I've worked at a few educational libraries that run term-length loans - the reader can keep it til the end of the term unless someone else requests it. Also, my current library defaults to a 90 day loan on the same principle, precisely because our members are rather far flung. I wouldn't go longer than that, people tend to misplace books they have on long term loan, and then think they've returned them. It might be useful to send out a monthly reminder - "you have the following items on loan, and here are their due dates. . . "
On Thu, Apr 17, 2014 at 9:09 PM, Miller, Tim <tim-mil...@redwoods.edu>wrote: > That loan period is a really good idea, Viktor- it's like Bookmobile loans > but with carry-out! > If we could figure out a way to automatically set up this kind of > alternative loan period based on the patron's address (e.g. longer loans > for people living 20+ miles away), that'd be brilliant. Our staff already > often make this type of exception to folks who live prohibitively far away, > so it'd be better to have it as an actual policy and coded into Koha. > But I'm not sure I am comfortable with 'as long as you like'... maybe > two/three x's the normal loan period or equal to the max renewal period. In > my experience, no due date = lost under the sofa/pile of dirty laundry. ;o) > > Tim Miller > Library Technician > College of the Redwoods Library > 7351 Tompkins Hill Rd. > Eureka, CA 95501-9300 > (707) 476-4256 > > -----Original Message----- > From: Koha [mailto:koha-boun...@lists.katipo.co.nz] On Behalf Of HOWES, > Steve > Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2014 6:05 AM > To: 'koha@lists.katipo.co.nz' > Subject: Re: [Koha] Possible APP development > > * Create new rules that guarantees a patron a certain loan period but > allows them to keep the book for as long as they like as long as no > reserves are made. Contact the patron when somebody places a hold on the > title with a ”Others have requested the book, and you now have X days to > return it”. > > This functionality is something our senior management are interested in > regardless of an app :-) > > Best Wishes, > Steve > > -----Original Message----- > From: Koha [mailto:koha-boun...@lists.katipo.co.nz] On Behalf Of > viktor.sa...@regionhalland.se > Sent: 17 April 2014 11:47 > To: koha@lists.katipo.co.nz > Subject: Re: [Koha] Possible APP development > > Great input Tim! An app that can’t talk to the server for ages do provide > some challenges and I like how you work around them. > > I’ll just throw some other ideas in the mix to make shure we look at the > problem at hand from all perspectives: > > Problem to solve: provide library service where there are no internet > connection and/or phone. > > Ideas: > * Automatically renew loans serverside when possible. Contact the patron > through snailmail, e-mail or SMS when renewals are no longer possible and > set a few days as grace period. > * Create new rules that guarantees a patron a certain loan period but > allows them to keep the book for as long as they like as long as no > reserves are made. Contact the patron when somebody places a hold on the > title with a ”Others have requested the book, and you now have X days to > return it”. > * Set up at phone based service with speech synthesis for those who have > 2G connections or landline. > * Allow renewals after the book is already late (if it isn’t already > possible. A quick peek in system preferences points at ”no”) > > That said I have WiFi/3G/4G everywhere I go and I do love my apps :) > > Kind regards/Viktor Sarge > > Viktor Sarge > Utvecklingsledare > Regionbibliotek Halland > Kultur i Halland > > TFN: 035-17 98 73 > E-POST: viktor.sa...@regionhalland.se<mailto:viktor.sa...@regionhalland.se > > > BESÖKSADRESS: Södra vägen 9, 30180 Halmstad > WEBB: www.regionhalland.se/regionbibliotek< > http://www.regionhalland.se/regionbibliotek> > > > > > > > > > > > 15 apr 2014 kl. 23:50 skrev Miller, Tim <tim-mil...@redwoods.edu<mailto: > tim-mil...@redwoods.edu>>: > > That's interesting, Susan- I have a different take on the usefulness of > apps in areas with poor connectivity. Though I'm definitely not saying it > won't work. > > I'd argue that patchy internet access is the main issue to resolve when > creating and promoting a native app that patrons will rely on to complete > important transactions. I see very few problems with native app > functionality in areas with adequate internet/cell service- most of the > usability issues arise when service is poor. Perhaps the area where I live > has worse access to internet and cell service than your community, but my > library is also in a rural area and includes communities with no service at > all (cell or internet). The infrastructure is limited. > However, many of our patrons simply cannot afford internet service at > home- even if it is available (the economy here is quite depressed). > Since a native app would still need to communicate with the library's ILS > to complete any transactions (which requires connecting to the internet), > there are some major problems that I see. Examples: if a patron renews in > the app while offline, but the app can't communicate with the library's > server; if a patron's app cannot be updated about a hold that has become > available, they won't receive the push notification. > > To the average patron, it is not clear how such apps work and how they > need to connect to the ILS to ensure that the transaction is completed. > A patron may be able to renew an item in the app, but the app won't > necessarily be able to communicate that renewal to the ILS. As the > circulation coordinator, this is one of the major problems that I see. > Who is at fault? What is the library's accountability for an app that is > misunderstood by the patrons? > > This is not to say that native apps cannot be useful in areas where > connectivity is spotty- but certain issues unique to such areas need to be > considered. I should clarify that I'm certainly not arguing that a > web-based app would work in these conditions (it clearly would not), but > these confusions would not come up, either. Regardless, it is certainly > possible to build a good native app to provide offline services to patrons, > they simply require a few considerations not only in the design of the app > itself but also in the policies and procedures of the library. For an area > similar to where I live, I think that having a notification system using > SMS would be best- it's easier for texts to get through in areas with > spotty/slow cell service. Native apps can use SMS to send push > notifications, but the patrons need to be made aware that they can be > charged for those by their cell phone company. > > My suggestions for creating an app with the intent to provide offline > services: > *Use SMS to send notifications (not necessarily all data needs to be > updated with SMS, only the time-sensitive data) *Do not show items as > renewed (don't update due dates) until the data has made it to the server- > display due dates based on the ILS database, not based on local storage > (pull the due date data from the ILS, don't use the data typed into the > device). > *When renewals aren't completed immediately, use pop-up alerts to notify > patrons that the item cannot be renewed until data is sent (when there is > no current internet connection). > *Educate users on the importance of setting up the push notifications > appropriately- the device won't need to look for updates constantly and > drain the battery (which can be magnified when the device is having a hard > time finding a signal to begin with), but it will need to update at least > daily (which will help ensure that hold notifications don't get missed). > *Educate users on the use of the app when disconnected from service for > extended periods of time- use a pop-up alert to notify offline patrons that > transactions made will not be completed until they connect (e.g. > patrons who live in a pocket with no service and will be home for days in > a row cannot expect to receive notifications or complete transactions). > Perhaps create a notification that tells the user when the app has not > gotten an update in the last x number of hours) *Within the ILS, be sure to > use a different set of criteria for data sent from an app- e.g. if a user > renews an item at 11:58pm on their app and it doesn't update the server > until 12:01am the next day, be sure to not allow that to generate overdue > fines (use a timestamp to determine the time of renewal and apply it > retroactively?). > *If using SMS to send notifications, be sure to allow the patron to > determine what types of notifications they want/don't want to receive. > Be sure to notify them that they may be charged for such notifications. > > Another tangential issue (which is fairly germane to this conversation) > which enters my mind when developing new electronic services (and in this > case, native apps specifically) is the creation of library services > targeted at select brands of devices and operating systems. If the library > creates iPhone and Android apps, is it in keeping with the library's > mission to devote resources that will not be available to Windows, > Blackberry and Symbian users? Does the library need to ensure that the same > services are available across all apps? Will the limitations of one > OS/device determine the limitations of the other OS/devices? Perhaps only > certain types of services (renewals, holds) are important enough to be > considered in this type of discussion. Perhaps your library decides these > are non-issues. Perhaps user surveys demonstrate that Blackberry and > Symbian users do not use library services (yet). But it's something to > think about. > > Good luck with the app! I look forward to seeing it. > > > > Tim Miller > Library Technician > College of the Redwoods Library > 7351 Tompkins Hill Rd. > Eureka, CA 95501-9300 > (707) 476-4256 > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Koha [mailto:koha-boun...@lists.katipo.co.nz] On Behalf Of Sue > McMillan > Sent: Monday, April 14, 2014 1:24 PM > To: koha@lists.katipo.co.nz<mailto:koha@lists.katipo.co.nz> > Subject: Re: [Koha] Possible APP development > > Thanks for everyone's input. The different views are interesting. > > I see one of the major advantages of having an app that uses push > notifications is that here in NZ internet access for people outside of the > major centres is patchy at best. Connecting to a webpage over a cell phone > network or even a landline is near impossible in rural areas as the > connection is weak and/or drops out continuously. High speed broadband is > limited to major cities. Towns outside of these areas have broadband but > at very low speeds. Some (un)lucky places still have dial up. > > Most rural cell phone connections get enough signal send and receive texts > but not phone calls, and definitely not enough to load a webpage. > > > Personally I would much rather have an app that sends me notifications > alerting me to the need to renew books or that a held item is ready for > collection than remember to login to a webpage. > > Regards > Susan McMillan > Cataloguing and Systems Administrator| South Taranaki District Council > 105-111 Albion St, Hawera 4610 | Private Bag 902, Hawera 4640, NZ > Phone: +64 6 278 0555 | Cell: | www.southtaranaki.com< > http://www.southtaranaki.com> > > > > This e-mail and any attachments may contain confidential and privileged > information. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the > sender immediately by return e-mail, delete this e-mail and destroy any > copies. 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