[Web4lib] RE: vendors and usability

[Joshua Ferraro]

On Mon, Jul 18, 2005 at 07:51:58AM -0700, David Walker wrote:
> >> I still think we should try 
> >> to split the user interface away 
> >> from the rest of the system
I think I finally understand what you mean by this. Interestingly,
the open-source ILSes have this feature built in (I assumed that
proprietary systems did too, hence my confusion). Koha for instance,
has a system of templates that allow any web designer to completely
overhaul the look and feel of the interfaces without needing to
know anything about the programming languages that Koha's written in.
Here are some examples of vastly different 'skins' for Koha's OPAC:

http://search.athenscounty.lib.oh.us
http://library.lgnz.co.nz/cgi-bin/koha/opac-search.pl
http://opac.lianza.org.nz/cgi-bin/koha/opac-search.pl
http://opac.eeo.katipo.co.nz/cgi-bin/koha/opac-main.pl
http://opac.liblime.com

The same thing has been done with the librarian interfaces.

> Most academic libraries have a half-dozen or more local systems besides
> the catalog, usually from multiple vendors, as well as access to 100s of
> remote databases, most of which have serious interface problems.
> 
> What my users need is not a better OPAC interface. They need a simple,
> intuitive interface that spans *all* of our systems.
> 
> Vendors simply cannot create that for us.  The only way libraries can
> offer our users the seamless experience they expect, is through APIs.
Some vendors can ;-).

> In that way, we can become co-creators of technology, rather than merely
> consumers of technology subject to bad interfaces and economics.
You can't imagine the frustration I experienced working for Nelsonville
Public Library soon after we switched to Koha trying to get this very
point accross. I tried doing presentations on Koha, highlighting 
economic benefits and usability/functionality control; I tried hosting
seminars explaining how to install/migrate/manage Koha; I tried 
hosting Kohafests at the state level conferences actually stepping
people through the processes involved; I even tried pushing open-source
software as one of the main focuses in Ohio's Technology Task Force
report a couple of years ago. Finally, I gave up on working from the inside
and started a company offering full vendor support on open source in
libraries. 

When I first started working at Nelsonville, I figured that since most
libraries are publicly funded they'd be supporting public domain software.
But instead, the vast majority of folks use proprietary systems.

My question is: why do libraries not see the connection between
their needs for control over software and lower costs, and open source?
Why don't more libraries invest their money in building public domain
systems that better meet their needs?
:-)

I remain perplexed,

-- 
Joshua Ferraro               VENDOR SERVICES FOR OPEN-SOURCE SOFTWARE
President, Technology       migration, training, maintenance, support
LibLime                                Featuring Koha Open-Source ILS
jmf at liblime.com |Full Demos at http://liblime.com/koha |1(888)KohaILS