First Session: StaffWeb- It's not just for K12 Libraries Anymore

Laurie Porter is showcasing this pared-down interface in Coronado M

Staff Web is a webbased client that allows circ, catalogin, reports and admin- offers streamlined, easy, short learning curve ideal for K12 libraries but with 3.3 it was opened up for all library types

Policy setup is done through the Symphony client by a system administrator, so someone in the organization needs a java workflows client- there's a separate tab for StaffWeb configuraiton in the User Access policies where the selections for StaffWeb functions can be checked or unchecked for access. In the screenshot it looks super-easy to configure.

The user environment is very simple and clean, with basic tabs and few selections. It would probably be entirely suitable for most circ staff in larger public libraries. The screenshot on display had only circulation and reports available, but an administration tab is available amongst others..

Adminsitration of staffweb allows customization of preferences for the circ station, the receipt printers, and also a template builder for simplified cataloging templates (see below). Admin setup can change defaults for lookups as well as the overall appearance and color scheme of the interface; miscellaneous configuration defaults for the Staffweb client are also available for customization in a more simplified interface.Preference files can be configured for either the user level, the station library level, or the system level.

Q: Can it support multiple schools/ districts each with different configurations and branding?
Looks like yes, using the station library preference configuration.

Circulation functioins available include the standards- checkout/in; user/item searches; display user; item status; placing holds. User information is configured the same way, and adding a new user looks relatively intuitive. Fields are available that allow a level of detail that is suitable for public library user records.

Ability to search user by typing last name into the user ID field is a nice feature- I wonder if this coujld be incorporated into Symphony in the future? It makes a lot of sense as a nice shortcut.

Cataloging options are sufficient for a lot of uses- especially with the ability to create and modify cataloging templates in addition to the delivered templates.

Report groups that are available: circulation, cataloging, user, and inventory. Mostly lists, counts, and labels (other than the inventory group). In user reports, for instance, there are 4 lists that are available- and the number of options are very limited (in a good way!) without multiple tabs- at least in the report that was on the screenshot. Output can be configured for html, csv or xml output in the basic options, which is a nice feature. It looks like it runs a good variety of browsers, and does require Adobe flash.