1. technology and computing
2. software
3. databases

13th Annual Meeting & Conference
October 8-10, 2014
Syracuse, NY
Date/Time
Event
Other information
Tuesday
10/7/2014
9 am—4 pm
9 am—4 pm
1 pm— 4:30 pm
Pre-conferences
Pre-registration required
Wednesday
10/8/2014
9 am—4:15 pm
Polaris ILS Day
Full day of business and product updates by the staff of Innovative
Interfaces
Wednesday
10/8/2014
7:30 pm -9:30 pm
Reception
more information forthcoming
dinner on your own 4:30 pm -7:30 pm
Thursday
10/9/2014
9 am—10: 30 am
PUG Business Meeting
By-law changes, meet the candidates,
IUG/PUG
SQL Basics with Kellie
SQL Intermediate with Bruce
LEAP with Jeff and Chris
Thursday
Simultaneous User Sessions
10/9/2014
10:45 am—11:45 am
Training * Acquisitions * Hosted *
Reports
Thursday
10/9/2014
11:45 am—12:30 pm
Thursday
10/9/2014
12:30 pm—2:00 pm
Forums
LEAP * Your PUG * Polaris API * Selfcheck/Expresscheck
Lunch and Keynote. BYOD, Digital
Literacy & Those That Are Left
Behind - Jill Hurst-Wahl
Look around you and you will see people using
digital devices. We assume that they know
how to use those devices and we assume that
they are learning skills that can be transferred
to other computing devices. Sadly, we’re
wrong. We are creating a new class of citizenry
that is digitally illiterate, and that is being left
behind. Why is this situation more serious
than we want to recognize? What can we do to
change it?
Date/Time
Thursday
10/9/2014
2:15 pm—3:15 pm
Event
Simultaneous User Sessions
Other information
Patron registration*
Fusion* eCommerce * SIP
Thursday
10/9/2014
3:00 pm
Exhibits open
Thursday
10/9/2014
3:30 pm—4:30 pm
Simultaneous User Sessions
PAC design * Brain-storming training*
Reporting Services
Thursday
10/9/2014
4:30 pm—8:00 pm
Exhibits
Dinner served 5:30-7:30, raffles and
prizes
Friday
10/10/2014
8:00 am
Exhibits open
Friday
10/10/2014
8:30 am—9: 30 am
PUG Business Meeting
Continued discussions and vote for
Steering Committee and By-law
changes
Friday
10/10/2014
9:30 pm—10:30 pm
Simultaneous Vendor Sessions
3M * CollectionHQ * Envisionware *
Talkingtech
Friday
No Conflict Exhibits
10/10/2014
10:30 am—11:30 am
Friday
Simultaneous User Sessions
10/10/2014
11:30 am—12:30 pm
RFID * Advanced SQL * RDA
Friday
10/10/2014
12:30 pm—2:00 pm
Lunch
Ask Bill a Question
PUG Election results
Friday
10/10/2014
2:15 pm—3:15 pm
Simultaneous User Sessions
Cloud services * Reports * Community
Profiles
Friday
10/10/2014
2:15 pm—3:15 pm
Forums
Technical Services * Simply Reports *
eCommerce * Patron Services
Watch, Click, and Learn: A Blended Learning Approach to Teaching Polaris presented by Steve Campion
Using a blended learning plan of self-paced, interactive, and assisted instruction, Pierce County Library has converted
its Polaris procedure & workflow classes for new employees into a hybrid of online video, on-site training, and classroom work. Among its benefits are efficiency, adaptability, increased interest, and meeting users’ different learning
styles. We will look at the blended learning program, its origins, and its outcomes. We’ll also look at the production
process, tools, and lessons learned. Some knowledge of the topic is recommended.
Participants will:
 Understand how Pierce County Library System created a blended learning program for Polaris.
 Know how the system integrates with each employee's knowledge and skill development.
 Understand the technical and creative process involved in assembling and maintaining the program.
Polaris Acquisitions presented by Janet Cox and Jane Darling
Each library system has their own way of using Polaris acquisitions. Two libraries will walk through their processes and
discuss what works well for them. Some knowledge of the topic is recommended.
Participants will :
 Understand the basics of acquisitions
 Learn about the benefits of EDI and Rapid Receipt.
Hosted - The ins and outs presented by John Schanot
When your library is hosted you gain but you also lose. Gains are fairly obvious, so we'll talk more about a few of the
losses. (PAC customization, SQL reports beyond capability of the Find tool). No previous knowledge of the topic is
necessary.
Participants will:
 Learn about assessing the state of your institutional internet connectivity milieu and whether it is fit for hosted.
 Receive some anecdotal and numerical characterizations of Collin College's experience.
Create, Publish and Modify reports for the Novice User presented by Nadia Musleh
How to use Simply Reports to create and publish reports, manually run them from the Polaris toolbar, or schedule them
for automatic delivery.
Participants will:
 Walk away with a general overview of Simply Reports
 Be able to save and schedule a report
Know where to find the saved report
Streamlining Patron Registration presented by Jill Henriksen and Mike McKenney
Learn about the problems Pierce County Library System needed to overcome using Polaris’ native online registration
process, and why they chose to use Quipu's eCARD. Learn how the software automates online patron registration by
verifying that a customer lives in their service area No previous knowledge of the topic is necessary.
Participants will:
 Learn how PCLS implemented the software.
 Get a quick introduction to the Polaris API and it’s capabilities.
 Learn about the benefits and ongoing challenges we’ve seen since we began using eCARD.
Digitize Your Community History with Fusion presented by Colleen Brazil
I will explain how we have selected local groups & historical societies to help them select, determine copyright, scan,
describe & upload content into Fusion. We will have samples and electronic forms. No previous knowledge of the topic
is necessary.
Participants will:
 Learn how to develop a digitization project in your community.
SIP: What It Is and How It Works presented by Deb Lewis
SIP is a de facto standard library communications protocol created by 3M used to allow a remote system or service to
authenticate patrons (e.g., for PC reservation signups or e-services like non-integrated OverDrive or freegal) and to coordinate circulation actions (e.g., 3rd-party self-checkout stations and dispensers) with Polaris. This session will describe
how SIP works, answer the burning question: “just what does 98YYYYYN60000320140209 0122562.00 mean”?, and
most importantly, show you how to read Polaris SIP logs to help in figuring out problems. Knowledge of SIP is not required.
Participants will:
 Understand what SIP is
 Learn how to tell a vendor how to access your SIP service to authenticate patrons
 Learn where the Polaris SIP logs are and how to navigate within them
 Learn how to read SIP messages and look for and discover issues
 Bonus: find out just enough about NCIP and LCF to be dangerous
eCommerce - Setup and SQL Reports presented by Mary Miller and Rei Umali
The Fort Bend County Libraries uses the Polaris SQL Server Reporting Services for custom daily/monthly reports about
eCommerce transactions. The custom reports include payments, credits, donations, estimated transaction fee, estimated
net, number of transactions, and errors. Summaries are provided by library branch, credit card provider, and staff client /
PowerPAC / MobilePAC. No previous knowledge of the topic is necessary.
Participants will:
 Learn how the Fort Bend County Libraries set up eCommerce.
 Learn to write custom SQL in SQL Server Reporting Services to monitor eCommerce transactions.
 Learn how to set up subscription for email reports to staff.
Online Catalog Design presented by Mary Ecklund
Making the catalog approachable and easy to use for patrons, as well as making it the starting point for physical materials, e-materials, and reader's advisory. The intent is not to include lots of information about the mechanics of updating
the catalog, but rather the ideas behind choosing how to format it. No previous knowledge of the topic is necessary.
Participants will:
 Understand the Cape May County Library's approach to what primary and secondary information was chosen for
display in the catalog.
 Know how information about patron needs and interests for the catalog were collected.
 Know how space in the catalog as well as catalog enhancements were used for customization .
Creating Out-of-the-Box Thinking for Staff & Patron Training by Jill Hurst-Wahl
Most technology training has not changed in 30 years, yet our technology and attention span has. Technology training
needs to be scalable, impactful, and easy to implement. With those criteria, what methods could we be using to train
staff and patrons? What training methods/ideas should we be exploring? This session will begin with a look backwards
at technology training, and then discuss how we might generate ideas around effective training of staff and patrons. The
session will end with time engaged in forming new ideas on how teach people about tech tools.
Modifying reports for Intermediate Users presented by Nadia Musleh
Modify saved Simply Report reports, using Microsoft Report Builder tools to expose parameters for the end user.
Learning Objectives:
Participants will:
 Walk away knowing how to access and move around in Report Builder.
 Be able to add add date parameter fields to prompt the user to pick a custom date range for lists.
OurDA - What we are doing with RDA at the Fayetteville Public Library presented by Sarah Houk
The Fayetteville Public Library's technical service staff are preparing for the world of RDA. Come learn thrifty ways to
train your staff and embrace change. No previous knowledge of the topic is necessary.
Participants will:
 Receive the Power Point presentation of how we prepared all staff for RDA.
 Receive a list of training materials and resources we have used.
 Learn what our plans are for implementing RDA.
RFID System Implementation from Library Staff and Patron Viewpoint presented by Mary Ann Hunter, Kathy
Naftaly and Diane Robinson
This session will be a panel discussion about preparing library staff, board and public for implementation of an RFID
system. It is designed for library staff who are considering the purchase of an RFID system or who are at the start of the
implementation process. We will discuss RFID implementation tips and challenges along with workflow considerations
and Polaris integration. No previous knowledge of the topic is necessary.
Participants will:
 know how to prepare library staff and board for a successful RFID implementation.
 Know how to encourage the public to embrace RFID technology in the library.
 Know how Polaris settings impact RFID implementation.
Advanced SQL Topics and Concepts by Michael Fields
Introduction to more advanced SQL topics to help maximize your reporting and troubleshooting capabilities. We will
explore different kinds of joins and ways to more quickly and effectively update large datasets, going beyond routine
selects and inner joins. We will also cover different SQL functions and how you can use them to help extract meaningful
data from your Polaris database. Recommended for those with extensive knowledge or who want to learn about new
developments.
Participants will:
 Be able to utilize advanced SQL concepts for building better report
 Be able to make changes to large number of rows at once to speed system configuration.
 Be able to speed up existing queries using faster methodologies
Integrating cloud services with Polaris presented by Wes Osborn
The world of cloud service providers moving quickly! In this session you will find out which cloud service providers that
the Central Library Consortium is using in 2014 with Polaris to provide better service to our over 1.2 million registered
borrowers. Do not let our size intimidate you! Cloud services are accessible to library systems of all sizes. Come to this
session and learn how you can use cloud providers to improve your library's backup, DNS, email, telephone and text notices. This session is suggested for those supporting an on-premises installation of the Polaris software. Some knowledge
of the topic is recommended.
Participants will:
 Be able to backup their Polaris database to the Amazon S3 and Glacier backup service.
 Know how Amazon Route 53 can be used to power their Internet facing DNS service.
 Know how to use Mandrill to deliver their email notices.
Reporting Outside the Box: No Client Required presented by Trevor Diamond
The SQL license you purchase for Polaris comes with a few nifty tools granting power and versatility in how you access
the reports. SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) allows your staff to access reports via the web and to create subscriptions to deliver reports to your inbox. Some knowledge of the topic is recommended.
Participants will :
 Be able to access Polaris reports via the web.
 Be able to control access to specific folders/reports.
 Be able to set up a standard subscription.
 Be able to set up a data driven subscription.
Community Profiles: The good, the bad, and the ugly presented by Eileen Kontrovitz
Getting started with Community Profiles. No previous knowledge of the topic is necessary.
Participants will:
 Learn how to sign groups up.
 Learn to teach partners how to use Community Profiles.
 Learn how to create never-ending promotions.
Vendor Sessions
3M and Polaris - Driving Circulation and Awareness presented by Matt Bellamy - Manager, Sales and Marketing, 3M Library Systems
The integration with 3M Cloud Library, now including eAudiobooks, and the innovative SelfCheck QuickConnect
Interface can help libraries drive more circulation and awareness of activities.
Do More with Your Data: Integrating Polaris with CollectionHQ to Supercharge Your Collection presented by
Kathie Graham, collectionHQ and Carol Maxey, Webster Parish Public Library
Recent research investigating the role of evidence in collection performance improvement has proven that collectionHQ
can help libraries to save staff time, redistribute budget effectively, increase circulation and improve turnover. This
session will discuss how Polaris data can be maximized by adopting collectionHQ: the world’s leading collection
performance improvement solution which is based on the proven Evidence Based Stock Management – EBSM
methodology. Featuring presentations and case studies from Polaris customers, attendees will learn how to integrate
Polaris with collectionHQ and the real results that can be achieved from the integration.
Polaris Enterprise eCommerce
EnvisionWare will present the turnkey, PCI-compliant Enterprise eCommerce system collaboratively developed with
Polaris. The integration provides seamless point of sale integration with the Polaris staff client, web fine payment I
ntegrated into the PAC, and full use of the Polaris credit account used to pay fines and to pay for printing and other
services.
Telephone Notification in Reducing costs for public libraries presented by Sean Young,Talkingtech and Colleen
Medling, Salt Lake County Public Library
Talkingtech will be speaking about how to reduce costs, improving efficiency, allowing self service and improving your
brand at your library. Salt Lake County has been a user of telephone notification for over 10 years. Their experience will
highlight the integration with Polaris, the experience they have had with the system and why telephone notification is
still relevant in todays’ world.