Research Blog : maintenance

Encore catalog currently unavailable

professor.knowsitall@evpl — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 14:40:00 GMT

The Encore catalog is currently unavailable due to maintenance. Our Classic Catalog is still available.

The catalog search box on our webpages have been modified to search the Classic Catalog. Once Encore is back up, the search boxes will be switched back to search Encore.

Thanks for your patience as we work to restore Encore availability.

Service unavailability on Thursday, September 13, 2012

professor.knowsitall@evpl — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 21:28:00 GMT

A number of services at EVPL locations and on our website will be unavailable most of the day Thursday, September 13 due to system maintenance.

Unavailable Services
Classic Catalog, Encore, & Mobile Catalog	Checkouts of eBooks or downloadable audiobooks
Freegal Music	Self-Checkout Stations
MediaBank DVD Dispenser	Creating new cards
Checkout without a physical library card	Account activities: paying fines, editing info, placing holds
Account lookup	Certain databases: Books 24x7, Digital Sanborn Maps, LitFinder, Million Dollar Database, & Value Line Research Center

The following services will still be available.

Available Services
Most of the EVPL website	Most databases
Browsing OverDrive & Axis 360 collections	In-library public computers with internet access
Checkout at the desk with a physical library card

The maintenance is expected to take most of the day. We appreciate your patience during the downtime and apologize for any inconvenience it may cause.

If you have questions, feel free to submit them below or call any EVPL location.

Support EVPL & save money with a free home energy assessment

professor.knowsitall@evpl — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 14:51:00 GMT

With the record-breaking temps we've had this summer, many are looking for ways to reduce their utility bills.

Energizing Indiana offers free home energy assessments to those who apply. An Energy Advisor will visit your home to perform the assessment. You'll receive step-by-step guidance; energy saving products, such as CFL bulbs, low-flow faucet aerators & shower heads, and insulation for your water heater; and a comprehensive report detailing additional ways to make your home more energy efficient.

This service is free, and the library Foundation will receive $25 for every energy assessment conducted through EVPL. Reduce your energy costs while helping our library Foundation!

(Please visit the site to view this media)

For information about our other environmental initiatives, visit www.evpl.org/goinggreen.

Website Unavailability on Tuesday, June 29

professor.knowsitall@evpl — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 19:25:00 GMT

On Tuesday, June 29, shortly after closing at 9:00pm, the following sections of our website will be unavailable due to site maintenance:

These sections will be unavailable as we upgrade library software. New versions of our library software are released periodically, adding new functionality to our website & fixing issues users have encountered.

Immediately after the upgrade, our Classic Catalog will have a new & improved interface! Other exciting new features are in the pipeline, so stay tuned.

We appreciate your patience during the downtime and apologize for any inconvenience it may cause. If you have questions or comments, please submit them below!

Website Unavailability on November 12 & 13

professor.knowsitall@evpl — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:05:00 GMT

Encore, an online catalog we introduced in December 2008, is currently being upgraded! There may be brief outages this afternoon while the upgrade is completed.

Shortly after closing on Friday, November 13, additional upgrades will be performed. During that time, approximately 6:00pm to 10:00pm, the following sections of our website will be unavailable:

New versions of our library software are released periodically. These upgrades add new functionality to our website & fix issues our users have encountered.

We appreciate your patience during the downtime and apologize for any inconvenience it may cause.

If you have questions or comments, please submit them below!

Please pardon our mess: Parking deck repairs at Central Library

professor.knowsitall@evpl — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 18:32:00 GMT

Due to repairs to the parking deck, portions of Central Library's parking lot will be closed at varying times until mid-November or when construction is complete.

Parking is still available in Central's underground parking garage. The entrance is slightly east of the parking lot entrance on Chestnut Street.

Also, due to the limited parking availability, new meeting room reservations for the Browning Events Room will not be accepted until the repairs are complete.

Please accept our apologies for the inconvenience and intermittent noise. Please contact library administration with any questions or comments you may have.

PINs updates for self-checkout & in-library computer usage

professor.knowsitall@evpl — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 20:27:00 GMT

Last March, the EVPL introduced PINs for security & privacy reasons. At that time, PIN numbers became required for users accessing their library account on our website. Upon logging in for the first time, users were prompted to create a numeric PIN to be used on subsequent logins.

Last week, we completed phase 2 of the PINs rollout. Self-checkout terminals (available at Central, North Park, & Oaklyn) now require users to enter their PIN number prior to checking out items. Users that haven't yet created a PIN will be prompted to do so.

Phase 3 of the PINs rollout will occur soon. Beginning Thursday, October 1, 2009, PINs will be required to use in-library computers. Upon logging into a library computer, users will be presented with a textbox for their library card number and a new textbox for their PIN.

The EVPL cares about your privacy, and PINs are a way to safeguard it. With these new security measures in place, your account & personal information (such as address, phone number, etc.) are safe in the event that your library card is lost or stolen. Beginning Thursday, October 1, PINs will prevent others from using your library card to access public library computers & exhausting your time daily time allotment.

Haven't created a PIN yet? Don't sweat it! Follow these simple steps:

Access the My Account page.
Type in your name & library card number, LEAVING THE PIN FIELD BLANK! Click the "Submit" button.
You'll be prompted to create a PIN. PINs must be between 4-30 numeric digits and not be overly-repetitive. Type your desired PIN in both boxes (to prevent against typos) and click the "Submit" button. Your selected PIN is now active!

For more information about PINs, check out the PINs Help page.

Encore unavailability on Monday, July 27

professor.knowsitall@evpl — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 14:48:00 GMT

Encore, a new online catalog we introduced last December, will be upgraded to a new version on Monday, July 27. Encore will be temporarily unavailable during the upgrade process. We don't have an exact time yet for the upgrade, but I will update this post once our vendor lets us know what time to expect it.

The new version of Encore introduces new features, some cosmetic changes, and fixes for pesky bugs.

What do you think about Encore? Post your thoughts in the comments section below, or complete our online survey.

Ladies and Gentlemen Start Your Engines

wag.mado@evpl — Thu, 21 May 2009 18:18:00 GMT

Central Library’s Lobby Display starting next week will be featuring circulating materials about car racing and automobiles. With the Indianapolis 500 being this weekend, and NASCAR racing in full swing, it seems a good time to pull those items off the shelf.

If you like fiction, we have plenty of books and movies about the world of automobile racing.

There are biographies about race car drivers too.

We not only have car racing resources, but also materials regarding the history of automobiles, customizing, and maintenance/repair manuals on almost every make and model for the past 20+ years. If you cannot find the right manual, you can access our Auto Repair Reference Center database from your home computer and search for repair/maintenance instructions and diagrams for your specific auto.

Maybe you're not in “love” with your car like most Americans, but just want to know how to be a more responsible owner. In that case, we have books with information on saving gas, living greener, cutting back on the use of your car, and much more.

Visit your favorite library branch to take a look - and don't forget to buckle up!

NEW security feature for EVPL patrons: PINs

professor.knowsitall@evpl — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 21:59:00 GMT

On Tuesday, March 3, the EVPL will be implementing a new security feature to protect patron accounts: PINs. Similar to using a PIN at the ATM, EVPL cardholders will be required to enter their name, library card number, & PIN when accessing their account online. Since your library account displays your name, address, phone number, and any items checked out or on hold, your PIN protects your privacy in the event your card is lost or stolen.

When the feature is enabled on Tuesday afternoon, a third textbox prompting for you PIN will appear on the login page. Refer to the image above to see what it'll look like.

What You Need to Do

Once the PINs feature is enabled, you'll need to create a personalized PIN the first time you log in. Here's how to do so:

Access the My Account page.
Type in your name & library card number, LEAVING THE PIN FIELD BLANK! Click the "Submit" button.
You'll be prompted to create a PIN. PINs must be between 4-30 numeric digits and not be overly-repetitive. Type your desired PIN in both boxes (to prevent against typos) and click the "Submit" button.

Once this is complete, your PIN has been set! In the future, use it (along with your name & card number) to log in to your account. For more information about PINs, including instructions on changing your PIN and what to do if you forget your PIN, visit our PINs Help page.

The EVPL cares about your privacy, and PINs are a way to safeguard it. Beginning Tuesday, only the "My Account" section of our website will require you to log in with your PIN; in the future, your PIN will also be necessary to use in-library computers and self-checkout terminals.

If you have any questions or comments about PINs, please post them in the comments section below or contact us via Ask EVPL.

New computers at EVPL libraries

professor.knowsitall@evpl — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 21:29:00 GMT

Public-use computers at all EVPL libraries are being replaced with new Dell Optiplex 755 computers. With Windows XP, Core 2 Duo processors, and 2GB of RAM, these computers are much speedier than our old ones! These computers also include DVD burners (that burn CDs as well) and memory card readers (for use with memory cards from digital cameras).

Due to the unreliable nature of floppy disks (mysteriously losing files or getting jammed in disk drives), these new computers do NOT have floppy disk drives. We recommend patrons upgrade to one of the following storage methods to work on files at EVPL libraries:

Flash Drives (recommended): These plug into a USB port and are accessed just like a floppy disk. However, they are much more reliable and spacious than floppy disks. Flash drives with 1GB of storage can be purchased for $10 at all EVPL libraries.
Memory Cards: Memory cards, like those used in digital cameras, can be inserted into the memory card reader and used as a disk.
CD-R/DVD-R: Files can be burned to writeable CD-R or DVD-R. However, working with files on a CD-R/DVD-R is much more cumbersome than with a flash drive/memory card; CD-R/DVD-R is not recommended for files you'll be updating regularly. CD-Rs with 700MB of storage can be purchased for $1 at all EVPL libraries.

These new computers are already available at East, McCollough, Red Bank, Stringtown, & West. They'll be installed at Central, North Park, & Oaklyn by the end of the month.

Finally, we're having a Computer Sale this Friday at 9:00am. We'll be selling off some of our old computers. Stop by if you're looking for a good deal!

AquaBrowser to be discontinued on Monday, October 27

professor.knowsitall@evpl — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 19:15:00 GMT

AquaBrowser, an alternative interface for searching our online catalog, will be discontinued on Monday, October 27. At that time, the Classic Catalog will be the only way to search our catalog.

We'll soon be implementing a new search interface in AquaBrowser's place. Stay tuned for more info!

Have questions or comments? Please share them in the comments section below or contact us via Ask EVPL.

Recent changes to our website

professor.knowsitall@evpl — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:32:00 GMT

Ever since launching our new website on May 1, we've been implementing minor tweaks based on feedback from patrons and staff. One suggestion I've received regularly was to make our digital materials easier to locate.

As of this morning, our "Virtual Library" section has been replaced with a redesigned "Downloads" section. Click the "Downloads" tab above to check out this new section, featuring the following content:

OverDrive @ EVPL: While we've offered downloadable WMA audiobooks & eBooks for some time, our new OverDrive section also features downloadable MP3 audiobooks, video (including movies & TV shows), and music! All it takes is a library card and installation of some free software. OverDrive @ EVPL replaces the EVPL Digital Catalog and MyLibraryDV services previously on our site.
EVPL Toolbar: Installing this toolbar on your home computer gives you one-click access to important areas of our website, as well as searching our online catalog! An optional scrolling ticker also keeps you up-to-date on library happenings.
eNewsletters: We have 25 different newsletters, on a wide variety of topics, that you can subscribe to via email. Receive lists of recommended titles, with links to our online catalog, in your inbox!

We're committed to making our website have the best browsing experience possible. If you have questions or comments about our new "Downloads" section, or have suggestions for improving other areas of our site, we'd love to hear them! Please submit them in the comments section below, or submit them via Ask EVPL.

Website Unavailability on Friday, September 19

professor.knowsitall@evpl — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 20:02:00 GMT

On Friday, September 19, shortly after closing at 6:00pm, the following sections of our website will be unavailable due to site maintenance:

We'll be updating library software to fix issues our users have encountered, as well as to prepare for adding new functionality in the future.

These sections will be accessible once again no later than Saturday morning. We appreciate your patience during the downtime and apologize for any inconvenience it may cause.

If you have questions or comments, please submit them below!

UPDATE!!!: As of 10:30pm on Friday, September 19, all sections of the EVPL website are once again accessible. Thanks to Computer Services for all their hard work!

Car Repair Information When You Need It

banksoftheohio@evpl — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 22:01:00 GMT

Auto maintenance manuals are right at the top of the list of the most checked out books in the EVPL collection. An overlooked resource, though, for do-it-yourselfers as well as professional technicians, is our subscription to the Auto Repair Reference Center. It's an electronic database available in the Research section of this website. With your library card, you can access information on more than 33,000 vehicles manufactured from 1945 to the present, and you can conveniently reach it from your home or office computer.

The site includes thousands of technical service bulletins, recall notices and maintenance schedules, wiring diagrams, step-by-step photos and drawings, and a handy labor time estimator. All this information is updated regularly by ASE certified technicians, so you know it can be trusted.