Using Standalone for Circulation on JWF

There is no separate standalone program; it is just part of the Java Client. If you are running only the C-client and want to run Standalone, you must install the Java Client.

When the Java Client Workflows loses connection, you get the message "connection closed to remote host, you must exit and restart the staff client."

Respond to this by saying YES, then re-launch Workflows and check the standalone check box. Click OK.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
On the Module Toolbar, click on Offline. Click on the Offline Session wizard to set the properties. The User Access should be set to STANDALONE. The library should be set to your library. Take note of the Log directory where you'll save the offline file on your pc. It defaults to the Workflows directory under Documents and Settings\[Windows user logon name]. Click OK to save the settings. When connectivity has been restored, exit Workflows. When you log into the system, Workflows automatically uploads the offline file.

There are two ways you can process the offline files:

1) Logon all staff workstations that ran Standalone, then on any one pc, go to the Schedule New Reports wizard. Find the Circcustom tab and run the Load Standalone report. Be sure to look at the report to see what problems may occur that need attention, such as patron or item not in catalog.

2) Logon one workstation at a time, run the Load Standalone report, wait for it to finish, logon the next workstation, run the report, wait for it to finish, and so on.

What happens behind the scenes? Each workstation’s offline file is uploaded to a library directory and given a unique name. When the report runs, it appends all the files together. Either option 1 or 2 works for the WYLD Office; it’s your choice how you want to upload the files.

One caution to consider: When Workflows automatically uploads the file, once it’s transferred from the workstation to the server, it removes the file. There is no backup at this point. Other SirsiDynix libraries have complained about this, asking what happens if there is some sort of disruption. WYLD Office staff have not actually heard of any real problems with this, however, so we do not believe this is really an issue. We suspect that Workflows does not remove the file if it doesn't hear back from the server that the transfer was completed. On the server, the file remains until the next run of the report, so there is a backup there should the load report have a problem.

You can practice the whole standalone process anytime, just setup the Standalone properties and actually do some work in the offline wizards. You can be connected or not when you do this. However, you do have to restart Workflows to trigger the file upload. Then just run the report to evaluate the results.

Maintaining Your Library’s Calendar in JWF

In the Circulation toolbar under Common Tasks, click on the Library Calendar wizard to access your library’s calendar. There are two parts to calendar maintenance: Closed days and Closed dates.

If your library is closed on specific days during the week, click on the check box next to that day in the Closed days section. No due date will fall on a day of the week that the library is closed. Materials would be due on the first open day after that closed day. If no other changes are being made, click the Save button to close the Library Calendar wizard.

To select specific closed dates, click on the gadget next to the Closed dates box to get the calendars display as shown above.

If the month displayed is not the correct month in which you wish to select a closed date, use the arrows next to the Month and Year display to browse to another month.

To enter NEW closed dates, on the Closed From calendar on the left, click on the date that will be the beginning closed date. The same month and date will be selected automatically on the Until calendar on the right so if you are not adding a range of dates to that closed date, click the Add button to add this date to your calendar. If you are selecting a range of closed dates, select the correct month in the Until calendar, click on the ending closed date, and then click on the Add button. The dates you’ve selected in the calendars will then display in the listing of closed dates. Notice that if your library is closed for only a single date, that day will display only in the first “Closed from” column.

When you have selected all the closed dates you wish to enter, click the OK button.

Click the Save button to close the Library Calendar wizard.

To make CHANGES TO DATES YOU’VE ALREADY ENTERED into your calendar, select the new dates in both calendars, click the Update button. Click the OK button to acknowledge the change and close the calendar window. Click the Save button to close the Library Calendar wizard.

To REMOVE DATES from your calendar, select the dates you wish to remove and click the Remove button. Click the OK button to close the calendar window. Click the Save button to close the Library Calendar wizard. The calendar holds 64 calendar dates so, as part of your calendar maintenance, it is important to remove older dates that are no longer needed for calculating overdue fines. A range of dates count as a single closed date.

**Make your calendar changes in a timely manner and DO NOT LEAVE YOUR CALENDAR WIZARD OPEN as this prevents any other library from accessing its calendar.**

**ONE CAUTION** It is possible to accidentally remove all your closed dates if you do the following.
If you have the Library Calendar wizard open, have selected the closed dates gadget and have made some date changes; then, if you still have the closed dates gadget open and close your Java Client, Workflows comes back with the usual mesage: "This will halt the workstation. Yes. No.". If you click YES, you will get the message "There are wizards that require attention. Please close the wizards." At this point Workflows has closed your "closed dates" window but has CLEARED all your dates. To prevent losing all your dates, you just need to select "Cancel" instead of “ Save.” If you select “Cancel”, none of your changes will be saved, but you will not lose all your original date entries. Additionally, Workflows will not shut down when you select “Cancel”. This is a bug in the software that has been reported to SirsiDynix with the hopes that it will be corrected in a future software release. This should not prevent you from maintaining your own calendars; just be aware of how you can prevent the calendar from being blanked out.