Vista support added in 2.6.3

We have released RQM 2.6.3 (available from the downloads page). The full installation file will now install successfully on Windows Vista.

If are running a previous version of RQM, we recommend that you update to 2.6.3 at this time. There are numerous small enhancements and fixes included in this version.

Major new update: 2.6.0

We released a new software update, 2.6.0, that can be applied to installations of ReQuest Manager 2.0 or higher.

This update includes several feature enhancements as well as some minor bug fixes. This update is RECOMMENDED for all centers that are currently running versions 2.0 or higher. You can read about this update in the release notes.

Anyone with a current support contract can download the update from the download page.

Windows Vista support

As you may know, the changes in Microsoft's new Windows Vista affected developers quite significantly. We're working on accommodating those changes in RQM and will let you know when we're finished adding Vista support to RQM.

So for the moment, Windows Vista is not officially supported by RQM. Drop us a line if you are planning to move to Vista or purchasing a new computer with Vista on it...

New update: more features included!

As the new RQM update comes closer and closer to being ready to ship out the door, I wanted to give you a preview of some of the great new features that will be included.

• Dashboard interface (I described this in my last Blog entry, below).
• More colorful interface: you told us that many shades of gray didn't make for a very interesting visual experience. We listened, and RQM now sports a new blue theme we think is easier on the eyes. RQM is also smarter about how you work: when you resize a form, it stays resized, even if you close RQM and re-open!
  
• Keyword searching: search for resources, clients, or contacts by keywords. If the keyword appears anywhere in the record, you'll find it quickly and easily.
  
• Enhanced contact area: now contacts have their own search screens, details area, printed reports, etc. You can view all invoices, transactions, and consultations for a single contact in one place.
• Multiple user support in RQM: you can define different users with different levels of permission for each person using RQM. RQM will also track who makes changes to records, so it's easy to trace edits within the database.
• Enhanced email address handling: easily pull all email addresses for a group of clients or contacts into your email program for bulk mailing. Plus, new privacy fields for clients mean that you can respect your clients' requests to opt-out of mailings or email communications.
• Resource Collections: this is a way of tracking different sub-collections within your RQM database. You may have a special display area that you might define as a collection, or you might have a satellite location that you want to include. It's easy and flexible to use!
• Enhanced consultations area: client consultations are more fully-featured, including open/closed status and tracking records of required follow-ups or scheduled appointments. You can search for consultations in the new search area, too!
• Transition to ISBN-13: (described in earlier Blog entry, below).
• Added XLS export: in addition to exporting to text files for mail merge, you can now export your data directly to Excel spreadsheet format.
• Account statement for clients: New report that shows, line-by-line, all transactions and payments for a client during a selected period.
• And many others... some of which will make your life easier without your even knowing it!

These feature suggestions came from you! We love to hear your ideas for improving RQM. Continued improvements to RQM are possible thanks to a thriving and enthusiastic user base spread across the country.

Have a suggestion, frustration, or comment about RQM for us? Drop us a line!

New Interface: Dashboard

There's a major RQM update coming out early next year that will be packed with new features and usability enhancements.

One of the most visible new features will be a new main menu area called the Dashboard:

This will put more options right at your fingertips, including quick keyword searching on resources and clients, program alerts and reminders, and a "Chart of the Day:" graphs and lists that will show you different information every day.

The best part? It's all customizable -- show, hide, or rearrange the modules so you can see just what you want to. And if you prefer the old main menu, no problem: it's just a click away, and RQM will remember to take you there by default if you choose.

Watch this space for an announcement of the new version, expected in February 2007. All centers will current support contracts are eligible to receive the update.

Move to ISBN-13

Beginning January 1, 2007, the book industry will be converting from using 10-digit ISBN codes to 13-digit ISBN codes. Here are the details of this change for publishers:

Books with publication dates earlier than January 2007 may have both ISBN-10 and ISBN-13 on the copyright page as well as printed above the EAN bar code on the back of the book (i.e. Cover 4).

Titles with publication dates of January 1, 2007, or later must have only ISBN-13 on the copyright page and above the EAN bar code on the back of the book.

Backlist product reprinted after January 1, 2007, should have only ISBN-13 on the copyright page and above the EAN bar code. However, publishers may continue printing both ISBN-10 and ISBN-13 where their market requires both or where the publisher anticipates few, if any, subsequent reprintings.

As of January 1, 2007, UPC bar codes should not be printed on any titles, frontlist or backlist. The Bookland EAN-13 bar code with a human-readable ISBN-13 above it should be printed on Cover 4.

What does this mean for RQM users? RQM currently accepts either 13-digit or 10-digit entries, but stores the codes internally using 10-digits. It is possible to convert an old 10-digit code to a 13-digit code using a simple formula. The next major version of RQM (due in Feb. 2007) will automatically convert your 10-digit codes into 13-digit codes. This version will accept 13-digit OR 10-digit entries, but will store all entries as 13-digit codes.

You may continue to see 10-digit AND 13-digit codes for some time on new books published after January 1, 2007. Rest assured that RQM will continue to work smoothly with either format!

Full installation file now online

The full RQM 2.5.2 software is now available for download from our product downloads area. This will let you install RQM onto a new computer without the need for an installation CD.

It will also give you version 2.5.2 directly without the need for updating your software immediately after installation.

Be warned, however: the download is quite large (148 MB), and not recommended for users with a dial-up connection.

Advisory: new update from update.microsoft.com

Recently, Microsoft began distributing a Service Pack 3 for Access Runtime 2002 on its update.microsoft.com site. The Access 2002 runtime is the "engine" behind RQM, and this update is recommended for you to install.

However, when you install the update from their site, you may be prompted to insert the "Microsoft Office 2002 Professional with FrontPage" CD in order to successfully install the update (see screenshot of error). This is misleading, as this CD, if you indeed have one, will not allow the update to complete.

Instead, you should insert any RQM 2.x CD when prompted as above. This should allow the update to continue with installation successfully.

New Update: RQM 2.5.1!

We released a new software update, 2.5.1, that can be applied to installations of ReQuest Manager 2.0 or higher.

This update includes several feature enhancements as well as some minor bug fixes. This update is RECOMMENDED for all centers that are currently running versions 2.0 or higher.

Anyone with a current support contract can download the update from the download page.

New Version: RQM 2.5!

We're pleased to announce that RQM version 2.5 was released today! This is a major update that includes many new features and a significant interface overhaul.

You can read about the changes in 2.5 in the release notes.

Anyone with a current support contract can download the update from the downloads page.

New Module: WebScan!

Tired of manually entering all your new resources into your catalog? WebScan is an easy and powerful cataloging tool that automatically searches the web and catalogs your new books for you. Never type in another resource again!

You can view a video demo of the feature here.

For more information on how it works and for pricing, please visit the WebScan page.

New: Thumbnail images on online catalogs

We're happy to announce that we've added thumbnail images to the online catalogs hosted with RQM Web Hosting.

You clients can now see thumbnail images of the cover for many books, DVDs, CDs, etc. when they view the details for a resource on your website catalog. Click on this link to see an example.

You need to enter the ISBN codes for the resources in order for this to work, of course. An easy way to enter them is using a barcode scanner.

RQM 2.2.1: New update

We released a new software update, 2.2.1, that can be applied to installations of ReQuest Manager 2.0 or higher.

This update includes enhanced built-in technical support options, as well as all new features already released in 2.2.0. This update is RECOMMENDED for all centers that are currently running versions 2.0 or higher.

Anyone with a current support contract can download the update from the support page.

New Service: RQMWeb Hosting!

We are pleased to announce a new online service for ReQuest Manager users: RQMWeb ASP hosting. Take advantage of RQM's online catalog feature in all its feature-rich glory! Using only their web browser, your users can search your catalog by simple keyword or powerful, advanced searches, save resources in their shopping cart, and request resources from you by simple email checkout.

Check out the demo at demo.requestmanager.org or go to www.requestmanager.org/hosting.asp to learn more about the service.

RQM Solutions: Using Barcodes

RQM Solutions are tips and creative ideas for getting the most out of RQM!

RQM supports using barcode scanners and custom barcode labels for easily checking out and checking in resources.

When barcoding is enabled, you can use a barcode wand to scan the ISBN codes into your resource fields. For those resources without ISBN codes, you can purchase a barcode printer to print custom labels. When you want to create an invoice for a stack of resources, simply pass the wand over the barcodes to quickly enter them all. If you have a stack of resources to check in, simply scan each barcode and the resources will all be done in a batch!

To inquire about barcode equipment and the barcode module, go to www.requestmanager.org/barcode.asp or contact us by email.

Workaround: Error installing RQM from 2.0.1 CD

Versions affected: 2.0.1 CDs

Symptoms:
When installing RQM 2.0.1 on Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or Windows Server 2003, setup will terminate with the error: "The Office System Pack cannot be installed on this system because it requires Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 6 or later."

Workaround:
Following these steps will allow you to install RQM successfully:

1. Create a new folder on the hard disk of the target computer.

2. Copy all the files from the RQM CD to the new folder.

3. Download the file http://www.requestmanager.org/downloads/dist.zip (about 16 MB) and unzip the files into the new folder.

4. Run Setup.exe from the folder that you created in step 1.

Additional Information:
The issue for Windows XP SP2 or Windows Server 2003 has been resolved for all RQM CDs 2.2.0 and higher.

Configuring RQMWeb ASP

A note to users who are attempting to configure RQMWeb ASP module for publishing their online catalogs:

Before the shopping cart feature will work correctly, you must configure RQMWeb ASP for sending email. To do this, you need to edit the file email.asp (located in C:\Program Files\ReQuest Manager 2\WebASP) and set the values in the first few lines of the file. Instructions are included within the file itself. You can use a text editor such as Notepad for this.

You need to check with your ISP to see what email object(s) they support: CDO, CDONTS, ASPMail, JMail, etc.

RQM Solutions: Create list of new resources

RQM Solutions are tips and creative ideas for getting the most out of RQM!

You can easily create a web page with a list of new resources following these steps:

1. On the resource search page, enter the date range in the "Create Date" field (e.g. 6/1/05-7/1/05) and hit search.
2. Click File menu / Export Data... and then choose "Export data to HTML or other format..."
3. Click "..." next to Template filename and browse for "Catalog Children.tpl" (located in C:\Program Files\ReQuest Manager 2\Templates).
4. Enter a filename ending in ".html" in the Output filename.
5. Click "Export..." to complete and view the file.

Here's a sample page. Once the page is exported, you can use FrontPage or other web page editor to change the look of the page to match your current website.

Add a "What's New" page to your website for every month, or email it to your users to keep them informed.

RQM 2.0 setup fails with limited user permissions on XP

Versions affected: all 2.x

Symptoms:
If you are logged into your computer using a "Normal User", RQM setup will fail because you do not have permissions to install software in the C:\Program Files folder on your computer.

Workaround:
You must log on using a power user or and admin account in order to run setup.

Additional Information:
Please note: in order to run RQM after it has been setup, your user account must have full read/write permissions on the C:\Program File\ReQuest Manager 2 folder, as well as full read/write permissions on the data server folder (you select this location when you install RQM). An admin user can grant these permissions.

Also note: setup will install shortcuts to start RQM only for the user who is currently logged on. See the article "RQM 2.0 setup does not create shortcut for all users" for more information.

RQM Solutions: Use Resource Series

RQM Solutions are tips and creative ideas for getting the most out of RQM!

To easily manage resources that are part of a series (such as a video series), you can create "parent" and "children" resources. The "parent" resource cannot itself be checked out, but it's a part of the catalog that is a placeholder for easily locating all the "children" resources in a series.

If you have a resource series that is already entered in RQM and would like to change them to be a part of a series instead, follow these steps:

1. First, create a new resource that will be the "parent." After giving the series a title, media type and ResCode, be sure to check the box marked "This item is a parent resource." Note that parent resources are denoted by an "=" at the end of the ResCode.
   
2. Next, search for each resource in the series and go to Resource Details page for each.
3. Go into Edit mode by clicking the button in the upper-left corner, and then select the "parent" resource from the list that appears above the resource title.
   
4. If the items are numbered, you can enter the Series # in the box provided.
5. Repeat for each resource you want to be a part of the series.
6. Now, when you view the Resource Details for the parent resource, there is a new tab, "Series" that shows you all the resources in the series. Double-click on a series title to jump to that resource.
   

Now that you have a series created, there is a special feature that lets you easily schedule resources in a series to be shipped to a client over a period of several weeks or months! Follow these steps:

1. First, search for the "parent" resource of the series using Resources / Search. Click on View Details for that resource.
   
2. Next, click the "New Trans..." button. Select the client and proceed to create an invoice.
3. You will see a screen titled "Select Resource Series Items" with a list of all the items in the series. Use the check boxes to select or deselect items to be shipped.
4. If you want to create multiple invoices, spaced one resource per week (or month, etc.), use the "Calculate" button near the top, "Space use dates every ___ days after the first."
5. Click OK and then confirm availability for each resource. An invoice will be created for each unique ship date!

Resource series also appear as a group when you export data or use the resource catalog reports that show children resources.

Enhancements to RQMWeb ASP

We updated the RQMWeb ASP module to include several new features:

• Added Simple/Advanced search options. Default simple “keyword anywhere” searches all text fields for a value.
• Added ResCode, Age Groups, and Vendor fields to advanced search.
• Provides option to choose DB version for greater compatibility with a wider range of ISP servers
• Uses customized age groups from RQM
• Improved search errors

Anyone with a current support contract can download the package from the support page.

RQM 2.2.0: New update

We released a new software update, 2.2.0, that can be applied to installations of ReQuest Manager 2.0 or higher.

This update is RECOMMENDED for all centers who wish to take advantage of the new features, such as customizable age groups, better resizing of forms on screen, enhancements to creating new resources, and enhancements to client records. The full feature list is available here.

Anyone with a current support contract can download the update from the support page.

New RQM blog

This blog is intended for users of ReQuest Manager to be able to stay current with news, updates, and tips for using RQM.

We hope this is one more way you can receive information and support on the software -- use our comments fields for each item to respond with questions, comments, or additional information you think may benefit other users.

Best regards,
The ReQuest Manager Team