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LOGGING ON.......................................................................................................4
SCHEDULING MEDIA..........................................................................................6
MEDIA SERVER SELECTIONS ...........................................................................7
FIND AND RESERVE MEDIA ..............................................................................8
VIEW RESERVED SCHEDULE..........................................................................10
BROWSER BASED REMOTE CONTROL .........................................................11
CHANGE PASSWORD.......................................................................................12
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ................................................................13
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Access MLS is a state of the art media retrieval system. This system will allow
you to enhance your students' learning experience by simplifying the introduction
of media content into your curriculum.
Access MLS is a browser based system that works through your school's
intranet. The system will allow you to:
Search your facility's media library for course related VCR, DVD, MPEG2, Laser
Disc and 8mm as well as other media support materials.
Schedule VCR, DVD, MPEG2 and Laser Disc media for automatic availability on
classroom televisions.
Schedule 8mm media for delivery to your classroom at a predetermined time.
Control active media from the classroom with a simple hand held remote control
or through a browser based interface.
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Logging On
If you have entered the correct address into your web browser, you’ll be greeted
with the login screen.
If you’re authorized to use the system, you should have been given a username
and password. Enter your username and password into these fields and click
login.
If this is your first time logging in, you may be greeted with the Change Password
page. If so, the new password must be different from the old password. Enter
your new password into the Password and Verify fields. Remember, passwords
are case sensitive.
This means “MypAsSwOrD22” is different than
“mypassword22”.
If your system administrator requires secure passwords, then your new password
must contain at least 6 characters, and at least two of the characters must be
non-alpha. So “hello123” is legal while “hello” is not (too few characters, no nonalpha), while "m!y@pwd" is legal. If you don't enter a legal password, the system
will re-prompt you for a new one until you do.
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Once you’ve changed your password, you’re presented with the main menu.
The main menu allows users to manage media retrieval or change their
password.
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Scheduling Media
In order to schedule a media event, simply click on the Media Retrieval Button
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Media Server Selections
The Media Server provides four choices. Users may find and reserve media,
view reserved schedule, control reserved media via the browser based remote
control or return to the login screen.
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Find and reserve media
The Find and Reserve Media screen features a simple to use browser based
search utility. Users simply enter all or part of any key words, press Go, and are
rewarded with all media database records which have a matching text string in
their title, subject, or summary.
Users may click the + key next to a selection to read more detailed record
information, or click a selection to schedule playback (DVDs, Laserdiscs) or
schedule delivery (filmstrips, etc). If the media is of a digital format, users may
opt to preview the media on their desktop or begin the show on their television
set immediately.
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When scheduling playback users simply select the room number where the
media presentation will occur and the period and date(s) when the media should
be available for that room. Click Done to complete the operation.
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View Reserved Schedule
When View Reserved Schedule is selected, the user is greeted with a listing of
all of their scheduled media content.
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Browser based remote control
Access MLS features the capability to
control your scheduled media from
either a hand held (if so equipped) or
browser based remote control. By
selecting the desired channel, an
appropriate remote control for the
applicable source (DVD, VCR, etc) will
appear. By pointing and clicking with
the mouse, the user may control the
active media.
The advanced, and or principal remote, available to specifically assigned
individuals and shown below, provides the additional functionality of:
1) initiating video pages to individual or zoned televisions throughout the school.
2) sending text messages to individual or zoned televisions throughout the
school.
3) Starting events on individual or zoned televisions throughout the school.
The advanced remote and
the principal remote look the
same. The principal remote
has higher priority.
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Change password
Users may change their password at any time.
Enter the new password into the “Password:” field. Retype it into the “Verify:”
field. Click the Update button to change it.
Remember your password! Also, passwords are case sensitive. This means
“MypAsSwOrD22” is different than “mypassword22”.
The new password must be different from the old password.
If your system administrator requires secure passwords, then your new password
must contain at least 6 characters, and at least two of the characters must be
non-alpha. So “hello123” is legal while “hello” is not (too few characters, no nonalpha), while "m!y@pwd" is legal. If you don't enter a legal password, the system
will re-prompt you for a new one until you do.
If you forget your password, call your Access MLS administrator to get a new
one.
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Frequently asked questions
How do I log in?
If you’ve entered the correct address into your web browser, you’ll be greeted
with the login screen.
If you’re authorized to use the system, you should have been given a user name
and password. Enter your user name and password into these fields and click
login.
If this is your first time logging in, you’ll be greeted with the Change Password
page. The temporary password you were given at the start was too easy to
guess! Now you have to change it to something only you could know. The new
password must be different from the old password, contain at least 6 characters,
and at least two of the characters must be non-alpha. So “hello123” is legal
while “hello” is not (too few characters, no non-alpha), while “m!y@pwd” is legal.
If you don’t enter a legal password, the system will re-prompt you for a new one
until you do.
Enter your new password into the Password and Verify fields and click on the
Update button.
Once you’ve changed your password, you’re presented with the main menu.
What happens if I login and leave the system unattended or forget to
logout?
Access MLS will eventually time out and force you back to the login if you forget
to logout, but please remember to logout to prevent unauthorized use.
Why does the system force me to login each time even though I bookmark
the main menu?
This is a security feature. If someone were able to bookmark the main page,
they wouldn’t have to login in! This would make logging in completely useless.
For this reason, Access MLS can only be accessed through the login page, no
matter where you bookmark it.
Why does the system use cookies? Can I use Access MLS without using
cookies?
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Cookies are used to store information about your current session. For example,
the name you are logged in under, the things you have previously done (For
example, if you expand the details about a show, it remembers this so that the
show will still be expanded if you come back to view that same page it later).
They are basically variables used to hold the state of properties in your session
and are typically lost when you log out or your session ends. So the answer is
no, you can’t use Access MLS without turning the cookies option on in your web
browser.
How do I schedule something to play in my classroom?
From the main menu, click the “Find & Reserve Media” button. In the “Search
for:” field, enter the text you’d like the system to search for. This can be the title,
author’s name, subject, summary, or any other word(s) you may use to identify
the record. Access MLS will search the online database for your records once
you click the Go button.
Once you have located what you’re looking for, click on the title's link. This will
bring you to a page where you will be able to select the Delivery Method. If the
title has a digital copy, you can schedule it for Immediate Playback by clicking on
the link. Otherwise, clicking on Scheduled Playback will bring you to the date
selection page. This is where you tell the system on which date and period you’d
like the copy. Select the period when you want the title and then click on the
desired date on the calendar. If the title is available, you'll see it added to your
list of reserved titles. If it isn’t, you’ll see a message telling you that the selection
is unavailable for that time and you need to select a different date or period.
Clicking on "Done" will finish the reservation process.
What if I want to schedule something, but I want to watch it in a different
classroom?
Access MLS works from any computer connected to the network. If you’ll be in a
different classroom for the showing, simply choose the new room number from
the drop down list when you schedule the media. Then log in on a computer in
that location. You’ll be able to control your video from the new location the same
way you would have from your classroom.
What if I just want to schedule something to be delivered to my classroom?
The process is the same as scheduling something for playback on the classroom
television. You tell the system to deliver your request by selecting “Scheduled
Delivery” before you select a date.
After you’ve selected the date, you will see it added to your list of reserved titles.
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If it isn’t available on the date you're requesting, you’ll see an error message and
have the opportunity to adjust your request.
How do I schedule things like software and filmstrips?
Access MLS knows which media can be displayed on your television and which
media needs to be delivered. If you select media that must be delivered, the
system will realize this and will only allow you to schedule it for delivery.
Can I schedule more than one thing for a period?
Yes. After you’ve made your first selection, click on the “Find & Reserve Media”
button from the main menu. Then make another selection for the same period.
How do I check up on my requests? How do I cancel a request?
From the main menu, click the “View Reserved Schedule” button. This shows
you a list of the media you have coming up, as well as past selections.
You can delete any listing by selecting the radio button next to the selection and
clicking on the delete button on the bottom of the page. This will cancel your
request.
I have something I scheduled for playback over the TV in my classroom.
How do I control it?
To control a playback device (laserdisc, VCR…), click “Remote Control” from the
main menu. Or use the handheld remote control if your system is equipped for
IR control.
After clicking on the Remote Control from the main menu, if your system does
not support automatic television control, you will see a list of shows that you have
scheduled for the current time. Click the selection you want to control, and the
system will display a virtual remote. Tune your TV to the channel displayed on
the remote to view your event. If you have selected more than one show for a
given time, and you want to switch from one show to another, simply click the
“Remote Control” selection from the banner at the top of the page, select the
other show and tune to the new channel.
If your system does support automatic television control, you will be taken
straight to the virtual remote. If you have not been assigned a default viewing
location (room), your events will not begin automatically and you must click the
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start events button on the virtual remote to begin your events. This is similar to
logging into a TV with the handheld remote using your administrator assigned
passcode. If you have selected more than one show for a given time, and you
want to switch from one show to another, simply use the "Channel Up” and
“Channel Down” keys on the virtual remote or on your handheld remote control.
When you are done viewing your events, you should click on the "Stop Events"
button to end them.
Do I have to keep going back to the main menu to add new selections or
access the virtual remote?
No. All functions are listed at the top of each page. If you want to jump to a
different menu, simply click on it at the top of the page.
How do I change my password?
From the main menu, click the “Change Password” button. Enter the new
password into the "Password:" field. Retype it into the “Verify:” field. Click the
Update button to change it.
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