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This article is an except from the book The Library Technology Companion by John Burke (copyright 2001 by John Burke; all
rights reserved) published and reprinted here by permission of Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc. WebJunction readers can save
10% on this book at Neal-Schuman's online store by entering WebJunction in the "Coupon Code" field at checkout!
Unfortunately, all of the technology we have discussed in the preceding chapters [of The Neal-Schuman Library Technology Companion]
is prone to break down at some point. This can be a frustrating experience on many levels: We can't complete an action that
is underway, as when a copier jams or our connection to a database is lost; or we lose our work completely, as when word processing
software locks up and we can't save our document. Our frustration is compounded when we realize we are unable to fix the problem
and need to wait for technical support.
If you spend much time using technology, however, you learn that many difficulties can be solved with a few basic skills.
While I am by no means downplaying the importance of technical-support knowledge for an organization, I would like to suggest
that many "fixes" can be handled by the end user, otherwise known as "you." The goal of this chapter is equip you to troubleshoot
technology so that you will learn how to solve a number of problems on your own-and also know when to seek the help of experts.
TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDELINES: BE PREPARED
Preparation is a good prescription for any activity in the library-or in life. With troubleshooting, one of the best ways
to prepare is to be ready to do some creative thinking. That way, if your preparations and methods fall through, you may still
be able to reason your way through fixing a problem. Starting from that point, let's take a look at the preparations.
- Gain and maintain common knowledge. Treat each problem you encounter as a learning experience. There is great value in being able to remember an earlier solution
to a problem you are having. It may not be possible to keep a written record of each troubleshooting situation and the solution
to each problem, but it is crucial that two things happen: First, if you are involved in troubleshooting a technology problem,
make sure that you see the final solution applied, even if it requires an outside expert; second, make sure that the solution
is made known o all members of the library staff. This way, you can build up a group knowledge base and also empower other
staff members so that they can possibly fix the situation if you are not available.
- Be safe. When you first approach a piece of malfunctioning equipment, remember the motto: first, do no harm-to yourself or the equipment.
Safe practices come from knowing something about the item you are working on (for example, the paper can be removed from one
section of the copier by lifting the green lever and turning crank number two), and others are common knowledge (such as do
not scuff your feet on the carpet and then touch the motherboard or you might destroy or disable it with static electricity).
Avoiding static electricity and always reading any warning signs on the equipment are my best advice in this area. I have
burned my hand on microfilm reader/printers enough times to make me more conscious of the marked "hot" areas. Another thing:
these guidelines can help keep you safe, but I cannot guarantee that your hands will keep clean (any device that spews toner
is bound to be messy). Get to know your equipment and do not be afraid of it. Read manuals and poke around. Work to get past
any fears of breaking something; they can really hinder your troubleshooting efforts.
- Check the obvious. Some might reject this idea by asking, "How should I know what's obvious?" Here again, experience is our best guide. If you
have a piece of equipment that breaks down on some regular basis (even months apart), you have a basis for obvious fixes:
Look for the problem that happened last time and try to apply the same solution. Likewise, if you know something about how
a piece of equipment works, you can check a variety of parts that are essential to keeping it running (is it plugged in, are
the cables plugged in tightly, does it seem to be getting power, maybe there’s a paper jam, is the projector bulb really working).
When you face a problem with a piece of technology that has never broken down before or one whose operation is a mystery to
you, it is time to turn to the next steps.
- Look for clues. Not to overstate the obvious here, but on occasion a piece of equipment or software will give off some clues as to why it
had stopped working correctly. Sometimes these are very clear, as in the case of displayed error messages, and other times
they can only be reached through inductive reasoning ("the paper only goes up to this point and then jams, so there must be
something making it jam back in this section"). One technique I have found helpful is to have the patron or coworker who is
having a problem with the technology explain to you how the problem began. You may be able to pick up a clue of what is really
going wrong through some detail that the reporter provides.
- Turn it on again. The most successful troubleshooting technique I have found is a pretty easy one. If an electronic piece of equipment is not
working, turn it off and then back on. The results are sometimes quite startling, and though you really do not learn anything
about the problem from this solution, it is often extremely effective. I have had much success in using this strategy with
computers, but I have also triumphed over errors with copiers, VCRs, and the occasional fan in the same way. There are problems
with which this method will absolutely not work because it does not solve the problem (unfortunately, you cannot will a paper
jam away or fix a machine that is already not able to be turned on) or it worsens the problem (for example, you will lose
a word processing document in an application that has locked up while printing if you shut off the computer unless you saved
the document before the problem occurred). I do recommend, however, that this technique be known by everyone in a library
organization since it can be effective in so many situations.
- Read the manual. Though they are sometimes poorly written or too brief in their explanations, the manuals that accompany technology can assist
in finding solutions or correctly identifying a given problem. While in the heat of the moment we are probably more likely
to forge ahead without reading, it can really pay to take a moment and locate any manuals or help documentation you have.
We hang onto these things for some reason, right? Well, this is the time to pull them off the shelf. Their diagrams can be
helpful, and sometimes reading about the common problems that some manuals list can be educational ("Well, it's not that part
or that problem at least. What else could it be?"). I admit that I have been frustrated by manuals that do not help at all,
but I have also found solutions in others and thus vowed never to overlook this resource.
A supplement or replacement to any printed material is the Web. Many vendors; Websites list troubleshooting tips or FAQs (lists
of frequently asked questions) on solving problems, and there may be answers here that never made it into the manual. The
same goes for reading the archives of a vendorsponsored Web forum or a public Usenet newsgroup that discusses similar problems.
Someone may have already located an answer and made it available to the world at large through the Internet.
- Ask for advice. There are some troubleshooting situations where we have truly reached a dead end and are unsure of where to turn next, and
other times we wisely conclude that it is too dangerous to go further. Now is the time to seek advice from any andall quarters.
Consulting the manual or the Web can be an example of this, but now it is time to try a more active approach. Post a message
to a newsgroup, electronic discussion group, or vendor forum. Ask colleagues near and far if they have any ideas. Exhaust
any technical support options that you have. I tend to try out my free options before incurring any charges, but your need
for a solution may be such that you should go to the real experts right away.
- Watch the expert at work and learn. If you do get advice or direct assistance (in person or over the phone) that actually solves the problem, be sure to pay
attention carefully and ask questions. This information can be really key to building up your experience and the general troubleshooting
knowledge of the library. You may learn a new technique or discover that this really is a more difficult problem to diagnose
than you thought. Be a student here and pay attention so that you can be better prepared down the road.
TIPS FOR AVOIDING PROBLEMS
The following are some thoughts on solving technical problems of one kind or another that have served me well overtime. Your
particular situation may not be covered here. However, one of these tips may help you in the future.
- Many problems involve paper jams or related difficulties. You should know (or learn) how paper feeds through all of the printing,
copying, and faxing devices in your library.
- Printer memory errors are common when large documents are sent to older printers. Printers may lock up completely, or they
may print pages full of characters and images. Know how to cancel print jobs and clear out your printer memory (it can be
as easy as turning the printer off and then on). If you are in a networked printing environment, find out who has the power
to cancel print jobs (if it is not you) and how to clear the entire print queue (the collection of waiting print jobs) if
necessary.
- Dust can collect inside CPU cases and keyboards and cause them to stop working. A can of compressed air can be a crucial tool
in these circumstances. You may wish to check regularly and clean equipment in this way. Computer mice will also pick up lint
and dust and lose some sensitivity. Pop out the mouse ball every so often (look for directions on the bottom of your mouse)
and shake out the foreign matter.
- If you notice even a minor problem with a piece of equipment that is used by multiple staff members or the public, be sure
to note it to whoever else on staff mght get a complaint about it. Forewarned can be forearmed in some cases; it is good to
pay attention to smaller issues before they grow into larger ones. There are times when library staff may not realize just
how often a small problem or error arises because no one remarks on it. We cannot force patrons to make note of problems,
but staff can try to do their best to get the word out to each other.
- Put together a troubleshooting toolkit. This should at least be an actual toolkit, with the requisite screwdrivers, extra
screws, cleaning equipment, and other items that fit your library. It can also extend to organizing your printed manuals and
other help documentation, and having a list or set of bookmarks of where to go for more help online. I urge you to make this
collection of tools available to as many staff members as are comfortable with troubleshooting. The initial collection of
items may serve as a point to educate your coworkers (and become educated yourself) on what are some good troubleshooting
strategies.
SELECTED SOURCES FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
Use library-related technology electronic discussion groups www.wrlc.org/liblists/ to ask questions of library colleagues.
Check the vendor's site to see if there are troubleshooting FAQs or user forums available. Librarians Online Warehouse www.libsonline.com
may be useful for tracking down a vendor's site, or you can use search engines such as Yahoo! www.yahoo.com
Deja.com http://deja.com/usenet/ is an excellent resource for searching archived discussions for specific technologies and problems.
Dave's Guides www.css.msu.edu/PC-Guide/ has a section on troubleshooting computers that may be helpful.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
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