So, for instance, the dict called BARCODES in the bibliographic record file called BIB reports the data found in the first line of a BIB record in columnar format 16 characters wide. The dict called L-COLLECTION reads the data in the first line of a BIB record, uses those barcodes to look for the appropriate records in the HOLDINGS file, reads the code in the fifteenth line of each record, translates the code(s) into the appropriate collection labels and reports these in Title Format in a column 40 characters wide. And once a dict is set up and shown to work OK you can forget about all the intermediate steps and just get the data.
So what's this got to do with smartsm?
We need to do a monthly extract of our catalogue data providing the bibliographical data for each item plus its location, collection, current status and its use. And smartsm need this as comma-delimited data in a set format so that they can map it against their reporting processes. Most of which is easy enough to do: if you tell me that you need the title of each book up to a maximum of 100 characters it's literally less than a minute's work to do. You want it comma-delimited, it'll take a minute or two to remember how to impose a constant comma in front of the reporting data. And for the most part it really has been that easy. In some cases I've wanted to aggregate the data into something more useful, for instance we have umpteen item statuses providing different reasons why these items are not available for loan (being repaired; being boxed up for transfer to another library; audio items bought then held back under the terms of the performance licence, etc.), which are usually useful when you're looking for a particular item but drag in a bit too much confusing detail for reporting purposes, so I set up a dict that just reports these as "not available." A few bits were more complicated but I got there in the end.
And then there was the date format.
Date formats are a pain in the arse, no two ways about it. The data extract had to provide the dates in a particular format, which isn't any of the date formats available on Dynix. I spent six weeks trying, and failing, to write a dict that jiggled the components around a bit to give the right format. I was beside myself with frustration.
On the bus home one night I realised I'd been a prat.
We need comma-delimited data, right? If I downloaded the entire catalogue database and stuck a comma at the beginning and a comma at the end this would be treated as one piece of data, one column wide and one row deep. I didn't need a dict that juggled the day, month and year data. I needed a dict for day, a dict for year and a dict for month. With a comma before the day data. Which was five minutes' work the next day.
Note to self: in future, pay attention to all the question. The answers come easier that way.
While I'm on the subject of customer care in the library, there are some useful notes about communicating in the virtual reference library environment on the Association of College & Research Libraries web site.
We didn't want to have you sitting round computers for this workshop as:
We wanted to use this as an opportunity to explain to you the underlying principles that makes so-called "Web 2.0" different to "Web 1.0." The most important of which is:
Web 2.0 is about people sharing news with other human beings.
The important word there is SHARING
There are all sorts of services on the Internet that let you share "news," text, links, messages, pictures, music and/or videos.
Web 2.0 is "The Social Web" - people are sharing stuff with other people.
We showed you some pictures and asked you some questions:
It was important that we got the first answer that came into your head. We wanted to see whether or not you recognised the brands in question and we wanted your gut feeling of the value or quality of the brand. This last is often the difference between your thinking about buying something or not even looking twice.
| What was the brand? | What were the key words? |
|---|---|
a Rolls Royce | Luxury — Posh — Luxurious — Comfort — Wealth — Big — Money — Affluence — Tasteless — Style — Bourgeois — Weddings — Glamour |
| Just out of interest: when was the last time you saw an advert. for a Rolls Royce? | |
a jar of Marmite | Horrible — Yuck — Toast — Hate — Runny — Awful — Distaste — Nasty — Sandwich — Strong — Healthy — Marmite |
Marks & Spencer logo | Everything — Quality — Sell — Knickers — Clothes — Respectable — Pricey — Old — Grandma — Mmmm — Happy — Expensive — Underwear |
pints of Guinness | Beer — Ireland — Drunk — Ugh! — Food — Creamy — Black — Expensive — Yummy — Drinking — Socialising — Pregnancy — Toilet — Bitter |
Google logo | Internet — Search — Web — Ease — Knowledge — Information — Computers — Easy-to-use — Spam — Online — Links — Popular |
Companies wanting to sell or promote a product or service put a lot of effort into brand recognition. They want you to know their product and they also want you to automatically think nice things about it.
If the word of mouth advertising is good enough for long enough you might not even have to bother advertising your brand!
OK, there's a bit of a cheat to this: film studios are very, very, very nervous of putting film clips, or even trailers, onto video-sharing sites and when people upload clips from the film the film companies will contact YouTube to get them removed eventually. So the number of visits for The Pirates of the Caribbean are artificially low. The number of visits to the Derren Brown clip is roughly the industry standard.
One of the questions for us to ponder is: who to have for friends. On principle we're working on the basis that anyone who wants to be a friend can be our friend. Ah, but what about the 'friend suggestions?' Personally, I wouldn't be going about asking people to be a friend. That's just the way I am: shy and reserved and not willing to be intrusive. Other, more sociable, colleagues definitely would and gently remind me that I'm the one always moaning about the "traditional" public library marketing ploy: "everybody knows about it, we put a notice up in the library." We're still finding our way, we'll see how it goes.
