====== Evergreen Reports Interest Group Meeting - 2012 Evergreen International Conference ======

April 25, 2012; 1:00-2:30

===== Agenda =====
  -     Introductions 
  -     About the Reports Taskforce 
  -     <del>Template Sharing (Galen Charlton)</del> 
  -     How many sites are writing their own SQL reports? 
  -     Sharing/Q&A/Divide into topical discussion groups (see below) 
  - [Added] Wire frames for Reports development
  -     Large Group Sharing: highlights of small group discussions 

===== Notes =====

==== Introductions ====

  * 30+ attendees
  * Variety of new/investigating and experienced
        
====  About the Reports Taskforce  ====
  * A brief overview of the Reports Taskforce was provided (basically [[evergreen-reports:taskforce_activities|this]]).
  * People interested in following the work of the Reports Taskforce were encouraged to join the [[http://list.evergreen-ils.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/evergreen-reports|mailing list]] and/or email reports@evergreen-ils.org for more information.


==== How many sites are writing their own SQL reports? ====
 
Not too many people appeared to be using SQL currently, but there was an interest from many in learning more about this option.
====  Sharing/Q&A/Divide into topical discussion groups (see below) ====

  * Newbies/Investigators (Jenny Turner, PALS; Shae Tetterton, ESI)
  * Staff Client Report Ideas/New in 2.2 (Jess Venturo, Biblio)
  * SQL (Amy Terlaga, Biblio)
        
====  Wireframes for Reports development ====
 
  * [[evergreen-reports:reports_wireframes|See them here]]
  * Pines and Emerald Data Systems hope to begin work on a reports interface project this summer.
  * Primarily for upper level management to be able to get/view reports more easily.
  * Link to wireframes.
  * Hope to be done by March 2013.
        
====     Large Group Sharing: highlights of small group discussions ====
=== Newbies/Investigators ===
(Led by Jenny Turner, PALS; Shae Tetterton, ESI)

  * Q/A about reports: sources come from database tables; perhaps it is time to redesign to prevent recursive-ness within the client report writer; important to learn how to kill reports. A few sites have issues with the reporter "stopping up;" need to restart it periodically.
  * Learn SQL vs. learn the reports writer in the client
    * SQL is powerful, but puts the onus for reports on the person that knows SQL. Also requires DB access.
    * Learning the reports writer allows you to empower staff to run/clone own reports.
  * Shortcomings of the report writer
  * "Best" documentation: Sitka has great training videos; current users suggested looking for "text" fields when building reports and following instructions for building a specific report (from another library) to begin to learn and understand the structure of the writer.  Pivot tables training in Excel has been handy for some library staff.

=== Staff Client Report Ideas/New in 2.2 ===
(Led by Jess Venturo, Bibliomation)

  * Hold/copy ratio sources are new in recent past
  * Orphan volume reports
  * Ideas for requirements/improvements:
  * Modify existing reports without cloning (could be permissions driven to allow some people to make direct changes, others to clone)
  * Save name of report with report

=== SQL ===
(Led by Amy Terlaga, Bibliomation)

  * 3 libraries/people running SQL with others interested
  * "Package" of shared reports for SQL
  * JasperReports as a possibility
  * Documentation on database schema