custom versus standard : the inforum case

1
custom versus standard the inforum case

• Dublin 8 september 2005
• European Unicorn Users group meeting

2
The presentation scheme

• The legal database inforum
• The goals of the new version (4.0)
• The results from an user point of view
• The technics to achieve the goals
• Custom versus Standard
• The drawbacks

3
Who are we?

• Inforum is a legal database for local entities
• We gather regulations, serial articles, books,
  court decisions, parlementary question etc .
• Each document is a record
• We are specialized in a specific public the
  local authorities
• Wa abstract, catalogue and link documents
• We are self-supporting the municipalities are
  paying a subscription fee to consult the database

4
Type of library

• We are a special library ?
• Very pragmatic approach
• If our customer are not satisfied, they will not
  pay us anymore
• We have competitors on the market place
• The information we work with is time sensitive
  (our SLA is 4 hours maximum downtime in a year)

5
The goals of the new version

• New look
• The right information faster
• A step toward personnalization
• Easier to use
• To mature from a document database to a knowledge
  database
• To make things easier for the client who is
  overwhelmed with information

6
New look Ilink did it great!
7
Main Customization for the look the icons
8
The right information faster the dilemma

• 2 languages (at least)
• 3 libraries
• 6 typical usertypes
• 1 internet 1 extranet type of access
• ? 24 environments
• Because the knowledge database so labour
  intensive was, we decided to focus on 2 gateways
  and to personnalize the information in another
  way

9
Faster to the important documents each type of
user has his information
10
Faster the essence of each document
11
Personnalization not yet the best it could be

• Based on user profiles
• We dont use MyILink or MyIBistro because it
  focuses on authors and subjects
• We have to refine cataloging first before trying
  the standard features
• OR we could customize the MyILink feature
  otherwise (choice not made yet)

12
Easier to use Standard iLink some
customization
Shortcut to todays official journal information
www.google.be
Based on classification
13
Easy the print button the 2d button bar!
14
The knowledge database
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From knowledge to encyclopaedia
definition
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Technics we used

• Lots of possibilities of Unicorn self
• Html and java
• Some tricks
• API

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The possibilities of Unicorn self

• Cascading style sheets for colors, printing,
  display
• Language possibilities and an extensive use of
  variables used in Unicorn/Language/Custom/French/l
  abels and messages
• Order of entry list (to put the essence first)
• Find it fast for the knowledge database
• You found titles
• Profiling
• System.env, iLink.env , etc

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Html

• Adapt the  feeling  of the pages and add icons
• Add a definition for each  cupboard  of Find it
  fast
• in gatelist_table.h the a href must be changed 3
  times
• lttd valign"top" align"ltSIRSI_Data
  Session"ALIGN_HEAD"gt" class"defaultst
• yle"gtlta href"ltSIRSI_Data Gateway_URL"LIST"gt"
  TITLE"ltltSIRSI_Data List_DC"mE"gtgt"gtltSIRSI_Data
  List_DC"Ma"gtlt/agtlt/tdgt
• Where mE and Ma refers to a variable name
  (paragraph) and content
• Button bars added twice in each state page

19
Some tricks (1) the environment title

• By organizing the environments by usertype, we
  restricted the types of personnalization to 4
• Municipalities
• Welfare organization
• Police
• Local entities (everything ourselves)
• So, 4 titles x 2 languages 8 types of
  information to show

20
Some tricks (1) the environment title exemple

• ltSIRSI_Conditional IF Environ"TITLEInforum pour
  les COMMUNES"gt
• lttd class"enrichheader" width"25"gtltE10gtlt/tdgt
• lttd width"25" rowspan"2"
  class"enrichcontent"gt
• lt/trgt
• lttrgt
• lttd width"25"gtltSIRSI_Include
  File"ti_communes"gtlt/tdgt
• lt/trgt
• lt/SIRSI_Conditionalgt

21
Some tricks (2) Cascading style sheet

• Very interesting feature but why is it integrated
  in each page?
• Outside css make things go much faster because
  the style sheet it than cached
• Used a print.css and a normal.css to implement
  the print button

22
Some tricks (3) Sirsi_Conditional

• Change the content of the item information the
  use of the SIRSI_Conditional
• ltSIRSI_List Listcode"LT"gt
• ltSIRSI_Conditional IF List_DC_Comp"NH521"gt lt!--
  Print the essence, if one exists --gt
• nbspnbspnbspnbspltSIRSI_Data
  List_DC"NE"gtltbrgt
• lt/SIRSI_Conditionalgt
• lt/SIRSI_Listgt

23
Some tricks (4) to divert functions
Paragraph name definition
Icon name user type information
24
API

• API was used to change massively profiles

25
Custom versus standard

• Its a wrong discussion
• Standard is great as long as it upgrades
• Custom is a necessary front-runner pain/joy
• Keep it as much standard as you can
• Study standard thoroughly before to decide to go
  for custom
• Sometimes Standard solutions exist but are too
  heavy to maintain (e.g. gateways). The directions
  you want to take and your own people environment
  can plead for custom.

26
Custom versus standard

• The great think to Sirsi is that custom or
  standard is a personal choice that each library
  continuously does
• How more you go custom how more you got ideas
  concerning further developments
• Everything is possible and the most difficult is
  to limit yourself because paradise is not
  affordable

27
The drawbacks

• Not enough information is passed through the
  state page (e.g. profile or environment of the
  user)
• Moreover, ID and password information is passed
  through!

28
Drawbacks documentation

• The information gives is often not really
  practical although a little bit of creativity
  would make it easier (e.g. the datacode
  information)
• The great think is that there is documentation
• Forums are a terrific way to keep in touch with
  what is going on and to give ideas, but its
  almost a full time job

29
Drawbacks accents

• Accents is the big problem. Most of the time I
  type directly in html in order to avoid
  translation problems, but it isnt a good
  solution. Unicode please!
• Not to mention that typical bibliographical
  american standards (ANSI) are often even unknown
  to computer people

30
Drawbacks html treatment

• There is not enough visibility about the way
  Unicorn handles html and java. Sometimes Unicorn
  does things  behind  the scene
• The Mozilla stuff is not that clear either

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Drawbacks very public

• For a special library, the way personnalization
  is handled by Unicorn doesnt match the needs.
  Unicorn is designed for public and academic
  libraries and oriented author and title. Couldnt
  it be possible to customize the awareness
  features (MyBistro) like we did with the  You
  found titles in  feature?

32
Drawbacks halt and run

• The halt and run must take place before any
  change in several cases. We work with a test
  server, so thats all right. But for the ones who
  dont have a test server .
• However, html changes doesnt need a halt and
  run. Two possibilities to work quickly or to
  work with a Sirsi_Conditional so that the changes
  are only visible to you

33
Drawbacks Charachter based versus Workflows in
Opac manager

• Discrepancy between Opac manager character based
  and Opac manager in Workflows you cant do the
  same things in both systems.
• If you use them without being very carefull,
  everything got mixed up!
• We chose to create all elements and move them in
  character based Manager and to modify existing
  ones in Workflows (e.g. for accents or adding
  paragraph names)

34
Drawbacks staff training

• Everything we do while cataloging has an impact
• The training level must be high
• The gap between computer people and cataloguer is
  hard to fill.

35
Mandatory keep track

• Keep track on everything you do
• Sometimes, customizing is so easy that you dont
  remember what you have done
• Unicorn is complicated, so if something goes
  wrong and you are not there, have pity for your
  colleagues and the helpdesk!

36
A case for the pleasure Adding sort options

• Search The Unicorn literature
• Ask if things are planned/announced for coming
  updates
• Have a look at the policies
• Look for places where things are sorted
  (reports?)
• And try things out!

37
Conclusion

• Unicorn the world of the possible you can
  almost do whatever you want if you have time
• We appreciate at most the possibilities that are
  offered but have always to be aware of the
  problems customization brings
• In a small team, I regret not to be enough aware
  of the capabilities of the standard Unicorn