(under construction...)
Overview
A few of WebCheckout's features do not work as they would appear to work, or are more useful if you know a trick. This article documents some of those oddities, as of version 4.3.0.
On all Find screens: "Add search term..."
Can't find what you need using the fields displayed in the left column on any Find screen? Use the "Add search term..." dropdown below all the search fields in the Find column to add almost any field that applies to this type of record.
The exception to this is that you will not be offered bibliographic (bib) fields when searching for media resources. You have to start from the Media→"Find Biblio records" or Media→"Find Holdings" commands to search on bib fields like title, author, or publication year. Those commands link bib and resource data in ways that the Resources→Find commands do not.
Note: when you logout of this session and login again, each Find screen will revert to its defaults and you'll have to add search fields again if you want them.
On all Find screens: drop date/time fields
Can't find the allocations (checkouts or reservations) you know are there? If the search fields in the left Find column include any date/time fields, use the X to the right of each date/time field to delete it, then choose the Find button again. The date/time fields in the Find column almost always default to an interval too narrow to be useful.
Note: when you logout of this session and login again, each Find screen will revert to its defaults and you'll have to drop search fields again if you don't want them.
On all Find screens: add Results Columns
Not finding the results useful when you do a Find? (For example, try Resources→"Find Types"; what do the resource-type name and organization really tell you?) On any Find screen, toward the bottom of the left column above the "Reset Search" button, you'll see "Results Columns" with a downward triangle. Selecting this adds Excluded and Included list boxes just below, with left and right arrows between them. Select any missing field from the alphabetized Excluded list, and it is added to the bottom of the Included list. Now choose the Find button again and the results display on the right adds the field you chose as a new column on the right. As an example, using "Find Types", add the Path field to the results display, then click on the Path heading to sort on this field.
Note: when you logout of this session and login again, each Find screen will revert to its defaults and you'll have to add Results Columns again if you want them.
Find Media: search only your Checkout Center
By default, the Media→Find commands look for media across all Checkout Centers (CCs). If you only want to search your CC, use "Add search term..." to add Checkout Center to the search fields, then set it to your CC and choose the Find button again.
Note: Bibliographic records with no holdings in your CC will not appear, even if you created those bib records in your CC. To make such a bib appear, add a holding to it.
Note: when you logout of this session and login again, each Find screen will revert to its defaults and you'll have to add the Checkout Center search field again if you want it.
Operator PINs
PINS on your CC admin operator accounts to approve overrides "over the shoulder"
Also, enable "Bypass PIN" capability for every operator
Create Holding
(can't use barcode scanner)
Search for a resource while in the middle of a Checkout or Reservation
(add to allocation)
Records that cannot be deleted: rename and reuse
You cannot delete resource-type or bib records, even if you just created them and they are not linked to anything else. However, you can rename them and reuse them. (Think of it as recycling.) First open the record, and use the Admin tab to change its ID appropriately and Save. Then, delete all the data from all the fields on the first tab, and enter whatever new information applies. When you Save this, you can use this re-newed record just as you would a new one.