483.8 Collection overdues[//]

When this menu option is selected, a submenu will be displayed with the types of reminders have been defined:

Select a reminder and then this option to define the print profile for the collection.

Next an overview screen will be displayed with the selected print profile.

The print profile can be modified in this screen. The working method and options are explained in the section on SSP formats.

483.9 Email notice text[//]

With this option you can define Subject and Contents of notices sent via email.

When this menu option is selected, a submenu will be displayed with the various notice types:

For each of these options you can define the following:

Indicate in this field the level on which the texts are to be defined. The system distinguishes between three levels:

·                general: the texts apply to the entire system; in other words: for all locations of all institutions

·                per institution: the texts apply to all locations of the institution for which your workstation is logged in

·                per institution/location: the texts apply only to the institution/location for which your workstation is logged in.

Please note!

Texts can be defined on multiple levels. When printing the texts, the system will select the most specific text available.

Choose an option, after which an input form is displayed:

Choose an overdue number, after which a choice of language is offered:

Choose a language, after which an input form is displayed:

Subject: This text appears in the Subject field of the email.

Message: This text appears at the beginning of the email body followed by the information as defined by your output . Enter the character '|' to indicate new line / line break within the message body.

Repeat subject in message: When the checkbox is on, the text from the subject field will be also included as the first line in the email body.

The method for the other options is identical.

You can use the same $$ codes as described in section 483.5.1, except for $$EMAIL.

483.10 Stored print file periods[//]

This option allows you to specify the number of days print files must be stored OR how many files you wish to retain. This enables you to reprint files if necessary. After choosing this menu option an input form will be displayed:

483.11 Mail merge parameters[//]

This section deals with the mail merging parameters. See the general help on this subject for background information.

After selecting this option a sub menu will be presented:

The options are described in the next paragraphs.

483.11.1 Miscellaneous[//]

This option gives access to the available notice types that support mailmerge. After selecting this option an overview screen will be displayed:

Select a line to view/modify the associated parameters:

Please note

The fifth option (Fixed item line count) is available for all notice types except Expiring membership. All other options are the same for each type.

Notice location

Essentially the idea is to define to which location the notice belongs.
Additionally, this may be set at the location OR the institution level. It is this that determines the contents of the main “library address” field offered as a printing field.

Notice location has 3 possible implications

·                To define the “library address” available

·                To allow a filter on printing

·                To act as a “key” for the “Start new file” option – i.e. to physically separate out the notices.

Sort order

On the left there is a list of fields that can be part of a notice and also that make sense to be part of a sorting criteria. The fields required for sorting can be pushed to the right and the sort order determined by moving them up and down.

Typical settings might be to sort the notices by

·                Notice Institution

·                Notice Location

·                Borrower category

·                Borrower name

·                Borrower Id

which would have the effect of aggregating notices for a given branch, then grouping within that by borrower category.

Start new notice on

This setting determines which field forces the system to start a new notice i.e. a new set of pieces of paper. This would have to be selected from one of the fields chosen in the sort order.

Start new file on

Optionally the system can be told to create a new file, on change of this setting. This would only be used when “save to file” is used. Suppose this were set to “Notice Location” then the system would save the notices for each branch to different files.

Fixed item line count

If it can be guaranteed that the notice is configured to output (say) 5 item detail lines, then the “Fixed item line count” can be set to 5. This dramatically improves the performance of the mailmerge operation (unless individual notices are being saved).

483.11.2 Notice sets[//]

The idea here is that we define “sets of notices” independently of anything else (in the way that, for example, System Calendars exist in isolation, but are then linked to from various functions i.e. they can be shared).

A notice set simply defines the names of the master documents which relate to each type of notice, supported by the system. Notice sets are defined per circulation metainstitution.

After selecting this option,an summary screen will be displayed:

Options on the screen

Add notice set: Use this option to add a notice set. See section 483.11.2.1 for details.

Select notice set: Select a line and then this option to define the notice set. See section 483.11.2.2 for details.

Delete notice set: Select a line and then this option to delete the notice set. The system will prompt for confirmation.

Modify notice set: Select a line and then this option to view/modify the general details of the notice set. See section 483.11.2.1 for details.

Copy notice set: Select a line and then this option to create a new notice set based on the parameters of the selected notice set.

Notice type: Use this option to determine the notice types to be used and their wording. See section 483.11.2.3 for details.

483.11.2.1 Add / modify notice set[//]

After selecting the option Add notice set or Modify notice set an input form will be displayed:

Next you must use the option Select notice set to set the parameters for the notice set.

483.11.2.2 Select notice set[//]

Select notice set: Select a line and then this option to define the notice set. An overview screen will be displayed, listing each type of notice defined for that specific notice set:

The notice types are defined by the system – the library can't simply add a notice type to this and expect it to work.

Selection of a line brings up an input form allowing the user to define the full pathname of the main document. In the above examples, these are all defined on a (presumably) shared M: disk drive.

This is used to to define the full path and document name of the Main document. It is possible but not necessary to define a separate main document for the Email notice. Also the Email subject can be defined here. The “paper size” field is used by the inter library loan module and not relevant here.

Save OutputSets allows each notice to always be saved as a particular file. The storage place is defined in the ini file for the print processor that will output the notice.

Change contact language: This allows a separate main document/template to be defined for different contact languages. This is optional – but it allows for the fixed texts of a notice (or indeed the whole notice layout) to be changed according to the contact language of the user for whom the notice is destined.

After selecting this option an input form will be displayed:

After selecting a language, a screen similar to the main screen will be displayed (see above for an explanation). The current language will be displayed in the header of the screen:

483.11.2.3 Notice type[//]

Notice type: Use this option to determine the notice types to be used and their wording. An overview screen will be displayed:

Selecting a line results in an input form where the wording can be defined:

Selecting the option Notice types will take you to a form where the notice types to be used can be selected and ordered:

483.11.3 Notice sets by borrower category[//]

This allows the library to define which notice set is to be applied to each borrower category, for the current notice printing location. After selecting this menu option, an input form will be displayed:

Select the relevant notice set from the dropdown list for each borrower category.

483.12 Notice production suppression[//]

Here you can set a method of "No output". This means that the output will be ignored for regular 452 runs by default. However this group is made available in the Stored print files so that they may be optionally sent out as printouts if required (this gives a list of those borrowers who did not get notices) and thus allows for a means of tracking / updating borrower records later.

After choosing this option a selection form will be displayed:

Here you can select the different types of notices to be suppressed for specific borrower categories.

Please note

A "no-output" method as defined in AFO 616 can be used instead of Print as a catch-all method for the generation of the notices which have failed any other contact types for the method. This will override the standard default of if all else fails use PRINT.
For example: If you have a method defined as email only and the borrower has no email address then the default is PRINT (when nothing else is defined), so the notice will end up in the Printed set. If the method is defined as email & no output and the borrower has no email address then the notice will end up in the No output set.

So that one is different form this setting, which means "no output at all".

483.13 SMS format parameters[//]

The Vubis server supports two types of SMS messages – those sent through Voicemail (Itiva) and those sent to a specified SMS server (http). When sending through Voicemail, the messages supported are restricted to Overdue and Reservation notices. When sending to an SMS server, the supported messages will include: Overdue notices, Reservation notices, Courtesy notices, Recall notices and PIN code change notification.

Reservation confirmation (WebOpac) and General notices to the list of borrowers in a savelist from SSP are supported by sending messages to an SMS server only.

This option allows library to enter actual message text for each type of notice.

After choosing this option a language selection screen will be displayed:

Select the required language and click OK, an input form will be displayed:

Each field is a multi line text box that allows you to enter text. There are 5 special fields that can be placed within the text: <B> borrower name, <T> title, <L> location, <N> number of overdue items, <D> due date. Each of these special fields is followed by the maximum number of characters to display enclosed in square brackets. For example, <B>[10] will display a maximum of 10 characters from the borrower's name. <D> due date is applicable only to courtesy notices.

An SMS message is limited to a length of 160 characters. Vubis server functions will not attempt to send any text message > 160 characters.
The system will check each field to ensure that the length of the defined text will not exceed the 160 character length limit for an SMS message.

Examples

Reservation: Dear <B>[10]: “<T>[40]” is available for pickup at the <L>[20]. This definition results in a text message containing the following:

Dear Simon White: “Harry Potter and the chamber of secrets” is available for pickup at the Central branch.

Courtesy notice: Dear <B>10: “<T>[35] is due on <D>15. Please return it to the library by this date.

Overdue 1: Dear <B>[10]: You have <N>[2] overdue items. Please consult the website for details.

Manual recall: Dear <B>[10]: Please return “<T>[35]” to the <L>[30]

When <B> is used, the borrower name's contents comes from the definition in AFO 482 – Borrower name setup.

When <L> is used, the system inserts the contents of the location name as defined in SMS location names (see below).

483.14 SMS location names[//]

This option allows library to create an entry for each location in the Circ metainstitution containing a SHORT location name that can be sent in the text message.

After selecting this option an overview screen will be displayed:

Options on the screen

New location: Use this option to define a new short name. An input form will be displayed:

Select a Location code from the dropdown list and enter the required Short location name to be used in SMS messages.

Modify location: Select a line and then this option to modify the existing short name. The same input form as the one above will be displayed. Only in this case you cannot modify the Location code.

Delete: Select a line and then this option to delete the definition. The system will prompt for confirmation.