FAQs: Automatic Emailing and Printing of Notices
This FAQ topic gives information about automatically emailing notices to patrons and printing paper notices when notice type reports run. For information about automatically emailing finished reports to designated staff members or printing finished reports, refer to the FAQs: Automatic Emailing and Printing of Finished Reports topic.
How do I set up WorkFlows to automatically email notices to users?
WorkFlows can be configured to automatically email notices generated by notice type reports to users who have valid email addresses in their user records.
To automatically email notices
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On the Configuration toolbar, click the Module Configuration wizard group. |
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Click the Report Policy wizard. |
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Make sure the Allow Emailing of Notices check box is selected. |
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If you want to include the library’s email address on the electronic notice, select the Allow Sender’s Email Address check box. |
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On the Reports toolbar, click the Report Session wizard. |
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Under Setup & Schedule, select the Send Notices Automatically check box. |
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Under View, Print, or Email Finished Notice Reports, in the Recipients option, select Only Those With Email Addresses. |
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When you schedule a notice type report, make sure the Auto Email to Recipients with Email Addresses in Their Patron Record check box is selected under Printing/Distribution in the Schedule window. Email notices may only be sent to users when the report is first scheduled. If your library is configured for User Groups, and a member of the user group is indicated as the Notice Master on the User Groups tab of the user record, all notices for the group will be sent to the Notice Master only. |
For notices to be automatically sent by email when the report is scheduled, valid email addresses must be entered in the EMAIL field of the primary address in the user record. A user may have more than one email address in the EMAIL field as long as the email addresses are separated by spaces or commas. If your library is configured for User Groups, the Notice Master user (if one is indicated for the user group) must have a valid email address in order for this option to work.
The Only Those With Email Addresses option only sends notices electronically to users with valid email addresses. No paper notices will print when this option is selected.
The Template reports do not use the default setting of the Send Notices Automatically option as set in the Report Session wizard. For these reports, you must select the Auto Email to Recipients with Email Addresses in Their Patron Record check box when you schedule the report.
The Report Session wizard uses the selected session settings for all of the report wizards. Any changes you make to the session settings are retained for all report wizards for the workstation session, or longer if you save the properties when you exit WorkFlows.
How do I set up WorkFlows to automatically print notices that will be sent to users by regular mail?
You can automatically print notices to be sent by regular mail to users who do not have email addresses in their user records. WorkFlows can be configured as follows to automatically print notices generated by notice type reports.
To automatically print notices
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On the Reports toolbar, click the Report Session wizard. |
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Under Setup & Schedule, select the Send Notices Automatically check box. |
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Under View, Print, or Email Finished Notice Reports, in the Recipients option, select Only Those Without Email Addresses. |
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When the report finishes, the notices are automatically sent to the printer for printing. |
The Only Those Without Email Addresses option only prints paper notices for users who do not have email addresses in their user records. No electronic notices will be sent when this option is selected.
The Report Session wizard uses the selected session settings for all of the report wizards. Any changes you make to the session settings are retained for all report wizards for the workstation session, or longer if you save the properties when you exit WorkFlows.
How do I set up WorkFlows to automatically email notices to users who can receive them, and print notices for users who do not have email addresses?
WorkFlows can be configured as follows to automatically email notices generated by notice type reports to users who have valid email addresses in their user records, and to automatically print paper notices for users who do not have valid email addresses.
To automatically email and send notices
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On the Configuration toolbar, click the Module Configuration wizard group. |
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Click the Report Policy wizard. |
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Make sure the Allow Emailing of Notices check box is selected. |
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If you want to include the library’s email address on the electronic notice, select the Allow Sender’s Email Address check box. |
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On the Reports toolbar, click the Report Session wizard. |
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Under Setup & Schedule, select the Send Notices Automatically check box. |
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Under View, Print, or Email Finished Notice Reports, in the Recipients option, select Only Those Without Email Notices. |
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When you schedule a notice type report, make sure the Auto Email to Recipients with Email Addresses in Their Patron Record check box under Printing/Distribution in the Schedule window is selected. Email notices may only be sent to users when the report is first scheduled. If your library is configured for User Groups, and a member of the user group is indicated as the Notice Master on the User Groups tab of the user record, all notices for the group will be sent to the Notice Master only. |
For notices to be automatically sent by email when the report is scheduled, valid email addresses must be entered in the EMAIL field of the primary address in the user record. A user may have more than one email address in the EMAIL field as long as the email addresses are separated by spaces or commas. If your library is configured for User Groups, the Notice Master user (if one is indicated for the user group) must have a valid email address in order for this option to work.
The Template reports do not use the default setting of the Send Notices Automatically option as set in the Report Session wizard. For these reports, you must select the Auto Email to Recipients with Email Addresses in Their Patron Record check box when you schedule the report.
The Report Session wizard uses the selected session settings for all of the report wizards. Any changes you make to the session settings are retained for all report wizards for the workstation session, or longer if you save the properties when you exit WorkFlows.
How do I set up the Windows server system to email notices from SirsiDynix Symphony?
Email service capabilities are not delivered in Windows server-based systems. To provide mail services, Windows servers require complex configuration and usually the purchase of expensive mail software, such as Microsoft Exchange or Lotus Notes. Many SirsiDynix Symphony for Windows Servers sites have found the effort to install and configure such services to be very difficult.
In the interests of customer service, SirsiDynix has made available a freely distributable mail service tool to sites who prefer an alternative.
Mail Service Tool
This mail service tool communicates via an existing mail server using the Internet standard SMTP protocol. Most sites have mail servers designated for their email systems. Such servers are called “mailhosts” or “mail relays.”
In order to utilize and configure this tool, you must identify the mailhost for your organization. Identification can be either by IP address (such as 12.27.1.15) or fully qualified server name and domain name (such as mailer.school.edu).
Having gathered the correct mailhost information, start a browser on your Windows server, point it to Instructions for NT Email link the on the SirsiDynix Customer Support page (http://clientcare.sirsidynix.com/index.php?goto=Product&pid=3&Downloads&dload_id=3), and download the Windows server mail service tools.
The NTemail.exe file is a self-extracting 156 KB Install Shield file. After the file is downloaded to your Windows server, double-click it to start the installation process. After installing the software, review the README.TXT file delivered in the custom binaries directory (for example, D:\sirsi\Unicorn\Bincustom\readme.txt).
Follow the instructions provided with the tool to configure the mail service for your site and mailhost.
After you have completed configuring your mail service, the SirsiDynix Symphony for Windows Servers services must be stopped and started for the changes to take effect.
Email Logs
In order for the email logs to go to the proper place, the path needs to be defined within the upath file on your server.
It is recommended that you halt all services when making these changes.
To edit the upath file
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At the server, change directories to D:\sirsi\Unicorn\Config. |
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Make a backup copy of the upath file. |
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Open the upath file using a text editor, such as Notepad. |
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Entries in this file are in alphabetical order. Scroll down to the line that begins with errorlog. The new entry should be inserted just above errorlog. Insert the following line. |
emailogdir D:\sirsi\Unicorn\Logs\Email
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Save your changes to the upath file. |
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Change directories to D:\sirsi\Unicorn\Logs, and create a folder named Email. |
Other Configuration Considerations
Before emailing notices, you will also need to make the following configuration and policy changes.
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In the user record, the user’s email address must be in a field labeled EMAIL. |
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The EMAIL field must be in the primary address of the user records. |
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Emailing of notices must be configured in policies. To configure email notices, go to the Configuration toolbar and click the Module Configuration wizard group. Click the Report Policy wizard, and make sure the Allow Emailing of Notices check box is selected. |
How do I create text for a new notice?
Every standard delivery of SirsiDynix Symphony includes a set of report notice text files; however, some reports and therefore some notices may not be available, depending on the modules purchased and the configuration of SirsiDynix Symphony. The delivered report notice text files are in the /Unicorn/Notices directory.
Notice text files for other languages will appear in the /Unicorn/Notices/[Language] directory.
If you want to create a new notice text file to be used in place of a delivered notice text file, and if the Notices helper is set in properties to display, follow the steps in the Notices Helper topic.
To create new notice text without using the Notices helper
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In the /Unicorn/Notices directory, locate the current notice text file that is similar to the notice you want to create. SirsiDynix recommends using a delivered notice text file as a template for the notice text file you want to create. |
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Copy the selected report notice text file, and give it a unique name. |
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Edit the new notice text file using a text editor. |
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Save the new notice text file in the /Unicorn/Notices directory. |
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See the instructions for ”How do I specify which notice text to use when I create a template report?” or ”Can I change which notice text is used by a report?” in this FAQ topic to have one or more reports use the new notice text file you just created. |
It is recommended that you do not use formatting, line wrapping, or justification when editing notice text. Use hard carriage returns at the end of each line so the notice text will display and print consistently.
How do I modify the text in a notice?
If you want to edit the text in an existing notice text file, and if the Notices helper is set in properties to display, follow the steps in the Notices Helper topic.
To modify notice text without using the Notices helper
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In the /Unicorn/Notices directory, locate the notice text file that you want to edit. |
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Edit the new notice text file using a text editor. |
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Save the edited notice text file in the /Unicorn/Notices directory. |
Notice text files for other languages will appear in the /Unicorn/Notices/[Language] directory.
If you want to change the text in a delivered notice text file, SirsiDynix recommends copying the delivered file, and editing the copy of the notice text file. Doing this will keep the delivered notice text files intact if you ever need to go back to the original delivered notice text files.
It is recommended that you should not use formatting, line wrapping, or justification when editing notice text. Use hard carriage returns at the end of each line so the notice text will display and print consistently.
How do I specify which notice text to use when I create a template report?
To use a delivered notice text file or a notice text file you created in a template report
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Select the template report you want to modify, and click Modify. |
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On the notices tab (such as the Charge Notice tab), click the Number Range and Notices gadget in a Message box. |
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In the Notices File box, from the list, select the notice text file you want the report to use. |
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If you want to include closing text in the notice, use the list in the Closing Text box to select your the closing text file. |
Can I change which notice text file is used by a report?
Yes. You may change which notice text file is used by a template report, a scheduled report, or a report that you are about to schedule.
To change which notice text file is used by a report
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If you are editing a template report or a scheduled report, select the report you want to modify, and click Modify. If you are currently scheduling a report, go to step 2. |
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On the notice tab (such as the Charge Notice tab), click the Number Range and Notices gadget in the Message box for which you want to change notices. |
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In the Notices File box, from the list, select the notice text file you want the report to use, and click OK. |
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If you want to include closing text in the notice, from the list in the Closing Text box, select your closing text file. |
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If you are modifying a template report or a scheduled report, click OK. If you are scheduling a report, click Schedule. |
How do I create closing text?
Closing text for a notice is optional, so the standard delivery of SirsiDynix Symphony does not include a closing text file. You may create a closing text file with a text editor, and save it in the /Unicorn/Notices directory for use with your reports.
Notice text files for other languages will appear in the /Unicorn/Notices/[Language] directory.
If you want to create a closing text file, and if the Notices helper is set in properties to display, follow the steps in the Notices Helper topic.
To create closing text without using the Notices helper
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Use a text editor to create the text you want to use as closing text on notices. |
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Save the closing text file in the /Unicorn/Notices directory. |
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See the instructions for ”How do I specify which closing text to use when I create a template report?” or ”Can I change which closing text is used by a report?” in this FAQ topic to have one or more reports use the closing text file you just created. |
It is recommended that you should not use formatting, line wrapping, or justification when editing closing text. Use hard carriage returns at the end of each line so the closing text will display and print consistently.
How do I specify which closing text to use when I create a template report?
To use the closing text file you created in a template report
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Select the template report you want to modify, and click Modify. |
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On the notice tab (such as the Charge Notice tab), select the closing text file name in the list in the Closing Text field. |
Can I change the closing text that is used by a report?
Yes. You may change which closing text file is used by a template report, a scheduled report, or a report that you are about to schedule.
To change the closing text file
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If you are editing a template report or a scheduled report, select the report you want to modify, and click Modify. If you are currently scheduling a report, go to step 2. |
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On the notice tab (such as the Charge Notice tab), select the closing text file name from the list in the Closing Text field. |
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If you are modifying a template report or a scheduled report, click OK. If you are scheduling a report, click Schedule. |
Can I specify that notice text be printed in a user’s native or preferred language?
Yes. In the user record, on the Demographics tab, there is a Language field where you can specify the user’s language. The languages available for selection are defined in the library’s policies. Notice texts for the various languages are stored in the /Unicorn/Notices/[Language policy name] directories. Default notice text is stored in the /Unicorn/Notices directory. The language directory must exist on the server before you can create and save notice text to that directory. Contact your system administrator about creating directories on the server.
For example, notice texts in Spanish are stored in the /Unicorn/Notices/Spanish directory (as long as the Spanish Language policy is defined on the library’s system). When notice reports are run, the reports check the Language field in the user records, and if the user language is Spanish, will pull the notice texts from the /Spanish directory.
If the notice text or language directory is not found, the report will pull the default notice file from the /Notices directory.
Notice text files in the language directory(ies) must be named the same as the files in the /Notices directory. The files need to be named the same so the system will know which notice text to pull for the report.
For example, the first overdue notice text file is named ”1stoverdue” in the /Notices directory. The first overdue notice file in the specific language directory(ies) must also be named ”1stoverdue.” So, the first overdue notice text file translated into Spanish is named ”1stoverdue” and is found in the /Unicorn/Notices/Spanish directory.
My users are not receiving email notices of any kind. What could be going wrong?
If users are not receiving their automatic email notices, check the following.
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In the user record, the user’s email address must be in a field labeled EMAIL. |
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The EMAIL field must be in the primary address of the user records. |
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Emailing of notices must be configured in policies. To configure email notices, go to the Configuration toolbar and click the Module Configuration wizard group. Click the Report Policy wizard, and make sure the Allow Emailing of Notices check box is selected. |
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In the Report Session wizard, under Setup & Schedule, make sure the Send Notices Automatically check box is selected. Under View, Print, or Email Finished Notice Reports, make sure that either the All option or the Only Those With Email Addresses option is selected for the Recipients option. |
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If the notice report is a Template report, make sure the Auto Email to Recipients with Email Addresses in Their Patron Record check box is selected when you schedule the report. |
If you find that every point in the list above is followed correctly, and users are still not receiving email notices, then the problem may be in the mail tool on your server.
To test the mail tool if your server is Dec Alpha, Hewlett-Packard, or SUN Solaris
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Type mailx followed by your email address, for example: |
mailx admin@library.org
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Type the subject of the message, or press ENTER. |
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Type a test message, and press ENTER. |
If your system is some other UNIX platform besides Dec Alpha, Hewlett-Packard, or SUN Solaris, use the same steps as above, except replace mailx with mail.
What can I do if the emailed notice cannot be delivered due to an invalid email address?
If the emailed notice cannot be delivered to the user because the email address is invalid, it is recommended that you establish a procedure in your library for sending paper notices to patrons with invalid email addresses until a new valid email address is provided. A sample procedure follows.
To send a notice to a user whose email address is invalid
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A bounced email notice report for an invalid email address may be returned to either the From address in the email notice or the Return Path in the email header. |
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Use the Modify User wizard to access the user record of the user for whom the emailed notice was returned. Add a unique note in the NOTE field of the Extended Information tab in the user record to indicate when the email notice was returned. For example, you can type the text Bounced 1/14/2009 to record that an email notice to the user was returned on January 14, 2009. |
Note: Be sure to use a consistent note text so the notice report run in step 4 will find the correct user record.
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In the NOTIFY_VIA field of the Extended Information tab, change EMAIL to PAPER, and save your changes to the user record. |
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Set up the notice report (such as the Generalized Bill Notices report) so the report will select the correct user record or records by the Extended Info field and the Last Notice Date field. In the Extended Info field, use the VED List gadget to check the NOTE entry ID for the text you entered in step 2, such as Bounced 1/14/2005. In the Last Notice Date field, specify the date you emailed the notice to the user, or use the Date Range gadget to select a range of dates. |
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On the notice tab (such as the Charge Notice tab or the Bill Notice tab), make sure the Count as a Notice Sent check box is cleared. Since the notice counter was incremented when the email was sent but never delivered to the user, you do not want to increment the counter when you print the paper notice. |
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After the report runs, mail the paper notice to the user. |
You may continue notifying the user with paper notices until you have successfully communicated with the user and obtained his or her correct email address.
Notices are not printing automatically. What could be going wrong?
If notices are not printing automatically when a notice type report runs, check the following.
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In the Report Session wizard, under Setup & Schedule, make sure the Send Notices Automatically check box is selected. Under View, Print, or Email Finished Notice Reports, make sure that either the All option or the Only Those Without Email Addresses option is selected for the Recipients option. |
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When you schedule the report, make sure the Send to Printer check box and the Format check box are selected in the Schedule window. If you are using a printer other than the default Windows printer, make sure the printer name is selected in the list next to the Send to Printer check box. |
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Check the printer queue and the printer for any problems that may prevent the notices from printing when the notice report finishes. |
When printing notices in WorkFlows, how can I ensure that each notice starts on the first line of the page?
The following procedure describes setting up notices for printing. When printing notices, if the margins, number of lines per page, or font settings are not appropriate for the printer being used, notices can gradually ”creep” so that they do not always start on the first line of a new page. Results vary from printer to printer.
To prevent “page creep” from occurring
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Click the Report Session wizard. Under View, Print, or Email Finished Reports, make sure the Display Format Page check box is selected. This will allow you to set the page length, page width, top margin, and bottom margin settings when viewing or printing a finished report. Click OK. |
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Click the Finished Report wizard, select a finished report to print, and click View. An overdue notice report is a good one to experiment with. |
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In the View Finished Reports window, make sure the View Results and Format Report check boxes are selected. Click Change Format. |
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The Edit Format window appears for you to specify the page length, page width, top margin, and bottom margin settings to use. The optimal setting will depend upon the type of printer and the printer’s configuration. Type the settings and click OK. |
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In the View Finished Report window, click OK. WordPad will open the finished report file. |
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From the File menu, select Page Setup to set margins. The following chart shows the recommended printer settings for WorkFlows notices. |
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HP DeskJet 500 Series
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Font: Courier New 10 pt
Top and bottom WordPad margins: 0”
Right and left WordPad margins: 0”
Length/width/top/bottom wizard
settings: 66, 80, 0, 0
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HP DeskJet 660 Series
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Font: Courier New 10 pt
Top and bottom WordPad margins: 0.5”
Right and left WordPad margins: 0”
Length/width/top/bottom wizard
settings: 66, 80, 0, 0
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HP4 LaserJet
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Font: Helvetica 10 pt
Top and bottom WordPad margins: 0”
Right and left WordPad margins: 0”
Length/width/top/bottom wizard
settings: 66, 80, 0, 0
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HP LaserJet IIIsi Postscript
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Font: Arial 10 pt
Top and bottom WordPad margins: 0”
Right and left WordPad margins: 0”
Length/width/top/bottom wizard
settings: 66, 80, 0, 0
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IBM 3116 (Personal Page Printer)
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Font: Arial 10 pt
Top and bottom WordPad margins: 0”
Right and left WordPad margins: 0”
Length/width/top/bottom wizard
settings: 66, 80, 0, 0
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Apple LaserWriter Pro 600 Series
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Font: Helvetica 10 pt
Top and bottom WordPad margins: 0”
Right and left WordPad margins: 0”
Length/width/top/bottom wizard
settings: 66, 80, 0, 0
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HP DeskJet 720 Series
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Font: Courier New 10 pt
Top and bottom WordPad margins: 0.5”
Right and left WordPad margins: 0”
Length/width/top/bottom wizard
settings: 66, 80, 0, 0
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A setting that works with some printers:
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Font: Courier 12 pt
Top and bottom WordPad margins: 0”
Right and left WordPad margins: 0”
Length/width/top/bottom wizard
settings: 63, 80, 0, 0
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A setting that works with some printers:
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Font: System Bold 10 pt
Top and bottom WordPad margins: 0”
Right and left WordPad margins: 0”
Length/width/top/bottom wizard
settings: 63, 80, 0, 0
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Whatever setting you try, please make a note of it for future reference.
Some printers have a preset unprintable area which will prevent WordPad margins from being set to zero inches. If WordPad will not accept a zero for a margin setting, use the lowest value allowed for the margin.
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Print the document, or use WordPad’s Print Preview function to save paper. Within Print Preview, go to the next page a few times to see if the top of each notice lines up with the top of the page. |
If the top of the report page creeps down by x number of lines per page, close WordPad, and try printing the report again, this time reducing the page length by x.
If the top of the report page creeps up by x number of lines per page, close WordPad, and try printing the report again, this time increasing the page length by x.
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After determining which page length, page width, top margin, and bottom margin settings work the best, permanently set these measurements under Format Page in the Report Session wizard, and clear the Display Format Page check box. |
What is the character limit for call number on notices? Also, what MARC21 subfields print for the title (245 tag)?
The call number length is 40 characters maximum. Notice reports will print call numbers up to the character length maximum. The subfields that will print and display is policy-defined in the catalog formats.
To see the subfields that are printed for the 245 Title tag
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In the Cataloging Configuration wizards, click the Catalog Format wizard and select the MARC format. |
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On the Entries tab, select the 245 Title entry and click Modify. |
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On the Display tab, select the display variation, then click the gadget in the Subfields box. The subfields that are included or excluded will be selected. |
Related topics
FAQs: Automatic Emailing and Printing of Finished Reports
Notices Helper
Report Session Wizard
Finished Reports Wizard
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