WML Tech Updates

I have lots of good news to share. Unfortunately, it has nothing to do with the Daylight Saving Time problems we are experiencing in Outlook. Sorry to disappoint.

Public Workstations

Computers #1-8 have been reimaged! I have:

• installed the correct versions of Adobe Reader and the appropriate eBook reader which work with the Vault and WetFeet databases
• installed Internet Explorer 7, with all the same bookmarks
• installed Firefox 2.0, and the Firefox Search plugin for Acorn that LITS created
• updated SpySweeper
• added printers - they all now have Kilimanjaro (default), Matterhorn, Blanc, and Whitney_Color listed. Also, K2 and Rainier are listed (they are in the Owen print center in the lobby).
• replaced #8’s mouse. The left click part was broken (but not the scroll bar or the right click part).
• fixed #7’s CD-ROM drive

For those who want just a bit more information:

The reimagining for the most part seemed to be successful. We didn’t use Sysprep, and therefore had to rename each computer and rejoin it to the domain. Also, I noticed today that the CS Print Client mysteriously disappeared from the Startup menu, so for 2 days no one was able to print from the public workstations unless they knew to open the CS Print Client from the list of programs from the Start menu. I plan on fixing this on each individual computer tomorrow morning.

Computer #9 was having issues with the old webpage displaying when opening a browser. It has been fixed. Also, some pdf freeware was installed for an alumnus wanting to turn search results from ABI/Inform into pdf format.

VUprint

Please note that public workstations #1-9 are going through the VUprint service, including the color printer. (Bloomberg isn’t yet.) Black and white printing for current Owen students, faculty, and staff is still free, and color printing is still $.50/page. If Owen students are using the public workstations and are printing to the color printer, they will have to use the VUprint system which means that

1. When they select PRINT on the VUprint menu, they need money on their card and will get charged $.50/page; OR
2. When they select PRINT LATER on the VUprint menu, they need to see someone at the Service Desk to swipe a copy card and pay for their print job (cash, check, credit card, etc.)

Office 2007

I had a conversation with Danny about Office 2007. I decided not to upgrade the public workstations or the staff computers to Office 2007 at this time. My gut feeling was that we just shouldn’t upgrade yet.

Outlook Problems

Besides the funky calendaring problems that the change in DST is causing, our WML Circ, Reference, Conference Room, Instruction, and Blogging calendars mysteriously got deleted. Owen IT Detective Heather Mitchell is investigating and more than likely will be trying to restore them from backup tapes from early last week. All the departmental calendars are missing, not just those used in WML. I will keep you informed as soon as I hear something.

This year Daylight Saving Time (DST) begins March 11, three weeks earlier than the traditional start (first Sunday in April). The major problems will center on calendar functions in Outlook and VUcal where calendar entries affected by DST may be incorrect. Moreover, these problems may be exacerbated for those who work with more than one type of calendar or are attempting to sync the calendar(s) on your PC with the calendars on your PDA.

When Using Your Microsoft Outlook Calendar:

TO AVOID CONFUSION, TYPE IN THE DATE AND TIME IN THE SUBJECT
LINE FOR MEETINGS AND APPOINTMENTS DURING THE MONTH OF MARCH. THIS WILL OFFER AN INDEPENDENT CHECK WHEN GLANCING AT YOUR CALENDAR.

PLEASE NOTE: If you ALREADY have lots of things on your calendar (like recurring meetings, etc.), your meetings probably are all off 1 hour - pushed ahead 1 hour FOR THESE 3 weeks only (March 11- April 1). For example, if you have a weekly have a meeting at 12:30-2:00 pm, it show up on your calendar FOR THESE 3 WEEKS ONLY as being from 1:30-3:00pm. (My calendar is already acting funky…)

I have also noticed where an ALL DAY EVENT has become pushed across TWO days instead of one.

THERE MAY BE OTHER FUNKY THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN OUTLOOK THAT I HAVEN’T MENTIONED HERE.

In an effort to minimize conflicts, Information Technology Services (ITS) has patched their various servers automatically deal with the early advent of DST. Users may wish to do the same with their own computers. But users should remain vigilant in monitoring appointments during this three week interval.

Owen IT has also been applying patches. However, meetings already scheduled prior to all these patches taking place have been affected (moved on your calendar to one hour later, for example).

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO ABOUT ALL THE MESSED UP MEETINGS?
I personally would not trust that if you move them all back to the right time that they will stay there. More funky things may happen over this 3 week interval. I would instead do as Bill Longwell suggests: add the date and time in the subject time for your meetings.

I’ll be happy to answer any questions you have. Thanks for your continuous patience… and for not panicking.

Because of daylight saings and other technical complications, using Microsoft Outlook’s calendar will be a bit flakey this weekend.  Owen IT will be updating their servers soon, and until they do, future calendar times may not be entirely accurate.  Their patching will happen automatically and should require no action on our part.

HOWEVER, it’s recommended that you:

• Do not make new calendar appointments this weekend (starting Saturday morning at 2am) in Outlook.
• If you do make appointments, they may end up being at the wrong time, or if you invite people to an appointment, they may get multiple invites.
• If you do make appointments, double-check them next week to make sure they are at the right times.

Things should be back to normal by Monday.

_____

The actual announcement:

ITS will be applying patches to the VUExchange servers on Saturday,
2/24 between the hours of 12:01 AM and 2:00 AM. During this time the VUExchange service will be briefly unavailable. This change was originally scheduled for 2/25.

Beginning Saturday, 2/24 at 2:00 AM, ITS will run a Microsoft tool to correct Outlook calendar entries for daylight saving time on the VUExchange servers. This tool should complete its run Saturday afternoon and will require a server reboot. During this time, a brief outage of the VUExchange service will occur. Users should expect to see new email notification of the changes generated in their Outlook Calendar. ITS strongly recommends that no new calendar appointments be created during this weekend. As of this time, there is no tool for public folder calendar entries and owners of these folders will need to make changes manually.

1. Meeting notices will be resent to meeting attendees.
2. Users need to verify their calendar entries after all changes are done.
3. If calendar entries are not correct, verify that the client OS patches are up to date.

If you have any questions please contact ITS Partner Support at its-partner@vanderbilt.edu or call 3-9999.

For information about upcoming and recent outages, see:
http://its.vanderbilt.edu/outage.php

Information Technology Services
Vanderbilt University
http://its.vanderbilt.edu
ITS Helpdesk: 615-343-9999

The BIS and Circulation mailboxes that are in Outlook now have spam filters on them as well.  No more sorting through hundreds of pointless emails trying to find that one question from a user.

1. In Microsoft Outlook, open up your calendar.
2. On the left side, click on Share my Calendar. A window should open.
3. Click on the Permissions tab.
4. Click on Add.
5. Type in the first and last lame of the colleague you want to add, and hit Enter.
6. If it isn’t set automatically, select Reviewer for that person.
7. Repeat steps 4-6 until you have added all your colleagues. Everyone should be set as Reviewer, except for yourself.
8. When done, click OK.

1. Open Microsoft Outlook.
2. Right-click on the link to your Inbox and select “New Folder“, enter “SPAM” and click OK.
3. Create the rule. Select Tools –>Rules Wizard from the menu.
4. Click New then Next.
5. Uncheck “from people or distribution list.”
6. Check “with specific words in the message header” (the 15th item in the list).
7. Click on highlighted “specific words” in the bottom half of the window. Type “X-Spam-Status: Yes” and click Add. (It’s important to put a space between the “:” and “Yes”.)
8. Click OK.
9. Click the highlighted word “specified folder” and select your SPAM Mail folder, click OK.
10. Click Finish.

1. In Outlook, from the menu bar, go to Tools, then select E-Mail Accounts. A new window will open.
2. Select “View or change existing e-mail accounts” and click Next.
3. Click on the “Change” button. A new window will open.
4. Click on the “More Settings” button. Another new window will open.
5. Click on the “Advanced” tab.
6. Click on the “Add” buton.
7. Type in the name of the mailbox you would like to add (either asklibrarians, bis, or circulation), and click on OK.
8. Click on OK.
9. Click on Next, then Finish.
10. The mailboxes should now be added below your archive folders on the left side of Outlook.

WML Distribution Lists

• wmlstaff@owen.vanderbilt.edu - All WML staff. This email address is typically used internally to communicate about things that impact all WML staff. The other Heard Libraries use it, too.
• wmlinfoservicesstaff@owen.vanderbilt.edu - All the Information Services Team, including the Director. This email address is used for communicating internally within the library about reference questions, consultations, instruction, faculty requests, collections, and other related things. The other Heard Libraries use it, too.
• wmlaccessservicesstaff@owen.vanderbilt.edu - All the Access Services Staff. This email address is used for communicating internally within the library about circulation, reserves, covering the desk, student workers, etc. The other Heard Libraries use it, too.
• lct@owen.vanderbilt.edu - This email address is for the Walker Library Coordinating Team, lead by the Director. It includes the head of each functional area within WML - Information Services, Access Services, BIS, Collections, Tech Services, and Technology. This email isn’t used by anyone outside of WML.
• wmlweb@owen.vanderbilt.edu - This email address is typically used for contacting the person in charge of the Faculty Research Database. Currently, Deb Sommer is the only one on this list.

WML Mailboxes

• asklibrarians@owen.vanderbilt.edu - Things sent to this email address go straight to the AskLibrarians mailbox. This email is only used for librarian/patron interaction. When people fill out the Ask a Librarian form on the WML website, the content from that form gets sent to this mailbox. The Heard Library Purchase Request form also sends the content from that form to this mailbox.
• circulation@owen.vanderbilt.edu - Things sent to this email address go straight to the Circulation mailbox. This email is only used for library staff/patron interaction. When people fill out the Ask a Question form on the WML website, the content from that form gets sent to this mailbox. There are also other Heard Library forms that get sent to this mailbox, such as the student worker application form, reserve requests, and more.
• bis@owen.vanderbilt.edu - Things sent to this email address go straight to the BIS mailbox. This email address is only used for BIS staff/patron interaction. When patrons fill out the BIS Request form on the WML website, the content from that form gets sent to this mailbox.

WML Calendars

• WML Circulation Calendar - the Circulation desk schedule, including both library staff and student workers
• WML ConferenceRoom Calendar - for reserving the room for meetings, consultations, events, BIS client meetings, etc.
• WML Instruction Calendar - for putting the various instruction sections that all the librarians do on one calendar
• WML Service Calendar - the Reference Desk Schedule
• WML Blogging Calendar - the annual calendar of events in Owen that impact the library as well as events that the library coordinates, such as library orientations, career workshops, announcement of holiday hours, etc.