Koha-US SIG - Circulation Special Interest Group, 2 Aug 2022

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From YouTube: Circulation Special Interest Group - 8/2/2022

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00:11:02 Jason (SEKLS): https://wiki.koha-community.org/wiki/SQL_Reports_Circulation#List_of_items_checked_out_in_a_date_range
00:13:15 Daniel Gaghan: https://pastebin.com/k7QFmejX
00:23:13 Jason (SEKLS): https://bugs.koha-community.org/bugzilla3/show_bug.cgi?id=30755
00:29:23 Jason (SEKLS): https://bugs.koha-community.org/bugzilla3/show_bug.cgi?id=26461
00:32:43 Jason (SEKLS): https://bywatersolutions.com/education/monday-minutes-resolving-returned-claims
00:35:16 Jason (SEKLS): https://koha-us.org/events/conferences/kohacon22/#tab3

A

Start this is the quahog u.s circulation sig meeting for august, 2nd 2022, and we are just discussing a usage report trying to to figure out. If anybody had a report that would show what items are checked out monthly. Is that correct.

B

Essentially, yeah just a yeah, a report of what was checked out over the previous month or usage statistics. That's the key word. You know the track usage.

A

I'm looking through my collection of reports.

A

I've also shared the agenda with in the chat.

A

I forgot to send it out early this month or really last late last month, which I usually do, but I wrote myself a reminder and I'm going to do it this next month. I swear so but okay back to.

A

So I'm working on two computers. So that's why it might be a little weird.

B

It's fine daniel. I found uh two other universities. I was I just I'm going to reach out to this week too, to try to coordinate a little more. um So I'm pretty excited about that. That's cool one's in pennsylvania too, so that's really neat and the other one seemed to know the person that was in my posit a similar position before I got here. So that's even better.

A

A

Just working on running one of my reports to make sure I've gotten what you need.

A

So you need item type check out. We use like um mark item used and then returns and renewals. Would that be something that you need.

B

Sounds right, but it's just so odd how everything's organized by this item type and uh just just it seems like it's over complicated and all most of the reports seem to build.

B

Like a total count, I mean I know I can make one to do this but, like I said I was just open to it, to uh you, know, save the headache going back and forth.

A

Yeah you've seen and you've taken a look at the the report. Catalog that's linked in the in the report. Module of cohort.

B

uh The report module yeah.

C

B

Guided the saved like to go to the library of report like the coho wiki, like I've gone through there, just trying to find a simple report. That would just say I was just show item like the items line items like the title of every book.

B

Okay, when it was checked out on essentially that's all I was going to make, but just to track the usage of it from when it was checked out.

B

Probably the call number two.

B

This seems to be the popular way, the best way to actually uh classify these.

A

Where did it go.

B

Jason share here.

C

Put a link in the chat to one: that's in the wiki: it's it's got some outdated conventions, but uh it may still work.

B

List of items checked out in a date range that sounds good.

B

C

A

C

It's confusing because they've started breaking it into different pages so that one's actually hidden on the circulation sub page of the reports.

C

So there may be others on there that serve it better or do a better job of what you're needing and.

B

This may just be a good starting point too, like I said instead of I can edit off of it.

A

I think I might have actually found one of mine that you're welcome to pull apart and do whatever you want with. But let me make sure I've got the right code.

A

Of course, it's customized to our our location, but.

A

I'm just gonna try yeah.

B

A

Yeah, what what ios did you switch from.

B

This is my first experience with an ios.

B

I have uh but this one's working here, good too jason. I'm gonna try yours daniel too, but I like what jason shared. This was good yeah.

C

And work off of that, it does give you two different approaches here. So the one from the that I linked is looking at issues and old issues, and this one that daniel linked is looking at statistics. So um you can, you can kind of compare see. What's what you like better.

C

And it made it may also like rely on how how much data you keep so like for us. We keep statistics. I think we keep statistics and issues all the way back, um but if you're truncating either of those tables, then one may work better than the other. For you.

B

Yeah, I was I wanted to talk to talk to this group too, about just like their usage statistics like uh especially, if you guys track.

B

Because I believe you're both public libraries right like uh whole.

A

Yeah, I'm a district and I think jason's, a a consortium. Aren't you.

C

Yeah we're a consortium of, let's see, we have 48 publics and one academic wow.

B

Yeah yeah see that that's so I was trying. I started reaching out to try to get a little more uh similar to me with the university, but um we'll see how that goes over the next week or two but uh yeah. I was trying to see how you tracked your electronic usage as well. If that was like your electronic circulation.

A

So we don't do that in quahog. We we actually have to go through the um either the vendor's site, or we also have an opac that tracks it. But it's a new feature. So I'm not sure how well it it functions. um We have discovery or with aspen as our opac, and so it's got that neat new feature, but I'm still not sure how this the stats are when compared to the vendor's site. So.

C

Yeah and for us, it's all external, to gohan as well we're using hoopla we're using cloud library, um but we don't have a way to track actual usage within coho. We did tracks like a semblance of usage before when you can turn on. um I think the system preferences track clicks and you can it'll log how many times then 856 gets clicked, but that's not really um usage. That's that's just saying that somebody clicked and went to that external site. So yeah we don't have a good way to track um our e-resource usage within gohan.

B

Yeah, I didn't expect there to be just that's. I was just wondering like what other libraries we're doing to do, that I figured it'd be an acceptable place to do that, even though you know it's about coho, but still to get a little more background into libraries.

A

Sorry, it never hurts to ask.

B

Yeah these these reports are going to help here greatly. All right great. I greatly appreciate that. I hope I can repay the favor either to you guys, one day or somebody else down the line. uh You asked me what library management system I used before this. Did you guys use any before co-op.

A

So I've I've been around, I I used.

A

My first experience was with a unicorn and cersei or yes, unicorn, cersei dynax, and then I went from that to millennium to aleph to um back to cersei dynax and that this time it was symphony and now I'm on co-op.

A

C

uh For me, it's like we migrate off of all kinds of just systems, so we've migrated in from fallout. We've migrated in from cersei, I think, phoenix um my personal experience. We used winnebago spectrum here before moving to quahog, um and then there was like a text-based cersei dynamics that they were on, that a lot of things migrated into from so touched a few resistance, but um most recently we migrated one from uh triple. I.

C

But I'm not, I don't have a lot of familiarity with those other systems, mostly just co-op.

A

Yeah having gone from you know a whole bunch of different eyelashes. I think koha is one of the easier to use and um their tech support isn't bad by water. um The uh you know, honestly, I was thinking about the I think, most of the circulation, all the statistics from all the other ilses I used were based on item type, so it's just kind of the way that ilses are construct constructed so um you're in for a long haul. Sorry evan.

B

Oh, it's, okay, that's and I I I think the law is pretty intuitive. It's just the like. I said to save the headache of sitting there trying to write that out. I knew there had to be one that was just like a line item somebody made over the years, so it was just a matter of asking.

C

So the other thing I noticed with this report- and maybe it's just uh because I'm in a consortium it is, it- is going off the item home ranch. So if you're a single location it shouldn't matter, but if you've got multiple locations, you want to pay attention to what you're filtering on because generally for us, statistics are based on where the item checked out, rather than where the item is owned or where the patron is from and then on. Daniel's report you're, not filtering by a branch at all.

C

So that's fine again, if you're, a single location that that's just something you have to um kind of keep in mind.

A

Yeah, this report was for uh our adult literacy staff member and she wanted to see how much of her her collection was going out across the district. So that's why it's not based on home library or holding library, which is where, where the item is located so.

C

Yeah and they've done a good job of adding to the statistics table um more than we used to have, so you can filter it by item type. You can filter by collection code or you can filter it by location. So you've got all three handles and angles. You can kind of look at the data from.

C

Another advantage of using statistics over issues is um it's set in stone, although I think issues might be send stone too. I don't want to give you that information. I know statistics are set in stone so like at the point I've checked out. It's logging location collection code item type. um Sometimes when you run reports, it'll it'll work off the active item.

C

So if something changes, then it throws off your statistics. um Your stats, depending on which tables you're querying.

A

So, just to draw this back into circulation a lot of the the reports you'll probably be able to find them. If in the admin user groups, and that's where you know a lot of our report- gurus lurk. So I definitely recommend going to that sig group, but I was just wondering if anybody had any circulation um questions I I do have one, but I want to to throw it out there see if, if anybody had anything so.

C

Yeah but uh yeah um daniel do you use auto, renew or evan at all.

A

Yes, we use auto renew, we give them six, auto renewals unless there's a hold and then they've got to bring it back.

C

Do you are you using the digested notice for that or the are you using notices at all.

A

We're using notices, I didn't know that they had digested. I thought they were working on that and I never heard that it was fixed or it wasn't.

C

Available yeah we're testing it right now and the the default notice is just kind of chunky clunky. So I was gonna. Ask if you had like a a nice pretty digest notice, but it sounds like you're. Not you don't.

A

No, but I'll look into it. You know. I thought there was a reason why it couldn't be, but if, if there's a, if you can modify the notices, you should be able to like create one so I'll yeah.

C

I found one in a bug and we're testing that out um I'll put the bug in the chat so unrelated blog, but there's a um a notice template in there uh for us in our testing, we're finding it like behaving oddly, like it's sending out notices that are redundant like I had one uh today where um it sent out a notice that said this item's not renewed, and then the next day. I said this item's not renewed and then like the day it was supposed to be renewed.

C

It finally got the notices that it was renewed, um so there's there's something funky in our setup. Still um as far as notices go, it's just it's like unnecessarily, notifying us that it's not renewing things when they're not eligible for renewal.

A

I vaguely remember us having that issue at the first, but then I want to say by water, cleaner it up on the back end. um Jason, are you hosted by? Are you self-hosted.

C

No, no we're a bywater customer so and I've been working with them on it. They thought that the using the digest option would fix the problem. So that's why we're testing that out now, but I um I'm still running into it. So I'm wondering if it has to do with um like the newer renewable force setting.

C

I have that set to zero right now, but it seems like it's not respecting it, because my understanding is, if you set it at zero, then it should only send it should only try or do the day that it's due and not before, but it sounds like it's trying it's trying and sending those like redundant notices more.

A

Than a day before,.

C

So we're still we're still testing and pranking on it.

A

Yeah, all I can say is that it works great when, when you get it up and running so.

C

That's good news.

A

So anybody else have any other questions. I don't want to hog, but I found an interesting kind of issue so.

A

So the the thing that I was I I stumbled across and it happens with our self checks and I actually referenced it in the in the agenda and it's weird it's it happens.

A

We have two types of self checks, we have the biblioteca and we have one from fe text and for some reason, when you look at a user's account items that are on hold on the user's account that have an on order status, don't display and the one self check says like if the person has 12 it'll save people, the person has 12 on hold items, but it'll only show seven, because those seven items are not on order and then the other one would say you only have seven items.

A

It's really weird and I was wondering if anybody else had to run across this.

C

I don't have much experience with sip to check out herself checkouts, so I can't help there.

A

C

Yeah we have one library that has bibliotheca machines. I think um they haven't told me anything like this before all right.

A

Evan, are you do you have any amhs or soft checks in your your library?

A

What's uh what's an amh, it's an automated material handling, so it'll it'll check people will drop it into a box and it'll check things in automatically doesn't have to staff, don't have to touch it. uh No. We.

B

Do not have that.

B

Self checks: okay,.

A

Yeah and a lot of them run on sip and they're a lot of fun when they go down you just it's a lot of trouble: shooting shooting and oftentimes they'll they'll, just randomly start working again for some weird reason. So, but.

C

So is it? Is it the on order status? That's messing it up like if they're. If they don't have that status, then it works. Okay,.

A

I believe so yeah because all the items- here's the weird thing, the it's, the only the on order status if it's missing or lost it'll still show it's just really bizarre.

C

Are you using uh so for ours freezing and not for loan status, for on order? I think yeah, it'll households. I wonder if that's the difference, I wonder if it's because it's not for loan status, it's handling it different than like uh missing or lost status.

A

Yeah I'll try that out and just play with it a bit, but it's just a really kind of random thing. So.

C

Yeah, it sounds like something maybe in the backing configuration.

C

I don't know there, I found a bug, that's talking about incorrect handling of hold levels and set two code.

C

That doesn't sound like your problem, though,.

A

No, can you post the link and I'll take a look at it when I get a chance sure.

A

Thanks so evan, if you you haven't run into this site, the bugzilla, the coho bugzilla site is, is great reference for quahog issues, although searching in it can be difficult because people they name things, they have very interesting naming conventions. So.

B

Yeah, it doesn't look the most user friendly, like I said just or even that too, uh in incorrect naming conventions and.

B

uh All problems are communication problems, you know, people, don't you don't know how to communicate but you're trying to get fixed and you don't know how to communicate what to fix, and vice versa. But yeah I've been on there trying to look.

A

Around to see, if I could help.

B

In any way, but to know no progress yet.

A

Yeah it it's going to take a while, I'm still not very good at it myself. So.

A

I think I'm gonna play around with the the not for low and status, see if I can get that and then I might actually take this bug to the admin group and see if anybody else has seen it. But I was like hey it's circulation related. I can bring it up in this meeting so.

A

Anybody else have any uh circulation things they wanted to check out or any notice. Anything interesting with when you upgraded to 21 11 that you weren't expecting.

C

I haven't upgraded yet, or is this next monday, so I keep saying I don't have anything to help with, but I don't have anything to share there either.

A

Well, one weird thing that I noticed is that the circulation, uh when you check in it claims return or return a claim is returned, there's an option to solve it in the check-in screen. However, after you solve it, the message still remains and I want to vaguely say that that that's been mentioned somewhere, but I'm not entirely sure it was just. That was the one weird thing that I I saw so far so over other than that 21 11 is pretty pretty snazzy. So.

C

Yeah, I'm hoping for not a lot of changes. I haven't, I mean I've looked at it. I looked down on our testifier, but I have to get it like compiled and uh get some notes out to my people by friday. So um I did there's a monday minutes on that claims. Return thing.

C

For more reading, I don't know.

A

It's it's a cool feature. I really like it. It's just that it that's kind of uh it. It messes with my head and I'm like. Is that still done? Did it actually claims? Did it complete the complaints claims return or not? So it's just a little bit of wonkiness right there, so, but new cool in the future.

A

All right does anybody else have any circulation stuff. I think next time I'll send out the the reminder and probably get more people so or actually next time is the is koha us. Isn't it.

C

Yeah, so it's kind of up to you whether we have the um we could have the regular meeting and then also have a meeting at kawaii at the qualcon or cancel next month's meeting and just have the qualcomm meeting. um I think you just can kind of decide that I would say.

A

Yeah, I think I said I was going to just cancel the meeting and have it at co-op on I'm not going to be there in person I'll be uh virtual though so it's just my scheduling. It's kind of that's how it I've got a lot of irons in the fire right now and I don't think I can leave the district for a training just or going to a convention just yet so.

C

Okay and that works we've got other sticks doing that as well. So um yeah, we haven't quite figured out the logistics, but I think it'll probably be like uh we'll have the zoom room where anybody can come join and then also stream out this room room to youtube for those days, so that people can also participate on the youtube chat.

A

I think we did it last year that way, and it worked out pretty well.

C

Yeah, so that's the plan at this point at least.

B

A

All right: well, I I'm gonna assume that nobody else has any circulation questions or issues that they've run across and.

B

Nothing at this point, but again I wanted to say thank you and look forward to that uh co-op con. Is there anything I should expect for on there? Is there anything to like a special day? I should tune in or anything like that.

A

Are you registered right.

B

uh Yeah yeah, I think I signed up on the email list. uh I assumed it was just like uh pretty much a conversation like these meetings in a sense where people discuss issues and things.

C

Yeah, so the conference is like full-fledged international conference and we'll have two days of presentations. I put the direct link to the schedule there in the chat, so you can see the presentations that are planned and then the second two days are sort of traditionally they've been called hackfest. But we've been trying to get away from that terminology because people get scared by it. um So hackfest workshoppy days um in the mornings we'll have some more like formal, structured, trainings and then we'll have our sig meetings in the afternoon.

C

So the cirque side is at two o'clock on thursday, um but yeah. So the first two days primarily you'll, be watching unless you're coming in person you'll be watching those on youtube and just tuning in and then on the second few days, we'll kind of open up the zoom room and you can join into the conversations there.

C

um That's the plan at least, and if you haven't registered, that uh you'll want to do that, so that we can.

B

Yeah, I think I'm all good there, but it sounds good. I'm looking forward to it to see what unfolds.

C

B

Hopefully I'll grow grow in the community here, a little bit too.

A

Yeah, well, if anybody doesn't have any other circ issues or agendas or topics they want to talk about. I can end this meeting, so I figured I'd.

B

Sounds good yeah. Thank you. Thank you. Guys have a good one.

A

All right take care, see you guys next month or see you at quahog on.

B

Yeah bye thanks again.