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Evergreen (the Open Source ILS) is in the process of transitioning from a technology heavy on the Javascript (JSPAC) to one utilizing the Template Toolkit (TPAC).  Right now, some of the JSPAC features are absent from TPAC.  But since the developers want to phase out JSPAC entirely, they need to be sure to get all the critical functionality that users rely upon from JSPAC into the new TPAC.

Thanks to Michael Peters you can provide this critical feedback to the developers.  What JSPAC features do you think are most important?  Which features should the developers make sure get into TPAC before JSPAC is end-of-lifed?

How to do it?  Respond to this informal survey and make your voice heard.

Go To Survey Now!

On June 6, 2012 Library Journal announced that 3M would be donating the copyright for SIP to NISO which would mean that NISO "will now have responsibility for future development and ongoing maintenance of SIP." 

The article also correctly points out that 

SIP is the de facto standard for communication between library self-service devices and the wide variety of integrated library systems (ILS) that libraries use. It provides the crucial common language that makes possible such widespread functions as self checkouts, automated materials handling systems, PC management systems, or fine and fee payment transactions.

In other words, SIP is really important when we try to integrate ANYTHING with our ILSs.  So, given its importance you'd think that there might be something in the works for 2013 at NISO but alas SIP is not the subject of discussion at any of the scheduled 2013 NISO Events.

 I have just returned from the UK, where I spoke at the RFID in Libraries Conference.  While there, I met with representatives from the Book Industry Communications (BIC) and the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) as well as RFID vendors. BIC and CILIP are two UK entities roughly equivalent (very roughly) to the BISG (Book Industry Study Group) and ALA.

The American Association of School Libraries just reported on the use of filters in schools based on the results of the School Libraries Count! survey conducted January-March, 2012. The results are the predictable mix of good and bad. On the good side (per this report), the filters reduce student distractions and decrease the need for direct supervision.  The filters may even result in "more appropriate" search results.

CHICAGO - The following open letter was released by American Library Association (ALA)

President Maureen Sullivan regarding Simon & Schuster, Macmillan, and Penguin refusal to provide access to their ebooks in U.S. libraries.

The open letter states:

A new website has popped up as a result of a research project undertaken at the University of Tennessee School of Information Sciences. The project was funded from an IMLS grant.  I don't know if there is any expectation of keeping up the site but there are some useful things there and some not-so-useful things there.  Several of us have attempted to contact the lead research, Vandana Singh, so she could correct the misrepresentations. But no one has received a response.  Too bad.

Now that we have a national data model, namely ISO 28560-2, it is incumbent on libraries to figure out what to do with it.  Given that there are 24 data elements defined in the data model, only two of which are mandatory (Primary Item ID aka barcode and Tag Content Key), how does the library decide which of those optional 22 it will use?

I recently participated in a discussion about how to deal with patrons who are nervous about the health effects of RFID.  We all know RFID is harmless, right? My answer is that if you are concerned about EMF (electomagnetic radiation exposure), then library RFID tags should be the least of your worries. Notice that I'm not saying RFID is harmless...

I've suggested many times that somewhere along the way, we are going to need to find a way to test the encoding of our RFID tags.  Now that we have a US Data Model, libraries need to be able to ensure that their encoded tags comply with ISO 28560-2.  At this point, the only company that I know of that can do such a thing is Convergent Software (out of the UK).