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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 <[log in to unmask]> 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 <[log in to unmask]> > 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 <[log in to unmask]> > > 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 <[log in to unmask]> 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 <[log in to unmask]> > > 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 < > > [log in to unmask] > > >> > > > >> > 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 > > >> > > [log in to unmask] > > >> > > [log in to unmask] > > >> > > > > >> > > ----- Original Message ----- > > >> > > From: rowan eisner [mailto:[log in to unmask]] > > >> > > Sent: Friday, September 23, 2011 11:51 PM > > >> > > To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> > > >> > > 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 <[log in to unmask]> 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 < > > [log in to unmask] > > >> > >> >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 <[log in to unmask]> > > 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 <[log in to unmask]> > > >> > >> > > > > >> > >> > > "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 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 > > >> > >> > > > > >> > >> > > > >> > >> > > >> > > > > >> > > > >> > > > > > >