[LM_NET] TARGET: Athena (the end is near)....

[Shonda Brisco <sbrisco@GMAIL.COM>]

I promise I will post a HIT on some of the responses that I have
received regarding my recent problems with Athena; however, I am at
the end of the rope---literally!  After calling "Athena Support"  all
week, I have reached what one support person said, "the final
solution"...which means, "if this doesn't work, I'm sorry....but,
thank you again for your business!"

Athena is not reading our barcodes when we scan books to check-in or
check-out.  This, however, is not happening with every book.  There
does not seem to be a range of barcodes that are problematic, it
doesn't seem to be the leading zeros that are problematic, and it
doesn't seem to be materials from a specific vendor.  Both old and new
books are having "issues"---however, more "older books" than newer
books are problems (and interestingly enough, the books that I copy
cataloged using MARC Wizard are NOT a problem---it's the records that
we've received from vendors that seem to be a problem---which makes me
wonder if there might be a virus attached to a recent order (???)  We
cannot type in the number to bring up the book and we cannot delete
the book from the student's account---we can't even delete the title
from the catalog because the item isn't recognized.  We CAN type in
the title (in the catalog search) to find the book, open the Copy
information and find the barcode, determine that we are scanning the
correct number, and go back to circulation---but we cannot "fix" the
circulation part of the program or delete items from records or even
from the system.

An overview of our situation looks like this:

We are working in the correct collection (our book collection, not the
AV, equipment, etc.); we have done a collection check; we have done a
circulation check; we have downloaded two Windows XP "patches" to
correct a "problem with XP;"  we have checked the scanners (we are
using Sagebrush scanners); we have checked the system in different
locations (my office has the system access, the elementary library has
the system access, and the other two libraries have the system
access---we have the same results in every location; we have stopped
all circulation of materials in the elementary library as of today; we
have printed shelf lists of materials, lists of items on loan, lists
of overdues, and lists of statistics for the last month.  Our next
choice (which I am not certain will help because I don't know if this
is a glitch in the software or something else---and no one in Athena
seems to understand what is happening, although others are reporting
the same things happening with their systems----which makes me wonder
if there is a conflict with any other updates that may have been
installed while Athena has sat idle) is to restore the back-up from
December.  We probably won't lose any newly uploaded materials
(because I have those items still listed in files in my MARC Wizard
program and can upload all the new books / new records from December
once again).  However, we will be doing a lot of hand work until we
get all of the materials straightened out

BUT...before I do this....does anyone else have other ideas???  If I
don't hear other solutions (and finally decide that Athena is
completely dead....as we migrate to a new system over the summer)  I
will probably restore the back-up on Monday (but I hope to be able to
do some more creative investigations over the weekend and take your
suggestions).  If you have any last words, please speak now or forever
hold your peace! *grin*

Thanks again!!

~Shonda

-- 
Shonda Brisco, MLIS
District Librarian
Peaster ISD
Weatherford, TX 76086

Currently reading:  "Burned" by Ellen Hopkins

Digital Bookends wiki / blog:
http://digitalbookends.pbwiki.com
http://shonda.edublogs.org/
sbrisco@gmail.com

Resources for Texas School Librarians:
http://txschoollibrarians.ning.com/
http://txschoollibrarians.wikispaces.com/

"Digital Resources" columnist
School Library Journal

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