implementing sierra @ usl university of sydney library jane barton and isis bibaoui, november 2012
TRANSCRIPT
Implementing Sierra @ USLUniversity of Sydney Library
Jane Barton and Isis Bibaoui, November 2012
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SIERRA
Coordinated by Integrated Library Systems Management Group (ILSMG)
ILSMG consists of functional experts from all service areas and head of Library IT Services
ILSMG
• liaised with III, Library staff, Library groups and Library Management as required
• Designed and delivered staff training sessions
• Responsible for all communication to library staff on migrations (email, Intranet Page, InfoBlog, presentation at
various meetings
Sierra list invaluable source of support and information
Coordinating the Migration
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Overview of Pre-Live workTechnical requirements pinned down and implemented
Record of Millennium settings
Access to III hosted Sierra
3 weeks prior to go live date – ‘Sierra Preview Access’
• Verifying required specs
• Purchasing / set up of hardware
• Back up of Initials & associated authorisations
• Backup of Settings and preference for all Millennium module logins (printer settings, print templates, macros, item/bib templates, options groups, stats groups, ILL departments etc)
• Full access to most functionalities to see it all in action
• Useful for screen shots of the various functions to run presentations for staff
• Opportunity to explore Sierra users and workflows and develop and understanding of how they work
• Staff consultation on appropriate workflows
• Limited access
• Most time spent in Sierra admin setting up Sierra users and workflows
• Staff training / Familiarisation
• Permissions had to be fixed – there was a slight numbering change that impacted some permisisions
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› Sierra Database – Virtual Machine:
- Platform: VMware Infrastructure (vsphere) 4.1
- Operating system: Redhat Enterprise linux, 64bit, release 5.8
- Memory: 32GB RAM
- CPUs: 8 x virtual CPUs
- Disk space is provided by Fibre Channel SAN administered by our Central IT department, the sizes are as per III specifications
› Millennium server, which became the Sierra Application server:
- Its specs are similar but a bit smaller
- Platform: VMware Infrastructure (vsphere) 4.1
- Operating system: Redhat Enterprise linux, 64bit, release 5.8
- Memory: 24GB RAM
- CPUs: 4 x virtual CPUs
Technical specs @ USL
Sierra Users v’s Millennium logins and initials
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Sierra users
Millennium Login
Millennium Initials
Sierra User
Location
Options
Settings
Preferences
Permissions
Location
Options
Settings
Preferences
Permissions
+ Workflows
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Two Types of Possible Sierra Users
• Current millennium initials and password become Sierra User
• Individual Settings, preferences, Workflows & Permissions
Personal user
• Shared settings, preferences, workflows attached• Prompted for initials & passwords after login in• Have to request III to activate Context user setting prior
to Preview installation
Context User
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› A generic login, prompts only for initials only for financial functions
› Some individual personal users exist for staff with specialised workflows
USL Service desk users (generic personal user)
Location
Templates
Macros
Workflows
Permissions
Settings
Sierra SessionService desk user
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› 2 tier login process
USL Workroom users (context user)
LocationDoc del filesTemplates MacrosWorkflowsSettings
Permissions
Sierra Sessi
on
Workroom user
Personal user
(similar to a Millennium login)
(similar to Millennium initials)
Sierra Workflows V’s Millennium Modules
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Modules Vs Workflows
Millennium Modules
Modes within modules
WORKFLOW
WORKFLOW
WORKFLOW
WORKFLOW
Functions
Functions
Functions
Functions
becomes
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A workflow has to be assigned to a Sierra user in order to use the functions listed in the
workflow
You can assign workflows to personal Sierra user and to context users
Default workflows – by Millennium module, with all the functionalities listed
While a person might be assigned a workflow, can only use the functions in that workflow
if they have the permission to do so
Can tailor workflows, workflow names and order of position of workflow in functions menu
Workflows can be made up of different functionalities, regardless of previous mill module
The same function can be listed under more than one workflow
Need permission to work with workflows
About workflows
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Workflow Example @ USL – Workroom Workflows
Workroom – Core
• Checkout (circulation desk)• Check-in (no patron)• Search / holds• Course reserves• Serials checkin• Claiming• Funds• Reports
Workroom – Extra
• Create lists• Fines Paid• Notices• Data exchange• High-demand holds• View outstanding holds• Bookings maintenance• Catalog
Document Delivery
• New requests• Pending requests• Process returns• Filled requests• Cancelled requests• Enter requests• Process paged requests• Mediate requests• View requests
Program Registration
• Program management• Registration desk
Circulation
Serials
Acquisitions
Cataloging
Interlibrary Loans
Program Registration
Reports
Article Reach
Staff Familiarisation
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SIERRA
Run Millennium at the same time as Sierra
Train staff in Sierra a group at a time
Slowly migrate staff across to Sierra
BUT ….. 15
Initial thoughts on Introducing Staff to Sierra ….
SIERRA
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Decided to migrate all staff STRAIGHT to Sierra
Can run Millennium side by side but has to be reloaded, and there is an icon for each module
Uses the same users and initials and data as the Sierra system – so any problems with this would also impact Millennium users
Some functionalities (such as create lists and ArticleReach) only available in Sierra once migrated.
Once we had access to ‘Grizzly’ became clear that Sierra had exactly the same functionality as Millennium, with a different look and feel and some changes in navigation
Wish to have all staff using Sierra before the second phase of Sierra started
Didn’t want to see Millennium hanging on in use like telnet – we still had diehard telnet users up until last year!
Experiences being reported by other libraries on the Sierra list …….
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Sierra vs Millennium – migrated libraries’ experiences
“We migrated everyone to the Sierra interface on day 1. This move met no
resistance, unlike when we migrated from telnet to Millennium.”
Appalachian State University Library
“We have been live for two days… None of the issues reported have been with staff
not knowing how to perform a task. That part is genuinely easy.”
MARINet Consortium of Academic & Research Libraries
SIERRA
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Staff training
Focused on the idea of managing change and anxiety rather than on the idea that ‘training’ was required
“Staff Familiarisation” rather than training
Sierra Page on Intranet created – link to III presentations on it, link to Familiarisations session presentations
Staff sessions run every day in two weeks prior to go live date
Power point presentation:
• Side by side slides of Millennium Screen
• Stressing same functionality, different look and feel
• About logins and workflows
• Detail of what was different (enhanced searching, underlying structure)
So what happened when we went live?
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Now been live for just over a week
Catalogue down during go live for 10 hrs, library notices not sent during period – switched on ability for clients to use Cross Search. Used training server as back up for staff.
ArticleReach supply and mediation switched off
Off line circulation utilised
Took much longer than anticipated; problems at both ends.
Within 14 hours all functionality except ILL and ArticleReach.
After testing of functions, rolled out by login
Going Live – Overnight Tuesday 6th November 2012
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› Docdel files not displaying
› ArticleReach not accessible
› Web services module – used to import patron data and web fine payments had problems.
› Fine mop up because of off line circulation limitation
› Many emails and calls to III during process.
› About a week of fine tuning needed.
Going live: problems encountered
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› Make the day of the implementation a day closed in your days closed table so that nothing is due
› Download Pending and New docdel files – just in case.
› Expect system to be down for a whole day, advise staff and clients
› Negotiate as early a start time as possible
› Get as much information on what ports need to be open (if applicable)
› IT services cc’d on all communications during live deployment
› If you have a training server, synchronise with production as close to migration as possible. Training server’s webopac can be used by staff.
What would we do differently
Any further questions?
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