Re: [CODE4LIB] personalization of academic library websites

[Ian Walls]

Mark,


Oddly enough, we're looking at this kind of thing right now.  I also 
just got a message from my ILL Librarian that she saw a great conference 
presentation on this kinda thing by Scott Bertagnole of Brigham Young 
University.


From our perspective, the trick is authentication.  We want to at least 
use Common Credentials with our University authentication system, rather 
than Yet Another Account to Remember (YAAR!), if not Single Sign-on, but 
we also need to support the other 4 colleges in our consortium, as well 
as community borrowers. Getting course data about students is also 
tricky, since we need to collaborate with other units on campus to get 
permission to sanely and securely access this data from the registrar.


I'm envisioning three levels of integration:

1. Catalog + ILL to see what materials you have
2. Course reserves and supporting materials
3. Miscellaneous/experimental integrations with other services

Hope this is useful; I'd love to keep this conversation going, whether 
on list or off.


Cheers,


-Ian

On 03/23/2016 01:26 PM, Mark Weiler wrote:

I'm doing some exploratory research on personalization of academic library 
websites. E.g. student logs in, the site presents books due dates, room 
reservations, course list with associated course readings, subject librarians.  
For faculty members, the site might present other information, such as how to 
put material on course reserves, deposit material into institutional 
repository, etc.   Has anyone looked into this, or tried it?



Mark Weiler, MLIS, PhD
Web & User Experience Librarian | Psychology Librarian
Laurier Library
Office: Waterloo campus Library, room 104
519.884.0710 x4296
mwei...@wlu.ca

  [cid:image001.png@01CF7E4C.6BD81010]
WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY
75 University Ave. W.
Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5

https://library.wlu.ca

[CODE4LIB] Forming a Coalition of Libraries running Tor exit nodes: C4L 2016 Breakout Followup

[Ian Walls]

Fellow Code4Libbers,


As promised on Slack, here are the outcomes our the Tor exit node 
breakout session at Code4Lib 2016 in Philadelphia.


Running a Tor exit node is a great way to support freedom of speech and 
the right to privacy, but many institutions are reluctant to do so 
because of the Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt surrounding doing so.  Our 
breakout identified two key strategies for making the case to those in 
your institution who are in a position to make this kind of decision:  
forming partnerships, and having ready answers prepared for common 
questions.


Partnerships
•   Library Freedom Project - they've done this before!
	•	Local law enforcement - better to get them involved early, so they're 
not surprised
	•	Computer Science, Political Science, Social Sciences, 
Communications/Journalism departments on your campus (where applicable)
	•	Social Justice institutions (on campus and in your community) - free 
speech and privacy are social justice issues
	•	Local libraries around academic institutions - cross the 
public/academic divide

•   State consortia - leverage those networks we already have in 
place
	•	Cryptoparties of local community members - get the community 
interested in and supportive of preserving their rights by giving them 
the knowledge and tools they need to get started themselves


Answers to have ready to give
•   What’s Tor?
•   Why should I be involved?
•   What’s my risk?
•   How much does it cost?
•   Who else is doing this?

Open Questions
	•	What will it cost to run an exit node, both in terms of $$ and 
bandwidth?

•   List of names of institutional peers to point to.


I hope by broadcasting this to our community, we can start to form a 
pool of those libraries who have interested libtech workers, so when we 
go to our directors/deans/boards, we can point to peers/aspirational 
peers and say "see, we're not alone!".


Thanks,


Ian Walls

Re: [CODE4LIB] Hours of Operation on Website - management tool

[Ian Walls]

This sounds remarkably similar in feature-set to the Hours module I 
wrote for our CMS (Silverstripe) for our recent website upgrade.  We 
defined Academic Terms first (name, startdate, enddate), and then could 
associate Regular Hours (start time, end time and optional textual 
description for each of Sunday - Saturday) and Hours Exceptions with 
each term on a per-Location basis.  Locations can be nested within 
others, inheriting hours as needed.  iCal feeds are available for 
integration into the campus mobile portal, and clever use of the URL 
structure can get hours for all kinds of different time periods.


I'm currently reworking this a little, as Locations had originally been 
tied to Pages in the CMS, but this began to break as the website page 
hierarchy no longer matched the Location hours hierarchy.  Better to 
keep Locations as a separate data object, and just associate a Page with it.


Cheers,


-Ian

On 07/01/2015 11:35 AM, Chris Beer wrote:

Hi Ken,

We’ve recently been working on rebuilding an application for managing our 
hours. It’s Ruby on Rails, not-yet-in-production, full of rough edges, and has 
some Stanford-specific business logic, but it’s relatively simple and 
(probably) works for us:

https://github.com/sul-dlss/library_hours_rails/releases/tag/v0.0.1 


Currently, it’s envisioned as a backend service for staff to add and manage 
hours, with downstream consumers using the API to present the hours as 
appropriate. Our initial consumers include the main library website, our 
library catalog, and some other business process applications. We’ve also 
started thinking about embeddable HTML views of the hours to replace some of 
the clunky processing we’re currently doing in Drupal, but haven’t pursued that 
yet.

Interesting features include:

- JSON-API view of a location’s hours; (what I assume is a bespoke..) Drupal 
calendar feed; import and export for spreadsheets of hours;
- multiple library (and location-within-a-library) support;
- granular access control for updating hours; we have the notion of global 
hours administrators, but expect to also support library- and location-specific 
authorization, allowing library managers to set and update the hours for a 
subset of our locations [1];
- support for setting operating hours for a term and/or exceptions for 
particular days (e.g. holidays and the like) using an in-place editor;
- we have a notion of location-specific messages associated with exceptions to 
the normal schedule (e.g. the Art library is closed this week for Y), which can 
be reflected in applications that consume the library hours

Most of the rough edges are around some of the one-time administrative actions 
like setting up new libraries, locations, and term schedules, although there’s 
also some UI improvements in our near future.


Thanks,
Chris Beer
Digital Library Systems and Services
Stanford University Libraries


[1] Although I’m more interested in allowing any staff member to update the 
hours, and provide better notifications when a location’s hours change; that 
said, strong access control is much easier to reason about and codify..


On Jul 1, 2015, at 6:01 AM, Ken Irwin  wrote:

Hi folks,

I'm hoping to find some sort of web-based app that can manage the library's 
hours of operations, including:

* Displaying today's hours

* Displaying an upcoming schedule of hours

* Updatable though a GUI interface by non-techy library staff

* Able to update our Google Places account hours (which, I note, 
currently lists our school-year hours as our open hours today), perhaps on a 
daily basis

* Preferably a stand-alone thing that can provide data on an ad hoc 
basis (as opposed to a CMS-specific thing like a WP plugin or a Drupal module)

* PHP preferred but not necessary

* OSS / free preferred but not necessary

I feel certain that someone else has already wanted this enough to create it. 
Anyone have a solution they're happy with?

Thanks
Ken

Re: [CODE4LIB] replacing deprecated PHP code throughout website

[Ian Walls]

I second Cary's recommendation to go with a CMS.  Another one to 
consider is SilverStripe.  It's highly extensible, though model 
administration is done on the PHP level, so be prepared to open up your 
favourite text editor and mind your syntax.



Ian Walls
Web Services & Emerging Technologies Librarian
UMass Amherst Libraries


On 04/29/2015 05:30 PM, Cary Gordon wrote:

My recommendations are:

Move to a CMS. Drupal has a large library community, and I have been
happily using it for ten years. You might find Joomla more to your liking,
or you could worship the claw and go to Wordpress, which is mammoth, but
not particularly developer friendly.

If a CMS is out of the question, consider using the Symfony framework,
which is similar in concept to Rails, but, IMHO, better constructed. I
think that it is the future of serious PHP development.

The great thing about using a framework is that it provides structure,
making it much easier to make the move to OOP.

FWIW, the forthcoming version of Drupal is built with Symfony and is the
start of Drupal's move from its "hook system" to more standard PHP
components, which will make it friendlier to PHP developers without
a Drupal background.

The ever-irascible Rasmus Lerdorf has declared that Drupal 8, paired with
PHP 7 will be unbeatably performant.

Cary

On Wednesday, April 29, 2015, Ken Irwin  wrote:


Hello all,

I've just learned that the PHP mysql_* functions are all deprecated as of
PHP 5.5, and I'm trying to figure out what this means for my life. My
library's website is heavily database-driven, hand-coded, and all written
using the mysql_* functions. It's currently running PHP 5.4, so presumably
code all needs to be updated before the next server upgrade.

So I'm looking for a little advice:


1.   Is there a general consensus on what the best long-term
alternative to the mysql_* functions is? I see a bunch of references to the
PDO extension, which is available on our server. Is that The Answer, or
should I be looking other places as well.

2.   Does anyone have advice about how to proceed with an enormous
overhaul like this? I'm sure I'll be working on a development copy of the
server until everything is all worked out. But beyond that, advice would be
welcome. Have you employed students to do work like this?

3.   I wonder what other broad-sweeping old-fashionednesses may also
be about to rear up and bite me. If you imagine that I learned procedural
(almost never object-oriented) PHP 4 in about 2000 and am slow to change my
ways, can you predict what sort of deprecated foolishness I might still be
perpetrating?

Any advice, input, or experience would be appreciated!

Thanks
Ken

Re: [CODE4LIB] IFTTT and barcodes

[Ian Walls]

I don't think IFTTT is the right tool, but the basic idea is sound.

With a spot of custom scripting on some server somewhere, one could take in
an ISBN, lookup via the III WebPac, assess eligibility conditions, then
return yes or no.  Barcode Scanner on Android has the ability to do custom
search URLs, so if your yes/no script can accept URL params, then you should
be all set.  

Barring a script, just a lookup of the MARC record may be possible, and if
it was styled in a mobile-friendly manner, perhaps you could quickly glean
whether it's okay or not for copy cataloging.

Side question: is there connectivity in the stacks for doing this kind of
lookup?  I know in my library, that's not always the case.


-Ian

-Original Message-
From: Code for Libraries [mailto:CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf Of
Riley Childs
Sent: Wednesday, September 10, 2014 3:31 PM
To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU
Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] IFTTT and barcodes

Webhooks via the WordPress channel?

Riley Childs
Senior
Charlotte United Christian Academy
Library Services Administrator
IT Services
(704) 497-2086
rileychilds.net
@rowdychildren

From: Tara Robertson
Sent: ‎9/‎10/‎2014 3:03 PM
To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU
Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] IFTTT and barcodes

Hi,

I don't think this is possible using IFTTT right now as existing channels
don't exist to create a recipe. I'm trying to think of what those channels
would be and can't quite...I don't think IFTTT is the best tool for this
task.

What ILS are you using? Could you hook a barcode scanner up to a tablet and
scan, then check the MARC...nah, that's seeming almost as time consuming as
taking it to your desk (depending on how far your desk is).
I recall at an Evergreen hackfest that someone was tweaking the web
interface for an inventory type exercise, where it would show red or green
depending on some condition.

Cheers,
Tara

On 10/09/2014 11:52 AM, Harper, Cynthia wrote:
> Now that someone has mentioned IFTTT, I'm reading up on it and wonder if
it could make this task possible:
>
> One of my tasks is copy cataloging. I'm only authorized to do LC copy,
which involves opening the record (already downloaded in the acq process),
and checking to see that 490 doesn't exist (I can't handle series), and
looking for DLC in the 040 |a and |c.
> It's discouraging when I take 10 books back to my desk from the cataloging
shelf, and all 10 are not eligible for copy cataloging.
>
> S...  could I take my phone to the cataloging shelf, use IFTTT to scan
my ISBN, search in the III Webpac, look at the MARc record and tell me
whether it's LC copy?
>
> Empower the frontline workers! :)
>
> Cindy Harper
> Electronic Services and Serials Librarian Virginia Theological 
> Seminary
> 3737 Seminary Road
> Alexandria VA 22304
> 703-461-1794
> char...@vts.edu


--

Tara Robertson

Accessibility Librarian, CAPER-BC  T  604.323.5254 F
604.323.5954 trobert...@langara.bc.ca


Langara. 

100 West 49th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Y 2Z6

Re: [CODE4LIB] Library Services on Small Devices (like Watches): Discuss

[Ian Walls]

I'm the happy owner of an Android Wear device, which looks to do pretty much
everything the Apple Watch does (minus the force sensing).  I've been
looking at use cases for this new screen on my wrist, and trying to tune the
notifications I get so they are frequent (it's fun to use this thing!) yet
completely relevant.

I can imagine one very helpful use case for my (very tall) library: call
numbers.  After looking up a material in our catalog or discovery layer, it
would be really nice to be able to push the call number and floor to my
watch, rather than having to pull out my phone or (gods forbid) use a scrap
of paper.  This is small enough information to fit nicely on the screen, and
could be easily accomplished with an SMS or email service to an account
accessible on my phone.  If I needed a more complex triggering system for
whatever reason, IFTTT has an Android Wear channel.

For me, at least, the key is customization.  I want to be able to control
exactly what shows up on this tiny screen.  So, assuming I'm a perfect
sample set of all smart watch users, building custom functionality to
integrate specific channels of information seems like a severe uphill
battle, when I could use IFTTT to parse an email, RSS feed or SMS message.
Developing standards-based data feeds, and recipes for using those feeds
with free and/or open watch apps, seems like best use of time.  Also, since
we're in the Early Adopter phase of innovation diffusion, the exact details
of particular platforms are probably going to change before we hit the
majority.

Cheers,


-Ian

-Original Message-
From: Code for Libraries [mailto:CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf Of
Michael Schofield
Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2014 2:40 PM
To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU
Subject: [CODE4LIB] Library Services on Small Devices (like Watches):
Discuss

Alright,

I have been pretty excited for small devices and what role libraries can
have in that space, but the Apple Watch seems pretty exciting especially in
terms of added gestures through haptic pressure ("force touch"), obviously
all the geolocational, accelerometer stuff, and of course communicating with
other devices / doors, controlling screens, etc. This doesn't really have to
be about watches specifically, but hey.

For the web, mobile first design really only goes so far as design for a
phone, but as the device landscape gets weirder it makes more sense that
users won't be interacting through a browser [on these devices], rather
interaction with-say-a local library could be contextual and smart.

"I know that you are 100 feet from the library, here are the items available
for pickup."

What do you think would be cool, useful, realistic, etc.?

Michael
libux.co

Re: [CODE4LIB] Very frustrated with Drupal

[Ian Walls]

Josh,


I'd like to take this opportunity to hock SilverStripe 
[http://www.silverstripe.org/], a PHP-based MVC framework and CMS.  I'm using 
it for my library's website redesign, and it's proving very capable.  This 
redesign includes not only migrating our pages, but also integrating our 
database list and our building hours tools, which had previously been 
independent home-brew systems.  

Building new data models does happen at the PHP level, rather than in the GUI 
via an abstraction layer.  This gives very nice access to inheritance, 
extension and interface implementation

There are modules for core things like Blogs, Events Calendars, and tons more, 
but as this is a somewhat non-standard CMS, the community isn't as robust as 
you get with Drupal.  But, I feel the ease of use and understanding of the code 
offsets the availability of packaged modules.  I can just build what I need and 
then post it to GitHub in the time it'd take me to find, install and configure 
someone else's not-quite-what-I-needed module (not to mention time spent 
maintaining down the road).

I don't have any experience yet with handing a SilverStripe site off to someone 
else for maintenance, but talk to me again in a year, and I should.

Cheers,

-Ian Walls
Web Services & Emerging Technologies Librarian
UMass Amherst Libraries


-Original Message-
From: Code for Libraries [mailto:CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf Of Joshua 
Welker
Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2014 10:47 AM
To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU
Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Very frustrated with Drupal

Thank you all for the responses. I hope my original email did not come off as 
too abrasive.

The issue for me is that I am having a hard time figuring out what exactly is 
the use case for Drupal. Do you want a dead-simple website? Use Wordpress. Do 
you want to add some complex custom apps? Use a framework. Do you want the 
worst of both worlds? Use Drupal. Getting a non-trivial Drupal site up and 
running requires as much work as learning a full-fledged framework like Rails, 
Laravel, or Django. And the experience you gain using Drupal is not going to 
carry over at all into any future non-Drupal endeavors because the Drupal 
platform is completely unique and doesn't seem to follow any basic paradigms 
like MVC. When doing something like basic data manipulation requires overriding 
core functions using custom PHP functions in my theme, the entire point of 
using a CMS in the first place has just been defeated. If I get hit by a bus, 
not only will someone have to relearn Drupal and all its modules, but they will 
also have to wade through my spaghetti-code efforts at patching!
  functionality into Drupal.

What I would love is a CMS based on plain SQL tables, ActiveRecord, and simple 
CRUD controls instead of abstract "entities" and "fields" that try to be 
everything to everyone (and fail to be anything for anyone). But I don't think 
such a thing exists, so I am interested in rolling my own with a framework.

Right now, my framework choices are narrowed down to Ruby on Rails, Laravel 
(PHP), Django (Python), and Flask (Python). For anyone who has used these, do 
you have any insight into how maintainable your projects are and how easily 
they are managed/inherited by others?

Josh


On Thu, May 15, 2014 at 9:02 AM, Jason Bengtson wrote:

> When I came into this position I inherited some work the former tech 
> manager had done in installing and experimenting with Drupal as a tool 
> to replace our current CMS-less ColdFusion environment. I also quickly 
> grew unhappy with it. I've been experimenting with MODX, which I like 
> so far. If you're a PHP developer, MODX will be of particular interest 
> (and PHP is a pretty common server-side technology if you worry about 
> the bus factor). I haven't had as much time to mess with it as I'd 
> like, but I've built some wireframes with it and so far I like it.
>
> I second the low quality of most of the commercial, enterprise stuff. 
> We used Cascade Server at UNM and it was absolutely wretched. It's 
> been a long time, but when I last built a WordPress site I remember 
> that as being easy to use and I think it's gotten more 
> flexible/powerful. I've got a fiend who's really sold on it and HAM/TMC uses 
> it for their website.
>
> Best regards,
>
>
>
> *Jason Bengtson, MLIS, MA*
>
> Head of Library Computing and Information Systems
>
> Assistant Professor, Graduate College
>
> Department of Health Sciences Library and Information Management
>
> University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
>
> 405-271-2285, opt. 5
>
> 405-271-3297 (fax)
>
> *jason-bengt...@ouhsc.edu *
>
> *http://library.ouhsc.edu <http://library.ouhsc.edu/>*
>
> *www.jasonbengtson.com <http://www.jasonbe

Re: [CODE4LIB] distributed responsibility for web content

[Ian Walls]

If you're using TinyMCE as the WYSIWYG editor, you could configure it so
that particularly offensive HTML tags or attributes are stripped out, reset
or replaced: http://www.tinymce.com/wiki.php/configuration:valid_elements

If you stripped out 'style' from the list of valid attributes in elements,
but left 'class' and also provided a configured 'Styles' dropdown of various
valid CSS classes
(http://www.tinymce.com/wiki.php/Configuration:style_formats) , that may
help to reign in the chaos.  Then you'd just need to train folks on the
valid styles, and what to do if they're copy/pasted Word content isn't look
like they expected.


-Ian

-Original Message-
From: Code for Libraries [mailto:CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf Of Kyle
Banerjee
Sent: Friday, April 18, 2014 1:12 PM
To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU
Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] distributed responsibility for web content

> While 'letting chaos reign' might seem the best solution, we've found that
it also presents unforeseen accessibility and general readability issues,
e.g, entire pages of bolded or inappropriately colored text, not to mention
making entire websites look like, well, crap!  

This is a serious issue.

Of course there are also plenty of CMSes that make it virtually impossible
to present anything beyond what would have been eye candy in the 90's
forcing units to outsource things they need to offsite vendors aren't that
great but which can at least nominally provide a needed service. 

Kyle

Re: [CODE4LIB] Tool Library 2.0

[Ian Walls]

A great idea!  Some other hardware to consider:

Raspberry Pi alternative:
Beagle Bone Black

Further Arduino support:
Gemma (smaller version of FLORA)
Various breakout boards (GPS, GSM, LCD, etc.)
Sensors
Servos

For helping teach/interest younger folks:
Snap Circuits
littleBits 

For larger setups:
3D Printer
CNC machine
Welding
Lamenator?

I think the real key is being able to offer support for all of the tools
offered, both in terms of justification (why is this a useful thing for a
makerspace) and actual use.  If no one at the tool library is familiar with
a particular offering, then it probably shouldn't be offered until you've
got a chance to learn up on it.

Is there an intent to differentiate between tools and supplies?  Would
supplies be sent out, understanding that they're unlikely to be returned, or
would the borrowing institution need to stock up on their own, following a
set of recommendations from the lending library?  Or perhaps any set of
supplies would be bundled up as a kit along with the tool, and the borrowing
institution would be charged for any lost bits upon return...


-Ian

-Original Message-
From: Code for Libraries [mailto:CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf Of
Edward Iglesias
Sent: Thursday, February 27, 2014 3:33 PM
To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU
Subject: [CODE4LIB] Tool Library 2.0

Hello All,

A colleague and I were recently asked to help create a "tool library for
makerspaces" for a local state library consortia. The idea being they would
lend out kits such as Arduino's with breadboards to libraries that are
thinking of setting up some kind of makerspace but unsure where to start.

So any of you have any "must haves" for such a collection.  I'm thinink

soldering irons
arduinos
Raspberry Pis
Flora
breadboards
lots of connectors
leds

etc...

Thanks,

Edward Iglesias

Re: [CODE4LIB] Code4lib 2014 Diversity Scholarships: Call for Applications

[Ian Walls]

Perhaps Code4Lib could have some form of nominal membership, and the funds
derived from membership dues could be put into an array of scholarships.
Membership wouldn't necessarily have to be a privileged state, but for some
(many?) library positions, promotion criteria include "membership in
professional organizations", so being able to point to Code4Lib and say "I'm
a member of this!" would be a benefit for some of us.  The necessarily
managerial overhead (in the form of a Scholarships Committee or some such)
would also provide a service opportunity for folks looking to round out
their CVs.

Personally I'd rather have my annual professional membership dollars go
towards scholarships to help others attend a C4L conference than to ALA.


-Ian

-Original Message-
From: Code for Libraries [mailto:CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf Of
Karen Coyle
Sent: Monday, November 25, 2013 3:34 PM
To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU
Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Code4lib 2014 Diversity Scholarships: Call for
Applications

On 11/25/13 12:17 PM, Matthew Sherman wrote:
> I am going to reiterate my push to turn this conversation to a 
> discussion for funding options for everyone who wants to attend 
> Code4Lib 2014.  I think that will be a much better use of our time.

Agreed. Someone mentioned state scholarships that many of us didn't know
about. I think a page on the c4l wiki for scholarship opportunities could be
a win. People could add any that they hear about.

And I wince a bit at mentioning this, but with actual non-profit status, c4l
might be more able to solicit donations. Or perhaps the group could find a
non-profit partner that could help out in that regard?

kc

>
>
> On Mon, Nov 25, 2013 at 3:13 PM, Erik Hetzner 
wrote:
>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I can't believe we are having this conversation again.
>>
>> I have nothing to add except to say that rather than feed the troll, 
>> you might do what I did, and turn your frustration at this thread 
>> arising *once again* into a donation to the Ada Initiative or similar 
>> organization. Sadly, it seems that one cannot contribute to the 
>> diversity scholarships, as I would be happy to do so. If anybody 
>> knows how, please let me know.
>>
>> best, Erik
>>

--
Karen Coyle
kco...@kcoyle.net http://kcoyle.net
m: 1-510-435-8234
skype: kcoylenet

Re: [CODE4LIB] Way to record usage of tables/rooms/chairs in Library

[Ian Walls]

Suma is the most practical and reliable way to do this right now, I think.

I've been investigating using a sensor network, but there are a lot of
limits on the accuracy of PIR, and trip-lasers are low enough and require
enough power that they'd be troublesome to maintain in a busy undergraduate
environment.

One idea was to use an array of sensors:  PIR for motion, microphone for
noise level and piezo/something similar for vibration.  The thought is that
elevated levels of these 3 measurements should correspond to "high
activity".  The placement and calibration of the sensors, though, would be
key, and you'd need to do some thorough spot checking with Suma or something
similar in order to be confident that what you're measuring (motion, noise
and vibration) actually correlate to number of people.

The sensors would also need to be made out of cheap enough materials and use
low-congestion wireless frequencies in order to be practical.  Balancing
this with accuracy may never happen... but it would certainly be a fun
experiment!


-Ian


-Original Message-
From: Code for Libraries [mailto:CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf Of
Andreas Orphanides
Sent: Thursday, August 15, 2013 9:27 PM
To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU
Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Way to record usage of tables/rooms/chairs in
Library

In that case, Suma is probably your thing.

On Thu, Aug 15, 2013 at 7:49 PM, Thomas Misilo  wrote:

> Thank you all for the suggestions. I guess I should be a little more 
> specific. I am looking for something that can be loaded up on a tablet 
> (ipad and/or nexus 7), and have the laylout of the floor + chairs and 
> tables.
>
> We are wanting to track usage of specific carrels and tables in 
> different locations on the floor. To determine if they are in a good 
> place or if they need to be repositioned or repurposed.
>
> Thanks again!
> s
> Tom
>
>
> > -Original Message-
> > From: Code for Libraries [mailto:CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf 
> > Of stuart yeates
> > Sent: Thursday, August 15, 2013 6:43 PM
> > To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU
> > Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Way to record usage of tables/rooms/chairs 
> > in Library
> >
> > Many buildings have IR sensors already installed for burglar alarms 
> > /
> fire
> > detection. If you can get a read-only feed from that system you may 
> > be
> able
> > to piggyback.
> >
> > Of course, these kinds of sensors are tripped by staff making 
> > regular
> rounds
> > of all spaces and similar non-patron activity.
> >
> > cheers
> > stuart
> >
> > On 16/08/13 06:33, Brian Feifarek wrote:
> > > Motion sensors might be the ticket.  For example,
> > > https://www.sparkfun.com/products/8630
> > >
> > > Brian
> > > - Original Message -
> > > From: "Andreas Orphanides" 
> > > To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU
> > > Sent: Thursday, August 15, 2013 11:12:02 AM
> > > Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Way to record usage of tables/rooms/chairs 
> > > in Library
> > >
> > > Oh, that's a much better idea than light sensors. One challenge 
> > > with that might be difficulty in determining what "vacant" looks 
> > > like authoritatively, especially if people move chairs, walk 
> > > through room,
> etc.
> > > But much more accessible than actually bolting stuff to the table, 
> > > I would think.
> > >
> > > On Thu, Aug 15, 2013 at 1:03 PM, Schwartz, Raymond
> > wrote:
> > >
> > >> Hey Dre, Perhaps a video camera with some OpenCV?
> > >>
> > >> -Original Message-
> > >> From: Code for Libraries [mailto:CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On 
> > >> Behalf Of Andreas Orphanides
> > >> Sent: Thursday, August 15, 2013 8:55 AM
> > >> To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU
> > >> Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Way to record usage of 
> > >> tables/rooms/chairs in Library
> > >>
> > >> If I were feeling really ambitious -- and fair warning, I'm a big 
> > >> believer that any solution worth engineering is worth 
> > >> over-engineering -- I'd come up with something involving light 
> > >> sensors (a la a gate counter) mounted on the table legs, just 
> > >> above seat height. Throw in some something something Arduino or 
> > >> Raspberry
> > Pi, and Bob's your uncle.
> > >>
> > >> I find myself more intimidated by the practicality of maintaining 
> > >> such a system (batteries, cord management etc) than about the 
> > >> practicality of this implementation, actually.
> > >>
> > >> -dre.
> > >>
> > >> On Wed, Aug 14, 2013 at 7:59 PM, Thomas Misilo 
> > wrote:
> > >>
> > >>> Hi,
> > >>>
> > >>> I was wondering if anyone has been asked before to come up with 
> > >>> a way to record usage of tables.
> > >>>
> > >>> The ideal solution would be a web app, that we can create floor 
> > >>> plans with where all the tables/chairs are and select the 
> > >>> "reporting time", say 9PM at night. Go around the library and 
> > >>> select all the seats/tables/rooms that are currently being 
> > >>> used/occupied for
> > >> statistical data.
> > >>>
> > >>> We would be wanting to go around probably multiple times a 

Re: [CODE4LIB] phone app for barcode-to-textfile?

[Ian Walls]

Android has Barcode Scanner, which can do both scan to text, as well as send
to custom URL (if you've got a RESTful kinda setup you want to GET to).

Not sure if there is a good solution for iOS... but you might be able to
build something in Phonegap (now Cordova), if you're keen.


-Ian

-Original Message-
From: Code for Libraries [mailto:CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf Of Ken
Irwin
Sent: Thursday, June 06, 2013 1:41 PM
To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU
Subject: [CODE4LIB] phone app for barcode-to-textfile?

Hi all,

Does anyone have a phone app (pref. iOS) that will just scan barcodes to a
textfile? All the apps I'm finding are shopping oriented or other special
uses. I just want to replace our antique barcode scanner that spits out a
list of barcodes as a text file.


Anyone have such a thing? Or advice on where to assemble the building blocks
to create one?

Thanks
Ken

Re: [CODE4LIB] File based CMSes

[Ian Walls]

I'd like to throw in another recommendation on Dokuwiki.  Out of the box, I'd 
call it about 80% of a solution, as there are some things I've wanted to do 
with it that have proven really difficult with existing modules strung 
together, but overall, it has the potential to do the job of a CMS well for 
many use cases.  If you're willing to invest the time in developing custom 
themes and plugins, it can do just about anything.


-Ian

-Original Message-
From: Code for Libraries [mailto:CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf Of Tom 
Keays
Sent: Monday, April 29, 2013 12:02 PM
To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU
Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] File based CMSes

I've used DokuWiki as a CMS for several website projects. The default theme is 
no great shakes, but you can theme it to look like anything and there are 
hundreds of plugins. I think the syntax it uses is much friendlier than that 
used by Mediapress.

http://dokuwiki.org/

I've also been curious about Octopress. Nominally a blogging layer for Jekyll, 
with the new version I think it can probably work as a CMS. It uses Markdown as 
the syntax.

http://octopress.org/


On Mon, Apr 29, 2013 at 11:22 AM, Wilhelmina Randtke wrote:

> Has anyone worked with file based CMSes,and do you have a 
> recommendation for one with simple backend?
>
> One of the issues with the CMS is that databases don't make sense to 
> people without background in them.  I want to look at static file 
> based CMSes with the goal of finding something that is easier to write 
> instructions on doing maintenance and backups for than is a database based 
> CMS.
>
> -Wilhelmina Randtke
>

Re: [CODE4LIB] You are a *pedantic* coder. So what am I?

[Ian Walls]

Justin,


I certainly agree that to become a better coder, it's good to experiment
with many languages and applications.  I'm not advocating that any given
shop should always rule out a project in a new (to them) language.  What I'm
saying is that the context of what you already know and what your
environment supports is an equally important part of the conversation when
choosing a language to develop in. 

-Ian

-Original Message-
From: Code for Libraries [mailto:CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf Of
Justin Coyne
Sent: Thursday, February 21, 2013 12:59 PM
To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU
Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] You are a *pedantic* coder. So what am I?

Ian, I have to caution against taking the attitude "we only code in what we
already know".  Of course you are going to be able to hit the ground running
faster in what you are expert in.  Putting on the blinders is a great way to
become irrelevant in the technology sphere.  If you want to be a better
coder, there is no better way than to learn a new language, and actually do
a project in it. The insights you find in doing this will make you a better
coder when your go back to doing whatever it was you were doing before.

-Justin


On Thu, Feb 21, 2013 at 11:53 AM, Ian Walls wrote:

> Agreed.  Each language has its own strengths and weaknesses.  Pick the 
> one that works best for your situation, factoring in not only what the 
> application needs to do, but your and your team's level of experience, 
> and the overall community context in which the project will live.  The 
> peculiarities of a given languages truth tables, for example, can 
> easily get washed out of the calculation when you consider what 
> languages you know and what platforms your institution supports.
>
>
> -Ian
>
> -Original Message-
> From: Code for Libraries [mailto:CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf 
> Of Ethan Gruber
> Sent: Thursday, February 21, 2013 12:45 PM
> To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU
> Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] You are a *pedantic* coder. So what am I?
>
> Look, I'm sure we can list the many ways different languages fail to 
> meet our expectations, but is this really a constructive line of
conversation?
>
> -1
>
>
> On Thu, Feb 21, 2013 at 12:40 PM, Justin Coyne
> wrote:
>
> > I did misspeak a bit.  You can override static methods in Java.  My 
> > major issue is that there is no "getClass()" within a static method, 
> > so when the static method is being run in the context of the 
> > inheriting class it is unaware of its own run context.
> >
> > For example: I want the output to be "Hi from bar", but it's "Hi 
> > from
> foo":
> >
> > class Foo {
> >   public static void sayHello() {
> > hi();
> >   }
> >   public static void hi() {
> > System.out.println("Hi from foo");
> >   }
> > }
> >
> > class Bar extends Foo {
> >
> >   public static void hi() {
> > System.out.println("Hi from bar");
> >   }
> > }
> >
> > class Test {
> >   public static void main(String [ ] args) {
> > Bar.sayHello();
> >   }
> > }
> >
> >
> > -Justin
> >
> >
> >
> > On Thu, Feb 21, 2013 at 11:18 AM, Eric Hellman  wrote:
> >
> > > OK, pedant, tell us why you think methods that can be over-ridden 
> > > are static.
> > > Also, tell us why you think classes in Java are not instances of 
> > > java.lang.Class
> > >
> > >
> > > On Feb 18, 2013, at 1:39 PM, Justin Coyne 
> > > 
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > > > To be pedantic, Ruby and JavaScript are more Object Oriented 
> > > > than Java because they don't have primitives and (in Ruby's 
> > > > case) because classes
> > > are
> > > > themselves objects.   Unlike Java, both Python and Ruby can properly
> > > > override of static methods on sub-classes. The Java language 
> > > > made many compromises as it was designed as a bridge to Object 
> > > > Oriented
> > programming
> > > > for programmers who were used to writing C and C++.
> > > >
> > > > -Justin
> > > >
> > >
> >
>

Re: [CODE4LIB] You are a *pedantic* coder. So what am I?

[Ian Walls]

Agreed.  Each language has its own strengths and weaknesses.  Pick the one that 
works best for your situation, factoring in not only what the application needs 
to do, but your and your team's level of experience, and the overall community 
context in which the project will live.  The peculiarities of a given languages 
truth tables, for example, can easily get washed out of the calculation when 
you consider what languages you know and what platforms your institution 
supports.


-Ian

-Original Message-
From: Code for Libraries [mailto:CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf Of Ethan 
Gruber
Sent: Thursday, February 21, 2013 12:45 PM
To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU
Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] You are a *pedantic* coder. So what am I?

Look, I'm sure we can list the many ways different languages fail to meet our 
expectations, but is this really a constructive line of conversation?

-1


On Thu, Feb 21, 2013 at 12:40 PM, Justin Coyne
wrote:

> I did misspeak a bit.  You can override static methods in Java.  My 
> major issue is that there is no "getClass()" within a static method, 
> so when the static method is being run in the context of the 
> inheriting class it is unaware of its own run context.
>
> For example: I want the output to be "Hi from bar", but it's "Hi from foo":
>
> class Foo {
>   public static void sayHello() {
> hi();
>   }
>   public static void hi() {
> System.out.println("Hi from foo");
>   }
> }
>
> class Bar extends Foo {
>
>   public static void hi() {
> System.out.println("Hi from bar");
>   }
> }
>
> class Test {
>   public static void main(String [ ] args) {
> Bar.sayHello();
>   }
> }
>
>
> -Justin
>
>
>
> On Thu, Feb 21, 2013 at 11:18 AM, Eric Hellman  wrote:
>
> > OK, pedant, tell us why you think methods that can be over-ridden 
> > are static.
> > Also, tell us why you think classes in Java are not instances of 
> > java.lang.Class
> >
> >
> > On Feb 18, 2013, at 1:39 PM, Justin Coyne 
> > 
> > wrote:
> >
> > > To be pedantic, Ruby and JavaScript are more Object Oriented than 
> > > Java because they don't have primitives and (in Ruby's case) 
> > > because classes
> > are
> > > themselves objects.   Unlike Java, both Python and Ruby can properly
> > > override of static methods on sub-classes. The Java language made 
> > > many compromises as it was designed as a bridge to Object Oriented
> programming
> > > for programmers who were used to writing C and C++.
> > >
> > > -Justin
> > >
> >
>

Re: [CODE4LIB] usability testing software

[Ian Walls]

My library is about to launch into a series of quick usability testing
sessions next week for our website.  In terms of software, we wanted to do a
screen and audio capture, but the programs we experimented with were not
sufficiently stable or responsive to fit into our workflow.  There was far
too much risk of the software crashing, or taking forever to compile a
video, or leaving us with a flashing green/white screen (very unpleasant)
that we decided to just use audio capture (based on Window's native Sound
Recorder).

Our general strategy is to set up at a table in the library lobby, and offer
free drinks at the café in exchange for a 10-15 minute usability testing
runthrough (10 questions on the activities our surveys and webstats show are
most important).  We'll do 2 hour sessions each day for 7 days, varying the
time and location to catch as wide an array of people as possible.  Each
session will be operated by two web committee members; one will ask the
tester questions, and the other will record their observations.

I've been experimenting with heatmap.js[1], and hope to find a way to
aggregate and incorporate that data at some point, too.


-Ian
UMass Amherst Libraries

1. http://www.patrick-wied.at/static/heatmapjs/

-Original Message-
From: Code for Libraries [mailto:CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf Of
Shaun Ellis
Sent: Thursday, January 31, 2013 11:57 AM
To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU
Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] usability testing software

Usability Testing Lab?!?  Awesome!  I'm curious about your goals and your
process... are you looking to publish your results?

I guess why I'm asking is because I pretty much drank the Kool-aid on the
more ethnographic "discount usability testing" + "rapid prototyping" 
approach, followed by using Google Analytics to try to get gather
quantitative "real-life" stats as we make improvements.  I can definitely
see the usefulness of having more resources for usability testing though.

I'm surprised that none of the suggestions do A/B testing.  It seems like
that would help settle the never-ending debate in "web committees" 
around labels and vocabulary.

-Shaun

On 1/31/13 10:35 AM, Nate Hill wrote:
> Hi all,
> Years ago I had the opportunity to use Morae to do some usability testing.
> http://www.techsmith.com/morae.html
> I may have an opportunity to put together a little bit of a usability 
> testing lab at my library, and I wonder if anyone can suggest a 
> similar product but...
> I'd like it to run on Macs.
> Suggestions?
> thanks
>


--
Shaun Ellis
User Interace Developer, Digital Initiatives Princeton University Library

Re: [CODE4LIB] Group Decision Making (was Zoia)

[Ian Walls]

+1

Perhaps, instead of a policy document (which is inherently rules-based), we
have a statement of belief and a pledge to stand by it (which is more of a
good-faith social contract).  Those of us who believe in it could sign it in
some way, perhaps through GitHub  This way we'd still have a document to
point people at, but we wouldn't have to worry about coding up rules that
work for every conceivable situation.

A basic statement of belief:

We don't believe that people should harm each other.

The basic situations we'd need to cover are:

a) I am harmed by someone - a pledge to speak up, either to the person
directly or to someone else in the community
b) someone is harmed by me - a pledge to review my behavior and take
appropriate action (apologize, or explain why I feel the behavior is
justified)
c) someone is harmed by someone else - a pledge to be willing to listen to
both parties, and form our opinions of the situation in light of the
statement of belief

Do you all think something like this would work for the whole community?


-Ian

-Original Message-
From: Code for Libraries [mailto:CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf Of
Jonathan Rochkind
Sent: Friday, January 25, 2013 1:25 PM
To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU
Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Group Decision Making (was Zoia)

>  The best way, in my mind,
is to somehow create a culture where someone can say: "you know, I'm not ok
with that kind of remark" and the person spoken to can respond "OK, I'll
think about that." 

I think that's a really good to try to create, Karen says it just right.
Note that "OK, I'll think about it" is neither "No, you must be mistaken"
nor "Okay, I will immediately do whatever you ask of me."  But it does need
to be a legitimate actual "I'll think about it", seriously. 

The flip side is that the culture is also one where when someone says "you
know, I'm not ok with that kind of remark", it often means "And I'd like you
to think about that, in a real serious way" rather than "And I expect you to
immediately change your behavior to acede to my demands."

Of course, what creates that, from both ends, is a culture of trust.  Which
I think code4lib actually has pretty a pretty decent dose of already, let's
try to keep it that way. (In my opinion, one way we keep it that way is by
continuing to resist becoming a formal rules-based bueurocratic
organization, rather than a community based on social ties and good faith). 

Now, at some times it might really be neccesary to say "And I expect you to
immediately stop what you're doing and do it exactly like I say."  Other
times it's not.  But in our society as a whole, we are so trained to think
that everything must be rules-based rather than based on good faith trust
between people who care about each other, that we're likely to asume that
"you know, i'm not ok with that remark" ALWAYS implies "And therefore I
think you are an awful person, and your only hope of no longer being an
awful person is to immediately do exactly what I say."  Rather than "And I
expect you to think about this seriously, and maybe get back to me on what
you think."  So if you do mean the second one when saying "you know, i'm not
ok with that remark", it can be helpful to say so, to elicit the
self-reflection you want, rather than defensiveness.  And of course, on the
flip-side, it is obviously helpful if you can always respond to "you know,
i'm really not okay with that"!
  with reflection, rather than defensiveness. 

From: Code for Libraries [CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU] on behalf of Karen Coyle
[li...@kcoyle.net]
Sent: Friday, January 25, 2013 12:22 PM
To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU
Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Group Decision Making (was Zoia)

On 1/24/13 3:09 PM, Shaun Ellis wrote:
>
>
> To be clear, I am only uncomfortable with "uncomfortable" being used 
> in the policy because I wouldn't support it being there. Differing 
> opinions can make people uncomfortable.  Since I am not going to stop 
> sharing what may be a dissenting opinion, should I be banned?

I can't come up with a word for it that is unambiguous, but I can propose a
scenario. Imagine a room at a conference full of people -- and that there
are only a few people of color. A speaker gets up and shows or says
something racist. It may be light-hearted in nature, but the people of color
in that almost-all-white audience feel
uncomfortable/insulted/discriminated against.

I had a great example that I can no longer find -- I think it came through
on Twitter. It showed a fake ad with an image of border patrol agents
rounding up "illegal aliens" in the desert, and used the ad copy:
"We can take care of all of your papers" as the ad line for a business
computing company. It's a "joke" that you can almost imagine someone
actually doing. Any latinos in the audience would be within their rights of
jumping up and shouting at the speaker, but in fact sexism and racism work
precisely because people struggling for equa

Re: [CODE4LIB] Group Decision Making (was Zoia)

[Ian Walls]

My concern over the anti-harassment policy is part of the definition of
"harassment", particularly:

"It includes offensive verbal comments or non-verbal expressions related to
gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, disability,
physical appearance, body size, race, age, religious beliefs, sexual or
discriminatory images in public spaces (including online)".

I'm sure that no one in the community would intentionally "threaten another
person or group, or produce an unsafe environment", but the policy does not
seem to be oriented around intent, but rather the reaction of the person or
group who feels offended.  People can be offended by all variety of
material, and there is no universal, objective consensus as to what is and
is not offensive.  This translates roughly to:

"I am offended by something you said, therefore you harassed me".

This makes me uncomfortable, because even though I can control my own
behavior and treat others with respect, I cannot anticipate the reactions of
others with sufficient accuracy to compensate for the risk of the sanction.
Therefore for any interaction in Code4Lib under this policy, I have the
wonder if something I've said may be misinterpreted or read into in such a
way as to produce offense.  Very stressful, and a deterrent to participating
in the community.

Having a section of the policy to deal with misunderstandings and
inadvertent offense would go a long way towards alleviating my fear of
banned for what would appear to me as no reason.


-Ian

-Original Message-
From: Code for Libraries [mailto:CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf Of
Fitchett, Deborah
Sent: Thursday, January 24, 2013 10:32 PM
To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU
Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Group Decision Making (was Zoia)

When I quote ~"you're spoiling our fun" it's at the level of a paraphrase of
one aspect of a synthesis of actual responses. It wasn't by any means the
whole conversation; I don't recall if it was even the whole of any one
person's response; but it was one prominent theme that came out of the
response to people speaking up about problems with Zoia, and that prominence
can be offputting. Mitigating this was that an even more prominent theme was
"Okay, let's fix things". But this isn't maths and they don't cancel out:
they're both there.

This all said, I actually don't want to talk about Zoia. I don't want to
sound like I'm stomping on people when all I want to say is that this
dynamic exists (here, everywhere). And talking about Zoia also feels like a
distraction from the question I asked and I think Karen was getting at,
which is again: going forward, how do we react when we're having fun and
we're made aware that someone else is being hurt by the thing we find fun?

I doubt we need a standard operating procedure but it's something really
worth thinking about in advance of when it happens. Because it's hard, when
that happens (having been there) : one wants to be a good person, but one
also wants to have fun. And then there's the ego's self-defense mechanism: a
good person wouldn't have fun doing something that hurts someone, and I'm a
good person, so since I was having fun it can't really have hurt anyone.
Yeah, bad logic, but like I said I've been there and it can take logic a
long time to beat the ego over that one if you haven't prepared.

Having a code of conduct is fantastic. But if we don't have *at least* vague
brainstormy ideas of how we'll react to it when a) Your Best Friend says
Complete Stranger is harassing zir; b) YBF says YotherBF is harassing zir;
c) CS says YBF is harassing zir; d) CS says you're harassing zir; etc --
then it's just false security, has the same potential for denial or coverups
as if there were no such code, and in that case means all the additional
pain of broken trust.

And for those that think that this is a fantastic group so it's just a waste
of time planning for a non-existent situation -- well, I still think it was
a little bit there with Zoia (the outline of the pattern if nothing else);
but even if you don't agree with that, this is a transferable skill: if we
come up with ideas of how we can react here, we can then also use those if
similar situations come up in other aspects of our lives.

Deborah 

-Original Message-
From: Code for Libraries [mailto:CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf Of Ross
Singer
Sent: Friday, 25 January 2013 3:33 PM
To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU
Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Group Decision Making (was Zoia)

On Jan 24, 2013, at 6:50 PM, "Fitchett, Deborah"
 wrote:

> People did raise specific issues with Zoia which can reasonably be fit
into the code of conduct's definition of harassment (many of which have
therefore been addressed) so saying "no one has spoken up" seems strange.
People did speak up. Some people listened and did something about it; some
people objected ~"You're spoiling our fun" and this kind of reaction is what
has the potential to make some people nervous about speaking up, bec

Re: [CODE4LIB] Tablets to help with circulation services

[Ian Walls]

The original (white) Square reader is unencrypted, and the output can be
read by an app, but you'll need to a) know how to write an app for the
platform(s) you wish, and b) figure out how to decode the serial data, which
isn't particularly well documented out there in the world.

If you're using Chrome Canary, you can load up this page:
http://webaudiodemos.appspot.com/AudioRecorder/index.html and connect a
Square, and see an oscilloscope output of the data.  Again, you'd have to
interpret what that serial data means for you, but this is the kind of stuff
that will eventually be possible with HTML5, once it's widely adopted.

Camera access is also forthcoming in HTML5, so there may come a time when
you can natively do barcode scanning using the rear-facing camera of your
tablet/smart device.

For now, while things still require mobile apps, the most sustainable
solution may be to develop the app in Phonegap (http://phonegap.com/) so
it's already in HTML5 when the technology is finally ready to just do this
in the browser instead of a compiled app.

Or, Bluetooth.  That works too.

-Ian

-Original Message-
From: Code for Libraries [mailto:CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf Of
Jason Griffey
Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2013 1:27 PM
To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU
Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Tablets to help with circulation services

FWIW: All of the card-readers I've tested (Square, Paypal) require their
particular apps to "read"...there's no generic output that's readable by the
device.

At least on iOS, access to the camera is via an API only accessible by an
app, which means no generic browser based access to the camera output
either. If you were to write an iOS app, of course, all bets are off...you
could do what you wanted with the camera, including barcode reading.

Android is much less locked down than iOS, but I'm not as familiar with it.

If I were doing this, I'd look into using a bluetooth scanner in combo with
the tablet. In that case, the scanner just presents as if it were a
keyboard, passing the data off to the tablet just as if it were keyed in.
That would work in-browser, in app, or where ever. We're considering this
model as a possibility for some services in our new building, with the
hangup being desensitization of the materials after checkout.

Jason


On Wed, Jan 23, 2013 at 11:34 AM, Stephen Francoeur <
stephen.franco...@gmail.com> wrote:

> We're looking into ways that tablets might be used by library staff 
> assisting patrons in a long line at the circ desk. With a tablet, an 
> additional staff person could pick folks off the line who might have 
> things that can be handled on a properly outfitted tablet.
>
> I am wondering if anyone has any examples of a library using the 
> camera on a tablet to scan barcodes on library materials (for check 
> out or check in) or if anyone has used one of those magnetic stripe 
> readers that you can attach to some tablets (such as the Square 
> Register for the iPad which can be used to process credit cards)? I'm 
> sure it's been done with a netbook; we're solely interested in doing this
with a tablet.
>
> We're trying to see if we can install the GUI for Ex Libris Aleph on a 
> tablet running Microsoft RT. If this might work on tablets running 
> Android or iOS, that would be interesting as well.
>
> Any examples or thoughts about this would be most welcome.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Stephen Francoeur
>
> User Experience Librarian
>
> Newman Library
>
> Room 516
>
> Baruch College
>
> 151 E. 25th Street
>
> New York, NY 10010
>
>
>
> 646.312.1620
>
> stephen.franco...@baruch.cuny.edu
>
> http://stephenfrancoeur.com
>

Re: [CODE4LIB] code4lib 2013 location

[Ian Walls]

>From the UIC Forum, bus route 12: http://goo.gl/maps/zyPx5, about every
10-15 minutes

-Ian

-Original Message-
From: Code for Libraries [mailto:CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf Of
Fleming, Declan
Sent: Monday, January 14, 2013 2:30 PM
To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU
Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] code4lib 2013 location

There WILL be a shuttle to WHITE CASTLE, RIGHT FRANCIS?!?  

D

-Original Message-
From: Code for Libraries [mailto:CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf Of Cary
Gordon
Sent: Saturday, January 12, 2013 1:52 PM
To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU
Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] code4lib 2013 location

It is 5.2 miles from the hotel to the venue if you stop at White Castle "on
your way".

http://goo.gl/maps/GUApw

On Sat, Jan 12, 2013 at 11:21 AM, Jay Luker  wrote:
> On Sat, Jan 12, 2013 at 9:39 AM, Esmé Cowles  wrote:
>
>>
>> I am personally looking forward to the walk.  Though I live in 
>> Florida, I've lived in colder places and have appropriate coats, etc.
>> And I don't have any mobility issues, and routinely walk a few miles just
for fun.
>>
>> But if I didn't already own cold-weather gear that I would never need 
>> in Florida, I would not be looking forward to walking a mile, early 
>> in the morning or late at night, in February, in Chicago, where I 
>> could reasonably expect it to be in the ballpark of 20°F.
>>
>
>
> From the overhead map I was a bit horrified, with the route running 
> right parallel/adjacent to the huge freeway there. But I just "walked"
> the stretch from Crowne Plaza to the UIC Forum on Google Street View 
> and it didn't seem too bad.
>
> --jay
>
> PS, I hope you like Greek food.



--
Cary Gordon
The Cherry Hill Company
http://chillco.com

[CODE4LIB] Extremely critical Ruby on Rails bug

[Ian Walls]

Folks,

 

 

I know a lot of you are running Ruby on Rails for various projects; just
wanted to be sure you saw this critical security issue with all versions of
Rails:
http://arstechnica.com/security/2013/01/extremely-crtical-ruby-on-rails-bug-
threatens-more-than-20-sites/

 

In short, the following versions are safe: 3.2.11, 3.1.10, 3.0.19, or 2.3.15

 

Cheers,

 

 

-Ian Walls

Web Services and Emerging Technologies Librarian

UMass Amherst Libraries

Re: [CODE4LIB] 2012 preconference proposals wanted!

[Ian Walls]

Due to a recent change in employment, I'm not going to be able to make it
to Code4Lib this year (much to my disappointment).  That means I won't be
able to facilitate the Git -r Done preconference session.  It looks like
there are enough other interested Git users attending, though, to make a
pretty good show of it.

I look forward to attending in 2013, once I've established myself at my new
institution.

Cheers,


-Ian

On Tue, Sep 27, 2011 at 11:47 AM, Carl Wiedemann
wrote:

> I've been using Git extensively for a library's Drupal sites and may have
> some relevant items to share about deployment strategy and managing
> branches
> across dev/test/prod environments. Would be very interested to hear how
> others have approached these issues, especially on different platforms.
>
> Carl Wiedemann
> Website design and development consulting
> carl.wiedem...@gmail.com | skype: c4rlww
>
>
>
> On Mon, Sep 26, 2011 at 11:04 AM, Ian Walls
> wrote:
>
> > 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  > >wrote:
> >
> > > On Mon, Sep 26, 2011 at 12:33 PM, Andrew Nagy 
> 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] 2012 preconference proposals wanted!

[Ian Walls]

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 wrote:

> On Mon, Sep 26, 2011 at 12:33 PM, Andrew Nagy  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] 2012 preconference proposals wanted!

[Ian Walls]

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 wrote:

> On Fri, Sep 23, 2011 at 10:02 AM, Ian Walls
>  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

Re: [CODE4LIB] 2012 preconference proposals wanted!

[Ian Walls]

I use Git heavily for Koha; I'd be happy to contribute to such a
preconference.  If we still need someone to take the lead on this, I would
volunteer.

I cannot speak to Git v. SVN, unfortunately, but I'd very much like to learn
more about the topic.

Cheers,


-Ian


On Fri, Sep 23, 2011 at 9:56 AM, Bohyun Kim  wrote:

> I second this call. The comparison between SVN and Git would be very
> helpful.
>
>
>
> ---
> Bohyun Kim, MA, MSLIS
> Digital Access Librarian
> bohyun@fiu.edu
> Medical Library, College of Medicine
> Florida International University
> 
> From: Code for Libraries [CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU] on behalf of David
> Uspal [david.us...@villanova.edu]
> Sent: Thursday, September 22, 2011 1:41 PM
> To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU
> Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] 2012 preconference proposals wanted!
>
> Throwing my 2c in, as a heavy SVN user who only uses Git on rare occasion,
> I'd definitely like to see this as a preconference topic.
>
>
> David K. Uspal
> Technology Development Specialist
> Falvey Memorial Library
> Phone: 610-519-8954
> Email: david.us...@villanova.edu
>
>
>
> -Original Message-
> From: Code for Libraries [mailto:CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf Of
> Matthew Phillips
> Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2011 5:05 PM
> To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU
> Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] 2012 preconference proposals wanted!
>
> I like the idea of a git preconf. I'd be happy to sit in and/or show how
> we use git in my dev group.
>
> Matt Phillips
> Harvard Library Innovation Laboratory
> mphill...@law.harvard.edu | 617-495-4815
> 142 Langdell Hall | Harvard Law School Library
>
>
> On 9/21/11 12:30 PM, "Cary Gordon"  wrote:
>
> >I could help. We use git and I am a huge fan. I helped support the
> >move to git at Drupal.
> >
> >I don't know that I could commit to being the lead.
> >
> >Thanks,
> >
> >Cary
> >
> >On Thu, Sep 15, 2011 at 8:43 AM, Rob Casson  wrote:
> >> some of us in IRC were kicking around the idea of a git preconf.  i'm
> >> just getting started, and totally unqualified to lead something like
> >> that, but could help out a bit...anyone feel like they could wrangle
> >> that?  we've got a couple folks that could talk about specifics
> >> (gitolite, etc)
> >>
> >>
> >> On Tue, Sep 13, 2011 at 9:13 PM, John Fink  wrote:
> >>> Hey Code4lib folks!
> >>>
> >>> Code4Lib 2012 is rapidly approaching and it's time to gather up some
> >>>  proposals for the Code4Lib 2012 preconference sessions! We're
> >>>accepting
> >>> preconference proposals for both full day and half day morning/evening
> >>> sessions. If you've got an idea, put it on the wiki! It's at
> >>> http://wiki.code4lib.org/index.php/2012_preconference_proposals. The
> >>>proposal
> >>> deadline is Friday, November 18th. We can accommodate preconference
> >>>sessions
> >>> of varying sizes; there's a main room that can fit 275 people and five
> >>> breakout rooms that can fit between 30-35 people. For examples of last
> >>>years
> >>> preconference proposals, take a look at the wiki here --
> >>> http://wiki.code4lib.org/index.php/2010_Preconference_Proposals. Once
> >>>we've
> >>> collected enough proposals, we'll put them up, and if we've collected
> >>>too
> >>> many of them, we'll vote on which ones are the best, probably after
> >>>November
> >>> 18th. Thanks for submitting and let us know if you've got any
> >>>questions!
> >>>
> >>> jf
> >>>
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> >--
> >Cary Gordon
> >The Cherry Hill Company
> >http://chillco.com
>



-- 
Ian Walls
Lead Development Specialist
ByWater Solutions
Phone # (888) 900-8944
http://bywatersolutions.com
ian.wa...@bywatersolutions.com
Twitter: @sekjal

Re: [CODE4LIB] exporting marc records from iii

[Ian Walls]

I presented on how I got MARCXML out of III using Xrecords at Code4Lib
2010.   Here are the links:

Presentation and conf page:  http://code4lib.org/conference/2010/walls
Video:
http://www.archive.org/details/BecomingTrulyInnovativeMigratingFromMillenniumToKoha-IanWalls
Code:  http://contribs.koha.org/revision_view.php?rid=19

Let me know if you have any questions.


-Ian

On Fri, Feb 18, 2011 at 11:39 AM, Kyle Banerjee wrote:

> On Fri, Feb 18, 2011 at 8:29 AM, Walker, David 
> wrote:
>
> > Hey Eric,
> >
> > Is this an Innovative system you have access to (at Notre Dame)?  And do
> > you need to do this one time only, or does it need to be automated and
> > ongoing?
> >
> > If it's a system you have access to, and you only need it once, then you
> > might just have one of the staff there use the Millennium client to get
> > these records.  Innovative provides modules (Create Lists and Data
> Exchange)
> > to search for and export MARC records.  There is, of course,
> documentation
> > for that.
> >
>
> There is also a function in the character based system that allows you to
> export MARC records. This can easily be automated with expect.
>
> If it is ongoing and you only need individual records, you can also ask
> target systems to enable XRECORD for bib records in their system. This will
> enable you to pull up records in XML that contain all the fields in their
> full glory. I strongly recommend against this option as it is one of the
> most insane schemas I've ever seen, it doesn't deal with certain characters
> properly, and you can only harvest by control number.
>
> There is also a syntax that you can use to pull individual records from the
> "staff" view in the public OPAC that gives you a textual representation of
> the MARC record. This can be parsed and converted to a real MARC record.
>
> If you need all records in the system, the expect route through the
> character based system is the best. The other methods can be used in a
> pinch.
>
> I recommend against Data Exchange not because it doesn't work (though the
> last time I checked it didn't work well with large sets), but because you
> can't automate it and it forces you to work though a java gui client.
>
> kyle
> --
> --
> Kyle Banerjee
> Digital Services Program Manager
> Orbis Cascade Alliance
> baner...@uoregon.edu / 503.877.9773
>



-- 
Ian Walls
Lead Development Specialist
ByWater Solutions
Phone # (888) 900-8944
http://bywatersolutions.com
ian.wa...@bywatersolutions.com
Twitter: @sekjal

Re: [CODE4LIB] Data export from III

[Ian Walls]

Wayne,


I presented at the last Code4Lib about migrating Millennium to Koha:
http://code4lib.org/conference/2010/walls.  (video at
http://www.archive.org/details/BecomingTrulyInnovativeMigratingFromMillenniumToKoha-IanWalls
)

The scripts can be used to just extract the XML data, or extract and convert
to MARCXML.  You can find the code here:
http://contribs.koha.org/revision_view.php?rid=19

<http://contribs.koha.org/revision_view.php?rid=19>I tried to comment things
as clearly as possible.  Hopefully this can be a good first step... let me
know if you have any questions.


-Ian

On Mon, Oct 18, 2010 at 10:28 AM, Wayne Lam  wrote:

> Any people have experience in exporting bib data in Innovative Interface
> to sort of XML db? How is it going to be done actually?
> and What could be the best way of doing this?
>
>
> Any idea appreciated
>
>
> Thanks
>
>
> Wayne
>



-- 
Ian Walls
Lead Development Specialist
ByWater Solutions
Phone # (888) 900-8944
http://bywatersolutions.com
ian.wa...@bywatersolutions.com
Twitter: @sekjal