Newsletter #16 September 2006

Sep. 1, 2006

 RESOURCEMATE® NEWS
The Official ResourceMate® Newsletter - Summer 2006, Vol. 16

Welcome to the sixteenth issue of the ResourceMate® newsletter. As always, we strive to keep you and your organization informed about new features and changes as well as offering you tips on using ResourceMate® more effectively.

MESSAGE FROM BRIAN WATSON
President, Jaywil Software

We continue to be very busy with all aspects of ResourceMate 3.0. Your support has been greatly appreciated.

How has your experience with ResourceMate 3.0 been so far? What do you tell others about ResourceMate 3.0? Let us know by e-mailing feedback@resourcemate.com.

We are investigating expanding the sites that can be searched when using ISBN Retrieval. We need to know what you would like to use beyond the Library of Congress. If you use other searches listed at www.loc.gov/z3950, or if you use other sites outside of the Library of Congress, e-mail the URL and steps to get to the search results to moreisbn@resourcemate.com.

- Brian

CONTENTS

WHAT'S NEW?
ResourceMate® Regular, Plus and Multi Out Now
Online Training
Extended Circulation, Spell Checker, Serials and Advanced Patron Search Available Now
Updates
4900 Users
Paula and Denise

FEATURE
ResourceMate® Modules

RESOURCEMATE® TIPS & TRICKS
Favorite Reports
Hiding and Un-hiding Reports
Changing Your Basic Grid View

LIBRARIAN'S TIPS
Cataloging Links

WINDOWS™ TIPS
Burning to a CD with Windows XP

REMINDERS
Update Support
F1 for Help
Attention Library Technology Courses: ResourceMate® Giveaway Programme
ResourceMate® Information Packs

IN CLOSING...

WHAT’S NEW?

The ResourceMate® Software Package.ResourceMate® Regular, Plus and Multi Out now

All four main versions of ResourceMate® have been released and are currently shipping! They’ve all been met with great success and we’re very proud of our new products. Our most recent releases have been the Multi versions of ResourceMate® Regular and Plus. With Regular Multi and Plus Multi, you can use all your favourite features of Regular or Plus, but now you can share them over your network creating multiple stations working simultaneously together! To get more information on our main versions:

  • ResourceMate® Regular
  • ResourceMate® Plus
  • ResourceMate® Regular Multi
  • ResourceMate® Plus Multi

go to the Products page of our website – http://www.resourcemate.com/products.html

Online Training

We are currently in the planning stages of implementing on-line training for ResourceMate®! We’ve had a lot of interest in it, but are looking for more feedback. Please take a look at the following outline and send any comments you may have to sales@resourcemate.com.

Training workshops will be one hour long and consist of a tutorial section and in most cases a small question and answer period. Attendees will log into the training site where they can listen and view the live workshop with some ability to participate. There will be 14 different workshops and users can go to as few or as many they would like. The workshops will be:

  • Installation and Set Up
  • Basic Cataloging
  • Advanced Cataloging
  • Basic Reports
  • Printing Cards and Labels
  • Modifying Reports
  • Maintaining Your Library
  • Circulation
  • The Grid
  • Bar Coding
  • Volunteers
  • ResourceMate on Your Network
  • ResourceMate Module Series #1
  • ResourceMate Module Series #2

All online workshops will provide video through your computer's web browser (requiring internet connection) where you can see actual procedures done on a ResourceMate® program (not just a slide show). Audio will accompany through your phone line. To access the audio portion of the presentation, you will be required to call an Iowa or Nebraska phone number that will be charged at your local long-distance rates.

Each workshop will cost $35 dollars, while picking any two or more gets you a $5 discount per workshop attended. They will be offered at various times throughout the year to make them more accessible to our users. Keep checking www.resourcemate.com/onlinetraining.html for more news on training!

Extended Circulation, Spell Check, Serials and Advanced Patron Search Available Now

Over the summer we have released our first four ResourceMate® modules: Extended Circulation, Spell Check, Serials and Advanced Patron Search. These are excellent additions to ResourceMate® that will add new levels of usability in searching, circulation and cataloging.

With ResourceMate® 3.0 we’ve include modules to divide up the cost for our users. Unlike other software packages, we keep our price low by creating flexible module options that increase the functionality of your library. This way, you can get the basic package with the most universal features at an incredible price, and you can tailor your library automation by paying for only the additional features you want or need.

For more information on these modules, please continue reading this issue’s feature on modules or take a look at our Modules web page. And remember they’re easy to get either by email, download or CD, and they are available to any user of ResourceMate® 3.0.

Stay tuned for more modules coming soon!

Updates

Our present version of ResourceMate® is 3.0.0.25. This update includes:

  • Improvements
    • Advanced Patron Search Add-on features available to those who have purchased it. Once you have applied your license, click on Search, Run Patron Search. Press [F1] and click on Contents, Helpful Overviews, Advanced Patron Search Overview.
    • Patron Search:
      • interface has been updated
      • patron search reports now include a bibliography report
      • new preferences for Use Multiple Search Prompt, Use Complex Search, Display Search Options, Search Method for Single Prompt, Search Method for Multiple Prompt, Fuzzy Search enabled, Max # items returned, Display Librarian Comments, Display Notes, Enable Reports, Enable Print Reports
      • Advanced Patron search also has preferences for Group by Subject, Enable Send report to a File, Enable E-mail Report, Enable Book Bin, E-Mail Method
    • Help file - the Helpful Overview page now links to a "Printing Labels (Cards)" overview.
    • Check out, Check In, Check in by Patron - if the check out or check in date is not today's date, there is a visual reminder of this.
    • Date Added and Date updated are available in search fields, also shown on main tab of item and patron form.
    • Backing Up - If Patron Information is excluded, a warning will occur to ensure that the user knows that if they will not be able to restore Patron information. They can decide to continue or include Patron information at this time.
    • Export to Volunteer System - now includes User defined fields.
    • Create Web Search - Drop down lists have all fields. Keywords can also be chosen.
    • Extended Circulation Add On - New Restriction - Max # Overdue Restriction (Patron/Family) and for ResourceType Extended (Patron).
    • Utilities, System Utilities, Run update file sent for Jaywil - you can now run .resourcemate updates using this option. This gives you another option rather than double clicking on them from Explorer.
    • Plus - Volunteers
      • can now run .resourcemate updates from the Main Library from the Plus Menu. This gives them another option rather than double clicking on them from Explorer.
      • can now Register without actually receiving the Export from Main Library (.resourcemate)
  • Performance Improvements
    • Item reports now faster.

To update your copy of ResourceMate®, you can either:

  • Start your copy of ResourceMate® and it will begin to update automatically (requires active support and internet connection on computer with ResourceMate®).
  • In ResourceMate®, go to your Help menu and click on “Check the Internet for ResourceMate Updates”. This will begin your update download (requires active support and internet connection on computer with ResourceMate®).
  • Go to www.resourcemate.com and click on “Update Product” (requires active support and internet connection – not necessarily on the computer with ResourceMate®).

Remember that when you update, no matter what version you begin at, you only have to update once to get yourself to the latest revision (ex. You can go straight from revision 7 to revision 25, rather than going from 7 to 8, 8 to 9, 9 to 10…etc.)

NOTE: If you are using ResourceMate® Plus and have volunteers cataloguing your items, ensure that you also update their ResourceMate® installations. When transferring data from one installation to another you should always ensure all are at the same version - check the Build (3.0.0.??) of each installation.

4900 users

As of September 1, 2006 we have reached 4900 registered users worldwide. We’re still gaining new users at a record pace! We’d like to thank everyone who has registered their products as it helps us gain better insight into our customers.

As usual there are great benefits to registering: three months of technical support giving you off-site backup storage; program updates; phone, chat or email support; and best of all ISBN Retrieval!

At this point, we’re nearing the 5000 registered users mark and remember that our 5000th registered user gets a free year of technical support! If you haven’t registered, you should consider doing it, because you could be lucky number 5000.

Paula and Denise

As of July, Jaywil Software lost the services of one of its stars – Paula. Paula left the company in early July to pursue schooling on her way to a career as a veterinary technician. We wish her all the best in her future endeavors and thank her for her years of excellence at Jaywil.

Paula also wants us to extend her best wishes to all the customers she has interacted with during her tenure and thank everyone for making her time enjoyable and adventurous!

We’ve now added another face to the crew. Denise has joined our support team, and comes to us with plenty of experience in customer support. She will be answering the phones and helping out anyone who needs support. If you’re one of our regular customers, feel free to say hello and introduce yourself, Denise is always happy to talk and assist with anything you may need.


FEATURE

ResourceMate® Modules

This month’s feature is all about the new modules that we have released! Currently available are: Extended Circulation, Spell Checker, Serials and Advanced Patron Search.

Modules are an excellent way to get more functionality out of ResourceMate® in the areas you need help with. Let’s go over the current modules.

Extended Circulation
The Extended Circulation is a great tool for adding features to your check out and check in processes. With it, you’ll be able set up circulation rules such as:

  1. Create memberships for library patrons, whereby as long as their membership is active they can borrow items from your library. Once it expires, ResourceMate® will not allow them to check out any longer.
  2. Create maximum items that can be checked out at a given time. This can be done by Patron, by Family, by Resource Type, and more.
  3. You can also create maximum fines that can be charged to a patron as well as set a limit of fines that when reached, the patron can’t borrow or renew any more items.
  4. Another way you can limit check outs is by number of overdues. You can set the module to stop patrons from checking out if they have reached the limit of overdue items.
  5. Set rules so that patrons cannot check out based on Location and Resource Type (Regular and Plus already allow cannot check out based on Status and Category).
  6. Holidays can be entered so fines are not calculated on those days.
  7. Allows librarian to set up extra Patron Groups (Teachers, Students). These are outside of families, but are groups of patrons that will all have the same circulation rules.

These can be established system wide, and privileges can be given or taken away for a particular Patron Group (ex. Teachers), or for individual patrons (ex. Principal). Extended Circulation is a wonderful resource for any library that would like more control of their circulation processes.

Serials
The Serials module is the best way to manage your subscription material. Rather than having to individually catalog every issue of your magazines, newspapers, journals and more, you can simply use the Serials Module to help you.

When a new issue comes in you can simply find its subscription and push a button to let ResourceMate® automatically add it into the catalog. You can also use it to track your subscriptions so that you can track when new issues may arrive and to see when your subscriptions need to be renewed.

This is clearly a great addition to any library that deals with a lot of magazines or other material that comes into the library on a scheduled basis.

Spell Checker
The Spell Checker add on module is the same type of spell checker that most people are familiar with. At any time, you can use Spell Checker to look through the fields on your page and notify you of any spelling errors. With the ResourceMate® Spell Checker, you can also optionally turn off spell checking for certain fields that may contain non-dictionary terms (ex. Author). Overall it’s a very handy module for helping you get all your data just right.

Advanced Patron Search
The Advanced Patron Search module introduces the concept of the Book Bin. Overall this module alters the search capabilities and features of your Patron Search making it more powerful for multiple searches.

A screen shot of Advanced Patron Search w/ Book Bin (in top right).With the Book Bin a patron has the ability to perform a search and save a selection of the results in the Book Bin. Your patron can then go and do another search, save more items in the book bin, and so on. When they’re all done, they open the Book Bin and your patron can print listing, details, bibliography report, and/or e-mail the information to an e-mail address.

It also includes Grouped Searching. Grouped Searching is an extension of the searching capabilities of ResourceMate, where a patron can search for a subject term and they will get a list of results based on that term. Imagine a patron is looking for items with “love” in the subject. With Grouped Searching the patron will receive a group of results of items with “love” in the subject, then a group of items with “lovers” in the subject, and then a group “lovely” in the subject…and so on.

Finally, you can also establish rules that disallow patrons from searching items based on Category, Location, Resource Type and Status.

All in all this is one of the best modules there is for ResourceMate® 3.0. Advanced Patron Search can find a home in any library where you want to give your patrons additional features.


RESOURCEMATE® TIPS & TRICKS

Favorite Reports

Right-click on a report and choose "Send to My Favorites".With so many different reports in ResourceMate® it’s easy to see the value in using them. As you get used to generating reports, you’ll most likely get into the habit of using some reports more frequently than others. These can be referred to as you “favorite” reports. With ResourceMate® you can place your favorite reports all in one area of the Report Gallery so that they’re easier and faster to find.

To group your favorite reports together, simply go to the Reports Gallery and right-click on one of your favorite report and choose "Send to My Favorites". Now to see the reports you have set as favorites, look in the Reports Gallery under "My Favorites". That’s all you have to do to create and view a collection of your most used reports.

Hiding and Un-hiding Reports

Having so many reports isn’t always advantageous. On the other side of having favorite reports, you may have reports in the Reports Gallery that you will never use. These reports can clutter up your gallery, so we’ve included a way to hide them.

Right-click on a report and choose, "Show All Reports".To hide a report go to the Reports Gallery and click on the report you won't use. Click on the “Report Options” button at the bottom of the page, select the General tab, and then click on “Hide this Report.”

It’s also possible that a report you have hidden is now one you want to use, or you may have accidentally hidden a useful report. If you need to see a report you’ve hidden, go to the Reports Gallery, right-click on any report and choose "Show All Reports.”

Using this feature, you’ll be able to clean up your Reports Gallery and organize the many reports available to you.

Changing Your Basic Grid View

When working with the Grid, you may have noticed that as you go down the list, the scroll bar seems to get to the end, but just not all the way there. Then, when you click on it, another page appears and your scroll bar is back up near the top. For some this is a slightly confusing way of looking at the grid, but for others it is quite natural. Luckily, we have two ways in which you can view and navigate the Grid.

The first is called the Simple Grid (or the One-Page-At-A-Time Grid). This is basically the scenario above. Only one page of your entire list is loaded into the Grid at any given time. As you scroll up or down, or even page up or down, the next page is then loaded into the Grid. The disadvantage is that you don’t get quite as clear a picture of how long your list really is, and you can think you’re at the bottom of this list, when you’re not really. However, there is a clear advantage to using this style of Grid and that is that your database is loaded into the Grid much faster when ResourceMate® only has to do it one page at a time. You might find this handy if you are using a slower computer.

The second view is the Power Grid (or the Whole-List-At-A-Time Grid). Where the Simple Grid only loads a page at a time into the Grid, the Power Grid will load your entire list into the Grid as soon as you begin to view it. The disadvantage of that is that when you initially go to a Grid (for example in the Items Screen) your whole list is loaded in. This takes a few extra seconds to get started. There are, however, a number of advantages to using the Power Grid. First and foremost is that once you’ve waited those few extra seconds, your whole list is available in the Grid. You can scroll up and down the entire list and know exactly where you are and you won’t have to wait for pages to load. Also, by using the Power Grid you also open the door to explore the Grid Options tab and use a few other new ResourceMate® features.

To change your Grid view, go to the screen that contains the Grid that you would like to change. On the left side of the screen you will see a “Customize” button (look for the hammer) and click on it. A menu will appear below and one of your selections will be “Grid Options”. Click on that to open the Grid Options Tab. In the tab, you’ll see a spot where you can select either “Power Grid” or “Simple (Fast Loading)” Select the option you would like, and then press the “Save” button. And that’s it.

And with that you have yourself a new tool in customizing ResourceMate®. You probably saw quite a few other options in the Grid Options tab. That will be covered in another newsletter, but in the meantime take a look at your help file (by pressing [F1]) in ResourceMate® and delve into the other options.

LIBRARIAN'S TIPS

Cataloging Links

This issue we have a couple of quick links:

A look at the LOC classification system…
http://www.apostate.com/books/loc.html

And here's a website with some free information about Dewey decimal system…
http://www.mtsu.edu/~vvesper/dewey.html

Windows™ TIPS

Burning to a CD with Windows XP

When you’re not sure which CD burning program to use, you can always burn a CD with just Windows XP. To do so, there are two main steps – copy the files and folders to a CD, then delete the temporary files.

To copy files and folders to a CD:

1. Insert a blank writable CD into the CD recorder.
2. Double-click My Computer, and then click the files or folders that you want to copy to the CD. To select more than one file, hold down the [CTRL] key while you click the files you want.
3. Simply right-click on any of the files you highlighted select Send To and from the sub-menu select your CD writer.
4. In the bottom right section of your Desktop a balloon will appear that says, "Files Ready to Be Written..." Click anywhere on it. Windows displays a temporary area where the files are held before they are copied to the CD. Check that the files and folders that you intend to copy to the CD are displayed under "Files Ready to Be Written to the CD."
6. Right-click in the white space and choose Write to CD.
7. After the CD Writing Wizard starts, follow the instructions in the wizard.
8. When the process is finished, the wizard displays a check box for you to choose to create another CD like the one you just made. If you want to create multiple copies of the same CD, click Yes, write these files to another CD and insert another blank, writable CD into the CD recorder. Follow the instructions in the wizard.

NOTE: After you copy files or folders to the CD, it is useful to view the CD to confirm that the files are copied.

To delete files and folders from the CD recorder temporary storage area:

1. Normally Windows does this automatically, but if it doesn't, double-click My Computer and then double-click the CD recording drive. Windows displays a temporary storage area where files are held before they are copied to the CD. Files or folders located in the temporary storage area are listed under "Files Ready to Be Written to the CD."
2. Right-click in the white space and choose Delete temporary files. Windows deletes the files and folders from the temporary storage area and moves them to the Recycle Bin.

NOTE: When you delete the contents of the temporary storage area, you make this area available for another set of files and folders that you want to copy to the CD. The files are not deleted from their original location on your computer or from the CD.

NOTE: To backup from ResourceMate 3.0 directly to CD, visit our Support page.

REMINDERS

Update Support

Remember that it’s important to keep your support up-to-date. With active Support you can call our incredible Support Representatives on our 800 number; you can also access our internet Live Chat, support by email, our Support section of our website, and access ResourceMate® updates. Additional services included with support include: off-site backup and usage of ISBN Retrieval. Together, all this is an amazing value unrivalled in the Library Automation industry. To activate your Support, call our Customer Service or visit our Order Page.

F1 for Help

Everyone, at some point or another, needs help with a new program. When using ResourceMate® we understand the need for assistance, and we've made it easy for you to obtain. With every purchase of a ResourceMate® program you receive a manual written so that even a novice computer user will find it helpful. Also, by pressing [F1] you can open the On-Line Help, which has all the information contained in the manual, but with helpful links so that you can navigate quickly from one topic to the next.

Attention Library Technology Courses: ResourceMate® Giveaway Programme

We're continuing to give away ResourceMate® Plus to Library Technology courses at schools, colleges and universities. We are doing this so that students can see one of the automation technologies available to them when they graduate. This is not a copy for full use but for demonstration only. If you know of such a program or teach courses in library technology contact sales@resourcemate.com to discuss receiving a free copy of ResourceMate® Plus.

ResourceMate® Information Packs

If you have an upcoming Library show or association event that you are hosting or attending, let us know. We may be able to send you ResourceMate® information packs or flyers to be handed out to the event delegates. This is a free service that helps us tell other libraries about ResourceMate®. Contact sales@resourcemate.com.


IN CLOSING...

We hope this issue of ResourceMate® News has been helpful and enjoyable. Let us know any topics you would like to see in future issues. As always, if you've got a great ResourceMate® tip, send it along! It could help others.

- ResourceMate® Customer Support and Sales & Marketing


TO UNSUBSCRIBE...

This mailing has been sent to all registered users of ResourceMate® and to those who may have contacted Jaywil Software with questions about library automation software. If you wish to be excluded from future mailings, please drop us a line at unsubscribe@resourcemate.com or call toll-free at 800-815-8370.

 

Jaywil Software Development Inc.
P.O. Box 25005
Guelph, ON, N1G 4T4 Canada

North American Sales 1-800-815-8370 Phone 519-837-8370 Fax 519-837-8656 sales@resourcemate.com

Developer of ResourceMate® - The Solution to Cataloging, Searching and Circulating, your Library or Collection - beginning at $195. Now with over 4,800 registered users across North America and around the world. Ask us about putting your library on the Web using ResourceMate® and about safe-guarding your data with our Off-Site Backup service.

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