Category: Software

There is a new mobile app from the Upper Hudson Library System. The app has many neat features including the ability to search for and place holds on library items, access your library account, see scheduled events, contact your local library, and much more.

Getting Started

The app is available for Apple and Android devices. To download the app, open the App Store on Apple devices or the Google Play Store on Android devices and search for “UHLS Mobile.”

When you open the app for the first time, you’ll get a pop-up asking to allow notifications. You will get another pop-up asking you if you’d like to let the app use your location. Using your location makes it easy to locate a nearby library if you are out and about. Once you’ve chosen your notification and location preferences, you’ll be asked to select your preferred library. After you have selected your preferred library, you will get a conformation of your choice.

After choosing your preferred library, you will be taken to the main menu, which lists all the things you can do on the app.

Popular This Week

The first thing you’ll see is a sampling of books that are popular this week. Tapping on “see all” next to the book jacket will bring up a complete list of books that are popular this week, and from there, tapping on a title will give you more information about the book as well as the ability to request it.

Search and Request

The first option on the main menu is “search the catalog.” Tapping on this option will bring you to the search screen, where you can search for library items by title, author, subject, or keyword. You can search by tapping on the top center dialog box and entering your search term.

Once you start typing, a list will appear with items that match your search query. If you tap on a particular title, you will be taken to the Item Details screen. From here, you can see details about the item such as a summary of the item and which libraries have copies of the item available. You can also place a hold on the item by tapping Place Hold. If you choose to place a hold, you will need to login with your library card number.

You can tap back in the top left corner to see your search results or to perform another search. To get back to the main menu, you can tap back again or click the home icon on the bottom left of the screen.

My Account

By selecting My Account on the main menu, you can review your library account or your Overdrive account. To login to your library account, click on login under library account. Once you login, you will then see a summary of your account, including the number of items you currently have checked out and how many items you have requested.

You can tap on Checked Out to get a list of items you currently have checked out. On the list of checked out items, to renew a particular item, tap on the title. You’ll be taken to a conformation screen telling you if your renewal request was successful. Tapping on Requests will bring up a list of your requested items. If an item is ready to be picked up, there will be a message with “status: ready to be picked up” underneath the title, as well as the date it must be picked up by. If the item is not ready to be picked up, you will only see the library branch where you can pick up the item once it is available.

Barcode Wallet

Another neat feature of the app is the Barcode Wallet. If your library has the proper scanning technology at the checkout desk, you can use the app in place of your library card when checking out items at the library. You can enter a library card number along with a label identifying the cardholder for each family member for easy access.

Once a person has been added, tap on their name to bring up their card.

You can also bring up the bar code screen from My Account on the main menu, and choosing view barcode.

OverDrive and Online Resources

By tapping on OverDrive on the main menu, you can download e-books and e-audioBooks. Selecting Online Resources gives you easy access to Flipster (for digital magazines), Gale Virtual Reference Library (for always available non-fiction eBooks), Heritage Quest (for online genealogy research), and Mango Languages (to learn a new language).

BookLook

By tapping on BookLook on the main menu, you can scan the ISBN number bar code on the back of any book. The app uses your device’s camera to scan the ISBN number and then searches the catalog to see if it is available at the library.

Events

If you are interested in upcoming events at the library, choose Events from the main menu. You then have the option to see only East Greenbush Community Library (or whichever library you chose as your preferred library) events or you can view all shared events from area libraries.

Hours

Wondering when the library is open? Tap on Location & Hours to see library hours and directions or to quickly call or email the library.

Social Media Integration

If you want to connect with the library on social media, select Connect with Us from the main menu. You’ll be given a link to the library’s social media pages including Facebook, Twitter, Instragram, Pinterest, and YouTube. If you want to call or email the library directly, choose Contact Us from the main menu. If you would like to view the library’s website, you can quickly access it by selecting Library Website from main menu.

Your Preferred Library

If you want to change your preferred library, on the main menu screen, tap on libraries in the bottom right corner and your preferred library selection will be cleared. You’ll get a message that your preferred library was cleared and if you tap below the conformation message, you can select a new preferred library. If you have the app location set to on, it will list all of the area libraries in order of the distance from your current location.

Have you downloaded the new app? Let us know in the comments.

All libraries in the Upper Hudson Library System are getting a new language learning service called Mango Languages. What is Mango Languages you ask? It’s a fun and easy-to-use language learning program that can help you learn over 70 different languages. The program allows you to go at your own pace, so you can take your time or speed through depending on your preference. There are a wide variety of languages offered, everything from common languages like Italian and Chinese to less commonly used languages such as Biblical Hebrew and Scottish Gaelic. There are also a number of specialty languages like Medical Spanish and Oktoberfest German. Mango also benefits ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) with 17 ESOL courses.

It’s easy to get started. You can create an account using your email address and start learning right away. Once you have created your account, you can select the language you would like to to start learning.

You can click the green Get Started button or mouse over the three lines in the upper left corner and click on languages. Once you choose your desired language, you will get different options depending on your language selection. For example if you chose Spanish (Latin American), you can select Mango Conversations, Legal, Text Talk, Medical Spanish, Romance, Spanish for Librarians, and a selection of films that can be used to assist with language learning.

You can exit a particular course at any time and you can pick up where you left off the next time you log in.

Mango offers pronunciation demonstrated by professional native speakers of the language. You will be able to hear words in any language at both a conversational speed and at a slowed down, easier to understand speed. In addition to learning the language, users will find cultural notes in each chapter, which help provide context for language usage.

Both understood and literal translations are available, and both translations are color coded. This helps users see how sentences are structured. In other words, Mango teaches grammar without the user ever noticing.

If you would prefer to learn on the go, Mango offers an app for Apple devices and Android devices. Once it has been downloaded, you can access the app with or without an internet connection. Before you use the app without an internet connection, make sure you have downloaded the courses you wish to access. This can be done in the app by going into My Courses, choosing the language you are learning, and selecting “Download All” from the Chapter list or choose a particular lesson you would like to download by tapping the green arrow icon.

To access the lesson you wish to download rather than continue the lesson, tap on Mango Conversations: (Whichever Language you are learning) to access the download list.

Once the lessons have been downloaded, you can access them the same way, by going into My Courses and tapping on the name of the language you are learning.

You can also opt to learn by watching foreign films with the Mango Premier feature. Please note this feature is only available via desktop learning, not on the mobile apps.

For more information, check out this video about Mango.

Ready to learn a new language? Try out Mango!

In the past, you may have used Overdrive to check out digital versions of magazines. The library is switching over to a new service called Flipster, which is much easier to use.

You can access Flipster by following the link on our website, or by typing in https://goo.gl/NW0iAu into the web browser on your computer or your mobile device. Once you are on the main page, you will see a list of current magazine issues, as well as a sidebar that lists various categories such as Computer, Entertainment, Sports, and more. You can also search for a specific magazine or by keyword.

To view one of the magazines featured on the front page, you can click on the magazine cover and the magazine will open in a new window in your browser. If you are browsing via category or looking for a specific magazine via search, you will get a list of results. You can click on Read this Issue under the magazine you’d like to view.

Once you’ve accessed the magazine, you can read it directly in your browser.

Desktop Version

Once the magazine has opened in your browser, there are several ways you can navigate the issue.

If you want to navigate the magazine, mousing over All Issues will bring up the Table of Contents. If there is a specific article you would like to read, you can click on the title listed there.

To search the magazine, you can type your keyword or phrase into the search box above the magazine logo on the right side of the screen. Search results will appear in a list with the search word or phrase highlighted.

In that menu, you also have the option to view back issues of that magazine. To view a back issue of the magazine, click on the issue you’d like to view under More Issues. The cover of that particular issue will come up in the upper right and from there you can click View.

You can also navigate by mousing over Pages, which will show groups of pages in the magazine. Clicking on a particular page image will take you to that page. Clicking on the left and right arrows will turn the pages forward or back in the issue. If you would like to zoom in on a page, you will see an icon that looks like a magnifying glass with a plus sign when you mouse over the page. Clicking when you see the magnifying glass will zoom in on that area of the page. If you would like to Print, you have the option to print just the pages in view, or all pages. Mousing over Print will allow you to choose what you would like to print. Mousing over Settings will allow you to choose whether you would like to view one page at time or if you would like to Zoom Out when you turn the page. There is also an option to fit the view to your screen, based on the height or width.

Please note that there is no offline viewing option for desktop computers.  You must maintain your internet connection to read to magazine unless you are using the Flipster app for tablets and smartphones.

Mobile Version

If you are on a mobile device, there is another viewing option. The Flipster app is available to download in the Apple App Store (for iOS devices), the Google Play Store (for Android devices), and the Kindle Store (for Amazon devices). To download the app, search for Flipster in your device’s app store. Once you have downloaded the app, you can access the magazine you would like to view via your device’s web browser, and then click the three lines in the top left corner. This will bring up a menu and from there you can tap Open in App.

You’ll get a conformation message asking if you want to open in Flipster. Clicking on Open will open the magazine in the Flipster app. You will see a list of all the magazines you have downloaded, as well as if they expire within a certain amount of time. You can re-download the same issue once it has expired. If you are finished with the magazine, you can click the trash can icon to remove the magazine from your device. Once the magazine has finished downloading, you can tap on it to view. The gray bookmark with a percentage shows how much of the magazine you have read.

Once you have tapped on the magazine, there are several ways you can navigate through the issue. To turn the page forward or back, you can swipe left or right. If you tap on the three line menu icon in the top right corner, a table of contents will be displayed. Tapping on any of the article names will bring you to that article.

Another neat feature of the mobile app is that if you click on Text View in the top right, you will get a text view of that page or article with only the text of the article, minus any pictures or ads that would appear normally. To switch back to the regular view, click on page view in the top left corner. Below is the same page in regular view and text view.

Clicking on Library in the top left corner will take you back to the home screen where all the magazines you have downloaded are displayed. Another bonus of using the mobile app is the ability to view the magazines later for offline reading, as you don’t need to be connected to WiFi to read the magazines once they’ve been downloaded. When opened in the app, the magazine will automatically open to where you left off. If you would like to download back issues of magazines to view in the app, follow the process listed above on your device’s web browser to access the back issue, and then click the three lines and Open in App to download the issue to your device.

There is no limit to the number of magazines you can download to your device or view on your computer. If a magazine downloaded to your tablet expires, it can be re-downloaded at any time. Once a title is expired, there will be an expired icon and will appeared greyed out. Certain weekly titles will expire in two days and certain monthly titles will expire in one week.

Flipster Basics

Flipster is a free service provided to you by the library. You do not need a mobile app to view a magazine. Even if you are on your mobile device, you can just view the magazine in your mobile web browser. Both the mobile version and desktop versions of Flipster website allow you to search within a magazine, however you cannot search a magazine within the mobile app. You can print from the Flipster website, but not from the mobile app.

Flipster information page

Search Flipster

If you have any questions about Flipster, please contact the library and we will be glad to help you out. Have you tried out Flipster yet? Let us know in the comments.

There has been a change in terminology in the user account section of the Upper Hudson Library System’s Digital Collection. What was formerly called Bookshelf has been changed to Checkouts. This is the section of your account where you can view all of the digital items you have currently checked out.

If you are accessing your downloaded materials through the Overdrive app, they will be listed under the Bookshelf heading. Please note that books downloaded for use on a Kindle or in the Kindle app will not be listed on the Overdrive Bookshelf.

Welcome to my long overdue update on the software situation in the library.  Since our library system (UHLS) moved to a new library management software at the end of March, the system’s techies have been working hard to get the kinks out of the new system.  Believe it or not, there are still several modules and functions that are still being configured.  The purpose of this post is to let you know which issues are still outstanding and where to get help if you need it.

1.  Notifications

Some people are still experiencing minor issues receiving their notifications.  Most commonly, emails are not received.  Make sure to check your spam folder.  Even if you have already “rescued” a library email from your spam folder and marked the sender safe, emails can come from different library email addresses.  You may need to add several addresses to your email whitelist before the emails will stop going to junk mail.  If you are not receiving notifications and you have already checked your spam folder, please contact the library and let us know.

Some patrons have pointed out that phone notifications do not mention the library where their items are being held.  This can be an issue for power users who pick up items at multiple locations.  At this time, there is no fix for this issue.  We suggest that patrons who are unsure where their items are being held login to the online catalog and click their name in the upper right corner of the screen.  On the left menu of the next screen, select “holds.”  Any items showing “ready for pickup” under status will also list a pickup location.

2. Prompts to request specific items

In some cases, when requesting an item, a patron is prompted to request a specific copy of an item, even though all of the copies are the same.  This is a cataloging issue that all of the libraries are working to fix.  Reports of this issue are few and far between, but it still happens.

3. Blocked from placing a hold

On our previous system, patrons with outstanding charges on their library cards could place holds on items and would be prompted to pay down their fees when checking out an item.  The new system no longer allows holds for any card not in good standing.  Unfortunately, we cannot control this.  If you are blocked from placing a hold, call the Reference Desk (477-7476, option 4) and we can override this restriction and place the hold for you.

4.  Checking out an OverDrive item through the library catalog

Previously, we had two separate catalogs for our physical items (books, CDs, DVDs, etc.) and digital items (OverDrive).  While the two separate catalogs still exist, our new library catalog contains our digital items as well as physical.  You can even check out and download most digital titles without leaving the catalog!  To test this, search the catalog for a title.  In the left menu, look under “format.”  If the item is available as a downloadable audiobook or e-book, there will be options for “downloadable e-book” or “downloadable audiobook.”  You may need to click “more” to see all available formats. 

If you are looking for a magazine or streaming video, the format categories are less helpful.  Downloadable magazines show up as “downloadable e-books” and streaming videos show up as “DVDs.”  Check the individual record for more clarification:

If you click on “Check out with OverDrive”, you will be prompted to sign in if you haven’t already.  Then a window will pop up confirming checkout:

After you select “check out”, you can immediately download the title by selecting “Get eBook” if you are using the device you would like to read/watch on.

Otherwise, you can download it later by logging into your account in the OverDrive catalog.  Occasionally, an error message will display, and you will need to go to the OverDrive catalog and sign in to download, anyway.  We’re working on that, too.

5.  New item notification

We had more direct control over our last system, which allowed UHLS to create add-ons that would use the power of our library catalog to provide extra features for patrons.  One of these add-ons was the ability to subscribe to a “New Items” feed.  This feed would notify subscribers when a new item was added to the catalog.  The popularity of this feature was made clear to us by patrons who were very frustrated when it disappeared.  UHLS knows how much patrons want this feature, and they are working to bring it back.  Because there are still some higher priority bugs to work out with the everyday functioning of the catalog, this feature may need to be on the back burner for a while.  However, it is definitely on the to-do list.

6.  Getting help

We have created several types of training resources to help you navigate our new catalog. Our Online Catalog Help page includes short videos and text instructions for common tasks, as well as a print-friendly (PDF) guide to using your library account online.  Of course, if you’d rather get assistance from a live person, our reference librarians are always happy to help.  Give us a call (518-477-7476, option 4) or stop by at your convenience.

Again, we’d like to thank all of our patrons for their patience and understanding during this time of transition.  What are your thoughts on the new catalog?  Have you discovered a bug not discussed here?  Let us know in the comments.

What’s Encore?

Last week, the Upper Hudson Library System (UHLS) upgraded its catalog and patron management software.  We were unable to remain with the old software, as the vendor had stopped supporting it years ago and it was really showing its age by failing in critical ways.  Moving to a new library management software is an enormous project that takes lots of planning and configuration.  In fact, the project has several phases, and it will remain ongoing for several months.  While the new software has many exciting features for both patrons and staff, many of them are not yet available and will roll out over time.

Phase One Complete

Because this was not simply an upgrade to our current software, but changing software entirely, much of the battle here was getting the data from our current system to move successfully and meaningfully to the new system.  I won’t bore you with the details, but at times this can be like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.

The priority for our first day working live in the new system was to make sure that we could check items in and out and they would attach/remove appropriately with a patron’s account.  Now we are identifying glitches that may have occurred in translation (a.k.a. stuff that got lost or broken in the move) and working to fix them.  If you believe something may be amiss with your patron account (lost requests, inability to login to your account, etc.), please let us know ASAP so we can investigate and fix the issue.

Getting Help with the New System

Another part of phase one of the project is staff and patron education.  The library staff has been trained on the new software, but it will take time for us to get used to using it.  We truly appreciate your patience, as transactions at the checkout desk and information desk may take longer than usual.  If you would like help searching the catalog or managing your account, please see our catalog help page for videos, text, and a printable guide, or our YouTube channel for videos only.  If you would prefer to walk through the new catalog with a librarian, please visit the reference desk, and we’ll be happy to show you the finer points of the new catalog and answer any questions you may have.

Phase Two Underway

The next part of the project is to integrate the new software with our other library software and turn on additional features.  Here are some examples:

• We have integrated our online article subscriptions (databases) with the catalog, making it possible to search for digital newspaper, magazine, and journal articles right alongside our physical books, music and movies.  Unfortunately, there is still a bit of an issue getting these articles to display consistently when accessed through the catalog.  Until we work this out, you can search the databases separately from our online resources page.
• OverDrive, our service for downloading books, audiobooks, magazines and streaming video, is currently partially integrated into the catalog.  Some, but not all, titles show up with links that will open the separate OverDrive catalog for checkout.  In the coming weeks, a feature will become available that will show all current OverDrive titles and allow you to check them out without ever leaving the main catalog!
• Libraries that use software for managing public computers, printing, self-check machines, and point-of-sale systems (taking payments) are working to make sure that this third party software communicates effectively with the new system.  At the East Greenbush Community Library, these particular services are up and running.  Your experience may vary at other libraries.

Known Issues

Aside from the issues above, the following missing features have been brought to our attention.  Issues we may be able to fix have been submitted to UHLS support.

• The My Account login page does not offer an option to save your barcode. This has been addressed.  There is now a check box you can click if you would like the browser to remember your barcode.
• The New Items feed is no longer available.  We are aware of how important this feature is to our patrons, but are unsure if this can be configured as part of the new system.  It is on the list of features to explore.
• When viewing the catalog in the Internet Explorer browser, the input fields on the login page are too short (though they do accept a full barcode), and sometimes the popup windows become transparent and don’t respond to clicks.  So far, we have only seen these issues in IE.  If you experience these issues, we recommend using an alternate browser, such as Firefox or Chrome.

We Appreciate Your Feedback

As always, your feedback on the new system is important to us.  We want to make sure your library experience is a positive one.  In the first week, we received a lot of feedback at our service desks, which helped us report issues we may not have seen otherwise.  Have questions or comments about the new system?  Please let us know in the comments below.

If you have placed a request on an item in our catalog, you may have noticed that your request was automatically suspended.  This is a temporary measure to ensure that the migration to our new catalog software goes smoothly.  By temporarily suspending requests until we go live on the new software, we will reduce the likelihood that items will get lost in transit during the change.  Your requests will automatically reactivate when we go live with the new system on 3/31/15.  We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

As I mentioned in my previous post, the Upper Hudson Library System is upgrading its catalog and patron management database.  The new software, named Sierra for staff and Encore for patrons, has some great features that we are very excited to offer.  As with any software migration (I’m not being overly dramatic – it’s an industry term), there will be some major differences between how the system runs currently and how it will run after we go live on the new system.

In my last post, I focused on some of the new features Encore will have for patrons.  This post is dedicated to the issues you need to know about, actions you may need to take to preserve your account information, and the timing of planned interruptions in service.

New Rules and Actions You May Need to Take

• With our current system, patrons can suspend a request for an item if they want to place a request but make sure the item doesn’t show up when they cannot pick it up.  In Encore, patrons can only suspend (now called freeze) a request if there are no checked in items at any location to fill the hold.  In order to time future requests, we suggest patrons use the new “Reading List” feature when logged into their account in Encore.
• If you currently have suspended requests in your account, they will be activated automatically when we move to the new software on 3/31.  You will need to either re-freeze the items or move them to your reading list.
• Currently, if your account is not in good standing for any reason (too many fines, too many overdue items, expired card, etc.), you are blocked from checking out physical items and using our computers.  In the future, you will be blocked from ALL functions, including downloading digital items, placing requests, registering for events using your library card, and using online resources that require you to enter your library card number.  We would have preferred to keep the old policy, but this is one way in which the new software is inflexible.
• If you have an email address configured in your account, you can have your checkout receipt emailed to you rather than printed.
• Items currently saved in patron accounts under “My Lists” will NOT be moved to the new system.  If you save items there, print or email yourself the list prior to 3/27 in order to preserve it.
• There is a chance that you may need to reset your PIN on the new system.  In the future, library staff will not be able to see patron PIN information in plain text in a patron account.  Staff will be able to reset a PIN, but not determine a current PIN.

Important Dates

• 3/16/15 – We will pause taking requests for materials until we go live on the new system (3/31).  This will help us minimize errors with items in transit and on hold for patrons during the move.  Traditionally, this is where most of the errors in transition would be.
• 3/27/15 – We will pause taking new patron registrations and item renewals.  We will resume registering patrons and renewing items on 3/31.
• 3/30/15 – All UHLS libraries will be offline.  Patrons will be able to check out physical materials (with library cards only – no Driver’s Licenses will be accepted on this day), but digital downloads will not be available.  Also, other online resources that require a library card number will not be available.  Item check-in, fine/fee payment, card signup/replacement, and any other in-person or online account management services will need to wait until we go live with the new system on 3/31.  There will be a procedure in place so that public computers can still be used, and our “old” catalog will still be available for reference at http://vufind.uhls.org, though item status will be out of date.

Questions?

If all goes smoothly, the libraries will be live on the new system when we open for business on 3/31.  It is unlikely that online services will be restored before that.  Of course, with a project this size we expect some glitches, but we will do our best to keep our users informed of any changes in the plan along the way.  If you have questions, let me know in the comments and I will do my best to find answers for you.