[OPEN-ILS-DEV] [OPEN-ILS-GENERAL] Library Communications Framework

[Lori Bowen Ayre]

I think instead of inviting BIC to use Evergreen, it would be more fruitful
for we, US Libraries, build on the work they've done to look beyond those
many protocols (from among the "yet another" you mention) that a) are
implemented completely differently across systems) and b) are limited in
the functionality they support and c) are built around one-at-a-time
barcode technology.

And, I'm pretty sure that Evergreen, to the extent it supports RFID-enabled
transactions, suffers from some of the same foibles:  subject to
the idiosyncrasies of each RFID vendor's implementation of SIP2, limited in
its functionality, and built for one-at-a-time processing.  So, I'm not
sure using Evergreen as a reference platform makes much sense.  But perhaps
I'm wrong about my above statements or I don't really understand what
offering to be a reference platform really means.

My objective is to get US libraries on board with the Library Communication
Framework as a way to get an immediate, as well as a long term return on
our investment. And I think that would mean asking developers and RFID
vendors (e.g. Equinox and PV Supa) to at least look at the document and see
if there is any reason NOT to use it for *new* developments.  I believe it
may provide a very good starting point for developing new functionality
beyond what is currently accomplished through SIP2.

Lori



On Mon, Nov 19, 2012 at 10:22 AM, Dan Scott <dan at coffeecode.net> wrote:

> On Mon, Nov 19, 2012 at 10:13:01AM -0800, Lori Bowen Ayre wrote:
> > I have just returned from the UK where I met with BIC and CILIP
> (Chartered
> > Institute of Library and Information Professionals) representatives as
> well
> > as RFID vendors.
> >
> > BIC has commissioned of a new set of library interoperability standards,
> > which define a framework for the communication of data between
> self-service
> > devices and other library terminal applications to and from library
> > management systems. This framework replicates and extends the range of
> > activities commonly conducted using 3M's open SIP.2 protocol and
> > additionally provides web services functionality for the exchange of
> > information.
> >
> > It is anticipated that further functionality will be added over time, as
> > new requirements are identified by libraries and by their management
> system
> > and terminal application developers and suppliers. Support for additional
> > functionality in the areas such as stock management is under
> consideration.
>
> I suspect saying "here's yet another set of emerging standards, you guys
> should spend your limited development hours chasing them in the promise
> that one day it will be useful and adopted by the world" isn't going to
> go very far. Libraries or equipment vendors generally want to get an
> immediate return on their investment rather than a promise that one day
> what they're paying for might be useful.
>
> On the other hand, BIC and CILIP would certainly be welcome to use
> Evergreen as a reference platform for implementing their emerging draft
> protocols. Reference implementations are pretty common in standards
> processes, and having it available as part of a reasonably large open
> source library system, with test suites that help enforce adherence to
> the documented standards, might sway equipment vendors to actually adopt
> the standards themselves.
>
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