This hands-on workshop introduces SQL concepts specifically tailored to the Leap/Polaris Find Tool, helping users move beyond canned reports and pre-built searches to create their own customized queries. Designed for staff who regularly work with Polaris data, this session demystifies SQL by connecting basic theory with real-world examples from the Polaris database.
Participants will learn how data is structured in Polaris, how SQL statements are built, and how to use them directly within the Find Tool. Through guided exercises and examples, attendees will practice writing and refining queries to identify records, uncover data patterns, and find potential data-cleanup opportunities. By the end of the workshop, attendees will have a clearer understanding of SQL fundamentals and the confidence to use it effectively within Leap.
No prior experience with SQL is required - just familiarity with using Leap/Polaris for everyday tasks.
Note: This is an all-day, hands-on workshop, with a lunch break in the middle of the day. Attendees should bring a laptop that has access to Leap or Polaris Client.
Are you perpetually surrounded by carts and boxes of materials awaiting cataloging and processing? Have you ever been tempted to construct and hide inside a cardboard fort to avoid the backlog? Have you ever dreamed of working remotely? Are your customers knocking down the doors to get their hands on new releases? If this sounds familiar, you need our session! Our session aims to provide Catalogers and other Technical Services staff with the foundation and infrastructure to rethink and revolutionize their workflows. This session will focus heavily on the concept of Workslip Cataloging, with a splash of LEAN for good measure. We will highlight our current workflow and staff layout, and share our trials and failures, as well as best practices developed along the way. Sno-Isle Libraries are unique in our efficient workflow of moving materials from the selection and ordering stages all the way through processing and cataloging, and out to our customers. We have utilized LEAN principles and Workslip Cataloging to reorganize and realign all of Circulation and Collection Services staff and their duties in order to get new materials into the hands of customers within days of delivery, rather than weeks or months. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated our shift to Workslip Cataloging when taking materials home was not an option. Applying LEAN principles and adapting quickly during that difficult time helped us succeed. Change does not have to be sudden, nor overwhelming-- start with small improvements, move away from traditional practices, stay open to new ideas, and consider Workslip Cataloging as your next step toward efficiency! Join us to discover practical strategies that will help you clear the backlog, speed up delivery, and delight your customers! Topics/Sample Outline: LEAN (15 mins) Customer Service Change Management Staff and Duty Realignment Continuous Process Improvement (or "Question and Critique EVERYTHING!") Ergonomics and Equipment Enhancement Workflow Streams: Shelf-Ready, Pretty Darn Quick (PDQ), and nonPDQ (lightly or unprocessed materials) Workslip Cataloging (30 mins) Value to Staff and Customers Remote vs. In-Person Work Surrogate Cataloging Process & Resources Workslip Layout and Data Call Number Redesign and Assignment Process Reports & Other Support Tools Handling Processing & Cataloging Errors Leveraging Community Library Staff Processing and Delete Permission and Training What's ahead? (5 mins) Leveraging Vendor Pre-Processing and Enriched EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) to increase SR and PDQ Materials, while reducing nonPDQ Zebra Printer Pilot with Community Library Processors Q & A (10-15 mins) This session is appropriate for public libraries and Circulation/Technical Services staff of any size or budget utilizing any integrated library system. Attendees will leave armed with the tools, tips, resources, and confidence needed to implement their own LEAN and Workslip Cataloging revolution at their libraries!
Join Dena Porter, SHARE Administrative Services Manager, as she demystifies Polaris permissions within North America's largest automated library consortium. Discover how SHARE developed and maintains 1,400 permission groups to manage cataloging and circulation across its member libraries effectively. Attendees will learn how SHARE created distinct permission groups for schools and public libraries to protect patron privacy and ensure data security, as well as how cataloging permissions are structured according to staff training levels. Gain practical insights and proven strategies to streamline permission management and strengthen system governance within your own organization.
The Vega LX platform is modernizing and reshaping our tools for circulation notices. Across multiple channels, what does each offer and how best to structure the choices and your communications?
Taylor Fisher is a Senior Product Manager at Clarivate. Taylor is one of many product team leaders responsible for delivering library specific solutions that provide intuitive and exciting library experiences to patrons, staff and donors. Her primary focus is on Vega Promote and Ve... Read More →
For those that missed the chance to hear Rhonda's first presentation, she has graciously agreed to a repeat!
Overview: Library technical services departments face ongoing challenges, including staffing shortages and budget constraints. This program offers a forum-style discussion where everyone can share issues and brainstorm solutions together. Format: Moderator case studies to spark conversation Open forum for attendees to present their own challenges Peer exchange of strategies and best practices Outcomes: Practical, peer-informed solutions to common problems Stronger professional connections A foundation for continued collaboration Bring business cards to exchange and expand your professional network with colleagues tackling similar challenges.
Director of Collections Management, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
Ms. Glazier is the Director of Collections Management at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs and has worked in libraries for over twenty-five years. She has worked in both public and academic libraries with the majority of her work focusing on the traditional areas of technical... Read More →
Wednesday April 15, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am CDT Denver
Vega WebBuilder is a iii/Clarivate product based to help libraries build their website on the Wix.com platform. We would like to portray our libraries (Springfield-Greene County Library District & Rochester Hills Public Library) experiences using the platform, ways other libraries could easily implement some of the features available, some of the more advanced options for libraries with more staff resources, and some ways you can use AI as a coding tool for web apps you may not be able to do without. Springfield-Greene County Library District & RHPL approached the Wix.com platform in different ways. Springfield-Greene used some of the simpler deployment features Wix.com offers to easily deploy a large website in a crunch period. Simple deployment features that can make production faster and easier include: Built-in wix modules Wix.com Mobile App Dynamic Pages Wix blogs CMS deployment with user permissions RHPL used more visual processes, advanced coding, and design concepts to create a more streamlined user experience. Tools that RHPL used to help stream user experience include: Saving custom assets Custom templates Wix Velo API coding 'Wix Blocks' App coding We may also go over on how to use AI as a tool to help you deploy some "need to have" features from older website deployments, and converting them into something usable by the Wix.com platform. We will also go over some of the faults and abnormalities that come with using the Wix.com platform so libraries can make an educated choice as to whether switching will be an improvement for their work environment. We hope this presentation can present several different ways the iii/Clarivate Vega WebBuilder platform can be used to modernize current library websites, and give libraries another choice as to how they manage their web presence.
Build beautiful, professional websites with ease using WebBuilder’s intuitive drag-and-drop tools. Whether you're a beginner or a pro you can create a stunning, responsive by using a few simple guiding principles.
