2026-07-16 Resource Access Meeting Notes

Date: Jul 16, 2026 

Recordings

NOTE: RESOURCE ACCESS SIG USES EITHER ZOOM’S AI NOTES FUNCTIONALITY OR MICROSOFT COPILOT TO PROCESS THE TRANSCRIPT. If you would prefer that we do not use AI any session you attend, we are happy to! Please alert the convener at the start of the meeting.

Find all recordings here: https://recordings.openlibraryfoundation.org/folio/resource-access-sig/ (pw: folio-lsp)

Zoom

https://zoom.us/j/337279319 (pw: folio-lsp)

Attendees

@Scott Peterson

@Katie Rahman

@Joseph A Molloy

@Martina Tumulla

@Jacob Dudley

@Steve Strohl

@David Bottorff

Discussion Items:

Meeting Notes

AI-Generated minutes (pardon any errors)

📄 Discussion Points

Topic 1: EBSCO Organizational Reorganization and Product Owner Assignments

• Time Range: 00:09:41 – 00:15:10

• Details: Susan Kimball shared an official statement regarding recent organizational structural shifts within EBSCO. These changes have resulted in newly revamped FOLIO development teams and updated Product Owner (PO) assignments, which are now officially published on the PO directory website. Notably, Tim Auger has stepped into the PO role for a large number of circulation modules, absorbing the portfolios previously managed by Anne Ekblad and Steph Buck. This is in addition to his existing oversight of integrations such as SIP2, OpenRS, Inreach, and remote storage.

• Cross-Team Impact Notes: Katie Rahman provided additional context from the recent Data Import SIG meeting hosted by Kalila. The primary driver behind this structural reorganization was a historical lack of communication between siloed development teams, where changes made to one app inadvertently broke functionality in another. A key example cited occurred during the Sunflower release: when data import was utilized to update an instance record, it stopped updating the instance update date if the record matched exactly, a deviation from pre-Sunflower behavior that caused extensive community debate. Moving forward, the Vega and Volaris development teams are actively merging into a single unified team to ensure tightly coupled cross-communication and prevent similar regression issues.

Topic 2: Master JIRA Review and Tickets Proposed for Closure

• Time Range: 00:15:10 – 00:22:30

• Details: Susan Kimball presented a consolidated master spreadsheet merging three historical tracking sheets (Vega Review, Volaris Review, and a collective list compiled by Kalila). Out of 77 total active tracking tickets, 41 are currently flagged on the "intended to close" tab, while the remaining balance was previously closed following the conclusion of the initial Vega review.

• Specific Ticket Debate: Joseph Molloy stepped forward to advocate against the closure of JIRA:UXPROD-923 (Requests in-app report: Requests Pick List). This ticket, originally drafted in 2019, was erroneously flagged to close during a 2025 group review, but was subsequently placed back into "Draft" status by Anne Ekblad during collaborative refinement. Joe highlighted that public libraries processing hundreds of physical holds per day require an integrated, turnkey pick-list solution within FOLIO. While some institutions like Chalmers implemented custom external workarounds using Power BI, relying on external reporting layers or single-page physical pick slips is highly inefficient for staff manually navigating stacks. Joe suggested exploring mobile or tablet layouts via an upgraded version of the Lists app, noting the current Lists setup is completely ineffective for active roaming tasks.

Topic 3: Magnus's Fee/Fine Real-Time Syncing Tickets

• Time Range: 00:22:30 – 00:28:00

• Details: The group reviewed two tickets originally introduced by Magnus, JIRA:UXPROD-4191 and JIRA:UXPROD-4192, which target automated fee/fine synchronization. The central problem is that automated patron blocks are frequently failing to clear in real-time when items are returned or fines are settled.

• System Discrepancies: Joe confirmed this remains a persistent issue; Index Data has had to configure a nightly scheduled batch task for Spokane Public Library to force a systemic re-sync, and front-line staff regularly resort to manually triggering updates via the API to unlock blocked accounts mid-transaction. David Bottorff noted that while the failure rate at UChicago is not quite as severe, real-time resolution is the intended behavior. Failures typically cluster around convoluted workflows like the "Claim Returned" process or legacy loans migrated across multiple historical systems. The consensus leaned away from developing a temporary UI "workaround button" to trigger manual syncs, with members agreeing that engineering hours are better spent permanently fixing the core background synchronization mechanism.

Topic 4: New Checkout Receipt Feature Proposal

• Time Range: 00:28:00 – 01:06:38

• Details: Acting as an interim PO for public library workflows following Anne Ekblad's sudden departure, Joseph Molloy presented a detailed feature proposal under JIRA:UXPROD-5914 to enable native physical receipt printing at manual checkout desks. While the upcoming Trillium release introduces a printer-friendly "statement of account" screen, it formats to a standard 8.5x11 inch paper size. Most public library front service desks are not equipped with full-sized desktop printers and rely entirely on specialized receipt slip thermal printers (such as Star or Epson models).

• Multi-Branch and Multi-Tenant Complexity: The feature requires extensive customization due to complex consortium layouts. Spokane Public Library, for example, shares a database with Spokane Public Schools. If a shared template prints a uniform header, school patrons would receive slips branding the public library system. Furthermore, public branches utilize receipt footers for localized community messaging, such as informational text regarding upcoming spring levy votes, which cannot legally or appropriately be printed on a public school district's receipt.

• UI Flow Comparisons: Joe provided mockups showcasing two distinct administrative configuration paths:

  • Flow 1 (Standard Path): Nests the configuration directly inside Circulation -> Staff Slips. Clicking a template takes over the third pane, requiring users to exit the view completely to click or edit an alternative template.

  • Flow 2 (Dedicated Path): Estaves a standalone "Checkout Slips" navigation menu that introduces a 4-pane layout. This permits rapid shifting between templates and live previews without back-and-forth clicking. Joe noted his personal design goal is to aggressively minimize unnecessary clicks across the platform.

• Consolidation and Tokenization Debate: Susan pointed out that a "due date receipt" option already exists under the staff slips section. Joe demonstrated that the current version prints layout strings that repeat the patron's name on every fourth line, failing to mimic a standard clean consumer receipt. Jacob Dudley stated that "Staff Slip" terminology across FOLIO contextually implies internal back-office use (like hold shelf or transit slips), so customer-facing collateral belongs in a distinct category. David Bottorff cautioned against over-solving the issue by forcing admins to manage dozens of individual static templates for every single physical desk. He proposed introducing dynamic tokenization—specifically a "Service Point Desk" token—allowing a single master template to automatically pull specific location addresses, phone numbers, or targeted RSS footer feeds. The group ultimately discussed whether this entire initiative should hook cleanly into existing automated notice templates and notice policies instead of writing a completely isolated print module.

✅ Decisions Made

• JIRA:UXPROD-923 (Requests Pick List In-App Report): The group unanimously agreed to pull this ticket off the "Intent to Close" list. Its status in the tracking spreadsheet has been moved to RA Further Development. The rationale is that public libraries require an optimized, turnkey pick-list solution for mobile/tablet environments, making a native feature highly valuable.

• Magnus's Fee/Fine Tickets (JIRA:UXPROD-4191 & JIRA:UXPROD-4192): These tickets will remain open and will not be closed during the upcoming batch cleanup. Rationale: The group requires Tom's presence to review his historical notes, and members strongly prefer a core code fix over a temporary interface workaround.

• Master Sheet Analysis Delay: A comprehensive structural analysis of the remaining open tickets will be deferred until the August meeting to allow the current batch of 41 intended-to-close tickets to be finalized and archived first.