FAQ

Please review the Innovative documentation site and the FAQ below. If you still have a question or are experiencing an issue, please submit a help desk to PrairieCat and select the Vega Discover queue. Please note, Innovative is doing two-week releases of fixes and enhancements. You can follow along on the product roadmap here and submit ideas. 

Updated: 4/3/2023

Reading History and Patron Lists (UPDATED)

• Will Reading History transfer from Encore to Vega Discover? Yes, reading history will transfer. Patrons who are already opted in through Encore will automatically have their reading history synced to Vega the next time they log in to Vega. Patrons who have not yet opted in to reading history will see an optin button on their Reading History tab with an explanation of what Reading History is. There is an approximately 4 hour update period before history starts showing up in Vega after opt-in. 
• How do users opt in to Reading History? After the user logs in, select My Bookshelf then My Profile. Check Keep Reading History. Alternatively, users can select Reading History from the My Bookshelf menu bar at the bottom. Select Opt in to Reading History.
• How often does Vega check for Reading History Updates? Vega will check for updates to the Patron reading history every 4 hours from the first patron login. So materials that were checked in within the last 4 hours may not immediately appear but will appear shortly when the next sync is run. Just like in the ILS Reading History is only updated when a circulation of a title is completed at the point of return/checkin. Once an item is returned it will be included in the reading history.
• Would there be the possibility of having Vega automatically check the “Keep Reading History” on those accounts that have already checked that box in Encore?  Yes. This happens automatically when the patron first logs in to Vega.
• How do patrons Opt Out of Reading History? Patrons will be able to opt-out of Reading History at any time in their Patron Account in Vega. Opting out will DELETE all of their previous Reading History. There is a prominent warning displayed to patrons when opting out that explains the process.
• Will there be a deadline for users to opt in to Reading History in Vega Discover? If Encore and Vega are up concurrently, will there still be a gap in Reading History if they don’t opt in until later? Users can opt in and have reading history transfer from Encore until we finally remove Encore. Members will receive advance notice once a timeline for removing Encore is decided. 
• How many bookmark lists can staff and patrons save? The limit is 200.
• How many searches can staff and patrons save? The limit is 200.
• Enhancement / In Development
  • Will patron's lists transfer from Encore to Vega? Yes, this is currently being developed and should be released soon. Update: As of 11/18/22, this is actively in testing at Innovative with some libraries. It will be available soon.
  • Will patrons be able to delete items from the Reading History? Not currently, however this has been submitted as an enhancement and is on Innovative's list for later development. (10/3/2022)

Holds

• Can I place holds on multiple copies (i.e. book club holds) in Vega Discover? No, library staff will still need to use Sierra to place holds on multiple copies of the same title.  
• Is there a “not needed before” option to space out holds? The current options are to use the “I don’t need this item after…” or to “freeze” holds in My Bookshelf. Select "I don't need this item after", and enter the date that you no longer need the resource. If the resource isn't fulfilled by the date you enter, the system removes the hold request.
• Enhancement / In Development
  • Will the system know to look if there is a copy available at the patron's home library? Perhaps in an older record? This and other holds logic improvements are listed as "Now In Progress" in the product roadmap, so this is being worked on. Pulling items for holds based on holds to copies logic is also part of these improvements. (From the product roadmap:  The logic Vega Discover uses to choose the requested edition from a work level rollup is improved to prefer items at the patron's preferred and home locations and use holds:copies ratios.)
  • When you place a hold on a specific volume of a title, the volume number is out of order. Can this be fixed? We have raised this issue with Innovative as an enhancement/correction.

Searching

• Can I search by ISBN? Yes, users can also find the ISBN for a title by selecting “Edition Information” then the information icon under "Details."
• Can I do an advanced search? Boolean searches can be done in the seach bar. Full instructions are available here: https://documentation.iii.com/vega/patron/patron/Procs/Search_Library_Resources.htm .  Advanced searches are currently on the roadmap as "next".
• Can I search for materials with diacritics in the records using a plain text search?  Yes, for the Romance languages. Others like Chinese are in development. Update: searching by 880 foriegn language characters has just been released and we will implement it shortly.
• How many saved searches can staff and patrons have? The limit is 200.
• Does it currently list the most recent edition first? Yes, the most recent edition is listed first.
• How can I find the volume? Select "Edition Information" and the details icon. To a place a hold, select the location to see the volumes listed. Select "place hold" and Vega displays a list of volumes or items that are available at the location you selected.
• How does the Age Group facet work? The Age Group facet is based on the coding in the MARC record. If there is incomplete/inaccurate information in the MARC record, then the success of your search results may vary. 
• How do I find details like a track list on an album? Select Edition Information to see the attached bib records. Under the Details column there is an “I” icon. Click on that which pulls up the additional details which includes the song titles. (Please note, on multi-disc audio recording, only the first 505 displays. This is a known issue and submitted to Innovative). 
• Enhancement / In Development
  • Will an Advanced Search link like in Encore be added? An advanced search with a graphical user interface is listed as "Next" in the product roadmap. 
  • Can I search by call number? Not currently, however this is in development. 
  • Is it possible for the call number to be visible without clicking farther into the record? Smart(er) Call Number Display is listed as "Next" in the product roadmap, so this is being worked on. Please note, when using the kisok site url, the call number is displayed on the Search Results Page. It is also displayed in Collection sites if the patron is logged in.
  • When you click on a title from the Syndetics content (such as a series book cover, etc), the link will take you outside the specific library's Vega site and bring the item up in the generic "PrairieCat" Vega site. This will confuse patrons. Can this be fixed? Yes, Innovative is currently working with Syndetics to fix this issue.
  • Is it possible on the homepage that the cursor will go immediately to the “search” bar, instead of the patron having to click in the search bar? We have submitted this as a suggested enhancement.
  • Currently, all versions of videogames (xbox, PS4, etc) are lumped together under one tab, which is confusing.  Can they be broken out to make it easier for patrons to find the proper format? Yes, Innovative is working on creating a separate tab for each format of videogames.  I have asked for timeline on this.
  • Sort search results by title A-Z or Z-A: This is currently on the roadmap, marked for "later".  It is in the development queue but it will take a while to get to it.

Searching / Locations / Collection and Kiosk Sites

• What are the collection sites? The collection sites are the individual sites for each library. The sites are branded with library logos and library submitted links. Collection sites search the entire PrairieCat system, prioritizing library holdings. Find your library’s collction site url in the Member Directory on the PrairieCat website.
• What are the kiosk sites? The kiosk sites limit searches to the home library's holdings and are intended for in-library use at catalog stations. The kiosk sites force a 5 minute timeout on a session (this is configurable). From the kisok sites, users can select Search All Members to search the enitre PrairieCat system. Find your library’s kiosk url in the Member Directory on the PrairieCat website. The kiosk url has a “k” after the library name.
• Is it possible to set it up so that the patron's home library shows up first when searching? Yes. It depends on what site they are using. Collection sites search the entire database, prioritizing library holdings. When users log in, the results for their home library are displayed first.
• How do we limit to available (especially available in our library)? Enter your search to see what PrairieCat owns. Then limit to location. (This would work the same way as Encore in which only locations that own items corresponding to the search results would display.) Thus search globally and refine to local. Or the user starts with the kiosk or collection url and then it depends on the limit to or prefer to setting. 
• Enhancement / In Development
  • The Library Info pop out (the building icon at the top), I notice now that you have to scroll to find our library even with our individual collection site url. Currently, it does not “home” to the library you are logged into-this is an enhancement request that is in the works.
  • In the Locations facet, is it possible to provide a way to see all locations without searching?  For instance, a slider bar that will allow you to access all the locations lower on the list, without having to enter the name of the library and search for it? PrairieCat has submitted this as a suggested enhancement. We have also suggested that this whole process (search for libraries on the list, hit “return”, choose the location, hit “submit” and then again hit “apply”) be simplified. UPDATE: locations and all other facet elements that are too numerous to display in the search box will have a scroll bar to allow scrolling through all the options. This is currently being developed and will be released shortly.
  • Can the Locations facet be organized alphabetically by library name? Is there a way to view All Locations? Scrolling and alphabetizing locations has been added as an enhancement request. 
  • Can I view the MARC display in Vega? This concern has been reported to Innovative and is in development. No timeline has been given.

Vega Discover Homepage

• How can I make changes to my library's Vega Discover "homepage"? Please submit a help desk to PrairieCat using the Vega Disocver queue to update logos, hours, or links. 
• When a user first uses the new catalog on their device, it prompts them to accept cookies. Can this be turned off? No. Once a user selects "accept", they won't be prompted again. Per Innovative, cookie notification(s) in the header on all Vega environments is required for General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliance. Session cookies are removed when the session is closed, and analytic cookies are collecting anonymized data for statistics. 
• What are cookies? Cookies are commonly used to provide useful features to website users. A cookie is a small text file that is sent to your browser from a website and stored on your computer’s hard drive. Some electronic services offered by PrairieCat such as the online catalog place temporary cookies for current sessions. See PrairieCat's privacy policy for details. 
• Enhancement / In Development
  • Will we keep the existing "splash pages" for each member after Vega is implemented? We will keep these for a while, but they will be removed once Vega has the capacity to replace them. Vega will allow us to embed showcases on the homepage of the collection and kiosk sites, so those will eventually replace the splash pages that PrairieCat now maintains separately. The splash pages refer to the https://www.prairiecat.info/ sites. 
  • Will we be able to edit the header and footer of the page?  Yes, this is currently in development.

My Account / Profile

• Do changes made in the Vega Discover Profile reflect in Sierra? Yes. Please note, patrons will not be able to change their address.
• Are library staff notified if patrons make changes in their Vega profile (i.e. change email address)? No
• Are changes made by the patron in Vega pending and need to be approved by library staff? No
• Enhancement / In Development
  • Currently in your profile in Encore you can opt in for text messages -- I don't see that option in Vega Discover. Will it be added or will it be a different place? This functionality is currently in development and is highly prioritized.

Ematerials - In Development

• Are ebooks/ematerials integrated into Vega? Update: We are currently adding Overdrive materials to library sites.  We are asking for volunteers and doing about 5 libraries at a time, since Overdrive has back-end work to do before we can configure Vega.  We have about 21 sites integrated at this point.
• What ematerial / digital resources will be integrated in Vega Discover? Currently, Overdrive, Axis360 and Hoopla are integrated. Innovative is working on others.
• When users check out ematerials from Vega Discover, does it reflect in the Overdrive app Libby? Yes, it takes about 1 to 2 minutes to sync.
• Will ematerials be recorded in my Reading History in Vega Discover? No, not at this time. However, the ematerials are visible under the checkouts and holds tabs in My Bookshelf.

Accessiblity 

• For our visually impaired patrons, how does Vega Discover work with text readers and pop ups? Vega Discover passed the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template this year and they are planning to do this next year. It is a process by which a product is reviewed by a third-party for meeting accessibility standards.
• Enhancement / In Development
  • For our visually impaired patrons, is there an option you can toggle for greater visibility? Or a dark mode? This has been submitted as an enhancement. 

Mobile App

• Will Vega Discover work on the PrairieCat mobile app Capira? Yes, we understand it will work with the mobile app (Capira). From an app user’s perspective, it should look/function nearly identically. The main exception is that unlike Vega Discover, the app won’t be able to do rollups. If a title has 3 types (Book, Audiobook, DVD for example) it would display them as 3 distinct search results in the app like Encore currently does.
• Will Vega Discover work with third-party mobile apps? PrairieCat libraries that are using third-party mobile apps will have to ask their vendors about this.

eCommerce

• Where is eCommerce/online fine and fee payment? It will be in the fines and fees area of "My Bookshelf".  We have not configured this yet, as we don't want to cause confusion with PayPal while Encore is still available. Update: due to the way Vega handles ecommerce transactions on the back end, we have to wait until they release V. 6.0 of Sierra and we upgrade to it for ecommerce to work correctly in Vega.

Sierra / Cataloging

• In Sierra cataloging, there is a link out to Encore.  Will this link to Vega eventually?  Yes. Innovative can change this for us when we are ready to officially "go live".
• If I fixed a cataloging error, how soon will I see it in Vega Discover? Vega updates overnight so new records added that day won’t appear until the next day.

Bibframe

• What is Bibframe? Vega uses the BIBFRAME standard for all data mappings and display. As a Vega Discover library, your collections will be imported as MARC and converted to BIBFRAME. Learn more from the Innovative Admin Documentation here. Learn more about Bibframe here from the LOC: https://www.loc.gov/bibframe/

Other 

• Is there an official "go live" date for the public? Members were notified 1/12/2023 that Vega Discover was available to "soft launch" to patrons. PrairieCat will announce a Go Live date when the product is functioning as expected for the consortium including ematerial integration and ecommerce. 
• Enhancement / In Development
  • What about Kid's Catalog?  Will there be a new one?  Yes, this is listed as "now in progress" on the product roadmap. Update: This is about to be released.  it is currently in beta testing and we should have it to demo soon.