What's this YBP?

From time to time, the NHAIS Help Desk gets a question about the YBP Libr Serv holding that appears on some titles in OCLC FirstSearch. That's YBP Library Services, a vendor in Contoocook. Formerly Yankee Book Peddlar, it's a unit of Baker & Taylor that serves academic libraries. It is not a lending institution.

You can get more information about any OCLC member institution by entering its name (e.g., YBP Libr Serv) as Institution Name or code (e.g., YDX) as OCLC Symbol on the Find an OCLC library page.

Van Route Cancellation

All of today's (Monday, December 31, 2007) ILL van delivery routes are being cancelled, due to the weather. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Happy New Year!

Diana

Van Route Cancellation

The Southwestern Supplemental van delivery route for today (12/28/07) is being cancelled, due to a vehicle breakdown. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

Van Delivery Route Cancellations

The following ILL van delivery routes have been cancelled for today, Thursday, December 20, 2007, due to the weather:

Lakes Region
Southeastern Region A
Southeastern Region B

Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

How to Delay Your ILL Request Indefinitely

If you want the item you are requesting through NHAIS Interlibrary Loan to take a really long time to arrive -- and to perhaps never arrive at all -- here are a few things you can do:


1- Don't choose a lending library.

When you don't check a box next to a library you have chosen to make your request of, the system automatically assigns the request to the NHU-PAC Administrative account and keeps it there for 3 days or until someone here in NHAIS Services logs in to that account and sets the request unfilled. During 2007 this has happened 333 times so far.


2- Include a training library among your selected lending libraries.


There are 5 training libraries set up in the NHU-PAC that we use for demonstration, testing, and training. None of them have any actual materials because they are imaginary libraries. If you include them in your lender string your request will be held up for 3 days waiting for an imaginary staff person to process the request. The training libraries are Lilac Public, Finch Museum, Ladybug School, Birch Public, and the Newt School. They can be identified in the ILL system because they have HSA codes that begin with the letter T and the word "Training" appears at the beginning of their displayed name.


3- Neglect to edit the patron ID on your request.


If you leave the patron ID as your HSA code your request will never go anywhere except into the provisional status list. Changing the patron ID to the barcode of your patron, to a random number, or to your own name, or to whatever you want (Fred, maybe?) will allow your request to go on its way through the system.



4 - Having problems with the system and not contacting the NHAIS Help Desk


Many ILL problems can be resolved in just a few minutes by the Help Desk staff. If you don't let us know there is a problem we won't know to fix it. The NHAIS Help Desk is available by phone Monday - Friday from 8am to 4pm (271-2141) or you can send an email any time to nhu-pac@dcr.nh.gov (note the new-ish address)

Tech Tip: Track Flights with Google Search

Thanks to Google and FlightStats.com, tracking the status of a flight couldn't be easier! Simply "Google" the airline and flight number to see the status of the flight. The information will be shown at the top of the Google results list.


Information found on the Google Blog.

NHU-PAC outage Wednesday 7-7:30 a.m.

The NHU-PAC will be taken offline for maintenance around 7 a.m. on Wednesday, December 19. We expect service to be restored by 7:30 a.m.

Holdings Maintenance restored

Tuesday, Dec. 18, 9:48 a.m.: Holdings Maintenance service has been restored. If you see further problems with this or other NHU-PAC functions, please notify the NHAIS Help Desk at 271-2141.

Holdings Maintenance failure

Tuesday, Dec. 18, 9:35 a.m.: Users are unable to log into the Holdings Maintenance server. We're looking at the problem. Other NHU-PAC functions appear to be normal at this time.

Online Reference Tip: Visual Dictionary

How often do you say to yourself, "Now, what do they call that thingamajig?" If you are like me - too often! Take a minute to explore Merriam-Webster's Visual Dictionary Online. The right word might only be a few clicks away!

Merriam-Webster Visual Dictionary Online

System Error message in NHU-PAC ILL

Twice this week, users have posted messages to the NHAIS-ILL list asking if anyone could lend certain videos because they got a "System Error" message when trying to place a request in NHU-PAC's ILL program. Instead of composing an e-mail message when you run into that error, call the NHAIS Help Desk at 271-2141. We can usually fix things so you can place a request on the system within 5 minutes.

Van Delivery - Southeast route cancelled

Dec. 14: Because of vehicle problems, Stan Arthur's Southeast route will not be run today. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

Van Delivery - Southeastern Region

Unexpected vehicle repairs have prompted us to delay the Southeastern Van Delivery Route for tomorrow, Friday, December 14, 2007. The driver (Stan Arthur) will be running at a later time than usual (not sure exactly how late). Please do not remove your van materials from their pickup location until you check to make sure the driver has delivered.

If, for some reason, plans change, another message will be posted to this blog.

Thank you for your cooperation.

NHU-PAC e-mail problem fixed

Wednesday, Dec. 12, 9:15 a.m.: The problem reported Monday with lists of titles sent from the NHU-PAC not being received at the intended addresses has been fixed. Please notify the NHAIS Help Desk at 271-2141 if you have further problems with this feature.

Maillist2 server back in business

Monday, Dec. 10, 2:40 p.m.: NHAIS-L and NHAIS-ILL are back in business. However, there's no indication that these lists received any messages between 5:10 p.m. Saturday and 2:10 p.m. today. If you sent a message to NHAIS-L or NHAIS-ILL between those times, you might want to send again.

Web 2.0: An Update Workshop

There are some open seats in tomorrow's Web 2.0: An Update workshop! If you would like to attend, please register here:

http://www.nh.gov/nhsl/training/index.html

1. Click on the link, "Technology on the Web,"
   
2. Then click on "View" next to the class name.
   
3. Register for the class by clicking the "Sign-up" link at the bottom of the page.

NHU-PAC e-mail problem

Monday, Dec. 10, 11:55 a.m.: It appears lists of titles sent from the NHU-PAC are not going through the morning. We're looking into this. It's likely a separate problem from the one noted earlier today about NHAIS-L and NHAIS-ILL.

Maillist2 messages not going through

Monday, Dec. 10, 11:25 a.m.: There is a problem this morning with the server which hosts NHAIS-L, NHAIS-ILL, and other e-mail lists. Messages to and from the lists are getting stuck somewhere. The problem has been reported to the state's Office of Information Technology.

Van Delivery - December 2007/January 2008

The State Library will be closed on Christmas Day, Tuesday, December 25, 2007, New Years Day, Tuesday, January 1, 2008 and also on Monday, January 21, 2008, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Civil Rights Day. There will be NO van delivery on those dates. If one of those days is your only stop for the week, you may want to make other arrangements for a delivery that week.

For a complete list of all of the holidays the State Library is closed, please visit http://www.nh.gov/nhsl/services/librarians/van_delivery/instructions.html (the van delivery instructions) and scroll down to "NO Van Service".

There will be substitute van drivers on the following days in the months of December and January:

December 3-7 - Monday and Wednesday Lakes Region Route; Tuesday and Thursday Southeastern Supplemental Route and Friday Southwestern Supplemental Route
December 17-20 - Southeastern Route
December 21, 24 & 31 - Southwestern Route
January 7-11 - Southeastern Route

If for any reason (e.g. bad weather, vehicle breakdown) van service on a particular route(s) does not operate, libraries will be notified via an e-mail message sent to the NHAIS-ILL list and a post to this blog. If your library does not receive van service on a particular day, please check your e-mail or this blog before calling the State Library.

Happy Holidays.

ILL Van Delivery

All of today's (Monday, December 3, 2007) ILL Van Delivery routes have been cancelled due to the weather.

Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

Diana