A full conference schedule including program descriptions can be found below or access a printable schedule here.
Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday
Wednesday, April 20
9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Development Hackfest
Are you new to Evergreen development or an old hand at it — or just curious to see how the code gets made? Hackfest is your chance to work on making Evergreen even better, to play around in areas of code you may not typically touch, to get advice, and to learn the mechanics of setting up a development environment and contributing code to Evergreen. Attendees should bring their laptops.
Documentation Hackfest
There will also be a Documentation Hackfest at this year’s conference! For those unfamiliar with the Documentation Hackfest, the Document Interest Group (DIG) will be be working on adding new or updating existing documentation. There will be a focus on documenting new EG 2.10 features as well as discussing how to best re-organize the existing official documentation. No prior training is needed to participate.
Pre-Conference Sessions (additional registration fee required)
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Making the Most of Evergreen Reports
Evergreen’s built-in report-creating feature is powerful, extensible, and allows for very fine-grained and targeted data retrieval. This extended session covers the design of the reports interface and how you can select and join together the best sources you can for your libraries’ reporting needs. We’ll peek under the hood some so you’ll understand better how Evergreen reports work from the database up. Includes practical real-life examples gleaned from years of supporting and troubleshooting PINES reports.
Presenter: Chris Sharp, PINES System Administrator, Georgia Public Library Service
1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
SQL for Humans
In this workshop, we will go over basics of SQL queries in the Evergreen database using tables and views. We will step through practical reports using common tables such as those for assets, users and bibliographic records. Example reports will be built from inquiries submitted at https://goo.gl/qzRlBg and live during the session.
Presenter: Rogan Hamby, Data and Project Analyst, Equinox Software, Inc.
Mashcat in Evergreen
Together, we’re stronger. Who are “we”? Library metadata people and library software people.
“Mashcat” was originally an event in the UK in 2012 which was aimed at bringing together people working on the IT systems side of libraries with those working in cataloging and metadata. Three years later, Mashcat is a loose group of metadata specialists, cataloguers, developers and anyone else with an interest in how metadata in and around libraries can be created, manipulated, used and re-used by computers and software. The aim is to work together and bridge the communications gap that has sometimes gotten in the way of building the best tools we possibly can to manage library data — and in this case: library data as stored in Evergreen.
This pre-conference will help foster more dialog about metadata management in Evergreen, and will included invited presentations from cataloging and software staff. Attendees will come out of the pre-conference knowing more about the “other side’s” language and workflows. (Link to presentation)
Presenter: Galen Charlton, Infrastructure and Added Services Manager, Equinox Software, Inc.
Thursday, April 21
7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
Breakfast
8:00 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.
Consortium Leaders Meeting – You CAN always get what you want: here’s how!
PINES is no stranger to challenges both in terms of a dares or difficulties. Since PINES made the decision to create a new model for library cooperation and launched software development to support it, the consortium has seen many stops, starts and redirects along the way. This session will include the evaluation and decision-making processes, making the decision to change direction, how to leverage the RFI, RFQ and RFP processes, writing software development requirements, hiring the right people for the job and more. (Link to presentation)
Presenters: Elizabeth McKinney and Elaine Hardy, Georgia Public Library Service (PINES)
9:00 to 9:30 a.m.
Welcome Address and Announcements
9:30 to 10:30 a.m.
Keynote Address by Jason Hibbets
10:30 to 11:00 a.m.
Morning Break
11:00 to 11:45 a.m.
Taboo: Floating in the Most Peculiar Way
Many libraries have utilized floating collections within a system to respond to demand at branch locations. In late 2015, the Consortium of Ohio Libraries began to explore the use of floating collections between independent libraries to meet demand. This presentation will discuss how the Consortium of Ohio Libraries created a floating collection between eleven independent libraries, how they approached acquisitions and collection management, and how the public responded to the new service. (Link to presentation)
Presenters: Chauncey Montgomery and Joe Knueven, Consortium of Ohio Libraries
Introduction to the Evergreen Community
A session intended for new members to the Evergreen community. Provides a short review of the history of Evergreen and the current community at large. Provides an overview of Evergreen the community rather than the software. (Link to presentation)
Presenters: Ruth Frasur, Hagerstown-Jefferson Township Library; Kathy Lussier, MassLNC; Shae Tetteron, Equinox Software, Inc.
Putting the Patron OPAC Experience into “OverDrive”
Do you utilize OverDrive to supplement your digital collection? Ever wished the patron experience for borrowing items could be handled all in one place without having to visit an external site? Thanks to Jeff Davis (SITKA, BC Libraries Cooperative) code is publicly available to all Evergreen users who wish to allow for real-time item status information, checkout and holds for OverDrive items in OPAC search results and record details pages. This presentation will cover the prerequisites for using the code, including requesting your OverDrive API access, where to obtain the code, and finally examples of how the code can enhance your OPAC. This presentation is not intended to delve into the actual installation process, but rather is provided as an informational session on how users of Evergreen and OverDrive can bring the two eco-systems together and simplify borrowing of these digital resources. Information on how to get help with an installation will be provided, as well as time for questions and answers. (Link to presentation)
Presenter: Michael Peters, Emerald Data Networks, Inc.
11:45 to 1:30 p.m.
Lunch (around town)
12:30 to 1:15 p.m.
Evergreen Oversight Board Meeting
1:30 to 2:15 p.m.
Digging Deeper: Acquisitions Reports in Evergreen
Creating report templates for acquisitions can be challenging in Evergreen. This session will help you navigate how to structure reports that you’ll use! We will examine the available acquisitions related reporting sources in the staff client to identify key data elements for reporting. We will also walk through the creation of several basic acquisitions report templates.
Presenter: Angela Kilsdonk, Equinox Software, Inc.
Fireside Chat: Pioneering and Early Development of Evergreen
The PINES Consortium launched in late 1999 and was the first group of libraries to implement Evergreen in 2006. Join Julie Walker, State Librarian of Georgia and David Singleton, Director of Libraries at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library—two of the Georgia Public Library Service staff who shepherded Evergreen’s creation and early development–for a conversation about some of the challenges and triumphs of development and implementation. Working with library staff from across the state of Georgia and beyond, Evergreen was truly a collaborative venture. Join us for a discussion on the decision to venture off the beaten track and the process for making it happen.
Presenters: Julie Walker, State Library of Georgia; David Singleton, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library; Elizabeth McKinney, Georgia Public Library Service
Staging Migrations and Data Updates for Success
A bird’s eye view and technical discussion of the SQL-based migration tools Equinox developed and contributed to the community seven years ago and has continued to share and update. This talk focuses specifically on how the tools are used for staging tables and mapping, best practice, and how they save you time and pain — both during migrations to Evergreen and select post-migration batch data changes.. (Link to presentation)
Presenter: Jason Etheridge, Equinox Software, Inc.
2:30 to 3:15 p.m.
Makeshift Navel Gazing: How We Make Inventory Work in Evergreen
This program will describe the process we use to train our libraries to do inventory in Evergreen, using only the Evergreen staff client, PCs, and scanners. The procedure is based on the process developed by the Indiana State Library. It has been used successfully in public and school libraries. We will share the challenges we have faced in implementing the procedure, and well as the success stories. (Link to presentation)
Presenter: Jessica Woolford, Applications Support Specialist, Bibliomation, Inc.
A Tale of Two Consortiums
Join me for a look at the historical data of two consortiums as they’ve grown, SCLENDS and NC CARDINAL. The library world is filled with assumptions about how libraries behave on a consortia level but only one set of published data has covered large consortiums and that was published about SCLENDS in 2012. Now let’s catch up three years later and compare to our geographic neighbors in the north, looking at how a variety of factors influence borrowing patterns, examining the myth of inequality of collection use and how large scale sharing in an Evergreen consortium has benefited patrons in both consortiums. (Link to presentation)
Presenter: Rogan Hamby, Equinox Software, Inc.
System Administration Interest Group
The Evergreen System Administration Interest Group has met regularly every conference and is intended for those interested in or working with server or local system administration related to Evergreen, Linux, and many other magical things. With our emphasis on small group discussions, everyone is welcome to come participate, ask questions, and share their cool approaches to solving problems.
Presenters: Chris Sharp, PINES; Josh Lamos and Andy Witter, Emerald Data Networks, Inc.
3:15 to 4:15 p.m.
Afternoon Break & Vendor Showcase
4:15 to 5:00 p.m.
Lightning Talks
5:00 to 5:45 p.m.
A More Practical Serials Walkthrough
This presentation will be a succinct revisit of the 2014 presentation. We will walkthrough one Serials workflow. We will use the Alternate Serial Control View to discuss the setup and include the Serial Control View in the discussion of Serials receiving.
Presenter: Erica Rohlfs, Equinox Software, Inc.
SQL for Dummies
Join us for an introduction to Structured Query Language (SQL). We will cover the basics of SQL syntax utilizing simple, but useful, queries for Evergreen data, as examples. We’ll cover SELECT, FROM, WHERE, ORDER BY and JOIN. As a result, you will not only learn the basics of SQL, but a bit about the structure of the database underlying Evergreen and the relationships between tables. In addition, we’ll look at some useful PostgreSQL-specific commands. No previous SQL knowledge is required or expected.
Presenters: John Yorio and Dale Rigney, Equinox Software, Inc.
It Turns Out That This Is a Popularity Contest After All
Activity metric. Popularity ranking. Statistically generated record ratings. Whatever you call it, Evergreen is getting a really cool new feature that works because of SCIENCE. We call them Record Badges, and they leverage item data such as popularity to help patrons find what they need. We will explore how the new Record Badges feature works, the math behind it, and how it will enhance patron experience while giving libraries amazing new power and flexibility. We’ll also look to the future to see how the infrastructure built for Record Badges could be leveraged to create even more new and exciting features! (Link to presentation)
Presenter: Mike Rylander, Equinox Software, Inc.
6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Reception / Evergreen 10th Year Celebration
Friday, April 22
7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
Breakfast
8:00 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.
Consortium Leaders Meeting
We are Family: Working Together to Make Consortial Policy Decisions
Consortia face a unique set of challenges whether just forming or expanding to bring new members into the fold. One of the biggest challenges is determining how to make policy choices that will benefit everyone while still granting autonomy to the member libraries. There is no single solution but this presentation will explore a set of questions designed to aid in the decision making process. There will be a brief review of global versus local policy in Evergreen but the focus will be primarily on the exploration of a current policy consolidation project with one Evergreen consortium. (Link to presentation)
Presenter: Shae Tetterton, Equinox Software, Inc.
9:00 to 9:30 a.m.
Evergreen Oversight Board Update (State of Evergreen) (Link to presentation)
9:45 to 10:30 a.m.
It’s GRAPHIC! Best Practices for Cataloging Graphic Novels
How should you catalog your graphic novels, as single or multipart records? Where should you shelve them: in fiction, nonfiction or their own graphic novel section? What call numbers should you use? This session answers those questions with an overview of Best Practices from libraries across the country, and describes the implementation of the multipart functionality in the Georgia PINES consortium. (Link to presentation)
Presenter: Linh Uong, Northeast Georgia Regional Library System (PINES)
Keeping in Touch
Communication and training in any consortial setting can be a challenge. Making sure member libraries are informed of critical issues, news, and help, while simultaneously providing opportunities for professional development and training, is critical in addressing a perception by members that they are “out of the loop”. In this presentation, you will learn how C/W MARS, a consortium of nearly 150 independent public and academic libraries, used multiple targeted channels for communication and training to raise overall member satisfaction training to record levels.
Presenter: James Keenan, C/W MARS
Is That Book Checked Out?: Getting Holdings and Availability Data into Other Applications
Patrons can easily check availability data in the standard Evergreen OPAC. But what if your library wants to use a discovery layer or “next-generation OPAC”? We’ll talk about lessons I learned from integrating library holdings into our Blacklight discovery layer. We’ll make friends with supercat, the OpenSrf gateway, and opensearch. We’ll look at some XML and JSON, but will not wallow in anything too technical. (Link to presentation)
Presenter: Jane Sandberg, Linn-Benton Community College
10:30 to 11:00 a.m.
Morning Break
11:00 to 11:45 a.m.
Researching Patron Issues
Investigate patron issues with bills, holds, etc. Communicate effectively with staff and patrons for smooth resolutions. This session will discuss credit balances and how they happen by mistake as well as how to record refunds due to patrons. Tips on placing holds and getting the patron the first available copy of the item they are requesting.
Presenter: Dawn Dale, Georgia Public Library Service (PINES)
Encouraging Participation in Evergreen II: Tools and Resources (and badges!)
Last year, I gave a talk called “Badges? We don’t need no stinking badges! or How to encourage participation in Evergreen”. That talk focused on community building and identifying the ways we can support and encourage participation at a local level. This follow up talk will briefly recap those takeaways and then will focus specifically on tools and resources for organizing groups and their ideas. We will explore known tools like Launchpad and the Evergreen website/wiki, as well as tools for collaboration, UI design, and project management. We will demo some of these tools live as we work through a group idea from brainstorming through UI mockup to project tracking and implementation. Judging by the fantastic group who attended last year, this promises to be a fast-paced, fun, and interactive session. And, of course, all participants will receive badges. (Link to presentation)
Presenter: Grace Dunbar, Equinox Software, Inc.
Metadata Abattoir: Prime Cuts of MARC
We will discuss novel and effective indexing of bibliographic data and ranking configuration beyond the stock configuration of Evergreen that can enhance both patron and staff search experience, and can pave the way for outside automation and integration. We will cover how to identify search, facet, browse, and attribute fields that make a difference to users of various types, how to configure normalization for these fields to provide the most end-user value, and ways to expose these fields to the users that need them. Importantly, we will explain how to configure ranking and weighting in Evergreen to make the most of such fields. We will also discuss the trade-offs of adding or removing indexing configuration, as well as existing and upcoming technology and techniques that could be incorporated into Evergreen in the future to enhance search behavior and performance. (Link to presentation)
Presenter: Mike Rylander, Equinox Software, Inc.
11:45 to 1:30 p.m.
Lunch (around town)
12:30 to 1:15 p.m.
Circulation Round Table
An opportunity to ask questions, share tips and tricks, and bond with others on the front lines who deal with circulation every day. Whether you’re a new Evergreen user or a seasoned expert, take advantage of this opportunity to reduce anxiety and make circulation less stressful and more effective. Share your problems as well as the cool solutions you’ve found. No matter what situations you run into, it’s a safe bet that someone else has faced the same. Why reinvent the wheel when you can share the love instead?
Presenter: Andrea Buntz Neiman, Kent County Public Library
Serials Round Table
This is intended to be an open dialogue session among existing Serials users to share workflows within both the Serial Control View and the Alternate Control View, satisfactory aspects of both interfaces and their challenges. If you are curious about the Serials module or considering its implementation at your library, then this will be a great opportunity for you to engage in candid discussions.
Presenter: Erica Rohlfs, Equinox Software, Inc.
1:30 to 2:15 p.m.
F5 Magic: Why the Item Status Screen is the Best Feature of the Staff Client, and What it Can Do For You
Evergreen’s “Item Status” screen is able to perform a variety of useful functions, including batch functions on items and volumes, staff holds, links to triggered events, item transfers, hold & circulation information, different kinds of item details, limited circulation functions, and more. I’ll show you how to make the most of the Item Status screen and how to use it as a shortcut to many common staff functions. (Link to presentation)
Presenter: Andrea Buntz Neiman, Kent County Public Library
Setting a Direction for Evergreen Search
The 2015 Evergreen Hack-A-Way launched a discussion about future directions for Evergreen search. The discussion will continue via online community channels over the next couple of months. In this session, MassLNC coordinator Kathy Lussier (and possibly others) will provide a status update and facilitate community discussion on what direction Evergreen search should take. (Link to presentation)
Presenter: Kathy Lussier, MassLNC
MARC Stream Importer
While Evergreen’s staff client bib record importer is terrific, the MARC stream importer, an Evergreen command line function, allows large MARC files to be loaded sequentially, safely, and unattended. We’ll discuss the general use but also the files involved, configuration options, workflows, automation, and pitfalls of the MARC Stream Importer.
Presenter: Codey Kolasinski, C/W MARS
2:30 to 3:15 p.m.
Oops, I Accidentally Deleted Something (and other small problems): Bite-Sized Reports to Help You Find and Fix Problems in Your ILS
Through years of hard-earned experience, we have built a small group of useful reports to help find and/or undo errors that we and other staff members have made in cataloging, circulation, and other collection management activities. For each report covered in the session, the presenters will explain how the report is structured, what it is designed to measure, and how it can be used in the management of the ILS. A general familiarity with Evergreen Reports will be useful for attendees, but not necessary. (Link to presentation)
Presenters: Forest Doyle, Lise Keppler, and April Durrence, NC Cardinal; Andrea Buntz Neiman, Kent County Public Library
Searching OPAC Catalog Searches
Evergreen can provide a wealth of data about circulations, holds, and bib records but a perhaps hitherto untapped resource may be patron searches. We’ll discuss the (anonymous) analysis of eighteen million patron searches which help to uncover what search features patrons are using, what are patrons searching for, and any patterns revealed in the analysis.
Presenter: Codey Kolasinski, C/W MARS
Back to the Future: The Historical Evolution of Evergreen’s Code and Infrastructure
Presenting as members of the original development team, we’ll talk about how we chose to build EG – why certain technologies were chosen (Postgres, XMPP, Perl, etc), why certain things were abandoned (xulrunner, backend JS, etc), and how we’ve applied any lessons toward the tools we are using now in the web client and other modern bits. And, what are some likely future directions for the technology Evergreen uses and why.
Presenters: Mike Rylander and Jason Etheridge, Equinox Software, Inc; Bill Erickson, King County Library System
3:15 to 3:45 p.m.
Afternoon Break
3:45 to 4:30 p.m.
Fund Fun: How to Set Up and Manage Funds in Acquisitions
The Acquisitions module allows users to track their library’s funds and purchasing within Evergreen. This session will cover the initial set up and configuration of funds, management of funds, and end of the year close out procedures and options. At the end of this session, participants will have the information they need to set up financial information in the Acquisitions module.
Presenter: Angela Kilsdonk, Equinox Software, Inc.
Library Staff Training: The PINES Approach
PINES has a very small number of staff members providing software, policy, and procedural support for a very large number of libraries in a geographically large state, so we have developed a multi-pronged approach to providing as much staff training as possible with a minimum of expense. This session will provide an overview of our approach which includes in-person training, live online sessions, self-paced online sessions, and written documentation. (Link to presentation notes)
Presenter: Terran McCanna, PINES
Not Your High School Geometry Class: How to Develop for the Browser Client with AngularJS
The browser client (AKA web staff interface) is rapidly taking shape as the replacement for the XUL staff client, but more hands are needed to help make it sing. Evergreen committers, Galen Charlton, Bill Erickson, and Mike Rylander will cover various topics to help get JavaScript developers up to speed with writing code for the browser client, including: an overview of the architecture of the browser client, a brief introduction to the main JavaScript framework used, AngularJS, an overview of the foundational AngularJS services written for Evergreen, including egGrid and egNet. We will also work through an example of how to implement a new feature for the browser client, including how to write test cases. By the end of the sessions, attendees will be familiar the general architecture of the browser client and the AngularJS directives and services at its core. They will also know where to go to find more information. Some knowledge of JavaScript programming is recommended for attendees. (Link to presentation)
Presenters: Galen Charlton and Mike Rylander, Equinox Software, Inc; Bill Erickson, King County Library System
4:45 to 5:30 p.m.
Benefits of Cross-Training Technical Services and Public Service Staff
Cross training technical services and public services staff is vital for effective patron service, particularly within the context of a shared/consortial catalog. By ensuring that technical services staff have a working knowledge in public desk service and patron use of discovery tools, a better user experience can be delivered. It is also important that public services staff be trained in basic technical service skills and vocabulary. Better understanding of MARC records, the Evergreen catalog environment, and technical services workflows can help public services staff better assist patrons with searches and item requests. This cross-training of departments allows for more effective communication of problems and solutions between departments, ensuring a better user experience for patrons and more efficient use of staff time in problem resolution. This session will discuss the challenges and successes in this type of staff cross training.
Presenters: Serenity Richards and Jessica Philyaw, NC Cardinal
To Dream the Impossible Dream: Collaborating to Achieve Shared Vision
Mike and Grace have spent the last seven years building a working relationship that has allowed them to achieve the impossible dream in software development. Save yourself many years of pain and tears by attending this session and learning from our successes and failures in product design (from the librarian perspective) and code implementation (from the developer perspective). The presentation will highlight the keys to successful project design and implementation. But, more importantly, this talk will focus on the one critical factor in successful collaborations of this nature – learning how to say “no” constructively. (Link to presentation)
Presenters: Grace Dunbar and Mike Rylander, Equinox Software, Inc.
Quick Reports
PINES worked with Emerald Data Networks to develop a simplified, web-based interface to the existing Evergreen Reports module. This interface does not take the place of the standard Evergreen Reports module, but instead serves as an additional (and easier) way for library staff to access a set of pre-selected, frequently-requested reports with a minimum of training. (This code is not part of the Evergreen core code, but is freely available as an optional add-on for any Evergreen sites who wish to make use of it.) (Link to presentation notes) (Link to report descriptions)
Presenters: Terran McCanna, PINES; Darrell Rodgers, Emerald Data Networks, Inc.
Saturday, April 23
7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
Breakfast
9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
Developer Update (Link to presentation)
9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Web Client Update
10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Break
10:30 to 12:00 p.m.
The Catalog Forester: Managing Authority Records in Evergreen, Singly and in Batch
Improve findability and make your catalog uniform with authority control in Evergreen! During this session, we will discuss authority control: how it works, and the set-up, creation, and implementation of individual authority records. We will also demystify features such as establishing custom authority fields and thesauruses. After tackling authority control from the point of view of individual records, we’ll move on to the topic of managing batch authority control, from planning the initial wash, exporting and importing records, setting up record matching profiles, and linking records together. We will also give insight to what happens to the records during their little vacation away from Evergreen to be refreshed, and suggest a vision of the future for faster record updates. Knowledge of cataloging practices helps, but is not required for this presentation. (Link to presentation)
Presenters: Galen Charlton and Mary Jinglewski, Equinox Software, Inc; Chad Cluff, Backstage Library Works
No Coding Required: Catalog Customizations Made from the Staff Client
We all know libraries can customize their public catalogs by editing template toolkit files, but did you also know about all of the settings and global flags available to adjust catalog options and behavior? Join us on a tour of a variety of settings that can be used to customize the catalog. In this session, MassLNC Project Coordinator Kathy Lussier will review many of these settings, including adding custom icons and format limiters to the catalog; adjusting the way electronic resources are retrieved for particular scopes; and customizing how org units appear in the library selector. The target audience for this program is administrators responsible for configuring global options in Evergreen. (Link to presentation)
Presenter: Kathy Lussier, Mass LNC
Many Trees, Each Different: Sprucing Up Your Evergreen TPAC
Although we all love the stock Evergreen appearance, sometimes you just have to make it a little more your own. Now what if you had to do this not for one library, but ten different academic libraries with ten different branded interfaces — and even more drastic changes? And what if you also had to make it possible for over 140 public libraries and branches to brand their OPACs individually as well? In this presentation, we’ll cover how to identify which .tt2 file needs to be modified, and then, working directly in the file, show you how to customize the color scheme, modify text, add links to the header and footer, replace the stock Evergreen logos with your own library logo and more. Building on that, we’ll discuss the trials, tribulations, processes and a pathway to ultimate success in a multi-site configuration and customization of the Evergreen OPAC.
Presenters: James Keenan, C/W MARS; John Yorio and Dale Rigney, Equinox Software, Inc.