PROGRAM RESOURCES BRANCH (PRB)
http://education.alberta.ca/teachers/resources/prb/ssvi.aspx
12360 - 142 St. NW, Edmonton, AB T5L 4X9
Telephone 780-427-4681 AB Toll Free 310-0000
[email protected]
Services for Students with Visual Impairments (SSVI)
HOW TO USE THE NEW SSVI ONLINE CATALOGUE
OVERVIEW:
The SSVI Online Catalogue has a new look with new functionality. Highlighted functionality
includes:
•
Conduct any type of keyword search (title, author, subject, ISBN) using a more basic search
page, which will generate a broader range of search results.
•
Select a Popular Search, or create and save your own.
•
View what is on loan and on reserve for your student.
•
Update your student’s information.
Access to most of the new functionality will require a Login ID and password, which will be
provided at the request of your Principal, or your school’s Learning Support Teacher (LST)/Special
Education Coordinator/Equivalent.
Each student within a school will have a unique Login ID and password. It will be the
Principal/LST’s decision to share a student’s Login ID and password with other staff within the
school or with the student’s Teacher for the Visually Impaired (TVI). A request for a Login ID and
password can be made to [email protected].
Table of Contents
Searching the Catalogue: .................................................................................................................................. 2
Placing Online Requests: .................................................................................................................................. 7
Confirmation Emails (Autoreply): ..................................................................................................................... 10
Popular Searches: ........................................................................................................................................... 10
My Library: ...................................................................................................................................................... 15
Updating Your Student’s Information: .............................................................................................................. 17
Additional Features (brief overview): ............................................................................................................... 20
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SEARCHING THE CATALOGUE:
You do not require a Login ID and password to conduct searches.
Tip #1: Become More Proficient at Searching:
•
Less is best. When conducting keyword searches, you do not need to type in
every word in the title or subject heading, or the author’s full name.
E.g. Full title: Harry Potter and the philosopher’s stone – type: harry stone
E.g. Full subject heading: Social Studies Gr 6 – type: social 6
•
Use the asterisks (*) as much as possible to reduce spelling errors, or when you
are unsure whether a word is spelled in full or has been shortened, is singular or
plural, etc. You do not even need to type in full words when using the asterisks.
E.g. Full subject heading: Mathematics 10-C – type: math* 10-c
E.g. Full title: Hundreds boards and manipulatives – type: hund* board*
E.g. Full title Brailler (Mountbatten Learn System) – type: mount* learn
•
Do not use the words “a”, “an”, and “the” in your searches.
E.g. Full title: A wrinkle in time – type: wrinkle time
E.g. Full title: The chrysalids – type: chrys*
For this exercise, we will access the SSVI Catalogue without logging in. We will search for the
following titles using some of strategies we learned from the above tips.
•
A large print copy of Our worldviews : contact and change.
•
A braille file copy of Pre-calculus 11 (the hypothetical student requires a supplemental
volume(s) of braille diagrams as well).
•
A large print title by Robert Munsch.
1. Select the “Link to SSVI Catalogue” from this webpage:
http://education.alberta.ca/teachers/resources/prb/ssvi.aspx. You may choose to mark this
webpage as a favorite. The Search and Filter tabs are the defaults.
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2. First sample item: Our Worldviews : contact and change. Type: our worldview* in the search
box, and select Search.
Feel free to change the orientation
of your search results.
Note that a “Hover Screen” with additional information appears as we move the cursor down the
list of search results.
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Optional: To view the bibliographic information, double click on one of the search result entries to
open the record. Click on the Browse Button to return to the search results page.
☺
☺
Why would you want to view the full bibliographic record? There may be some
important information you would like to know. For instance, above, the Physical
description points out that the large print is in 5 volumes, is full colour, and the size of
the print is 20 point. The Holdings identify that SSVI has 6 copies. There is also
“master” information, which implies that SSVI may have the capability to duplicate a
copy for your student if there are no copies on the shelf.
3. Select the large print by checking the box. To save the selected title, Save to Bookbag. The
selected title will now display in My Bookbag.
It is not necessary to Clear Search
before continuing with the next item,
but is it a “good practice”.
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4. Continue with the 2nd sample item, Pre-calculus 11. Type: pre* 11 in the search box, and select
Search.
5. Select the braille by checking the box (instructions on how to request a braille file copy will
come later). To save the selected title, Save to Bookbag. There are now 2 titles that display in
My Bookbag.
Tip #3: How to determine if braille files are available:
•
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View the full bibliographic information (Page 4). Braille files will not exist for titles
with no “master” or when the master is “thermoform”.
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6. Continue with the final sample item, a large print title by Robert Munsch. Type: munsch in the
search box, and select Search.
Feel free to print your
search results to PDF or
to a spreadsheet.
7. Select large print from the Filter by Format section. Select the only title listed (Moira’s birthday),
and Save to Bookbag. There are now 3 titles that display in My Bookbag.
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Tip #2: Using Filters:
•
Conduct your search first before selecting a Filter when you want to narrow your
search results as we just did in Steps 6 & 7.
•
Filters can be used without conducting a search. You would do this when you
want a broader range of search results. For instance, you may want to see all
the equipment in the collection. Simply select Equipment from the Filter by
Format section.
* The Popular Searches Filter will be discussed later.
8. We have now decided that we do not want to request Moira’s birthday. Check the box, and
select Remove from Bookbag.
PLACING ONLINE REQUESTS:
You do not require a Login ID and password to place online requests.
1. To request the remaining 2 titles in My Bookbag, select Send Request.
You may choose to print My
Bookbag, but it is not necessary,
as you will receive a confirmation
email.
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2. All fields with the asterisks (*) are mandatory. Proceed to fill out the form. Use “test” for the
school and student names. Use your real name and email address. Select dates required in
the classroom for each title.
3. To request a braille file copy with braille diagrams for Pre-calculus 11, select the Additional
requirement, “Braille file (.brf) on CD with Braille diagrams instead of Braille copy”.
4. Save & Exit to submit the request.
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5. Select Done.
6. Clear Search and Empty Bookbag before proceeding with additional searches.
Tip #4: My Bookbag:
•
You can request the same items for another student. Instead of selecting Empty
Bookbag, Select Submit Request, again, and proceed to fill out the form for the next
student.
7. For this exercise you can close your web browser when you are finished. If in the future, you
do search and place online requests using your student’s Login ID and password, you will need
to logout before closing your web browser.
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CONFIRMATION EMAILS (AUTOREPLY):
Now that you have submitted your practice requests, you will have received a confirmation email.
For future requests, forward your confirmation email to other staff that may need to know what you
have requested for your student.
Why didn’t you receive a confirmation email? The email you typed in was not valid.
The most common errors are:
•
•
•
Missing characters – E.g. [email protected]
Missing dots or periods – E.g. [email protected]
Combining work and personal emails – [email protected]
POPULAR SEARCHES:
You do not require a Login ID and password to search an existing saved search. You will,
however, require a Login ID and password for your student in order to save a search under
Popular Searches.
What are Popular Searches? These are searches that may be more difficult to
conduct. The existing saved searches are based on the most common inquiries
from schools when trying to locate items that meet specific criteria. If you conduct
the same search frequently over the school year, or have difficulties remembering
how to conduct certain searches, you may want to consider saving your own
Popular Search.
Conducting a Popular Search using an Existing Saved Search:
For this exercise, we will search the following:
•
Large print junior high leisure reading titles.
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1. Select Leisure Reading (Grades 7-9) to view all the titles within this category.
2. To narrow the search results, select large print from the Filter by Format section.
You now have 131 titles to
select from.
Browse through the pages
to identify titles for your
student.
Creating and Saving a Search:
A Login ID and password for your student is required.
For this exercise, we will save a search for slant boards, because we never can remember the
actual names of the individual boards, and when we search under the format of equipment we
generate 0 search results.
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1. Select Login.
2. Type in your student’s Login ID and Password. Sign In.
3. Type: slant board* in the search box, and select Search.
You can click on the
picture to see a larger
view.
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4. Select Save.
5. Give the search an ID. Type: rs. Give the search a Preset Name. Type: Reading Stands.
Save the search.
6. The search has now been saved. We will now select this Popular Search the next time we
want to request a reading stand.
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7. You can delete your saved searches at any time (but not existing saved searches). Select
Reading Stands from the Popular Search section. Note that Edit and Delete appear. Select
Delete. (Editing is more complex and will not be covered in this document)
8. Click on OK. Your saved search has been removed from the Popular Searches section.
9. Logout when you are finished.
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MY LIBRARY:
A Login ID and password for your student is required.
What is My Library? This is the area you will go to if you want to view what your
student has on loan, or view what your student has on reserve (wait list). If you are
working with more than one student, you will need to login using each of your
students’ unique Login IDs and passwords in order to view each of their loans and
reserves.
Please note that logging in using one student’s Login ID and password does not
limit your ability to place requests for additional students within your school.
1. Select Login.
2. Type in your student’s Login ID and password. Sign In.
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3. Select the My Library Tab.
This student has loans spanning 2 pages. Note that a “Hover Screen” with additional information
appears as we move the cursor down the listing of loans. This student also has 2 titles on reserve.
4. Logout when you are finished.
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UPDATING YOUR STUDENT’S INFORMATION:
A Login ID and password for your student is required.
Why do schools need to update a student’s information? SSVI requires updated
information in order to continue providing services to your student.
Schools will be expected to update student information at the end of every school
year (by June 30th), and any time throughout the school year when there is a
significant change such as your student is changing schools or there is a new
school contact.
Neglecting this process may delay the shipping of resources and specialized
equipment for your student.
Who can update a student’s information?
• The Principal using the Log In ID and password assigned for access to the
Director’s Dashboard.
•
The Principal or Learning Support Teacher (LST)/Special Education
Coordinator/Equivalent using the student’s unique Login ID and password.
•
The student’s Teacher for the Visually Impaired (TVI).
Please note that logging in using one student’s Login ID and password does not
limit your ability to update information for additional students within your school.
1. Select Login.
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2. Type in your student’s Login ID and password. Sign In.
3. Select the Student Management tab.
Depending on your personal
setting, this tab may show up
on the same line as the other
tabs, or you will have more
tabs on this second line. Don’t
be concerned where the tabs
are.
4. Open the Update An Existing Student form.
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5. a) If your student no longer requires SSVI services, fill in the following fields: the ASN, Student
Name, Service Not Needed, and the Certification area. Save & Exit.
5. b) If your student requires the continuation of SSVI services, proceed to fill out the form. Skip
over the Service Not Needed field. Save & Exit.
6. You may continue with updating another student in your school, or Logout.
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ADDITIONAL FEATURES (BRIEF OVERVIEW):
Web Resources tab: under development. This area will provide links to other useful websites.
New Resources tab: a listing of new items that have been recently added to the SSVI Catalogue.
You may add items to My Bookbag from here as well.
You may choose to “subscribe” to this RSS feed, which is added to the
Common Feed List. Updated information is automatically downloaded to your
computer and can be viewed on the Internet.
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Contact Us tab: contact information for Library Services.
News tab: has been deleted.
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