Library

The library is a collection of mostly computer books that we have assembled over the years through our day to day donations. It is currently housed in 4 shelves outside the Monkeyhouse, but is scheduled to be moved soon. There is a list of Books We Want to look out for (or request). Currently we are saving books on computer languages and other general subjects, but not specific manuals for operating systems or hardware. Discussion of the library largely takes place on the bookworms email list. It is under the supervision of the Knowledge Bees (Education committee). At this point, there is no process or policy for checking out books, but they are available for staff and volunteers to read here.

Library Mission

The library has operated (if you can call it that) without a mission, but it has been proposed that a library mission would help in determining what books to hold on to. Here's one idea.

The Free Geek library exists to support the reuse and education aspects of the Free Geek's mission.

alternately,

The Free Geek library exists to make information available to community members and to make our space more inviting.

thoughts? --Ideath

Library Software

One of the problems with establishing a lending library has been keeping track of the inventory. Several programs have been looked at and we are coming to a decision as to what software to use. The features we have looked at are: Linux compatibility, open source, ease of use, web interface and ability to look up information from other databases. The following is an annotated list of software we have considered.

An interesting resource site on this subject is oss4lib.

OpenBiblio

OpenBiblio is an easy to use, automated library system written in PHP containing OPAC, circulation, cataloging, and staff administration functionality.

There are a number of sites using this software. Links are here.

Added lookup for Library of Congress ISBN search. working. had to install php-yaz and libyaz3 from http://ftp.indexdata.dk/debian/pool/etch/

Koha

(if this page doesn't work, try Koha's Sourceforge page)

Used by real public libraries in the actual New Zealand in the present day. Web and curses interfaces written in Perl.

(Doesn't appear to have a debian package, but is used on Debian by the developers. - MW 13:58, 1 June 2007 (PDT))

Note from Blaine, apparently not easy to install, was the system we tried to use before.

There are a number of public links here.

This looks rather overblown for our purposes.

Emilda

This is the another one the library is thinking about. It isn't in Debian right now, but there's a Debian apt repository you can add to /etc/apt/sources.list, then you can apt-get it.

Unfortunately only available for Sarge - MW 12:19, 1 June 2007 (PDT)

Out of running

Open Media Lending Database

aka OpenDB. Shows signs of reasonably recent development. Web interface written in PHP. package opendb 0.81p18-2 in debian etch.

Installed on test box. Only item types in system are currently dvd/cd etc types, no books - MW 12:09, 2 June 2007 (PDT)

Alexandria

Seems targeted at much smaller installations than Koha, more like a personal collection manager that happens to also have a field for who the book is lent to. Under current development. Gnome interface written in Ruby. package alexandria 0.6.1-1 in debian etch.

Example looks very spiffy, can export as web page, but primarily single user - MW 12:14, 2 June 2007 (PDT)

Tellico

Like Alexandria in scope, but with a KDE interface written in C++. Under current development. package tellico 1.2.5-1 in debian etch.

Pro - easy to install, easy to use, imports data from online sources, easy checkout checkin

Con - apparently single-user app. stores file in userspace, needs to save on program close