Issue 29

Identifying the Problem

Before calling SCIS Customer Service with a query, try identifying issues which may be relevant to your problem. This will help you to understand whether the problem you are experiencing is a SCIS problem.

1. Develop a checklist of questions as part of your library procedures. For example:
   • What changes to network hardware or software have been made since the last time you used the SCIS product?
   • Is all the hardware connected correctly?
   • Do you experience similar problems when connecting to other Curriculum Corporation pages or other Internet sites?
   • Can you utilise SCISWeb using other hardware within the school or at another location (for example, at home)? If the answer is Yes, then clearly the problem is a local issue.
2. Check the Curriculum Corporation home page on the Internet for frequently asked questions relating to SCISWeb. Enter the URL <http://www.curriculum.edu.au/scis/manuals/ faq.hlm> to access SCISWeb Frequently Asked Questions, which details questions and answers. We recommend that you check and print the FAQs regularly.
3. For SCISWeb users, check Message of the Day each time you connect. This will alert you to any changes and updates to the manuals and to Frequently Asked Questions, and also to any scheduled server maintenance requiring SCISWeb to be temporarily unavailable.
4. Complete the log sheet that you will find at <http://www.curriculum.edu.au/scis/scisprod/ weblicen.hlm> with all the relevant details. SCIS staff will need to know these details when you call SCIS Customer Service. Make a note of how the problem was resolved, and file the log sheet for future reference.
5. Organise a phone extension in front of your computer facilities. This will allow us to take you through procedures step by step.

SCIS Support

When contacting SCIS for support by email, please give sufficient details in case we need to telephone you. It is not always appropriate for us to email a response, especially if a lengthy explanation is required. Curriculum Corporation has a unique customer code (a six digit number) for every organisation (same as username for SCISWeb users), and if you quote this code we can immediately identify your contact details. For customers who use email, we suggest you set up an automatic signature to avoid keying in contact details each time you email us.

Selecting the Dewey Version

Before ordering records, the appropriate Dewey version must be selected to ensure that records are downloaded with the correct call numbers. DDC21 gives the full Dewey number with up to ten digits after the decimal place and is usually the preferred option in secondary schools. ADDC13 is the latest version of the abridged Dewey, with only up to four digits after the decimal place, which is generally used in primary schools. When electing DDC21 you will receive records that have been catalogued with version 20 and 21. If selecting ADDC13 you will receive records that have been catalogued with version 12 and 13. SCIS cataloguers are only assigning Dewey version 21 or 13 to new records. Refer to the introductory pages of the latest versions before deciding to make changes in your library system (Abridged Dewey 13, Introduction, pages xvi-xxi). There will be no retrospective conversion of previous edition Dewey numbers to ADDC13 or DDC21.

Can't Find Your Item On SCIS?

If you do not get a 'hit' when ordering a catalogue record for a resource you may wish to contact a cataloguing agency to make arrangements for the item to be catalogued. Before doing so, confirm details by using a title or author search in WEBOPAC. In addition, you may wish to check the Western Australia CMIS cataloguing agency 'Awaiting Cataloguing' page, on which all the items they have received for cataloguing are logged. This searc~able database is located at <http://www.eddept.wa.edu.au/centoff/cmis/ caVsearch.cfm>. Not only does this site inform teacher librarians about resources that are about to be catalogued onto the SCIS database, but it also ensures that the agency does not receive duplicate copies.

Alternative Methods of Importing Records

Some library system vendors have modified their product to enable customers to import records directly from SCISWeb into their library system without needing to download onto a floppy disk. If this is your situation, please follow the system vendor's instructions rather than downloading onto a floppy disk as outlined in our instructions in the SCISWeb manual. However, as there is a large number of library systems, SCIS Customer support staff are unable to provide advice for this alternative method.