Expanded Features in Staff Stations

The remote Staff Station, which can be installed on any number of staff computers, now offers a new option, the Area Reservation control.  Area Reservation management was originally offered as a Management Console control, and is now available at any and all Staff Stations.

• Book an Area
• Schedule a Group of PCs for a Training Class
• Configure Special Options such as login, PIN,timeout, recurring schedule, and other parameters from any staff location.
• Reserve all PCs at a location with one click

New Clipboard Tool for ILS Lookup

As current users know, and migrating customers appreciate for the improved ease of management, PC Reservation leverages the power of your existing ILS (or a separate database for those that cannot connect to the library circulation system) by validating DIRECTLY to the patron record.  The patron record, status, PIN, and other parameters are what drives PC Reservation validation for registered borrowers.  (Guest management services helps non-borrowers at the click of a button.)

The new Clipboard tool makes it easy to capture patron identification from a PC Reservation screen and use the information to perform a patron query in the Integrated Library System.  You can enable name display in PC Reservation or simply use this new tool to perform a lookup in the ILS to check a borrower's status, update his or her PIN, or perform other patron database management.  Unlike competitive systems, changes in the ILS are the changes that directly affect PC Reservation because there is no separate patron database to manage or support and nothing to synchronize or update.

Custom Session Lengths

Special needs require special products, and PC Reservation 3.5 makes it easy for staff to book a custom session length for a specific patron at any staff location.  

Need to book a longer session for a student taking a test, or a patron that is researching expanded funding options for public libraries?  This new option gives staff at any location, the power to book any PC for any length.  When you select an area, the system will adopt the default length for that area.  You can then override the length and either auto-book a PC or select a specific PC.

1-2-3 and a patron is reserved for a specific PC for a custom session length for the next available PC or for a defined time later today or in the future.

New Installation Options

Making special settings to Windows policies can be challenging even with great tools like Steady State.  PC Reservation 3.5 has been enhanced with the incorporation of several new installer options that will automatically configure settings for optimal environment and access control.  The new wizard presents a series of screens that offer all of the options that can affect the perfect Client (public computer) installation.  Preferred defaults are pre-selected, making the process intuitive for users with little or no experience with application installation.  

Whether you install with prompts or use the silent installation mode, the PC Reservation 3.5 installation wizard makes this version of PC Reservation the easiest PC management product to install in the industry.

The updated inseraller supports command line switches, silent installation, parameter passing, and all of the options necessary to deploy with a login script, Microsoft SMS, or other remote deployment tools.

More Wizardry

PC Reservation 3.5 is the first major new release to incorporate the new file deployment technology.  Run through an installation wizard on the first PC, choosing the settings/options that are specific to your needs, then save the file for use in deployment for all other computers.  You can use the wizard to prompt and learn, then choose to copy the configuration file to other PCs for a customized, hands-off installation, or share the installer and options file from a server location to remotely deploy PC Reservation Clients to all of your public computers from a server.

EnvisionWare developers continue to redefine library self service by improving the ease of use for patrons, staff, and systems staff.  Making products easy to understand and install is a core development strategy for 2008-2009.  Our customers will be well served by the dramatic improvements in PC Reservation technology in all library departments.  The new self installation wizard for the PC Reservation Small Library Edition (released as part of V3.4) have been further enhanced in this new release to make the installation of this product suite a delightful experience that can take as little as an hour to install in a small library.

New Rules Wizard Update

The PC Reservation Rules Wizard is a tool that controls access and filtering based on information in your ILS patron database.  Enhancements to the SIP protocol pioneered by EnvisionWare have made it possible to leverage information such as patron type, Internet filter, age, and other criteria as tools for making access rules or controlling filtering settings.

In Version 3.5, a new "not equal" parameter now allows an inverse rule set so that new rules can be added based on borrowers that are not equal to a certain value.   For example, self service reservations, the application of the filter, and a restriction to use of the Computer Lab applies if the patron is NOT EQUAL to 'some value'.   

Now the development of a hierarchy is futher enhanced with new options for setting rules.   One of the most flexible options in the rules wizard is the choice to set a rule based on the SIP screen message.  Your ILS (circulation system) may offer a number of reasons why a patron is blocked.  Many systems provide text messages that display on screen.  When the defined SIP flags fail to provide sufficient status indicators for managing access, the Screen Messages come into play to provide granular information that can be used by PC Reservation to control access.  In 3.5.1, the multiple screen messages returned from a single query will represent the most flexible means of futher defining access rules in the industry.

Enhancement to Patron Privacy Features

PC Reservation has long been regarded as the most respectful of patron privacy.  In addition to the core patron ID overwrite features incorporated nine years ago, later developmeents included the Privacy Level Control that allowed administrators to define how much inforation could be discerned about a user by staff.  This allowed libraries to define the limits of patron information, thus ensuring new heights in patron privacy protection.

In Version 3.5, privacy has been futher enhanced by offering an option to mask PIN numbers if they are sourced from the patron record in the ILS.  A PIN created by PC Reservation, such as those for guest IDs, are displayed but a PIN read from the ILS via SIP is masked, making it impossible for staff to view this sensitive data.

New Status Indicators

Since the first version release in 2000, PC Reservation has offered quick, at a glance views of various status conditions.  Patrons often attempt to dispel the validity of a new PC managment system when it is first installed, an attempt to reign in control by claiming foul play.  PC Reservation is the most widely adopted PC management product for libraries in the world, adopted for a wide variety of reasons, with one notable benefit being the ease of determining why the system acted as it did for a given patron at a given time.

The Status indicator in the History view now offers the abilty to see a new, Declined Policy status which helps staff to explain to users why their use of a PC was not successful.  "I'm sorry, but you were asked to accept the library's policy as you logged into the system and you pressed decline," is the quick, one-click away answer you can give to a patron that says 'it didn't give me a turn."

Other Great New Features in Version 3.5

Maximixing utilization

PC Reservation allows an administrator to define the minimum length of a short session, one that is automatically offered when full sessions are later or not immediately available.  In version 3.5, the @Client functionality has been enhanced to permit the use of every available minute a borrower has remaining on account, even if less than a short session.  As always, this new functionality is disabled until turned on by clicking the option on the Management Console.

Case Sensitive/Insensitive PINs

Some ILS platforms support alphanumeric PINs.  For ease of use, the system can be set to ignore case when validating user PINs or set to enforce case, which is often required for LDAP environments.

Expanded History Data

PC Reservation stores reporting data locally at each branch.  When using the optional AAM, Authentication and Accounting Module, which serves as an additional, central repository of data, the full history data can be written to the central database.  In prior versions, germane reporting data was written. This enhancement expands the dataset to include all elements.  Administrators can easily generate reports from the centrallized database and/or the local database.  

Bulk Printing of Guest IDs

PC Reservation offers several models for guest management, including instant booking and a unique guest pass system that permits one-touch printing of a pass.  This model allows guests to follow an identical workflow/experience to that of borrowers but with different limits as defined by the administrator.  PC Reservation 3.5 offers the abilty to print guess passes in bulk.  The administrator can define the default number of passes yet provide staff with the option to override the quantity per print job.

Enhanced Display for Trade Window

PC Reservation offers a configurable option for patrons to swap a pre-defined later reservation for an immediate use on an available PC.  This version provides additional information added at user request to improve the patron experience and give added information to better inform a user about the trade options.

Improved Display for Staff

Prior versions of PC Reservation provided computer lists by a preset order.  In this version, lists are now sorted alphabetically at user request.

Additions to EnvisionWare ETAPI Open Interface Protocol

Customer choice is the hallmark of EnvisionWare designs.  The ETAPI protocol provides an open 3rd party interface which is used by others to provide such services as touch tone reservations, status displays on large screens, and other integrated options.  ETAPI has been expanded to provide direct access to the Next Available options in the PC Reservation Management Console.  Patrons can, for example, sign up from a mobile phone from the parking lot or when stopping on the way to the library.

Reporting Module Enhancement

EnvisionWare is an international company with offices across North America and in APAC combined with distributors in Mexico/Central America and Europe.  In support of the eleven countries we currently support, the PC Reservation Reporting Module has been enhanced to support dynamic, international date formats that auto-adjust according to operating system locale settings.

Many other new features are offered in this, the first major new release of 2009.  Another release with more functionality is forthcoming in 30 days, followed by additional releases leading to the delivery of PC Reservation 4.0, the world's most versatile solution for public computer management.