Karrie McLellan - Tech Tips

Ch-Ch-Changes

Though this blog has been quiet for a while, big changes are happening behind the scenes in the Upper Hudson Library System. UHLS includes all of the public libraries in Albany and Rensselaer Counties, and we are all working together toward a giant change in how our system is managed.

Currently, the libraries use a software named Horizon to manage all of our patron and item data. This software is at the core of all of our online functions and sharing capabilities. We are excited to announce that last year, the system voted to move to a new library management software – Sierra and its public-facing catalog Encore. Sierra/Encore is a newer system with a much more robust set of features for both staff and patrons. The change is currently set to happen at the end of March, though that may change as the deadline gets closer.

While migration from one software to another happens fairly regularly in libraries, it is still an enormous undertaking. Because terminology and functionality differ between the two programs, you would not believe how many things need to be considered, planned for, tested, and checked over and over! We are doing our best to think of everything, but there are bound to be some glitches along the way. Even if the transition is completely smooth, the new software will probably need to be tweaked for a few weeks while we get it customized just right. Whenever possible, we will alert patrons of outages and issues as soon as possible on our website, Facebook and Twitter locations. Your patience is very much appreciated. As always, we welcome your feedback on the new system once we get it in place.

Here are some new features that will come with Sierra:

OverDrive integration – checkout and download our online materials right from the catalog
Option to email receipts/date due slips instead of printing
Option for SMS (text) notifications [edit 3/5: This feature will not be available when we go live on 3/31, but will be implemented soon thereafter.]
More reliable electronic notifications
Option to save your checkout history
Option to tag catalog items and search by tag
Better mobile interface
Enhanced account security – this will likely require a new PIN, but we are not 100% sure.

Please note: patrons who use the My List feature in our current catalog will need to print their list(s) or email to themselves before the software change happens. My List items will not be transferred to Sierra.

If you have questions about the new system, please post them in the comments below.

Device Chargers Have Arrived!

These days, we depend on our portable devices for just about everything. When they get low on juice, panic sets in. Even if you can find an outlet, do you have your charging cord? You probably wouldn’t be surprised to learn that this often happens to people at the library. Now we have a solution!

Thanks to a generous grant from the Friends of the East Greenbush Community Library, we were able to purchase two device charging stations for the library that include charging cords that will fit most mainstream devices (Apple Lightning, Apple 30-pin, and MicroUSB). If you have your own cord, you can also plug into a USB port or one of the additional electrical ports on the box.

If you would like to try out one of the device chargers, here is where you can find them…

Youth Services:

Charger on counter — Playroom in Youth Services

Adult Services (main area):

Device charger on laptop cart — Current location: laptop cart behind reference.

ASfuture — Future location: seating area near music

In the main area of the library, we were hoping to put the charger near the music area. ~~Unfortunately, we discovered that the outlet is dead. Until we can get that fixed, the charger temporarily lives on the laptop cart behind the reference desk.~~ [Update: The charger is now located in the music area.] As a reminder, please do not leave your device unattended while charging. The library is not responsible for lost or stolen items.

We hope you find the new service useful. Let us know what you think in the comments!

Service Alert

On Tuesday, October 28th, the library’s public computers and printing system will be out of service from 9am until approximately 3pm for a planned software upgrade. Wi-Fi will still be available, and laptops are available for checkout from the Reference Desk with a signed agreement for use within the library. Thank you for your patience as we continue to improve our public computing system.

iOS Mess

iOS 8, the latest operating system for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch released on September 17th, has had a less than impressive debut. At first, it appeared to be unstable, causing crashes. Apple hurried to release the 8.0.1 patch, and the new software seemed to cause more problems than it fixed. Despite the fact that Apple quickly made the 8.0.1 patch unavailable, several people were stuck with updated (read: broken) iDevices. Apple states that iOS 8.0.2 is on the way, but if you are one of the unlucky folks looking for a way to downgrade back to iOS 8, follow these simple instructions from ReadWrite. If you feel that upgrading to iOS 8 was a mistake altogether, hurry and check out ReadWrite’s instructions for downgrading back to iOS7, which may only work for a limited time.

Are you waiting to upgrade your Apple device? Let us know in the comments.

Time to Change All of Your Passwords. Seriously.

Yesterday, news broke that a Russian crime ring known as CyberVor has stolen over a billion username/password combinations, as well as a half billion email addresses from popular sites all over the web. While there is currently no way to confirm whether your information has been compromised, or even which websites have been hit, it would be prudent to assume that at least one of your online accounts has been jeopardized, and take action to ensure the security of all of your online accounts.

When creating new passwords for your accounts, do not reuse passwords for multiple accounts. That way, if one of your accounts gets hacked, criminals won’t automatically have access to more of your accounts. There are several strategies for making sure the new passwords you create are secure. See this list for ideas.

Two-factor authentication (a.k.a. two-step verification) is another option provided by some websites that offer can offer an additional layer of account protection. For example, after entering my username and password at my bank site, I am always prompted to answer at least one of my pre-defined security questions. Another site that offers two-step verification is Gmail (more info). For more sites that offer two-factor authentication, check out this article by Lifehacker.

A couple of additional security tips:

Do not set your computer/device to remember passwords.
Make sure your computer/device is set to lock when it “sleeps” or you walk away from it. It may be inconvenient to keep logging in, but it will be even more inconvenient if your information gets stolen.
Avoid logging into sensitive sites on public Wi-Fi if at all possible. Other users on the same network with the right software may be able to see your information as it is being transmitted.

While no online account is completely safe from hacking attempts, creating strong, unique passwords, using two-factor authentication, and only accessing accounts on secure network connections go a long way toward keeping your digital information out of the hands of criminals.

Do you have any additional security tips to share? If so, please share them with our readers in the comments section below.