New aadl.org features: Optional Checkout History and More
Thanks to all your comments and suggestions, we've rolled out some new features for aadl.org that will give you better information about how you use the Library.
The biggest news is the addition of an optional Checkout history that will allow you to easily keep track of the items you've previously checked out from the library, and even search through them for those times when you can't remember if you've read something. You can activate the recording of checkouts on your My Account page (just check 'Record Checkouts' in your preferences), and you can view any checkouts you make from then on from the 'Checkout History' button.
Once you've turned this service on, you can turn it off at any time, delete specific items, or delete your whole checkout history if you choose. Please note that we've made an addition to our Privacy Policy, under 'Checking Out Materials', to cover this new service. Also, know that only you can access your checkout history when you log in to aadl.org. Library staff can't access this information for you.
Read more to find out about other new enhancements...
In addition, we've made some enhancements to our checkouts and requests listings, including showing the full title and author, allowing you to set a default pickup location for requests (on that edit > preferences page, again!), and, removing the checkbox next to your checked-out items when they can't be renewed. In addition, to suit your scrolling vs. clicking preference, you can specify how many checkouts and requests we should show on your My Account summary page. You'll still see all your current Checkouts and Requests on their respective pages, but you can now decide how many of each show up when you first visit your account.
We've also added a new button to your account called Wireless Devices, which allows patrons who use the Library's wireless internet service (available at Downtown, Malletts Creek, and West Branch) to manage their registered devices and add new ones.
There's more to come in the near future, but for now, take these new services for a spin, and post your comments here (or contact us) to let us know what you think, especially if you find a bug!
Thanks for using aadl.org!
Comments
Thanks for the new features! I had noticed most of them earlier, and even noticed the recording feature before it was available when it temporarily showed up. I think that will be very handy.
Another similar suggestion I have is to allow recording of requested materials. It doesn't happen often, but occasionally I can't make it to the library in time to pick up a requested item before the hold expires. Sometimes when that happens I forget what the item was and cannot request it again.
Thanks again!
Thanks for the new log of books checked out. This will be real helpful in figuring out which of the many videos on trains we've seen before.
It would be neat to have a few things in this collection - e.g. if you could mark up your book-reading history with comments, or if you could export your book-reading history in some kind of text format.
Edward Vielmetti
Those new features sound interesting, but it would really help me to have the interlibrary loan system back up. I've made two requests through interlibrary loan recently and as far as I can tell they've disappeared into the ether. One was made during the short period of time that MILE was working through this website and the other was a request handled by a staff librarian through this website. They were both over a month ago.
It would also be helpful to be able to redirect a hold to another library location after it's received. For example, I set my requests to go to the Main library, because I usually go downtown each Saturday to do other shopping. However, I'm within an easy walking distance from the Northeast branch library. I've had a few occasions in which a book I requested became available on Sunday or Monday. They were held for me for almost a week before I could pick them up downtown, delaying the book for me and everyone else in line. If I could have changed the location, I probably could have picked them up mid-week at Northeast, getting the material sooner and returning it sooner for others.
Just an FYI - the interlibrary loan stuff right now has nothing to do with AADL. The MILE website was hacked, and they are now working to get it back up and running.
If you made a request online before then, it's probably gone and will need to be re-made. But if you requested something with the librarians of AADL since the hack, it's probably still in the works. You could always call and check with them, so you can re-request if necessary.
Thanks for alerting us to this service; I hadn't noticed that it had become available.
To kjmclark : An idea -- why not have your requests sent to NE branch if that one is more convenient to you? Sounds like Downtown is only accessible on Saturdays, whereas NE is easier the rest of the week.
Thanks for your comments! Jenifer, saving requests is an interesting idea, maybe a button to save a request to your checkout history. Ed, comments and exports are planned, as well as the ability for your catalog searches to automatically show which of your hits you've already checked out.
kjmclark, as jenifer says, TLN, the organization that runs MiLE, is working on restoring the upgraded service. We've done some preliminary testing with the new system, but there is not yet a date for the restoration of the service. As Jenifer said, your pre-crash MiLE requests were unfortunately lost; however, I will have a librarian contact you via email to make sure that your requests are fulfilled. Also, there in unfortunately not a way for patrons to be able to redirect their own requests after they've been placed. If you'd like to change your pickup point after placing a request, you can call the holds and renewals line at 327-4219 and they can take care of that for you.
ELI—that's EXACTLY what i was going to suggest!TXS—fl
Thanks for the history feature as well as the others.
Personally, the thing I miss from the pre-computer age is being able to see the checkout history of a book. Remember the stick-on paper where the librarian stamped the return date? Ok, so it's not so long ago, and some books still have that paper attached. Anyway, it was kind of gratifying to see how many times and when a book had been checked out. I felt a little special when I got a book that hadn't been read much. (the road less travelled)
It would be fun to still be able to see that kind of information on each book.
Nice idea "jaynes". I think a good implementation would be to have a little checkbox next to each item in our Check-Out History, for "Make Public". If checked, then your name and checkout date would be listed in that item's own "Check-out History". You could change your defaults so that either all new checkouts are marked or not marked. And if you don't mark the box, only the checkout date and not your name would be listed in the item's "History".
In addition, while I'm at it, the idea of "Make Public" leads to the idea of allowing others to see our own Check-out Histories, to see what we've been reading. If I keep running with the idea, then we can even comment on what each other have been reading, make suggestions, etc... Online bookclubs based around the AADL.
I was thinking of something pretty simple on the item checkout history. Just a list of the dates the item was checked out. This would need to be the first checkout by a patron, and not include the renewals. I don't care to know who checked it out, and that information shouldn't be public.