not contain the ampersand character (&), but different interfaces vary in their handling of ampersands. This update to Sierra allows a user to change a password that currently contains an ampersand and set a new password that does not contain an ampersand. If the user tries to create a new password with an ampersand or other invalid character, Sierra will display an error message: ERROR: Your password contains invalid character(s). The list of valid characters is listed in the Sierra documentation: 

https://csdirect.iii.com/sierrahelp/Default.htm#sadmin/sadmin_useraccts_auths_users.html.