Re: [CODE4LIB] Can a library automate without a computer yet?
You may want to take a look at: http://librarysupportstaff.com/4automate.html There are several free and low cost solutions but I don't know if there is one that will be a viable solution for you. Sounds like you need a self checkout system like the 3m unit that connects to III although that particular system would be priced way outside your budget. But the idea is a patron scans there card, mag stripe or bar code and then scans bar code from book/books. Still it would be the honor system. You may want to check other links from the Google I used: Linux personal library software with bar code Thomas On Friday 23 September 2011 18:27:33 you wrote: Apologies if this is the wrong forum, but if anyone can point me in the right direction... We have an unstaffed library and can't leave a computer in it. Is there a way to automate 1) with no computer - do circulation and catalog in the cloud. Volunteers bring in laptops to do circulation and clients access catalog with iphones 2) that doesn't cost a fortune Thanks so much Rowan -- == Thomas McMillan Grant Bennett Appalachian State University Operations Systems AnalystP O Box 32026 University LibraryBoone, North Carolina 28608 (828) 262 6587 Library Systems Help Desk: https://www.library.appstate.edu/help/ ==
Re: [CODE4LIB] Can a library automate without a computer yet?
From the person in a position to know: We have not yet figured out pricing. We are definitely considering the needs of the developing nations but don't have answers yet. At this point we are most focused on the feature set that can be activated with no human intervention. Looking for the intersection of the basic need and most automatable (that probably is not a word). Roy On Sun, Sep 25, 2011 at 3:14 PM, rowan eisner rowaneis...@gmail.com wrote: Ok, I tried to sign up for WSSL and you have to be in US. Also, if it will cost 'a cup of coffee a day' am I right that would be at least $700 a year? That's our entire annual budget. So probably only for first world countries anyway. And you're meant to have one or two full-time staff which we don't have. Still, I'll email them and see what they say. There are probably 1000s of 3rd world libraries doing everything manually still and if there are economies of scale we may be able to afford it. Cheers Rowan On 24 September 2011 17:10, David Mayo pobo...@gmail.com wrote: It's so experimental, that it's having a Free *Trail*. That is a good suggestion, by the way - I'm just amused by the typo. It appears twice on this page, once on the sign-up page, and perhaps elsewhere. Also, absolutely is misspelled as absolutley on the sign-up page. - Dave Mayo On Sat, Sep 24, 2011 at 6:45 PM, Roy Tennant roytenn...@gmail.com wrote: Actually, I have an even better option from OCLC: Web Site for Small Libraries (WSSL) http://experimental.worldcat.org/lib/ It is really aimed at very small libraries, so it is very easy to use but still has some basic circulation capabilities. It's in free trial mode now, so take a look and see if it does what you need. Roy Tennant OCLC Research On Sat, Sep 24, 2011 at 12:22 AM, JONATHAN LEBRETON lebre...@temple.edu wrote: You may be able to do something with OCLCs so-called Web Management System whereby your OPAC (in the form of WorldCat local.) and circ functions are in the cloud.. Jonathan LeBreton Senior Associate University Librarian Temple University Libraries Philadelphia PA 19122 Voice: 215-204-3184 Fax: 215-204-5201 Mobile: 215-284-5070 lebre...@temple.edu jonat...@temple.edu - Original Message - From: rowan eisner [mailto:rowaneis...@gmail.com] Sent: Friday, September 23, 2011 11:51 PM To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Can a library automate without a computer yet? Hi Dave It's an honesty system, card based, the way most community libraries used to work before computers. Because it's unstaffed about 15% of books aren't returned but we get a similar amount of donations. So we have that constant churn to take in and out of a card catalog manually. We need borrowers to be able to check out books. I was thinking maybe with a scanner attached to an iphone running an app. I didn't think librarything could do circulation. I thought it was just a catalog. What do you reckon? Cheers Rowan On 23 September 2011 21:34, David Mayo pobo...@gmail.com wrote: I think it's going to be difficult to find a solution that's entirely cloud based. What functionality do you need? If you have a very limited subset of ILS/OPAC functions in mind, theoretically a LibraryThing paid account or similar quasi-library service might suffice. I'm having trouble understanding how circulation works/is expected to work when librarians aren't present. Is there a sign-out sheet? How do you monitor for lossage? - Dave Mayo On Fri, Sep 23, 2011 at 10:42 PM, rowan eisner rowaneis...@gmail.com wrote: Thanks Esme No, the library is open all hours but volunteers just come in 2 hrs a week. I'm not sure how it could work but if we leave anything plugged in it will get stolen or struck by lightning. We're in cloud forest. With koha and open-ils do we have to run the software on a server or do we just get an account on an existing system? Running a system ourselves might take a lot for us to figure out. Cheers Rowan On 23 September 2011 16:38, Cowles, Esme escow...@ucsd.edu wrote: Rowan- Having a hosted catalog and circ system seems very easy to do. There are several open source library systems such as Koha and Evergreen that might suit your needs: http://www.koha.org/ http://open-ils.org/ Are there volunteers present the entire time the library is open to borrowers? Or are you counting on borrowers having smartphones to complete self-checkout? -Esme -- Esme Cowles escow...@ucsd.edu I don't need to be forgiven. -- The Who, Baba O'Reilly On Sep 23, 2011, at 3:27 PM, rowan eisner wrote: Apologies if
[CODE4LIB] Call for Authors (Please excuse cross posting)
Hello All, I have been contracted to do a book on the future of automation in the academic library by IGI Publishers. The working title is “Robots in Academic Libraries: Advancements in Library Automation,” and it will be part of the book series, Advances in Library Information Science (ALIS). The book will be 15+ chapters, with a total of at least 135,000 words. I am looking for contributors to write individual chapters at around 10,000 words. The specific subjects are the increasing and future automation of the following areas of the academic library. •Acquisitions •Collection Development •Cataloging •Circulation •Inter-library loan •The Future of the ILS •Public Interface Design •Library Management (especially hiring decisions) Additionally I am looking for very high level chapters that look at automation in academic libraries in conjunction with changing University environments as well as the changing needs of students and faculty. Other chapters dealing with this subject are also highly desirable. Please contact me at edward.igles...@ccsu.edu or this address. Thanks, Edward Iglesias Systems Librarian Central Connecticut State University
[CODE4LIB] Northwestern University Library Librarian Vacancy Announcement
Northwestern University Library Librarian Vacancy Announcement Northwestern University Library invites nominations and applications for the position of Assistant Head of the Digital Collections Department, which is a unit of the library organization that advances the University's teaching and research mission by providing digitization services and support to Northwestern faculty and graduate students. The assistant head is responsible for conceptual development and execution of digital library projects and related services. The assistant head supervises staff engaged in digital conversion and digital project management and assists with implementation of digital archiving and curation services. For more information about this position, go to http://www.library.northwestern.edu/about/library-administration/jobs. QUALIFICATIONS INCLUDE: Masters degree from an ALA accredited program in library and information science or equivalent combination of education and relevant library experience. At least 3 years of experience working in an academic library setting, specializing in digital libraries, information services, repository services, or a related area. Supervisory experience and project management experience. Excellent interpersonal, communication, and collaboration skills. TO APPLY: Send letter of application, resume or vita, and names of three references to the attention of Roxanne Sellberg, Associate University Librarian for Administrative Services, electronically to library-personnel at northwestern.edu. Applications received by October 30, 2011 will receive first consideration. Northwestern University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Employment eligibility verification required upon hire. Karen D. Miller Monographic/Digital Projects Cataloger Bibliographic Services Dept. Northwestern University Library Evanston, IL k-miller3 at northwestern.edu 847-467-3462
Re: [CODE4LIB] Can a library automate without a computer yet?
Here's an example of the kind of thing I'm talking about when I say micro-development board: http://technabob.com/blog/2011/02/03/dreamplug-mini-power-plug-computer/This isn't the best example - it's obviously being sold to a certain extent as novelty hardware, and it shows, but something like this could work fairly well as a web server for the area. You can actually get substantially cheaper than this, if you're willing to do some digging and/or do some component assembly - although, of course, then your mailing expenses might rise. It won't solve the lightning problem (which is fascinating/terrifying to me - outlet to device arcing is freaky!), but many of the small linux single-board computers are low enough power draw that an APC or other battery solution could run them for a long time off of wall power; you'd need someone to unplug it when the storm was coming, but that's going to be true of the iPhone, too, likely. If you were able to find or build the right software, I could see something like this working as a server, with an iPod touch serving as the scanner, for example. You could also (if you got one with a video output) attach a scanner via USB, and use it for both check-in and check-out. If you do go the iDevice route (or Android, etc), you might be able to get away without a physical scanner attached - there are several apps that do barcode recognition through the devices' cameras. Hope at least some of this is helpful. - Dave On Mon, Sep 26, 2011 at 10:24 AM, Roy Tennant roytenn...@gmail.com wrote: From the person in a position to know: We have not yet figured out pricing. We are definitely considering the needs of the developing nations but don't have answers yet. At this point we are most focused on the feature set that can be activated with no human intervention. Looking for the intersection of the basic need and most automatable (that probably is not a word). Roy On Sun, Sep 25, 2011 at 3:14 PM, rowan eisner rowaneis...@gmail.com wrote: Ok, I tried to sign up for WSSL and you have to be in US. Also, if it will cost 'a cup of coffee a day' am I right that would be at least $700 a year? That's our entire annual budget. So probably only for first world countries anyway. And you're meant to have one or two full-time staff which we don't have. Still, I'll email them and see what they say. There are probably 1000s of 3rd world libraries doing everything manually still and if there are economies of scale we may be able to afford it. Cheers Rowan On 24 September 2011 17:10, David Mayo pobo...@gmail.com wrote: It's so experimental, that it's having a Free *Trail*. That is a good suggestion, by the way - I'm just amused by the typo. It appears twice on this page, once on the sign-up page, and perhaps elsewhere. Also, absolutely is misspelled as absolutley on the sign-up page. - Dave Mayo On Sat, Sep 24, 2011 at 6:45 PM, Roy Tennant roytenn...@gmail.com wrote: Actually, I have an even better option from OCLC: Web Site for Small Libraries (WSSL) http://experimental.worldcat.org/lib/ It is really aimed at very small libraries, so it is very easy to use but still has some basic circulation capabilities. It's in free trial mode now, so take a look and see if it does what you need. Roy Tennant OCLC Research On Sat, Sep 24, 2011 at 12:22 AM, JONATHAN LEBRETON lebre...@temple.edu wrote: You may be able to do something with OCLCs so-called Web Management System whereby your OPAC (in the form of WorldCat local.) and circ functions are in the cloud.. Jonathan LeBreton Senior Associate University Librarian Temple University Libraries Philadelphia PA 19122 Voice: 215-204-3184 Fax: 215-204-5201 Mobile: 215-284-5070 lebre...@temple.edu jonat...@temple.edu - Original Message - From: rowan eisner [mailto:rowaneis...@gmail.com] Sent: Friday, September 23, 2011 11:51 PM To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Can a library automate without a computer yet? Hi Dave It's an honesty system, card based, the way most community libraries used to work before computers. Because it's unstaffed about 15% of books aren't returned but we get a similar amount of donations. So we have that constant churn to take in and out of a card catalog manually. We need borrowers to be able to check out books. I was thinking maybe with a scanner attached to an iphone running an app. I didn't think librarything could do circulation. I thought it was just a catalog. What do you reckon? Cheers Rowan On 23 September 2011 21:34, David Mayo pobo...@gmail.com wrote: I think it's going to be difficult to find a solution that's entirely cloud based. What functionality do you need? If you have a
Re: [CODE4LIB] Can a library automate without a computer yet?
On Sun, Sep 25, 2011 at 3:14 PM, rowan eisner rowaneis...@gmail.com wrote: Ok, I tried to sign up for WSSL and you have to be in US. Also, if it will cost 'a cup of coffee a day' am I right that would be at least $700 a year? That's our entire annual budget. So probably only for first world countries anyway. And you're meant to have one or two full-time staff which we don't have. Still, I'll email them and see what they say. There are probably 1000s of 3rd world libraries doing everything manually still and if there are economies of scale we may be able to afford it. How big are your collections, and roughly how many circulations do you do? My concern would be that since you lack staff and resources, you'd have some real headaches if you became dependent on a system and something went wrong or whoever sets things up goes away. A traditional system with checkout cards actually works quite well and will let you see what you own, what is out, and who has it if it should have been returned. When you add up the time for keeping all the info in the system up to date, maintaining the system, teaching people how to use it, and dealing with changes in technology you may not come out ahead with automation. kyle -- -- Kyle Banerjee Digital Services Program Manager Orbis Cascade Alliance baner...@uoregon.edu / 503.877.9773
Re: [CODE4LIB] 2012 preconference proposals wanted!
Is anyone leading this session or is a free for all? Code4lib site is down - so I can't see whats on the wiki. We use Git very heavily with the engineering of Serials Solutions' Summon and we'd be happy to have an engineer do a session on some of the ways we use it on a fairly large project/codebase if the group is interested. Thanks Andrew On Fri, Sep 23, 2011 at 12:17 PM, Rob Casson rob.cas...@gmail.com wrote: youse_guys++ looking forward to it On Fri, Sep 23, 2011 at 11:46 AM, Cary Gordon listu...@chillco.com wrote: Afternoon is great. I am willing to help present. I am not excited about doing a git /subversion comparison, and would rather see the time filled with git specific info. There is certainly enough of it to keep us busy. I am not a raconteur, but a couple years ago, when the Drupal migration from CVS was in its nascent stage, I was walking Dries Buytaert back to his hotel... on Rue Git in Paris. He asked if I though that was portentous. I said it was bzr. Thanks, Cary On Fri, Sep 23, 2011 at 7:47 AM, Ian Walls ian.wa...@bywatersolutions.com wrote: Cool, I'll add this to the wiki, then. Anyone prefer morning v. afternoon? Afternoon is currently empty, so I figure it'd make sense to default there for now. Unless folks want to talk about Git for the whole day Giving the session a cute name... git lends itself well to such. I'm in no way wedded to the name; I may have had too much/little caffeine this morning. -Ian On Fri, Sep 23, 2011 at 10:38 AM, Kevin S. Clarke kscla...@gmail.com wrote: On Fri, Sep 23, 2011 at 10:02 AM, Ian Walls ian.wa...@bywatersolutions.com wrote: If we still need someone to take the lead on this, I would volunteer. I don't believe anyone else has volunteered to lead so if you want to do it, run with it! I'd be glad to do a quick bit on how easy it is to use gitolite for private git repositories, if there is time for it (with all the other good git topics that have been suggested). Thanks, Kevin -- Ian Walls Lead Development Specialist ByWater Solutions Phone # (888) 900-8944 http://bywatersolutions.com ian.wa...@bywatersolutions.com Twitter: @sekjal -- Cary Gordon The Cherry Hill Company http://chillco.com
Re: [CODE4LIB] 2012 preconference proposals wanted!
On Mon, Sep 26, 2011 at 12:33 PM, Andrew Nagy asn...@gmail.com wrote: Is anyone leading this session or is a free for all? Code4lib site is down - so I can't see whats on the wiki. I believe ian.wa...@bywatersolutions.com volunteered to lead it. Have your engineer contact him(?) Kevin
Re: [CODE4LIB] 2012 preconference proposals wanted!
Yup, for better or worse, I'll help shepherd this preconference along. Anyone interested in sharing their knowledge and experience is welcome to contact me directly, or put something up on the wiki when it returns. I'm personally quite interested in the different workflows groups have set up around Git; the way we do it for Koha may be completely different than, say, for Drupal or Summon. Cheers, -Ian On Mon, Sep 26, 2011 at 12:58 PM, Kevin S. Clarke kscla...@gmail.comwrote: On Mon, Sep 26, 2011 at 12:33 PM, Andrew Nagy asn...@gmail.com wrote: Is anyone leading this session or is a free for all? Code4lib site is down - so I can't see whats on the wiki. I believe ian.wa...@bywatersolutions.com volunteered to lead it. Have your engineer contact him(?) Kevin -- Ian Walls Lead Development Specialist ByWater Solutions Phone # (888) 900-8944 http://bywatersolutions.com ian.wa...@bywatersolutions.com Twitter: @sekjal
Re: [CODE4LIB] Can a library automate without a computer yet?
Wow, that's amazing. That certainly opens up possibilities. It would be quite a challenge to get it all working buy they reckon it takes 3 years to barcode the books anyway, so it might keep me busy trying to figure it out. I signed up for WSSL and just said I was in Philadelphia and emailed them and it does look like a possibility if we can afford it. Maybe the could license it out to a developing country to run it for the 3rd world at a tenth of the cost! Thanks so much for all your help. I've called a committee meeting this afternoon. The librarian is very resistant to automating and is highly skeptical that it can be made to work here. In the mean time eight of us sit around on a monday afternoon being computers, just as they have for the last 60 years! Cheers Rowan On 26 September 2011 09:43, David Mayo pobo...@gmail.com wrote: Here's an example of the kind of thing I'm talking about when I say micro-development board: http://technabob.com/blog/2011/02/03/dreamplug-mini-power-plug-computer/This isn't the best example - it's obviously being sold to a certain extent as novelty hardware, and it shows, but something like this could work fairly well as a web server for the area. You can actually get substantially cheaper than this, if you're willing to do some digging and/or do some component assembly - although, of course, then your mailing expenses might rise. It won't solve the lightning problem (which is fascinating/terrifying to me - outlet to device arcing is freaky!), but many of the small linux single-board computers are low enough power draw that an APC or other battery solution could run them for a long time off of wall power; you'd need someone to unplug it when the storm was coming, but that's going to be true of the iPhone, too, likely. If you were able to find or build the right software, I could see something like this working as a server, with an iPod touch serving as the scanner, for example. You could also (if you got one with a video output) attach a scanner via USB, and use it for both check-in and check-out. If you do go the iDevice route (or Android, etc), you might be able to get away without a physical scanner attached - there are several apps that do barcode recognition through the devices' cameras. Hope at least some of this is helpful. - Dave On Mon, Sep 26, 2011 at 10:24 AM, Roy Tennant roytenn...@gmail.com wrote: From the person in a position to know: We have not yet figured out pricing. We are definitely considering the needs of the developing nations but don't have answers yet. At this point we are most focused on the feature set that can be activated with no human intervention. Looking for the intersection of the basic need and most automatable (that probably is not a word). Roy On Sun, Sep 25, 2011 at 3:14 PM, rowan eisner rowaneis...@gmail.com wrote: Ok, I tried to sign up for WSSL and you have to be in US. Also, if it will cost 'a cup of coffee a day' am I right that would be at least $700 a year? That's our entire annual budget. So probably only for first world countries anyway. And you're meant to have one or two full-time staff which we don't have. Still, I'll email them and see what they say. There are probably 1000s of 3rd world libraries doing everything manually still and if there are economies of scale we may be able to afford it. Cheers Rowan On 24 September 2011 17:10, David Mayo pobo...@gmail.com wrote: It's so experimental, that it's having a Free *Trail*. That is a good suggestion, by the way - I'm just amused by the typo. It appears twice on this page, once on the sign-up page, and perhaps elsewhere. Also, absolutely is misspelled as absolutley on the sign-up page. - Dave Mayo On Sat, Sep 24, 2011 at 6:45 PM, Roy Tennant roytenn...@gmail.com wrote: Actually, I have an even better option from OCLC: Web Site for Small Libraries (WSSL) http://experimental.worldcat.org/lib/ It is really aimed at very small libraries, so it is very easy to use but still has some basic circulation capabilities. It's in free trial mode now, so take a look and see if it does what you need. Roy Tennant OCLC Research On Sat, Sep 24, 2011 at 12:22 AM, JONATHAN LEBRETON lebre...@temple.edu wrote: You may be able to do something with OCLCs so-called Web Management System whereby your OPAC (in the form of WorldCat local.) and circ functions are in the cloud.. Jonathan LeBreton Senior Associate University Librarian Temple University Libraries Philadelphia PA 19122 Voice: 215-204-3184 Fax: 215-204-5201 Mobile: 215-284-5070 lebre...@temple.edu jonat...@temple.edu - Original Message - From: rowan eisner [mailto:rowaneis...@gmail.com] Sent: Friday, September 23, 2011 11:51 PM
Re: [CODE4LIB] Can a library automate without a computer yet?
Hi Kyle Our collection is over 13,000 and we have several thousand more waiting to be processed that we just can't get on top of. We could expand the library by a third or so if we had a more efficient system. We get 100-200 returns a week about half of which have been taken out. About 15-20% of borrowings aren't returned but we get a similar number of donations. So that's a lot of the work, typing catalogue cards and pulling them when they don't come back then retyping them when they're donated again. And figuring out what's overdue. We type the same books over and over again and yet never have db of what we've got. Our librarian tend to agree that it's not worth automating given all the difficulties and she may be right. I am very used to using computers for this sort of work and it seems kind of crazy how much time we spend on card handling. Several of the long-term volunteers are very frustrated at the lack of progress. I suppose even if I look into it and we make an informed decision against it, that's progress of a kind! Cheers Rowan On 26 September 2011 09:50, Kyle Banerjee baner...@uoregon.edu wrote: On Sun, Sep 25, 2011 at 3:14 PM, rowan eisner rowaneis...@gmail.com wrote: Ok, I tried to sign up for WSSL and you have to be in US. Also, if it will cost 'a cup of coffee a day' am I right that would be at least $700 a year? That's our entire annual budget. So probably only for first world countries anyway. And you're meant to have one or two full-time staff which we don't have. Still, I'll email them and see what they say. There are probably 1000s of 3rd world libraries doing everything manually still and if there are economies of scale we may be able to afford it. How big are your collections, and roughly how many circulations do you do? My concern would be that since you lack staff and resources, you'd have some real headaches if you became dependent on a system and something went wrong or whoever sets things up goes away. A traditional system with checkout cards actually works quite well and will let you see what you own, what is out, and who has it if it should have been returned. When you add up the time for keeping all the info in the system up to date, maintaining the system, teaching people how to use it, and dealing with changes in technology you may not come out ahead with automation. kyle -- -- Kyle Banerjee Digital Services Program Manager Orbis Cascade Alliance baner...@uoregon.edu / 503.877.9773
[CODE4LIB] Job Posting: Senior Systems Librarian, Brandeis University, Waltham MA
Senior Systems Librarian Brandeis University, a private research university in the metropolitan Boston area, seeks an experienced, innovative and service-oriented Senior Systems Librarian to serve as an integral member of the library systems team. The primary responsibility of the position is to implement, develop and support complex software systems for the Libraries. The Senior Systems Librarian will serve as the primary administrator and support person for a variety of commercial and open source systems, and develop, maintain and enhance integration between library systems, other campus systems and cloud services. Responsibilities include: * Providing project management and oversight of technical operations, in partnership with the Manager of Library Systems * Developing integration between library systems, other campus systems and cloud services * Providing administration, support and enhancement of a variety of library systems, including but not limited to the integrated library system, link resolver, proxy server, federated search system, archives management system, interlibrary loan management system * Perform ad-hoc scripting, report writing and data munging Qualifications include: * Master's degree in library science or related field and 3-5 years demonstrated experience administering library systems, preferably in an academic setting. Relevant work experience may be substituted for some of the required education. * Strong knowledge of Linux and Windows operating systems, Apache, and relational databases * Proficiency with HTML and XML, Javascript, Perl (or PHP), SQL * Experience maintaining and supporting library automated systems and resources, especially including, but not limited to, Aleph, Metalib, SFX, EZProxy, ILLiad. * Strong interpersonal and communication skills ; ability to establish good working relationships with colleagues and vendors * Strong analytical, technical and troubleshooting skills for complex applications The successful candidate will be flexible, creative, and enthusiastic, with a strong interest in exploring and implementing emerging technologies and innovative services. S/he will have a demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and possess a strong service commitment, with a demonstrated ability to plan, coordinate and carry out complex projects. Preference will be given to candidates who demonstrate the ability to operate and maintain library systems, knowledge of current issues and trends in library technology, knowledge of contemporary web design and development, and project management abilities. How to apply: Submit cover letter and resume as a single document at http://www.brandeis.edu/humanresources/jobs/external.html Job ID 520056 Closing Statement: Brandeis University operates under an affirmative action plan and encourages minorities, women, disabled individuals, and eligible veterans to apply. It is the policy of the University not to discriminate against any applicant or employee on the basis of race, ancestry, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, national origin, disability, veteran status, or on the basis of any other legally protected category.
Re: [CODE4LIB] Can a library automate without a computer yet?
Thanks Thomas. I had a look through what they are suggesting last night. It looks like you would have to run the software on a system in the library. I find it amazing that it's cheaper for 1000s of libraries to all run their own computers and software than for us to have accounts on a central system and access it over the web. Maybe WSSL can be licensed to India or something. When they email me back I'm going to plug that! Cheers Rowan On 26 September 2011 07:55, Thomas Bennett bennet...@appstate.edu wrote: You may want to take a look at: http://librarysupportstaff.com/4automate.html There are several free and low cost solutions but I don't know if there is one that will be a viable solution for you. Sounds like you need a self checkout system like the 3m unit that connects to III although that particular system would be priced way outside your budget. But the idea is a patron scans there card, mag stripe or bar code and then scans bar code from book/books. Still it would be the honor system. You may want to check other links from the Google I used: Linux personal library software with bar code Thomas On Friday 23 September 2011 18:27:33 you wrote: Apologies if this is the wrong forum, but if anyone can point me in the right direction... We have an unstaffed library and can't leave a computer in it. Is there a way to automate 1) with no computer - do circulation and catalog in the cloud. Volunteers bring in laptops to do circulation and clients access catalog with iphones 2) that doesn't cost a fortune Thanks so much Rowan -- == Thomas McMillan Grant Bennett Appalachian State University Operations Systems AnalystP O Box 32026 University LibraryBoone, North Carolina 28608 (828) 262 6587 Library Systems Help Desk: https://www.library.appstate.edu/help/ ==
Re: [CODE4LIB] Can a library automate without a computer yet?
Aha, the plot thickens! This sounds very promising. I'll sound very keen when they email me back! Thanks so much Roy. -Rowan On 26 September 2011 08:24, Roy Tennant roytenn...@gmail.com wrote: From the person in a position to know: We have not yet figured out pricing. We are definitely considering the needs of the developing nations but don't have answers yet. At this point we are most focused on the feature set that can be activated with no human intervention. Looking for the intersection of the basic need and most automatable (that probably is not a word). Roy On Sun, Sep 25, 2011 at 3:14 PM, rowan eisner rowaneis...@gmail.com wrote: Ok, I tried to sign up for WSSL and you have to be in US. Also, if it will cost 'a cup of coffee a day' am I right that would be at least $700 a year? That's our entire annual budget. So probably only for first world countries anyway. And you're meant to have one or two full-time staff which we don't have. Still, I'll email them and see what they say. There are probably 1000s of 3rd world libraries doing everything manually still and if there are economies of scale we may be able to afford it. Cheers Rowan On 24 September 2011 17:10, David Mayo pobo...@gmail.com wrote: It's so experimental, that it's having a Free *Trail*. That is a good suggestion, by the way - I'm just amused by the typo. It appears twice on this page, once on the sign-up page, and perhaps elsewhere. Also, absolutely is misspelled as absolutley on the sign-up page. - Dave Mayo On Sat, Sep 24, 2011 at 6:45 PM, Roy Tennant roytenn...@gmail.com wrote: Actually, I have an even better option from OCLC: Web Site for Small Libraries (WSSL) http://experimental.worldcat.org/lib/ It is really aimed at very small libraries, so it is very easy to use but still has some basic circulation capabilities. It's in free trial mode now, so take a look and see if it does what you need. Roy Tennant OCLC Research On Sat, Sep 24, 2011 at 12:22 AM, JONATHAN LEBRETON lebre...@temple.edu wrote: You may be able to do something with OCLCs so-called Web Management System whereby your OPAC (in the form of WorldCat local.) and circ functions are in the cloud.. Jonathan LeBreton Senior Associate University Librarian Temple University Libraries Philadelphia PA 19122 Voice: 215-204-3184 Fax: 215-204-5201 Mobile: 215-284-5070 lebre...@temple.edu jonat...@temple.edu - Original Message - From: rowan eisner [mailto:rowaneis...@gmail.com] Sent: Friday, September 23, 2011 11:51 PM To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Can a library automate without a computer yet? Hi Dave It's an honesty system, card based, the way most community libraries used to work before computers. Because it's unstaffed about 15% of books aren't returned but we get a similar amount of donations. So we have that constant churn to take in and out of a card catalog manually. We need borrowers to be able to check out books. I was thinking maybe with a scanner attached to an iphone running an app. I didn't think librarything could do circulation. I thought it was just a catalog. What do you reckon? Cheers Rowan On 23 September 2011 21:34, David Mayo pobo...@gmail.com wrote: I think it's going to be difficult to find a solution that's entirely cloud based. What functionality do you need? If you have a very limited subset of ILS/OPAC functions in mind, theoretically a LibraryThing paid account or similar quasi-library service might suffice. I'm having trouble understanding how circulation works/is expected to work when librarians aren't present. Is there a sign-out sheet? How do you monitor for lossage? - Dave Mayo On Fri, Sep 23, 2011 at 10:42 PM, rowan eisner rowaneis...@gmail.com wrote: Thanks Esme No, the library is open all hours but volunteers just come in 2 hrs a week. I'm not sure how it could work but if we leave anything plugged in it will get stolen or struck by lightning. We're in cloud forest. With koha and open-ils do we have to run the software on a server or do we just get an account on an existing system? Running a system ourselves might take a lot for us to figure out. Cheers Rowan On 23 September 2011 16:38, Cowles, Esme escow...@ucsd.edu wrote: Rowan- Having a hosted catalog and circ system seems very easy to do. There are several open source library systems such as Koha and Evergreen that might suit your needs: http://www.koha.org/ http://open-ils.org/ Are there
[CODE4LIB] Code4Lib Journal Issue 16 Call for Papers
Call for Papers (and apologies for cross-posting): The Code4Lib Journal (C4LJ) exists to foster community and share information among those interested in the intersection of libraries, technology, and the future. We are now accepting proposals for publication in our 16th issue. Don't miss out on this opportunity to share your ideas and experiences. To be included in the 16th issue, which is scheduled for publication in late January, 2012, please submit articles, abstracts, or proposals at http://journal.code4lib.org/submit-proposal or to jour...@code4lib.org by Friday, October 28, 2011. When submitting, please include the title or subject of the proposal in the subject line of the email message. C4LJ encourages creativity and flexibility, and the editors welcome submissions across a broad variety of topics that support the mission of the journal. Possible topics include, but are not limited to: * Practical applications of library technology (both actual and hypothetical) * Technology projects (failed, successful, or proposed), including how they were done and challenges faced * Case studies * Best practices * Reviews * Comparisons of third party software or libraries * Analyses of library metadata for use with technology * Project management and communication within the library environment * Assessment and user studies C4LJ strives to promote professional communication by minimizing the barriers to publication. While articles should be of a high quality, they need not follow any formal structure. Writers should aim for the middle ground between blog posts and articles in traditional refereed journals. Where appropriate, we encourage authors to submit code samples, algorithms, and pseudo-code. For more information, visit C4LJ's Article Guidelines or browse articles from the first 14 issues published on our website: http://journal.code4lib.org. Remember, for consideration for the 16th issue, please send proposals, abstracts, or draft articles to jour...@code4lib.org no later than Friday, October 28, 2011. Send in a submission. Your peers would like to hear what you are doing. Carol Bean Coordinating Editor, Issue 16 Code4Lib Editorial Committee -- Carol Bean beanwo...@gmail.com
[CODE4LIB] Job Announcement: Technical Librarians with internet/web library tech skills for 16-week project (Fort Belvoir, VA)
LAC Group is seeking Technical Librarians with internet/web library and technical skills (cataloging), to work on a 16 week project for a prestigious government library on-site at Fort Belvoir, VA. This is a full-time position for 16 weeks, to develop and populate 27 individual websites using existing content. This project will collocate, organize and classify licensed and public domain resource content for specific subject areas providing institutional electronic access enabling enhanced knowledge and more efficient and effective delivery of institutional objectives. Qualifications: * Master's Degree in Library Science degree from an institution accredited by the American Library Association * Experience in cataloging materials, including original cataloging, relating to acquisition, business, contracting, government/legislative agencies, program management, research and development, and science and technology * Familiarity with the application of the most current update of the Anglo-American Cataloging Rules (AACR2) for descriptive cataloging, and with the Library of Congress classification and subject headings * Experience in web design, digital resources and Library 2.0 technologies is preferred * Experience with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook) and Adobe To read more details and to apply please visit this link: http://bit.ly/n55BcK To view all of our currently open positions please visit: http://lac-group.com/lac-group/careers/ LAC Group is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and values diversity in the workforce. Patty De Anda Gates Communications Projects Associate 323.302.9439 - direct 323.852.1083 - main 323.852.1093 - fax LAC Group, 6500 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 2240, Los Angeles, CA 90048 LAC on LinkedInhttp://www.linkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=gid=1235317 | LAC on Facebookhttp://www.facebook.com/pages/LAC-Group/136401033040717?v=app_4949752878ref=ts#!/pages/LAC-Group/136401033040717?v=wallref=ts | LAC on Twitterhttp://twitter.com/libassociates | LAC Group Newsletter Sign-uphttp://lac-group.com/lac-group/newsletter/ lac-group.comhttp://lac-group.com/ The information contained in this e-mail message is confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, any dissemination or copying is strictly prohibited. If you think that you have received this e-mail message in error, please contact the sender.
