So, April 15 came and went. What happened? A Q & A post.

Hello Everyone,
As you may (or may not) have wondered, April 15 has come and gone and PCR is not up and running. What happened? I'm sure you all have questions so I have a little Q & A post for all of you.

Q: April 15 is now past, why isn't PCR installed?

A: Unforeseen complications occurred and PCR was not installed according to the original timeline. That is all I'm at liberty to say Issues with finalizing the contract/payment with the vendor which lead to delays in our disucssions with Envisionware/PCR's technical support team. But now that thoses issues have been resolved we are moving forward rapidly and the initial installation with be at Sunnyside during the 2nd week of June.

Q: So what's next?

A: The good news is that PCR will still be installed...just a little longer than anticipated. As of right now, the plan is to have PCR installed at the original test site, Sunnyside, around the second week of June. Following this, the rest of the library sites will follow with PCR being installed.

Q: So, no PCR, what will happen with CybraryN?

A: Currently, FCPL will continue to use CybraryN until PCR is installed. As unpleasant as this sounds, it is the best option available.

Q: What about training in using PCR?

A: As we get closer to installing PCR, we will have a more definite idea regarding training.

Q: What if I have questions that are not addressed in this post?

A: Please use the comment function in this post to leave any questions for myself or the PCR Task Force. I guarantee that I monitor this blog frequently and will have an answer shortly after you post it.

That is it for now. Have a great day everyone.

J

What is being planned: coin-operated printers for patrons.

Hello,
Along with the PCR system, FCPL is looking at purchasing coin operated-printers for patrons to use. What? Coin operated printers? Yes, you read that right. Patrons will be able to release their own prints by simply using coin-operated printers. No staff involvement needed unless the printer needs paper or patrons need change.

I'm sure there are plenty of questions and this is still in the planning stages but this is what I know. Coin-op printers will be purchased in stages according to computer usage. For the first year, 5 coin-op printers will be installed at the following 5 branches: Central, Woodward, Sunnyside, Fig Garden and Clovis. If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments section and the PCR task force will do their best to answer them. Have a great day.

PCR Feature #4: Next Open Day Reservation

Hello,
If you work at a branch that is closed one or more days, have you had to answer a patron's question why a computer cannot be reserved ahead of time? For example, a library branch is closed on Sunday and patrons cannot reserve a computer on Saturday for Monday because of the whole 24 hours in advance rule in CybraryN. If that last sentence sounded a little confusing, then the whole proctice of the 24 hour reservation window excluding closed days is not beneficial for patrons.

In the new PCR system, patrons and staff can now reserve a computer in advance even if a library branch is closed. This is called "Next Open Day". The 24 hour window still applies but it also includes the next time a branch is open. Essentially, a patron can reserve a public computer on Saturday for a time on Monday, given that the branch is closed Sundays. This does not allow patrons to reserve a computer three days ahead of time, or a week, only 24 hours in advance. It will only allow this when closed days are taken into account. That's it for now, have a great day everyone.

J

The PCR system and interface may look vaguely familiar.

So, I have posted some screenshots of the PCR system as a preview of what is coming but one interesting tidbit that I have to share with you regards the connection between PCR and a program that FCPL is already using. If you looked at the screenshots that have been posted, the organization and appearance may look vaguely familiar. This is because PCR is made by a company called Envisionware. Envisionware is also the manufacturer of the LPT1 program (our print manager system) that FCPL currently uses.

So what does this mean for FCPL branches? One benefit of this connection is smoother interoperability between our computers, PCR and the print manager system. Since PCR and the print management system is made by the same company, communication will be better and less problems will theoretically occur. Another benefit of this connection is purely aesthetic because the appearance between the two will be more consistent with each other, which will be beneficial for staff. That's it for now, have a great day.

J

PCR Feature #3: The Public Computer

One of the big questions about PCR is "How will the public computers look like"? Well, I got some screenshots to show you. Bear in mind I took these from the evaluation copy and that the wording may be different on the finished product.

#1: The sign in screen.



Now for an analysis. The first thing that stands out in my mind is the wording in red that says when the computer is reserved, in this case, it is reserved at 10:10 am. This only occurs when a computer is reserved ahead of time and this allows walk up patrons to see that it is already reserved. They can go ahead and use the computer if there is time available before the reserved time but once 10:10 (or any reservation) arrives, they will be logged off. If the computer is available, it would look like this:


Notice it says "Available" in green.
Additionally, notice that an open computer prompts patrons to click on the colored text to log in.

The next step after a patron enters in their library barcode number is they will have to enter their access code (remember, no more PIN numbers) Once this is done, they will be able to use the computer.

#2 The Public Computer Itself.



The only noticeable difference here is the counter, which tells the patron how many minutes are left in their session. The counter is also larger and has a more noticeable font. If a patron logs out, or logs out early, they will get this message or something close to it:



Keep in mind that this is still being tested, still being wordsmithed but nonetheless, the PCR Task Force would like to know what you think. Please leave any questions or comments under the "comments" link.

PCR Feature #2: Better Communication Between Servers and Computers.

One feature of PCR that I am excited about is the improved communication between servers and computers. Why should this be important and how is PCR going to be an improvement? I will explain further.

Currently, CybraryN is constantly communicating between servers, public computers and the staff interface. This sounds ideal, since communication is vital to make everything work but too much communication results in mixed signals and breakdowns in transferrence of information. Too much communication is what CycbraryN accomplishes currently. Think of it as tons of "chatter" among all components, or a disorderly shouting match occurring all the time. All this communication results in sluggishness, double booking, unresponsive computers, etc. that can be frustrating.

So what is different with PCR and communication between components? To put it simply: orderly, reduced communication. It is definitely not a shouting match, more like an orderly roundtable discussions where everyone has a turn. If a computer loses communication with the server, it will simply say when it is ready and wait for the server to establish a connection again.

I hope this makes some sense as this is the best I can do in explaining a process that often happens unnoticed. If you have any questions, feel free to post them in the comments area. Thanks.

Bye Bye "Shimmer" or "The Neverending Refreshing Schedule"

One of the CybraryN features that can be frustrating to no end is "The Shimmer". This occurs when the staff interface refreshes the computer schedule, resulting in what seems to be a neverending process that disrupts staff ability to make or cancel reservations.


Imagine this refreshing and being mesmerized

So if this annoying feature of CybraryN will be gone, then what will replace it? The PCR staff interface is interesting, lots of tabs and features, stuff that is still being tested. What I did find when I took screenshots is that most likely, the schedule will look like this:



Granted, the picture only shows if a computer is available, along with information such as start time, end time, user information, etc. One drawback to this screen is that staff cannot make a reservation using this option, that is a seperate tab on the staff interface. In my opinion though, I would much rather have a stable (no "shimmer") way of seeing a schedule than to have an unstable schedule that is constantly refreshing and allows me to make a reservation.