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

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.

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.

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

context: back office

context: library catalogue

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.

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 workflow is complete; the user sees the normal check-out result.

• The status of the items has changed in a way that is globally identifiable

• SELIDA now knows the status of those items.

exhibition of services: history

• A “History” button is injected in the Koha search interface.

• The user clicks the button and the first item on the RFID Reader is scanned.

• 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.

challenges addressed

• Koha is not able to handle multiple check-outs/ins.

• any multiple requests are sent via AJAX

• their results (namely the errors) are gathered by the SELIDA module for subsequent presentation to the user.

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?).

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