Notes from the second (and final) day of lightning talks at Code4libBC 2018.
Sets with Tommy and Gina : Curation and Selection in Supplejack – Daniel Sifton (VIU)
- can add collections
- share if set to public
- make use of API
- can grab record ID via URL
Point of Sale: Bridge with our ILS – Philippe Lajoie (GVPL)
- POS: Moneris, does not integrate into ILS; loses connection constantly, needs a separate printer
- wanted a POS that is truly web-based, any OS, one printer
- Open Source POS and PHP POS (paid version, but get access to full source)
- scan barcode and it pulls user information from ILS
- staff can add individual items for different services
- system will add based on type of item: PaperCut (for printing payment), inventory (e.g. earbuds), Sumac (donation system),
- will add circulation: checkin/checkout; replaces web-based circ module
- one interface, one receipt, and one transaction
- developed own self-checks; re-using it as a bridge for connection to Symphony ILS (originally Millenium)
- goal is to make it work with any ILS
- can do/integrate online payment
- web-based means avoiding specific Java versions
- to make secure, if needed, tunnel it with TLS wrapper or SSH
Advocacy & Digital Licensing – Emily Mathews (VIRL)
- PressReader: Globe and Mail remote access was rescinded; not notified
- digital access can be difficult because of digital licensing
- awareness and advocacy especially what CULC and BCLC are doing
- libraries can’t provide information and resources because can’t
- protection for print collection does not apply to digital resources
- turns out Globe and Mail was starting their own subscription and viewed libraries as competition
- Amazon has said libraries will not have access to exclusive content including Canadian content
- Kobo has exclusive content but can get it via OverDrive
- Disney has their own content; some available via Hoopla; and Disney just bought Fox
- can’t afford $10-15 per download
- Tor put a 4 month embargo on digital resources for libraries
- HarperCollins changed their pricing on OverDrive; number of use only, no perpetual copies
- This is becoming a serious problem.
- CULC is working with TPL, GVPL, BCLC to do a public awareness campaign
- we’re stronger as a group = power of numbers in negotiating; need a similar message
- libraries has rights for physical collection, but not for digital resources
- losing copyright protections
- contracts often make further limit content; should further negotiate contracts if don’t agree
- in the digital realm: copy is being sold, rather than a physical object
- DRM helps in some way because it’s selling a copy vs. streaming
- everything is moving to subscription models vs. ownership model
- proliferation of “private” libraries
- rules often different depending on format
Legislative Library Tools to Capture Video/Website – Charles Hogg (Legislative Library)
- digital collection is an extension of collecting BC Government documents
- continue to collection documents (not websites)
- format has changed, but pattern of publication is stable
- changing formats is an ongoing challenge
- examples on approaches and work
Capturing Point in Time:
- Core Policy and Procedures Manual: public version is always the current version; treated as serial; HTML => PDF
- BC Government Directory: dataset collection; download set regularly; challenge = creating interface to the data and useful product from it
Tracking Websites for Collection Development
- WebSite-Watcher: tracks changes, requires a lot of subject matter expertise, profiles are developed, allos for ID of changes, false positives can be a waste of time, have to capture content through own process
Challenging formats
- capture pages as PDF
- or collect as published
- newer HTML formats and interactive documents have made capturing information more difficult
- especially true in annual reports
Election Ephemera and Referendum
- collecting ads and media appearances using video/audio capture
- overcollect and curate, treat as a collection
- extension of ephemera collection
- captures include social media; using video download capture
- copyright and collection policy concerns
CMS (built on django/python), my experiences getting out of the drupal/wordpress paradigm – Dan Lerch
Penticton Public Library, Systems Librarian
- currently on Drupal 7, not disappointed with the way it’s working and hosted by BCLC
- but Drupal 7 has EOL soon
- researching different solutions
- Wagtail: CMS build using django (Python framework)
- environment: created by Torchbox, open source (BSD license), numerous contributors, used by NASA, University of South Wales
- design philosophy: programmers = program, web designers = design, content editors = manage content;
- Drupal: content types must be created by filling out a form via admin panel; on the other hand, don’t need to be a coder
- Wagtail: create content types by creating a django app, design your models, create template file, add app to settings, and migrate the db
- django app oversimplified is creating your tables and fields in a db
- Content editor gets toolkit and order it however they want it: freeform page content (content types with no structure)
- no source view in editor
- theming: any bootstrap theme, HTML template, or any website; uses tags to create template
Pros:
- well maintained
- decent documentation
- any Python/Django app can be merged
- easy install, update
- easy to deploy
- easy to theme
- multiple db interfaces
Challenges
- little plugins; therefore may need to customize
Break
Patron Counters – James Fournie
- needed to replace security gate, but very expensive
- other count technology: number counter, turnstiles
- barrier-free options:
- pressure sensors (often used by traffic), but can’t differentiate multiple people, bidirectional?
- beams: LDR/photoresistor, IR beams, ultrasonic sensors (last most expensive, but all under $20); bidirectional? reflection? height issues? differentiate people?
- passive IR sensors: scans for a field view, but susceptible to heaters
- CCTV and computer vision: OpenCV; but not all libraries have video cameras and there’s privacy issues
- heat sensor camera
- wifi/cellular tracking: based on mac address, can be used for triangulation and phone location data
- what’s the best? privacy, accuracy, barriers, what are you counting?
Attack of the Webforms!: Using Webforms to Track Library Data – Paul Burry
- using Drupal 7
- challenge: simplify to make it easier for multiple staff to quickly input/report from any location; standardize; secure
- track simple categories of data e.g. RCMP, fire
- facilities issues: ability for staff to describe problem in free text fields
- advanced functionality: conditional drop downs for list of programs based on target audience
- can require login credentials and only allow access to specific groups
- can set up views for staff to search
- can export results into excel, allow data analysis and report easily
- routed differently depending on the form
- experimented with Library Card Application
- staff get a link that they can print easily
- PHP script generates web services call to add patron record in ILS with a temporary type until they come in and start using it immediately
- uses a script similar to the Enterprise OPAC, but wanted customization and better user experience
ILS Cloud Migration – Olga Kalachinskaya
Systems and Access Services Librarian, Douglas College Library
- started RFP 2 years ago, shortlisted Sierra, Alma with Primo and WorldShare; signed contract last year October; migration in December
- prep phase: migration outline and new IP addresses, which required notifying vendors and IT for firewall, kept DNS, service interruption
- EDS was available during migration; after migration, some smaller dbs/journals unavailable; checkout receipts were very slow (ended up switching to default receipt); booking module maintenance was also very slow (but works the same way)
- new modules: ILL, ERM, mobile worklists, scheduler, decision centre
Hacking – Calvin Mah
- posted on reddit that they found Raspberry Pi behind vending machines, etc.
- was plugged in but no case or anything
- LiveOverflow were responsible exposing a lot of vulnerabilities e.g. in PS4;
- SD card was not encrypted
- could be used as a fake access point and harvest credentials
- user from group looked over content to try to understand what these were doing
- spent ~1-2 hours reverse engineering
- verdict: doesn’t do much; logging MAC address
- turns out UCSD Library was reporting on business of the library and other areas
Fail4Lib
- 5th floor had water dripping through the ceiling because of a drainage problem on the 6th floor; “black” water and found “asbestos” tiles were found when replacing carpet
- nooo it’s lunch time!
Lunch
Time for lunch and then breakouts!
