Our library is willing to contribute to either/both of these projects but it would have to be after the end of this calendar year.
On Fri, Aug 15, 2014 at 10:51 AM, Kathy Lussier <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi Ruth, > > We can work with partners on the timing that works best for them. For the > message center project, if we are able to get the necessary commitments > lined up quickly, I expect coding and testing could be completed before the > end of the calendar year. This means we would prefer to have the funds > before the end of the calendar year, but, like I said, we can work with > potential partners if necessary. > > The alert development project will be implemented in the web client, not > the current staff client, meaning that the project start time will be a > little later. In that case, we could easily receive the funds in this > calendar year or the next one. > > I hope this helps! > > > Kathy > > Kathy Lussier > Project Coordinator > Massachusetts Library Network Cooperative(508) [email protected] > Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kmlussier > > On 8/15/2014 10:41 AM, Ruth Frasur wrote: > > Kathy, > > When do you need the money for this? > > > On Fri, Aug 15, 2014 at 10:06 AM, Kathy Lussier <[email protected]> > wrote: > >> Hi all, >> >> The MassLNC Development Committee met earlier this week to ascertain what >> we need to move forward with some of our development projects this year. >> With PINES' assistance, we are close to moving forward with two development >> projects, but we still need a small amount of funds for each project. >> >> Alert development: This project has three components that give Evergreen >> sites more control over their alerts: 1)The ability to designate copy >> alerts as either checkin alerts or checkout alerts 2)The ability to add >> temporary alerts to copies, primarily so that staff in one library can add >> alerts to copies belonging to another library (e.g. "patron says this DVD >> needs cleaning"), and 3)the ability for a library to suppress some system >> alerts, such as the alerts that tell staff they have checked in a lost, >> missing, long overdue, or claims returned item. >> >> Our libraries believe this project is important because, although alerts >> are sometimes necessary and relay critical information, many of our >> libraries find that some alerts do not provide information they need to >> know at certain points of the circ transaction. These alerts, therefore, >> add unnecessary steps to the workflow. Although clicking through one >> unnecessary alert may only add a couple of seconds to the workflow, those >> seconds add up throughout the hundreds or thousands of circ transactions >> that occur throughout the course of the day. Also, if we remove the alerts >> that are unnecessary, staff are more likely to pay closer attention to the >> alerts that provide important information. >> >> MassLNC needs just $5,000 to proceed with this development project. >> >> The Message Center project will provide a central area where patrons can >> view library messages. An Evergreen site can configure which notices will >> appear in the message center (e.g. overdues, cancelled holds, pre-due >> notices). The center will also display any public notes added to the patron >> record. These notes now display in the account summary area, but can easily >> be missed if the patron isn't looking for them. Logged-in users will get a >> visual cue, similar to those used in many other web sites, that lets them >> know when they have a new message (see mock-ups at >> http://masslnc.cwmars.org/node/2927). >> >> Our libraries believe this project is important because users have come >> to expect web sites to provide important information, not just through >> e-mail, but also through the user account area of the web site. E-mail >> communication for notices is not always reliable, and the message center >> provides another means for communicating important information to the >> patron. This project also takes a piece of information currently available >> in the patron account area (public patron notes) and provides a needed >> visual cue that lets patrons know the note is available. >> >> MassLNC just needs $2,900 to proceed with this development project. >> >> If your library is interested in either of these projects, but cannot >> contribute the full amount required, please let me know. If we get enough >> libraries that can only contribute a portion of the funds required, those >> funds will quickly add up. >> >> Please contact me directly if you have any questions on either of these >> projects. >> >> Thank you! >> >> Kathy >> >> Kathy Lussier >> Project Coordinator >> Massachusetts Library Network Cooperative >> (508) 343-0128 >> [email protected] >> Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kmlussier >> >> On 7/25/2014 5:32 PM, Kathy Lussier wrote: >> >>> Hi all, >>> >>> I'm pleased to announce that Georgia PINES has joined MassLNC to help to >>> fund the Enhancements to Evergreen Alerts and Message Center projects. >>> Thank you Georgia PINES! >>> >>> We have also received some interest from Evergreen sites on the activity >>> metric project. >>> >>> MassLNC would really love to see all three of these projects implemented >>> in a future release of Evergreen. If anyone is interested in the projects >>> and can contribute some funds, even if it's only a small amount of money, >>> please feel free to contact me at [email protected] with your >>> questions. >>> >>> What do you get out of being a partner on one of these development >>> projects? Putting funds to a development project is your opportunity to >>> make a contribution to the future direction of Evergreen. It's a great >>> feeling to see a new feature in Evergreen and to say to yourself "I helped >>> to make that new feature happen." Budgets are tight everywhere, but by >>> pooling our funds together, we can see some great new functionality at a >>> lower cost for each partner. The recent MVC/CRA project (aka icon project) >>> is a great example of a development project where many small development >>> contributions, combined with a couple of contributions from some larger >>> sites, resulted in some nice improvements for the whole Evergreen >>> community. Being a development partner also ensures that you will be part >>> of spec discussions and testing, allowing you to watch out for the needs of >>> your users while the project is being shaped. >>> >>> But, wait, there's more! If you participate in a MassLNC development >>> project, your organization will be added to the MassLNC Wall of Fame where >>> we acknowledge and thank all of the sites that have worked with us on >>> development projects over the years - >>> http://masslnc.cwmars.org/node/3067. The large number of libraries and >>> consortia listed there is a testament to the great community we have and >>> the fact that there are so many sites out there that want to contribute >>> what they can to help make Evergreen better for everyone. >>> >>> But that's not all! For a limited time only, if your organization >>> decides to help fund one of these projects, you will receive a batch of >>> cookies made by MassLNC coordinator Kathy Lussier (that's me). The cookies >>> will be hand-delivered to you at the next Evergreen conference (or, if >>> we're both there, at the next Evergreen hack-a-way). >>> >>> Please take some time to look over these projects and let me know if >>> you're interested. >>> >>> Have a nice weekend everyone! >>> >>> Kathy >>> >>> Kathy Lussier >>> Project Coordinator >>> Massachusetts Library Network Cooperative >>> (508) 343-0128 >>> [email protected] >>> Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kmlussier >>> >>> On 7/1/2014 2:45 PM, Kathy Lussier wrote: >>> >>>> >>>> Hi all, >>>> >>>> Today marks the first day of the new fiscal year for MassLNC, and our >>>> development committee has identified a few new enhancements we are hoping >>>> to sponsor over the next year. >>>> >>>> We have received proposals from Equinox for all three projects, but >>>> MassLNC needs help to fund these projects. I am sending out this e-mail to >>>> see if there are other Evergreen sites interested in helping us fund any of >>>> these projects. For more details, you can e-mail me directly at >>>> [email protected]. >>>> >>>> >>>> Also, if you are already working on a similar project or just want to >>>> provide some feedback for our proposed projects, please feel to share your >>>> feedback on the list. >>>> >>>> These three projects are listed on the new Proposed Development >>>> Projects wiki page at: >>>> >>>> http://wiki.evergreen-ils.org/doku.php?id=evergreen_features:proposed_development_projects >>>> >>>> ACTIVITY METRIC FOR RELEVANCE RANKING >>>> The goal of this project is for a title's activity (circulations, >>>> number of holds, etc.) to affect the relevance of that title when >>>> retrieving search results. Google and Amazon use popularity with much >>>> success when ranking search results. I think Evergreen would see similar >>>> success if it were to incorporate activity into its relevance algorithm. >>>> >>>> As an example, if a user were conducting a keyword search on "abraham >>>> lincoln," there are many books, movies, etc. in most US libraries where >>>> the words "abraham lincoln" show up in the title. There would be no way to >>>> tease out the titles that are getting the most attention by readers. In >>>> fact, a title like "Team of Rivals" ranks very low in our search results >>>> even though there is a fairly high likelihood it is the title the patron is >>>> seeking. By applying a metric based on activity, we might be able to see >>>> those more-recently popular titles floating higher in the search results >>>> list. >>>> >>>> The current proposal is to make factors like circulation and hold >>>> activity, record and item age, and item ownership counts available as an >>>> activity metric. Each factor will embody a "popularity badge" that a bib >>>> record can earn, and each badge will have a five-point scale, where more >>>> points indicate a more popular record. >>>> >>>> The average of the badge points earned by each record will constitute a >>>> "popularity star rating". The number and types of badges will break ties >>>> for average popularity. >>>> >>>> A new sort axis of popularity will be created to sort first on the >>>> cumulative popularity of each record, followed by the query-specific >>>> relevance available today. >>>> >>>> ENHANCEMENTS TO EVERGREEN ALERTS >>>> I mentioned this project in the recent thread on problems with items >>>> not checking in properly - http://markmail.org/message/rnm5s7wdxjgy3tym >>>> . >>>> >>>> This project would give Evergreen sites more control over which alerts >>>> appear during check-in and check-out. The project has three components: >>>> >>>> - Separate checkin and checkout copy alerts >>>> - The ability to add temporary copy alerts from the checkin, checkout, >>>> and item status screen >>>> - A library setting that allows sites to determine if some system >>>> alerts should appear at checkin and checkout. >>>> >>>> MassLNC's full project requirements are available at >>>> http://masslnc.cwmars.org/node/2764. >>>> >>>> This project is not slated to begin until Fall 2014 after sprint 1 of >>>> the web client project is complete. >>>> >>>> MESSAGE CENTER FOR THE PUBLIC CATALOG >>>> This project would create a message center that communicates important >>>> messages to patrons. Public patron notes will display here, and sites will >>>> have the ability to configure any action/trigger notice to also deliver a >>>> notice to the message center. >>>> >>>> MassLNC's full project requirements are available at >>>> http://masslnc.cwmars.org/node/2927. >>>> >>>> Feel free to let me know if you have any questions! >>>> >>>> Kathy >>>> >>> >>> >> > > > -- > Ruth Frasur > Director of the Historic(ally Awesome) Hagerstown - Jefferson Township > Library > 10 W. College Street in Hagerstown, Indiana (47346) > p (765) 489-5632; f (765) 489-5808 > > Our Kickin' Website <http://hagerstownlibrary.org> Our Rockin' Facebook > Page <http://facebook.com/hjtplibrary> and Stuff I'm Reading > <http://pinterest.com/hjtplibrary/ruth-reads/> > > > -- Ruth Frasur Director of the Historic(ally Awesome) Hagerstown - Jefferson Township Library 10 W. College Street in Hagerstown, Indiana (47346) p (765) 489-5632; f (765) 489-5808 Our Kickin' Website <http://hagerstownlibrary.org> Our Rockin' Facebook Page <http://facebook.com/hjtplibrary> and Stuff I'm Reading <http://pinterest.com/hjtplibrary/ruth-reads/>
