[OPEN-ILS-DEV] Circulation Menu in the Staff Client
Cynthia Williamson
crwbookgirl at gmail.com
Thu Jun 18 06:42:05 EDT 2009
Hi - just read the digest and thought I'd chime in - I kinda like more than
one access point when it makes sense, not everyone thinks the same way.
Having said that though - I agree that searching for a patron by barcode is
a circ function, but I also agree that it isn't really needed on the circ
menu because if you have barcode you're probably going to be checking out
books and you would indeed just use the check out function - as William R
pointed out.
Another argument for removing the retrieve patron by barcode function is
that it is right above the "replace barcode function" .... we are a couple
of weeks from going live and starting to worry about newbies accidently
replacing barcodes .... I know there are a few steps and they should be able
to stop before the complete the action but accidents happen.
Bottom line? I'd be ok with losing "search for a patron by barcode" from
the circ menu.
Echo David's congratulations Laura - glad you're even more officially on the
team!
Cynthia W.
Mohawk, Hamilton ON
On Wed, Jun 17, 2009 at 11:13 PM, <
open-ils-dev-request at list.georgialibraries.org> wrote:
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> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. Re: Circulation Menu in the Staff Client (Jason Boyer)
> 2. Re: Circulation Menu in the Staff Client (David Fiander)
> 3. Re: Circulation Menu in the Staff Client (Duimovich, George)
> 4. Re: Circulation Menu in the Staff Client (William Rockwood)
> 5. Re: Circulation Menu in the Staff Client (Laura M.)
> 6. Re: Circulation Menu in the Staff Client (Laura M.)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:10:58 -0400
> From: Jason Boyer <jasonb at myjclibrary.org>
> Subject: Re: [OPEN-ILS-DEV] Circulation Menu in the Staff Client
> To: Evergreen Development Discussion List
> <open-ils-dev at list.georgialibraries.org>
> Message-ID:
> <be1aeb30906171310y3a09f3e1oe16ca7d151c7c58f at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> Why would it be left under Search, and not Circulation? You can't search
> from it at all, you have to already have and enter the entire barcode for
> it
> to work.
> If it just has to stay under Search, can it be changed to "Retrieve Patron
> by Barcode" ?
> Jason
>
> --
> Jason Boyer, IT Specialist
> Jackson County Public Library
> 303 W Second St
> Seymour, IN 47274
>
> jasonb at myjclibrary.org
>
>
>
> On Wed, Jun 17, 2009 at 3:54 PM, Laura M. <codegrl at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > So, I'm going along and I'm adding some functionality to the Staff Client
> > in Evergreen when I realize that we have two ways of looking up a patron
> by
> > barcode (actually three or four, depending on how technical you want to
> > get). One way to do this is under the 'Search' menu, the other way is
> under
> > the 'Circulation' menu. Being that I'm a maven for usability and
> > user-centered design, this multiple entry point thing is making me
> twitchy.
> > But having an identical menu option in a menu that has nothing to do
> with
> > searches, AND there is a 'Search' menu right next to the 'Circ'
> > menu....well, I just want to remove this entry point.
> >
> > Does anyone have any major objections to this? I am NOT, in ANY WAY,
> > removing Search Patron by Barcode, I am JUST taking out a redundant menu
> > item that has no place being where it is.
> >
> > I'm trying to make Evergreen a bit more user-friendly and have a few more
> > formal usability specifications and this is a good place to start.
> >
> > Thanks for any feedback! If I don't get any threats in 48 hours I'll
> > remove the tumorous menu item and Search Patron by Barcode will be under
> > *just* the 'Search' menu, where it's always been and will always remain
> :)
> >
> > Thanks!
> >
> > Laura McFarland -- Developer
> > Equinox Software
> >
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> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:27:08 -0400
> From: David Fiander <david at fiander.info>
> Subject: Re: [OPEN-ILS-DEV] Circulation Menu in the Staff Client
> To: Evergreen Development Discussion List
> <open-ils-dev at list.georgialibraries.org>
> Message-ID:
> <a8d66ee70906171327l6dde9ae4q44df0d973731e0f2 at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
> In the ILS I normally use, the only way (that I know of) to find a
> patron record from the staff client is to go to the Circulation
> screen. Given the most common use case, I think that that is probably
> the place that it should continue to live.
>
> Also, congratulations (?) Laura on becoming a committer. Now if
> something breaks, we are officially allowed to blame you for making
> the change.
>
> - David
>
> On Wed, Jun 17, 2009 at 4:10 PM, Jason Boyer<jasonb at myjclibrary.org>
> wrote:
> > Why would it be left under Search, and not Circulation? You can't search
> > from it at all, you have to already have and enter the entire barcode for
> it
> > to work.
> > If it just has to stay under Search, can it be changed to "Retrieve
> Patron
> > by Barcode" ?
> > Jason
> >
> > --
> > Jason Boyer, IT Specialist
> > Jackson County Public Library
> > 303 W Second St
> > Seymour, IN 47274
> >
> > jasonb at myjclibrary.org
> >
> >
> >
> > On Wed, Jun 17, 2009 at 3:54 PM, Laura M. <codegrl at gmail.com> wrote:
> >>
> >> So, I'm going along and I'm adding some functionality to the Staff
> Client
> >> in Evergreen when I realize that we have two ways of looking up a patron
> by
> >> barcode (actually three or four, depending on how technical you want to
> >> get). ?One way to do this is under the 'Search' menu, the other way is
> under
> >> the 'Circulation' menu. ?Being that I'm a maven for usability and
> >> user-centered design, this multiple entry point thing is making me
> twitchy.
> >> ?But having an identical menu option in a menu that has nothing to do
> with
> >> searches, AND there is a 'Search' menu right next to the 'Circ'
> >> menu....well, I just want to remove this entry point.
> >>
> >> Does anyone have any major objections to this? I am NOT, in ANY WAY,
> >> removing Search Patron by Barcode, I am JUST taking out a redundant menu
> >> item that has no place being where it is.
> >>
> >> I'm trying to make Evergreen a bit more user-friendly and have a few
> more
> >> formal usability specifications and this is a good place to start.
> >>
> >> Thanks for any feedback! ?If I don't get any threats in 48 hours I'll
> >> remove the tumorous menu item and Search Patron by Barcode will be under
> >> *just* the 'Search' menu, where it's always been and will always remain
> :)
> >>
> >> Thanks!
> >>
> >> Laura McFarland -- Developer
> >> Equinox Software
> >
> >
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:29:08 -0400
> From: "Duimovich, George" <George.Duimovich at NRCan-RNCan.gc.ca>
> Subject: Re: [OPEN-ILS-DEV] Circulation Menu in the Staff Client
> To: "Evergreen Development Discussion List"
> <open-ils-dev at list.georgialibraries.org>
> Message-ID:
> <159FD28F03D76E468EE6650EB50072D008EE5035 at S0-OTT-X2.nrn.nrcan.gc.ca
> >
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
>
> Interesting -- I know around here I've heard both kinds of feedback -- one
> colleague complained about "too many access points" while in the same
> discussion there were others who responded that they liked having access to
> to key functionality via in multiple places.
>
> I actually don't mind the multiple entry points, although arguably there is
> some nuance to how many points you need and what access points should be in
> multiple places when UI "real estate" is limited.
>
> In our case, we don't use barcode searching anywhere near as much as we do
> F4 searches, so taking it out of the Circ menu wouldn't be noticed much by
> our staff .. :)
>
> George Duimovich, MLIS
> NRCan Library / Biblioth?que de RNCan
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: open-ils-dev-bounces at list.georgialibraries.org [mailto:
> open-ils-dev-bounces at list.georgialibraries.org] On Behalf Of Laura M.
> Sent: June 17, 2009 15:54
> To: Evergreen Development Discussion List
> Subject: [OPEN-ILS-DEV] Circulation Menu in the Staff Client
>
> So, I'm going along and I'm adding some functionality to the Staff Client
> in Evergreen when I realize that we have two ways of looking up a patron by
> barcode (actually three or four, depending on how technical you want to
> get). One way to do this is under the 'Search' menu, the other way is under
> the 'Circulation' menu. Being that I'm a maven for usability and
> user-centered design, this multiple entry point thing is making me twitchy.
> But having an identical menu option in a menu that has nothing to do with
> searches, AND there is a 'Search' menu right next to the 'Circ'
> menu....well, I just want to remove this entry point.
>
> Does anyone have any major objections to this? I am NOT, in ANY WAY,
> removing Search Patron by Barcode, I am JUST taking out a redundant menu
> item that has no place being where it is.
>
> I'm trying to make Evergreen a bit more user-friendly and have a few more
> formal usability specifications and this is a good place to start.
>
> Thanks for any feedback! If I don't get any threats in 48 hours I'll
> remove the tumorous menu item and Search Patron by Barcode will be under
> *just* the 'Search' menu, where it's always been and will always remain :)
>
> Thanks!
>
> Laura McFarland -- Developer
> Equinox Software
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:44:01 -0400
> From: "William Rockwood" <wrockwood at tadl.org>
> Subject: Re: [OPEN-ILS-DEV] Circulation Menu in the Staff Client
> To: <open-ils-dev at list.georgialibraries.org>
> Message-ID: <sa391d7a.020 at titus.in.tcnet.org>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
> It appears that the "F1" functionality is present twice in the circulation
> menu, and once in the search menu. I think if you were to take the "retrieve
> patron by barcode" out of the circulation menu, and perhaps even out of the
> search menu, there wouldn't be much harm in that. Most of our staff knows it
> as "F1" anyhow and those who don't almost certainly use "Circulation ->
> Check out Items" particularly as there is no "searching" involved, as was
> mentioned in a previous message in this thread.
>
> -Bill
>
>
> --
> Bill Rockwood
> Network Specialist, Traverse Area District Library
> 231-932-8506
>
> >>> George.Duimovich at NRCan-RNCan.gc.ca 6/17/2009 4:29 PM >>>
>
> Interesting -- I know around here I've heard both kinds of feedback -- one
> colleague complained about "too many access points" while in the same
> discussion there were others who responded that they liked having access to
> to key functionality via in multiple places.
>
> I actually don't mind the multiple entry points, although arguably there is
> some nuance to how many points you need and what access points should be in
> multiple places when UI "real estate" is limited.
>
> In our case, we don't use barcode searching anywhere near as much as we do
> F4 searches, so taking it out of the Circ menu wouldn't be noticed much by
> our staff .. :)
>
> George Duimovich, MLIS
> NRCan Library / Biblioth?que de RNCan
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: open-ils-dev-bounces at list.georgialibraries.org [mailto:
> open-ils-dev-bounces at list.georgialibraries.org] On Behalf Of Laura M.
> Sent: June 17, 2009 15:54
> To: Evergreen Development Discussion List
> Subject: [OPEN-ILS-DEV] Circulation Menu in the Staff Client
>
> So, I'm going along and I'm adding some functionality to the Staff Client
> in Evergreen when I realize that we have two ways of looking up a patron by
> barcode (actually three or four, depending on how technical you want to
> get). One way to do this is under the 'Search' menu, the other way is under
> the 'Circulation' menu. Being that I'm a maven for usability and
> user-centered design, this multiple entry point thing is making me twitchy.
> But having an identical menu option in a menu that has nothing to do with
> searches, AND there is a 'Search' menu right next to the 'Circ'
> menu....well, I just want to remove this entry point.
>
> Does anyone have any major objections to this? I am NOT, in ANY WAY,
> removing Search Patron by Barcode, I am JUST taking out a redundant menu
> item that has no place being where it is.
>
> I'm trying to make Evergreen a bit more user-friendly and have a few more
> formal usability specifications and this is a good place to start.
>
> Thanks for any feedback! If I don't get any threats in 48 hours I'll
> remove the tumorous menu item and Search Patron by Barcode will be under
> *just* the 'Search' menu, where it's always been and will always remain :)
>
> Thanks!
>
> Laura McFarland -- Developer
> Equinox Software
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 5
> Date: Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:09:30 -0400
> From: "Laura M." <codegrl at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [OPEN-ILS-DEV] Circulation Menu in the Staff Client
> To: Evergreen Development Discussion List
> <open-ils-dev at list.georgialibraries.org>
> Message-ID: <4A39AFEA.5000403 at gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
> The menu option is the same. It's all identical, it's just basically an
> exact duplicate copy, placed in a nonsensical...well, place! :)
>
> (it's F1 for those playing at home :))
>
> Bill Ott wrote:
> > Jason Etheridge said the following on 06/17/2009 04:10 PM:
> >> On Wed, Jun 17, 2009 at 3:54 PM, Laura M. <codegrl at gmail.com> wrote:
> >>
> >>> Thanks for any feedback! If I don't get any threats in 48 hours
> >>> I'll remove the tumorous menu item and Search Patron by Barcode will
> >>> be under *just* the 'Search' menu, where it's always been and will
> >>> always remain :)
> >>>
> >>
> >> My vote is for removing Circulation -> Retrieve Patron by Barcode
> >>
> >
> >
> > I only speak in function keys. There are menu options for such
> > things? ;)
> >
> >
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 6
> Date: Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:13:02 -0400
> From: "Laura M." <codegrl at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [OPEN-ILS-DEV] Circulation Menu in the Staff Client
> To: Evergreen Development Discussion List
> <open-ils-dev at list.georgialibraries.org>
> Message-ID: <4A39B0BE.70208 at gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
> See, that would be fine, but we have a menu *right* next to the circ
> menu that says; "Search", so intuitively, someone who has never used an
> ILS or any software, when wanting to search for things, is going to
> click there first.
>
> Also, you can't blame me, 'cause I have to run all my changes by The
> Guys...so, blame them, they're the bossmans....
>
>
>
>
> David Fiander wrote:
> > In the ILS I normally use, the only way (that I know of) to find a
> > patron record from the staff client is to go to the Circulation
> > screen. Given the most common use case, I think that that is probably
> > the place that it should continue to live.
> >
> > Also, congratulations (?) Laura on becoming a committer. Now if
> > something breaks, we are officially allowed to blame you for making
> > the change.
> >
> > - David
> >
> > On Wed, Jun 17, 2009 at 4:10 PM, Jason Boyer<jasonb at myjclibrary.org>
> wrote:
> >
> >> Why would it be left under Search, and not Circulation? You can't search
> >> from it at all, you have to already have and enter the entire barcode
> for it
> >> to work.
> >> If it just has to stay under Search, can it be changed to "Retrieve
> Patron
> >> by Barcode" ?
> >> Jason
> >>
> >> --
> >> Jason Boyer, IT Specialist
> >> Jackson County Public Library
> >> 303 W Second St
> >> Seymour, IN 47274
> >>
> >> jasonb at myjclibrary.org
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> On Wed, Jun 17, 2009 at 3:54 PM, Laura M. <codegrl at gmail.com> wrote:
> >>
> >>> So, I'm going along and I'm adding some functionality to the Staff
> Client
> >>> in Evergreen when I realize that we have two ways of looking up a
> patron by
> >>> barcode (actually three or four, depending on how technical you want to
> >>> get). One way to do this is under the 'Search' menu, the other way is
> under
> >>> the 'Circulation' menu. Being that I'm a maven for usability and
> >>> user-centered design, this multiple entry point thing is making me
> twitchy.
> >>> But having an identical menu option in a menu that has nothing to do
> with
> >>> searches, AND there is a 'Search' menu right next to the 'Circ'
> >>> menu....well, I just want to remove this entry point.
> >>>
> >>> Does anyone have any major objections to this? I am NOT, in ANY WAY,
> >>> removing Search Patron by Barcode, I am JUST taking out a redundant
> menu
> >>> item that has no place being where it is.
> >>>
> >>> I'm trying to make Evergreen a bit more user-friendly and have a few
> more
> >>> formal usability specifications and this is a good place to start.
> >>>
> >>> Thanks for any feedback! If I don't get any threats in 48 hours I'll
> >>> remove the tumorous menu item and Search Patron by Barcode will be
> under
> >>> *just* the 'Search' menu, where it's always been and will always remain
> :)
> >>>
> >>> Thanks!
> >>>
> >>> Laura McFarland -- Developer
> >>> Equinox Software
> >>>
> >>
> >
> >
>
>
> End of Open-ils-dev Digest, Vol 39, Issue 25
> ********************************************
>
--
Afoot and light-hearted I take to the open road,
Healthy, free, the world before me,
The long brown path before me leading wherever I choose.
Henceforth I ask not good-fortune, I myself am good-fortune,
Henceforth I whimper no more, postpone no more, need nothing,
Done with indoor complaints, libraries, querulous criticisms,
Strong and content I travel the open road.
Walt Whitman, Song of the Open Road
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