All about PamCat, Our Online Library Catalog
Introduction to PamCat - PamCat Guides
PamCat Hours of Service - Known Issues with PamCat
Introduction to PamCat, our Online Library Catalog
When signing on to PamCat your default PIN/password is CHANGEME.
- Change your PIN/password to something easy to remember.
- Your PIN/password must be 10 characters or less. If you need help, contact us to reset your PIN/password to CHANGEME.
- After changing your PIN/password, please log out of your account. Then log back in using your new PIN/password (You may not be able to change your PIN/password if you have overdue books or late fines.).
You can find out more by checking out our PamCat Guides.
If you ever forget or misplace your PIN/password, e-mail ask@pamunkeylibrary.org or call any of our branch libraries and ask a staff member to reset it for you.
Do you have other questions about using our catalog? We provide opportunities for one-on-one instruction—just contact your local branch library by phone or email ask@pamunkeylibrary.org
For our patrons who like to use PamCat "after hours," due to system maintenance, PamCat is unavailable each morning beginning at midnight for a few minutes and again at 3:00 a.m. for a few hours. You may also experience a slow response time with the catalog between 3:00 to 10:00 a.m. on Sundays during its weekly data backup.
If you encounter any problems with PamCat during "normal working hours" that last for more than a few minutes, or if you continue to have problems accessing PamCat, you can e-mail us at ask@pamunkeylibrary.org, and we will do our best to resolve the situation. Thanks!
This section is for documenting all of the known issues reported while using PamCat, the library's online catalog. If you have experienced a problem using PamCat or have a suggestion on how to make PamCat better, please e-mail ask@pamunkeylibrary.org. Thanks!
Timeouts during PamCat sessions - Using Alternate IDs
Problems with Session Timeouts When Using PamCat
As of 2004, some patrons have reported session timeouts when
they click on one or more areas from the main webpage of PamCat, which is powered by SIRSI Corporation's iBistro.
Other library systems that use iBistro have reported similar occurrences of the
problem.
These session timeouts happen to patrons using Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
who use cache proxy servers to speed up download times by storing the pages
their customers use. This is usually advertised as an "internet accelerator" service. The most common ISPs that use cache proxy servers are DIRECWAY
(DirecTV's satellite-based Internet service), Netzero, and Earthlink, although
any provider using the accelerators may have the same problem. This conflicts
with the way that iBistro is structured, resulting in the session timeout
screen.
Unfortunately, at this time, there is no way for an ISP's customer to clear such
a cache from home, so occurrences will persist as long as the ISP uses cache
proxy services. The Pamunkey Regional Library will be working closely with the
SIRSI Corporation to develop a solution to this ongoing problem. In the
meantime, please contact your ISP to see if they have a work-around for the
problem. You can also send the library an e-mail at
ask@pamunkeylibrary.org.
Please let us know who your ISP is, and let us know as much as you can about the
problem, so that we can forward the information to SIRSI and try to find a
solution as quickly as possible that works for everyone. Updates will be posted
to this page. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your
patience.
Using Alternate IDs to log in to PamCat
Some of our patrons prefer to use an Alternate ID to log
in to PamCat, rather than use their library card number. If you enter
your Alternate ID on the main PamCat screen, you will be directed to a page
that says "Login to My Account - Invalid login." First use your
backspace key to clear the word "WEBSERVER" from the box labeled "Library
Card #." If you leave "WEBSERVER" in that box after you log in with
your Alternate ID and password, PamCat will request your log in information
each time you try to complete a transaction, such as placing a book on hold
or reviewing your account.
If you continue to experience problems trying to log in to PamCat using an
Alternate ID, please call or visit your
local branch library or e-mail
ask@pamunkeylibrary.org.
