Increasing traceability of physical library items through Koha: the case of SELIDA

Presentation in KohaCon2016, the major event of Koha community, on May 31, 2016. The Library & Information Center, University of Patras, Greece has developed the SELIDA framework, which integrates a set of standardized and widespread library technologies in order to increase the identification and traceability of physical items, such as books. The framework makes use of RFID tags in order to assign unique identification marks, in the form of URIs that can be globally exchanged. The framework has been implemented in the fully translated and customized Koha installation of our Library and its core services support checking in/out of books and browsing of history transactions with geospatial visualization. Its use can support transactions between various libraries or branches of the same library. The proposed presentation will describe the architecture of the framework and how it connects to Koha, as well as the challenges we faced during its development.

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Transcript

1. Increasing traceability of physical library items through Koha: the case of SELIDA Panos Georgiou, Kyriakos Stefanidis & Giannis Tsakonas Library & Information Center, University of Patras, Greece
2. in a glance • The SELIDA framework is an integration layer of standardized services that takes a new approach for item traceability in libraries. • Key component of SELIDA is the use of RFID tags as an aid for the identification of physical items and Electronic Product Codes as the underlying layer of standardized tracking services. • SELIDA is designed to work seamlessly in any Integrated Library System • In our case it has been effectively implemented in Koha.
3. context: a library in transition changing ILS from ADVANCE to KOHA changing item identification mode from barcodes to RFID changing format from UNIMARC to MARC21 • Library & Information Center, University of Patras • 3rd largest University in Greece • ~ 35.000 users • Biggest campus in Greece / Eight branches • Merging a catalog from University of Western Greece, which was absorbed by UPatras.
4. context: Koha • Koha fully operating since May 2016 • Fully operating modules • cataloguing • authorities • serials management • circulation • reports • retrieval through OPAC • Modules to operate • course reserves • acquisitions
5. context: back office
6. context: library catalogue
7. components • RFID tags: as an aid for identification of physical items • Intrinsically connected to EPC tags • EPC: as the underlying building block for standardised tracking services. • Object Naming Services: as enabler of the circulation of uniquely tagged information. • Physical items are: • labelled by RFID tags • notated by the tagging services of EPC Global • RFID readers capture EPCs in binary format and transform them into URIs • exchange information through ONS
8. architecture of SELIDA • The middleware layer receives, analyses, processes and propagates data by the RFID readers to the Koha. • The integration layer manages all library workflows and is injected upon page load as a JavaScript file. • Adds the required UI elements on Koha. • Handles all web service requests. • Services layer provides the ONS infrastructure: • The mapping server manages provenance data and maps an EPC and its metadata. • The ONS Resolver allocates services to types of users.
9. exhibition of services: circulation • By requesting the URL of the Koha check-out module, the SELIDA module starts. • Adds the button “Scan” next to the button “Check- Out”. • The user presses “Scan”; starts up the RFID reader. • SELIDA pops up a window informing the user of the scanned items’ titles and codes. • The check-out workflow resumes; sends POST requests to the Koha web server. • The check-out ends; SELIDA sends a 2nd web service request to the middleware stating that the check-out is complete. • The status of the items has changed in a way that is globally identifiable.
10. exhibition of services: history • A user searches for an item or scans, if present, its RFID. • A “History” button is injected in the Koha interface. • By clicking, the user is able to see the current and the previous transactions across multiple libraries. • Also receives a geospatial representation of the location of a transaction. • Historical data list transactions based on the dates of interaction with the middleware.
11. challenges addressed • Koha is not able to handle multiple requests. • any multiple requests are sent via AJAX • their results (namely the errors) are gathered by the SELIDA module for subsequent presentation to the user.
12. prospects • SELIDA increases global and unique visibility, identification and traceability of items. • Circulation services are expected to be used within a library. • History services are expected to be used among interconnected libraries, ideal for ILL services through Koha. • SELIDA is independent of an ILS. • Integrates seamlessly without affecting the Koha codebase (should it?).
13. SELIDA is a project implemented under the framework "Cooperation 2009" of the Operational Programme "Competitiveness and Entrepreneurship", ACT I "Collaborative projects of small and medium scale" < http://www.isi.gr/selida-project > thank you for your attention