What you don't know about your library operations, but could learn with Director's State and Web Reporter

Nathan Guinn, SD

How do we find out what our patrons are really doing? How do we justify the funding we are requesting? Using data from system can justify needs and personnel. Future plans. Library intelligence - who, how, when, why, where & what?

SD provides 3 sourses for reports to generate reports to provide this information
* Reports built into ILS
* Director's Station
* Web Reporter

Director's Station -- works with Unicorn and Symphony. Ease drag and drop, point and click

Web Reporter - web and desktop client narrowcast

why chose one over another - Director's station - results quick, full function with no client installation

why choose Web reporter - schedule to run, formatting flexibility, use prompts for data and filters.

Success is the smiles of those we serve

Need to increase success to dollar ration

Use reports to show value, need, success

Guinn showed screen shots of reporting tools with features of both tools.

Web Reporter can be used to simplify, personalize, calculations, etc.

Guinn asked for input on what people need for the next version


QUESTIONS:
Are the products are more silod, how can we cross domain - between modules like Circulation and Acquisitions? That has been heard this week. They are early enough in the design to that this to development. Maybe not the first release but next cycle

Looking to bring Web Reporter and Director's Station into one product.

Is there ability in the current software to combine modules? Not currently

Director's Station available for Horizon? No, reason for 5.0

Is there a preferred brower? posted on Client Care. IE 8 not supported; Firefox 3.0 dramatically better for one version that I missed. Firefox 3.5 has trouble with scroll bars so recomend Firefox 3.0

Can SD host the browsers for download? SD will put a link on their site so users don't have to go search for versions. Audience LOVED that idea.

With the next upgrade to Director's Station could templates be retained? Wouldn't that be nice. Sounds like that is recognized as an issue and they'll look into it to me. Continue to provide this as input. Perceived as a "migration" from one platform to another. Goal is not to make it painful for you.

Is Version 5.0 the same products? Looking to merge two products and create one that has the best of both and work on Horizon and Symphony.