The next upgrade to Horizon?

Anonymous said...
Our last Horizon upgrade gave us the ability to use the 13-digit ISBN. When is the next upgrade and what will be included? How can we have more say in what we need from the system (for example, remove unnecessary pop-up windows like Lost Item Found and Item Hold Expired; or the ability to place multiple hold expired items back into queue)? I don’t recall asking patrons (or staff) what we would like the system to do. I would like to see our search screens look more like those used in Prince William County with separate screens for Keyword vs. Starts With vs. Advanced searches.
December 28, 2006 2:47 PM

Answer: The next upgrade to Horizon is Horizon 8.1, or "8.x" as it's being called among SirsiDynix users and staff. It will not be ready for general release until after the second quarter of 2007. Since we intend to upgrade at the beginning of a fiscal year, and it's never a good idea to be first (or even second) in line for a major upgrade, we will be waiting until July 2008 to upgrade to Horizon 8.x. This new release will be more graphical, more user friendly, and you can bet that you will all have plenty of time to learn about it, play with it, and be trained on it before it arrives! As specifics become available the Circulation Committee will inform you of the details.

As to your questions about what the new release will do, the Circulation Committee is your best source of information. There is a mechanism called "Enhancement Request Database" that your circulation committee representative is familiar with - check with her to find out how to make your own suggestions. This database is mediated by the Horizon User's Group, libraries vote on the enhancements they support, and the results are monitored by SirsiDynix staff. Several enhancements have been suggested by LCPL staff, and as a result, will be included in Horizon 8.

We do listen to patron requests; emails from patrons have led to changes on our web page, and in HIP. As to staff input, please always feel free to make suggestions to your circulation manager - don't wait to be asked!

Now, as to your suggestion about our search screen looking like Prince William's, that is an excellent suggestion and something Jie is going to follow up on. It will take some time, but she will work with library administration and branch reference staff to explore this further.