The Library Corporation (TLC) develops software with an understanding of library workflows and the needs of TLC customers in mind. With the latest product release of the CARL integrated library system, TLC continues to provide features that improve operational efficiency, which can be found in CARL.X version 9.6.8, CARL.Connect Staff version 1.6.4, CARL.Connect Discovery version 3.6.2.1 and CARL.X APIs version 1.9.8.
One feature that helps librarians save time when handling items in a damaged or less-than-ideal condition is the new Damaged Items functionality in CARL.Connect Staff. Library staff can mark items as Damaged, which will automatically perform the next actions for those items — remove from the patron account if checked out, change item status to Damaged, replace the hold if checking it in would have filled a hold — all in one place and with one scan.
"TLC nailed the ‘Damage' check in," said Wennie Fleming, the ILS Librarian of Technology Services at Loudoun County Public Library. "What was a 21 step process for staff is now simply two steps! This functionality available in both CARL.X 9.6.8 and CARL.Connect Staff 1.6.4 is amazing and will save tons of time for staff." As with all CARL features, the Damaged Items page meets compliance for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act for improved accessibility.
Another favorite of TLC customers and TLC Staff is the updated Not Found functionality, now called Wander List, in CARL.Connect Staff. In previous versions, items which had not been found on the shelves from the Fill List (holds pulling process) were added to the Not Found list for later handling. As items tend to wander off the shelves and out existence at the library, items not found from Fill Lists, Missing Lists, and Lost Lists can all be managed within the Wander List feature.
The latest updates now also include capabilities for library staff to withdraw or check in items directly from the Wander List, and display updated status columns and number of title holds for easy reference and convenience. As Manager for the CARL Product, Ebony Pacheco-Hoos says, "Not all items that wander are lost." These updates allow library staff to manage wandering items with fewer clicks and fewer screens.
These latest features join others in the CARL product suite update targeted at efficient library workflows, improved technical foundations, and further Mobile version development, which was an overall priority CARL customers shared with TLC staff at the annual user conference. Additional updates include Google Analytics integration, customizable Hold Shelf Expiration days, new tokens in Message Editor, customer-requested spine label sizes, check in sounds, FRBRized title details within mobile, enhanced location settings, and reverse chronological magazine and serials displays.
To see these features for yourself, or to answer any questions you may have about CARL.X, CARL.Connect Staff, CARL.Connect Discovery, or the power of CARL.X APIs, please reach out to us at sales@tlcdelivers.com or online at tlcdelivers.com/contact-tlc/#sales.
About The Library Corporation
TLC has operated continuously under the same ownership since 1974 and employs over 200 people dedicated to delivering enterprise software and hardware solutions to public, school, academic, and special libraries worldwide. TLC's cumulative products are deployed in more than 1,100 organizations, representing over 5,500 locations in North America. TLC is certified by the U.S. General Services Administration, Women's Business Enterprise National Council, and the Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contracting Program. TLC's Headquarters is based in Inwood, W.Va., and has additional offices in Denver, Minnesota, and Singapore.