ServiceNow Ticketing Systems
Table of contents
- Overview of Systems
- General ServiceNow Instructions
- Determining Which Form to Use
- Form Selection Based on Migration Status
- Workflow Impact Ramifications Based on Type of Access Requested
- When to Submit an MDR/DAR Form Yourself or When to Direct a Patron to the Permissions Team
- Handling VIP Requests
Overview of Systems
Digital Access Request (DAR)
- Purpose: The DAR system is designed for requesting access to digital files of the following types:
- Digitized images
- Digitized Audio and Moving Image (AMI) materials
- Born-digital AMI materials
- Born-digital archives
- Usage: Use the DAR system when you need access to already digitized materials or born-digital content that is stored in our digital repository.
Media Digitization Request (MDR)
- Purpose: The MDR system initiates the work required to digitize physical AMI items that have not been previously digitized.
- Usage: Use the MDR system when requesting digitization of physical audio or video materials that are not yet available in digital format.
Digital Repair Request (DRR)
- Purpose: The DRR system is for reporting any digital resources in need of repair to the Digital Research team. It applies to the following:
- Digitized images
- Digitized Audio and Moving Image (AMI) materials
- Born-digital AMI materials
- Born-digital archives
- Usage: Use the DRR system to report digital resources that appear to be flawed. This process triggers an investigation that may not always result in an improved file. For Digitized AMI assets, this might involve a poor or problematic transfer that could require a new digitization attempt (e.g., subpar vendor digitization that might benefit from an in-house attempt), or a corrupted file that may need to be repaired or manipulated. Before submitting a DRR, check the item’s migration status and any “Issues” recorded in SPEC, as these may indicate problems that cannot be resolved.
General ServiceNow Instructions
Accessing ServiceNow
ServiceNow can be accessed via LAIR under the Staff Tools section.
Navigating to the Forms
From the ServiceNow landing page, click on “Make a Request,” then select “Digital Research Requests” to access the DAR, MDR, and DRR forms.
Confirmation of Receipt
After submitting a ticket, you will receive an email with the subject line “Media digitization [or Digital access, etc.] request no. MDR/DAR/DRR000XXX has been submitted” confirming the details of your request.
Checking the Status of Your Open Tickets
From the ServiceNow homepage, you can review the status of all your open requests by clicking on “Tickets” in the upper right corner. Clicking on an individual ticket will direct you to a page that provides more detail on the status of the ticket, including the “State,” the “Assignment Group,” and the person the ticket has been “Assigned To.”
Communicating with the Assigned Person
To communicate directly with the person assigned to your ticket through the ServiceNow platform (our preference, as this correspondence will be part of the record for this project), you can add notes to the “Additional Comments” field.
Determining Which Form to Use
Migration Status in SPEC
Before submitting either a DAR or MDR for access to AMI materials, it’s important to first determine the item’s “Migration Status” in our collection management system, SPEC. Here’s how to do it:
Steps to Check Migration Status in SPEC
- Log into SPEC:
- Access SPEC and log in using your credentials.
- Navigate to Object Search:
- From the SPEC landing page, click on “Search all objects” under the Objects heading.
- Search for the Item:
- You can search for your items using one of the following methods:
- Description keyword: Enter keywords related to the item’s description.
- Barcode: If you have the item’s barcode, enter it here.
- Any ID: Use this to search for an AMI item’s unique six-digit AMI ID or an item’s historical classmark.
- You can search for your items using one of the following methods:
- Review Search Results:
- After clicking “Search,” if you receive a match, click on the item’s name to view its object record.
- Locate Migration/Digitization Status:
- On the left side of the object record, scroll down to find “Migration/Digitization Status.”
Important Note on Migration Statuses
- Simple vs. Complex Statuses
- Simple Status: This will initially display as either “Migrated,” “Migration target,” or “Will not migrate.”
- Migration target: If the status is marked as “Migration target,” it’s beneficial to click on the status. This will open a window revealing the item’s complex status.
- Complex Status: The complex status may provide additional details that are crucial for determining the next steps. For example, an item marked as “Migration target” in the simple status might have a complex status indicating special treatment is required, such as “AMI re-batch: vendor (mold).” This indicates that the item’s digitization was attempted but could not be completed due to condition issues, and it may need to be sent to a specialty vendor. Understanding the complex status is important because it impacts the timeline and process for accessing the item.
- Will not migrate: If an item is marked as “Will not migrate,” it should not be requested for digitization. This status means that the item cannot be digitized, typically due to severe condition issues, the item being blank (e.g., empty media or unrecorded content), or other factors that make digitization technically unfeasible.
- Migration target: If the status is marked as “Migration target,” it’s beneficial to click on the status. This will open a window revealing the item’s complex status.
- Simple Status: This will initially display as either “Migrated,” “Migration target,” or “Will not migrate.”
Form Selection Based on Migration Status
- If the item is marked as “Migrated”: Submit a DAR to request access to the digital file.
- If the item is marked as “Migration target”: Submit an MDR to initiate the digitization process.
Handling Partially Digitized Groups
- Scenario: When requesting access to a group of items where some have a migration status of “Migrated” and others “Unmigrated”:
- Action: Submit the appropriate form based on the status of each item:
- For “Migrated” items: Submit a DAR for the digital files.
- For “Migration target” items: Submit an MDR to initiate digitization.
- Note: In some cases, it may be necessary to submit both a DAR and an MDR if the request involves a mixed group of items.
- Action: Submit the appropriate form based on the status of each item:
Workflow Impact Ramifications Based on Type of Access Requested
Understanding Access Impact
Both the DAR and MDR forms include questions designed to determine the type of access needed for the requested digital files. The type of access—whether on-site or off-site—has significant workflow implications:
ServiceNow Forms Ask the Following Questions to Determine Impact
- Item Usage:
- Options include:
- Reading Room
- Reading Room Access
- NYPL Exhibition or Program
- Non-NYPL Exhibition or Program
- Donor Request
- Patron Request Off-site
- Patron Request On-site
- Options include:
- Method of Viewing Files:
- Options include:
- Early Access Viewer (EAVie)
- Digital Archives Workstation
- Direct File Transfer
- Options include:
Implications of Access Type
- External Access (Off-Site)
- Items shared externally will be subject to a copyright review by the Rights and Legal departments. Legal may require a permissions agreement to be issued to the external party, and requesters will be contacted by the Rights department with further instructions in these cases. Requests that are not approved for VIP status due to copyright issues should be submitted to the Permissions Department.
- On-Site Access
- On-site access is generally simpler and does not require the additional steps of rights clearance or VIP approval. The requested files can be made available more quickly since they remain within the Library’s controlled environment.
When to Submit an MDR/DAR Form Yourself or When to Direct a Patron to the Permissions Team
Determining the Appropriate Action
It’s important to understand when to submit an MDR or DAR form yourself and when to direct a patron to the Permissions team. This distinction is critical, especially in cases involving off-site usage of digital materials.
- Off-Site Usage:
- Permissions Process: If a patron requires off-site usage of digital materials, they must go through the Permissions process. This includes Rights Clearance and other necessary approvals. Permissions requests are paid for by the patron, which typically results in an expedited process compared to unpaid requests for access to items not yet digitized or those available only in a Reading Room.
- When to Direct to Permissions: If you determine that the patron’s request involves off-site usage and requires permissions, direct them to the Permissions team rather than submitting a DAR/MDR form yourself.
- On-Site Usage:
- Simpler Process: On-site usage of materials does not generally require the same level of permissions clearance. In these cases, you can submit a DAR or MDR form yourself, depending on whether the item is already digitized or needs to be digitized.
Handling VIP Requests
Special Considerations for VIP Requests
Although the DAR and MDR forms do not include a designated field for noting a request’s VIP status, choosing “Donor request” under item usage generally prompts further discussion on the necessary steps. Requesters are also encouraged to use the “Notes” field to provide additional details, which can help streamline the process.
- Process for VIP Requests: While VIP requests are managed similarly to other requests, there are instances where the Rights Clearance process may be waived. This can occur with the express approval of Senior Leaders, who are part of a specific assignment group in ServiceNow. Once a request is flagged as VIP, these leaders will be involved through ticket assignment after an initial review.