[OPEN-ILS-GENERAL] Anyone using Custom Org Unit Tree

[Tina Ji (Project Sitka)]

Thanks so much, Kathy & Tim.

It's very helpful. I see the value that the custom OU tree can bring  
to us: re-ordering the OUs. I will look for a solution to my issue  
somewhere else. :)

Thanks again

Tina

Quoting Kathy Lussier <klussier at masslnc.org>:

> Hi Tina,
>
> MassLNC funded the development for the custom org unit tree, so I can
> give you some background on the use cases behind the development.
>
> It essentially was created for display purposes as we didn't like the
> way systems and branches were displaying in the org unit selector.
> You're right, the custom org tree won't affect the way search results
> are retrieved. For our use cases, we didn't need a change in the
> retrieval of search results. Its only purpose was to allow us to
> reorder the org units in the selector, and therefore it doesn't play
> into circ/holds policies either. I'm not quite sure how it interacts
> with org unit hiding depth.
>
> We had two specific use cases we were trying to address:
>
> - Removal of the system level in the org unit dropdown: In
> Massachusetts, we have very few multi-branch libraries, so the default
> display with a branch appearing under a system did not work well for
> us. Users didn't understand what the difference was between the two
> different selections (and there really wasn't a difference) and it
> added needless clutter to the interface. For the most part, this
> problem was solved by the "Org Units Do Not Inherit Visibility" global
> flag (added at the same time as the custom org trees) since it allowed
> us to hide the system level while keeping branches visible. However,
> those hidden system-level org units do display in the staff client, and
> I don't think everyone liked that, so the custom org tree provides
> another means of hiding that system level in both the public and staff
> view.
>
> - As Tim mentioned in his e-mail, C/W MARS has an additional level in
> their org hierarchy. Consortium > Region > System > Branch. They needed
> to create this additional regional level due to the way the delivery
> sorting happens in our state. They wanted holds to be filled within a
> region before moving on to the rest of the consortium. However, we
> didn't want libraries to display in the OPAC within each region. The
> custom org tree allowed C/W MARS to interfile all of their libraries
> into one big alphabetical dropdown list.
>
> - Another use I've seen of the custom org tree is, in cases where we do
> have multibranch systems, we might want the main library to display
> above the other branches, even if it doesn't come first alphabetically.
> We can make the main library appear out of order using the custom org
> tree.
>
> I hope this helps!
>
> Kathy
>
> Kathy Lussier
> Project Coordinator
> Massachusetts Library Network Cooperative
> (508) 343-0128
> klussier at masslnc.org
> Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kmlussier



Tina Ji
1-888-848-9250
Trainer/Help Desk Specialist
BC Libraries Cooperative/Sitka