[Koha] Possible APP development

Tue Apr 22 05:09:06 NZST 2014

I've worked at a few educational libraries that run term-length loans  -
the reader can keep it til the end of the term unless someone else requests
it. Also, my current library defaults to a 90 day loan on the same
principle, precisely because our members are rather far flung.  I wouldn't
go longer than that, people tend to misplace books they have on long term
loan, and then think they've returned them.  It might be useful to send out
a monthly reminder - "you have the following items on loan, and here are
their due dates. . . "

On Thu, Apr 17, 2014 at 9:09 PM, Miller, Tim <Tim-Miller at redwoods.edu>wrote:

> That loan period is a really good idea, Viktor- it's like Bookmobile loans
> but with carry-out!
> If we could figure out a way to automatically set up this kind of
> alternative loan period based on the patron's address (e.g. longer loans
> for people living 20+ miles away), that'd be brilliant. Our staff already
> often make this type of exception to folks who live prohibitively far away,
> so it'd be better to have it as an actual policy and coded into Koha.
> But I'm not sure I am comfortable with 'as long as you like'... maybe
> two/three x's the normal loan period or equal to the max renewal period. In
> my experience, no due date = lost under the sofa/pile of dirty laundry. ;o)
>
> Tim Miller
> Library Technician
> College of the Redwoods Library
> 7351 Tompkins Hill Rd.
> Eureka, CA 95501-9300
> (707) 476-4256
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Koha [mailto:koha-bounces at lists.katipo.co.nz] On Behalf Of HOWES,
> Steve
> Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2014 6:05 AM
> To: 'koha at lists.katipo.co.nz'
> Subject: Re: [Koha] Possible APP development
>
> * Create new rules that guarantees a patron a certain loan period but
> allows them to keep the book for as long as they like as long as no
> reserves are made. Contact the patron when somebody places a hold on the
> title with a ”Others have requested the book, and you now have X days to
> return it”.
>
> This functionality is something our senior management are interested in
> regardless of an app :-)
>
> Best Wishes,
> Steve
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Koha [mailto:koha-bounces at lists.katipo.co.nz] On Behalf Of
> Viktor.Sarge at regionhalland.se
> Sent: 17 April 2014 11:47
> To: koha at lists.katipo.co.nz
> Subject: Re: [Koha] Possible APP development
>
> Great input Tim! An app that can’t talk to the server for ages do provide
> some challenges and I like how you work around them.
>
> I’ll just throw some other ideas in the mix to make shure we look at the
> problem at hand from all perspectives:
>
> Problem to solve: provide library service where there are no internet
> connection and/or phone.
>
> Ideas:
> * Automatically renew loans serverside when possible. Contact the patron
> through snailmail, e-mail or SMS when renewals are no longer possible and
> set a few days as grace period.
> * Create new rules that guarantees a patron a certain loan period but
> allows them to keep the book for as long as they like as long as no
> reserves are made. Contact the patron when somebody places a hold on the
> title with a ”Others have requested the book, and you now have X days to
> return it”.
> * Set up at phone based service with speech synthesis for those who have
> 2G connections or landline.
> * Allow renewals after the book is already late (if it isn’t already
> possible. A quick peek in system preferences points at ”no”)
>
> That said I have WiFi/3G/4G everywhere I go and I do love my apps :)
>
> Kind regards/Viktor Sarge
>
> Viktor Sarge
> Utvecklingsledare
> Regionbibliotek Halland
> Kultur i Halland
>
> TFN: 035-17 98 73
> E-POST: Viktor.Sarge at regionhalland.se<mailto:Viktor.Sarge at regionhalland.se
> >
> BESÖKSADRESS: Södra vägen 9, 30180 Halmstad
> WEBB: www.regionhalland.se/regionbibliotek<
> http://www.regionhalland.se/regionbibliotek>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> 15 apr 2014 kl. 23:50 skrev Miller, Tim <Tim-Miller at Redwoods.edu<mailto:
> Tim-Miller at Redwoods.edu>>:
>
> That's interesting, Susan- I have a different take on the usefulness of
> apps in areas with poor connectivity. Though I'm definitely not saying it
> won't work.
>
> I'd argue that patchy internet access is the main issue to resolve when
> creating and promoting a native app that patrons will rely on to complete
> important transactions. I see very few problems with native app
> functionality in areas with adequate internet/cell service- most of the
> usability issues arise when service is poor. Perhaps the area where I live
> has worse access to internet and cell service than your community, but my
> library is also in a rural area and includes communities with no service at
> all (cell or internet). The infrastructure is limited.
> However, many of our patrons simply cannot afford internet service at
> home- even if it is available (the economy here is quite depressed).
> Since a native app would still need to communicate with the library's ILS
> to complete any transactions (which requires connecting to the internet),
> there are some major problems that I see. Examples: if a patron renews in
> the app while offline, but the app can't communicate with the library's
> server; if a patron's app cannot be updated about a hold that has become
> available, they won't receive the push notification.
>
> To the average patron, it is not clear how such apps work and how they
> need to connect to the ILS to ensure that the transaction is completed.
> A patron may be able to renew an item in the app, but the app won't
> necessarily be able to communicate that renewal to the ILS. As the
> circulation coordinator, this is one of the major problems that I see.
> Who is at fault? What is the library's accountability for an app that is
> misunderstood by the patrons?
>
> This is not to say that native apps cannot be useful in areas where
> connectivity is spotty- but certain issues unique to such areas need to be
> considered. I should clarify that I'm certainly not arguing that a
> web-based app would work in these conditions (it clearly would not), but
> these confusions would not come up, either. Regardless, it is certainly
> possible to build a good native app to provide offline services to patrons,
> they simply require a few considerations not only in the design of the app
> itself but also in the policies and procedures of the library. For an area
> similar to where I live, I think that having a notification system using
> SMS would be best- it's easier for texts to get through in areas with
> spotty/slow cell service. Native apps can use SMS to send push
> notifications, but the patrons need to be made aware that they can be
> charged for those by their cell phone company.
>
> My suggestions for creating an app with the intent to provide offline
> services:
> *Use SMS to send notifications (not necessarily all data needs to be
> updated with SMS, only the time-sensitive data) *Do not show items as
> renewed (don't update due dates) until the data has made it to the server-
> display due dates based on the ILS database, not based on local storage
> (pull the due date data from the ILS, don't use the data typed into the
> device).
> *When renewals aren't completed immediately, use pop-up alerts to notify
> patrons that the item cannot be renewed until data is sent (when there is
> no current internet connection).
> *Educate users on the importance of setting up the push notifications
> appropriately- the device won't need to look for updates constantly and
> drain the battery (which can be magnified when the device is having a hard
> time finding a signal to begin with), but it will need to update at least
> daily (which will help ensure that hold notifications don't get missed).
> *Educate users on the use of the app when disconnected from service for
> extended periods of time- use a pop-up alert to notify offline patrons that
> transactions made will not be completed until they connect (e.g.
> patrons who live in a pocket with no service and will be home for days in
> a row cannot expect to receive notifications or complete transactions).
> Perhaps create a notification that tells the user when the app has not
> gotten an update in the last x number of hours) *Within the ILS, be sure to
> use a different set of criteria for data sent from an app- e.g. if a user
> renews an item at 11:58pm on their app and it doesn't update the server
> until 12:01am the next day, be sure to not allow that to generate overdue
> fines (use a timestamp to determine the time of renewal and apply it
> retroactively?).
> *If using SMS to send notifications, be sure to allow the patron to
> determine what types of notifications they want/don't want to receive.
> Be sure to notify them that they may be charged for such notifications.
>
> Another tangential issue (which is fairly germane to this conversation)
> which enters my mind when developing new electronic services (and in this
> case, native apps specifically) is the creation of library services
> targeted at select brands of devices and operating systems. If the library
> creates iPhone and Android apps, is it in keeping with the library's
> mission to devote resources that will not be available to Windows,
> Blackberry and Symbian users? Does the library need to ensure that the same
> services are available across all apps? Will the limitations of one
> OS/device determine the limitations of the other OS/devices? Perhaps only
> certain types of services (renewals, holds) are important enough to be
> considered in this type of discussion. Perhaps your library decides these
> are non-issues. Perhaps user surveys demonstrate that Blackberry and
> Symbian users do not use library services (yet). But it's something to
> think about.
>
> Good luck with the app! I look forward to seeing it.
>
>
>
> Tim Miller
> Library Technician
> College of the Redwoods Library
> 7351 Tompkins Hill Rd.
> Eureka, CA 95501-9300
> (707) 476-4256
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Koha [mailto:koha-bounces at lists.katipo.co.nz] On Behalf Of Sue
> McMillan
> Sent: Monday, April 14, 2014 1:24 PM
> To: koha at lists.katipo.co.nz<mailto:koha at lists.katipo.co.nz>
> Subject: Re: [Koha] Possible APP development
>
> Thanks for everyone's input. The different views are interesting.
>
> I see one of the major advantages of having an app that uses push
> notifications is that here in NZ internet access for people outside of the
> major centres is patchy at best.  Connecting to a webpage over a cell phone
> network or even a landline is near impossible in rural areas as the
> connection is weak and/or drops out continuously.  High speed broadband is
> limited to major cities.  Towns outside of these areas have broadband but
> at very low speeds.  Some (un)lucky places still have dial up.
>
> Most rural cell phone connections get enough signal send and receive texts
> but not phone calls, and definitely not enough to load a webpage.
>
>
> Personally I would much rather have an app that sends me notifications
> alerting me to the need to renew books or that a held item is ready for
> collection than remember to login to a webpage.
>
> Regards
> Susan McMillan
> Cataloguing and Systems Administrator| South Taranaki District Council
> 105-111 Albion St, Hawera 4610 | Private Bag 902, Hawera 4640, NZ
> Phone: +64 6 278 0555 | Cell: | www.southtaranaki.com<
> http://www.southtaranaki.com>
>
>
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