USING POLARISNavigating your ILS like a hacker
Daniel Messer (@bibrarian)
Web Content Manager
Maricopa County Library District
Hello, my name is Dan.
• Almost 20 years in the library world
• 17 years in public library circulation
• Polaris user since ~1999
• Technology and FOSS enthusiast
• Web content enthusiast
• Podcaster (Cyberpunk Librarian)
• Author
• Digital creative (music, illustration, video,
etc.)
Polaris isn’t good for everything. Sorry.
Remember you have other options besides the PAC
and the Polaris Toolbar!
• Fantastic Fiction
• Amazon
• Goodreads
• Novelist
• Fan sites
• And more! You have a lot of tools available to you.
Use them!
In Polaris, there are multiple ways to do almost everything.
Check out:
• Click circulation -> Check Out
• Press F3
• Type ALT R U
• Click reddish-brown circle and then first icon
Create a new patron account:
• Click File -> New -> Scroll to Patron Record
• Type ALT F N P
Open PowerPAC Profiles
• Click Administration -> Explorer -> System ->
System:LIBRARYNAME -> Profiles -> PowerPAC
• Type ALT M X S {Right Arrow} {Down Arrow} {Down Arrow}
{Tab} {Right Arrow x 4}
• Yes I totally do this several times per week
Find your flow!
• Because there are many ways to do something, find the
one that works the best for you.
• No one way is better than another. The user is in control
and makes the decision.
• Yes, that means you can use the mouse if it works best
for you.
• Try new things! Poke the box!
• Most importantly, share what you know.
There are shortcuts everywhere!
And it’s totally okay to use them.
Polaris shortcuts:
• Look at your menus on your toolbar
• Press the ALT key and see what lights up
• Check out the help menu and documentation
Windows shortcuts:
• CTRL C, X, V (Copy, cut, paste)
• CTRL Z (Undo)
• ALT TAB (Switch between applications)
• Windows D (Minimize all windows)
• Windows key and start typing
Be curious. Read widely.
Try new things.
I think a lot of what
people call intelligence
just boils down to curiosity.
~Aaron Swartz