Talk:Library: Difference between revisions

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I started a discussion page for library software adn content delivery - If I have put this in the wrong spot please move it to the right place. Thanks - Stephen
A discussion page for library software and content delivery.

----
For related meeting notes, see [[content meetings]]. For older notes, see the [[/Archive|archive]]. Below, the most recent discussions are first.
== Library Tools ==


== Library tools ==
The [[http://www.greenstone.org/ Greenstone Digital Library]] system provides a lightweight digital library in terms of application and collection size if properly configured. Greenstone can deliver collections on very old 16 bit hardware with much lower specs than the the OLPC laptop.
The [[http://www.greenstone.org/ Greenstone Digital Library]] system provides a lightweight digital library in terms of application and collection size if properly configured. Greenstone can deliver collections on very old 16 bit hardware with much lower specs than the the OLPC laptop.
: A slightly different [more limited?]notion of library than the one we have in mind.
: A slightly different [more limited?]notion of library than the one we have in mind.


=== Stephen's Suggestions ===
=== Stephen's suggestions ===
Application configuration;
Application configuration;
* Only include the cgi library interface
* Only include the cgi library interface
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* The most efficient ways of including content is to store/compress it as either plain text or html (if linking or lightweight images are needed). This facility already exists in Greenstone.
* The most efficient ways of including content is to store/compress it as either plain text or html (if linking or lightweight images are needed). This facility already exists in Greenstone.


Stephen De Gabrielle
- ''Stephen De Gabrielle''




== Some specific thoughts ==
== Some definitions ==


=== Definitions ===
=== Terms ===


;Library Activity: -- A way to interface to content on the XOs and school servers. Eventually this may become its own activity; currently this will be a browser interface.
;Library Activity: -- A way to interface to content on the XOs and school servers. Eventually this may become its own activity; currently this will be a browser interface.
Line 30: Line 33:
;School library: -- the library of materials on a school server.
;School library: -- the library of materials on a school server.


;Regional library: -- the library of materials on a regional or country server.


=== Interface ===
=== Interface ===
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Many of the above will be loadable by browsing to them; some will require more technical know-how.
Many of the above will be loadable by browsing to them; some will require more technical know-how.


** once a database is set up to store and search through metadata. there can be simple
* once a database is set up to store and search through metadata. there can be
implementations before the full object store is in place.
simple implementations before the full object store is in place.
*** assuming a media streamer is working
** assuming a media streamer is working




Line 76: Line 80:
Subsidiary browsing pages: at least one for each of the sections listed above. One for each large collection [encyclopedia, dictionary if present, atlas, periodic table]. A variation of each portal for every core language [ideal portals have no text at all, or at branch tiers, text in every language].
Subsidiary browsing pages: at least one for each of the sections listed above. One for each large collection [encyclopedia, dictionary if present, atlas, periodic table]. A variation of each portal for every core language [ideal portals have no text at all, or at branch tiers, text in every language].


=== Milestones ===
== Milestones ==
- get a number of draft sketches of possible main and secondary browsing pages
- get a number of draft sketches of possible main and secondary browsing pages
- define what the design and layout will be like
- define what the design and layout will be like
Line 103: Line 107:
- testing on a server
- testing on a server


=== Resources ===
=== Resources needed ===


* Mozilla expert to help perfect the interface via the browser
* Mozilla expert to help perfect the interface via the browser
Line 112: Line 116:




== Library design ==
== design criteria ==


A good library should be beautiful, should hint at overabundance and accessibility, and its use should be inspiring.
=== Thoughts ===
A good library should be beautiful, its use inspiring. Specific design ideas:


Libraries use librarians to help people to navigate collections with complicated relationships between sub-collections. The Library would be easier to navigate if it offered the following interfaces:
1) The overall HTML framework should replicate some of the look of the
Journal, notably the topmost bar. Images + JS; implements whatever
search is available.


* a dynamically generated view of available materials, local and regional, that updates when collections are installed or removed, and presents different views when isolated and when connected to a friend or local network.
2) The main portal page - Megan suggested a circular / annular theme to
* a way to search through the system of available collections, and an api that allows a collection author to design its own search interface
match the desktop. A central circle containing
* a set of ways for collections to interact with users, either directly reacting to user input or storing and reading back state and data over time.
a library logo, with four sections for text, images, music/video, and
games/activities, each represented by small images. This is the top-level
browse view.


Some related interactions that it would be useful to provide to other activities as services include:
3) We'll have secondary pages for each section, offering a "browse" view
* web browsing; to navigate/display local html pages and media, such as help pages for each activity
organized by subject ("what") for that section. This can be a two-column
* a way to edit in a distributed way a set of notes, inculding pervasive talk pages associated with each bundle and component, which can be updated and shared en masse or page by page (cf. [[MikMik]])
view with sections, and icons for each major section -- Eben, this would
be similar to a 2-up display similar to what your tv-widget offers.


=== loading and running scripts ===
4) We need a "browse" view for people ("who") showing what each person has
in his/her personal collection. This will be needed if the servers are
done in time, but takes lower priority than the rest.


Some of the above, including customizable interfaces for searching and tracking previous interactions, can be implemented as scripts that come with a collection and interface. If there were a way to limit the power and extent of what such scripts could do (as Javascript attempts to, for instance), one could let the creator of an otherwise static bundle define precisely the dynamic interfaces it wants.
5) We should have a template for search results; similar to 3) above but
: Limitations on Javascript, in the absence of a state-service such as Google Gears and in the absence of a way to read public elements in the datastore, prevents some of this from being realized.
dynamically generated.


One option is to make a webservice available that will execute python scripts [as the web user?]
=== Discussion, Mar 30 ===
''1930 EST''


An alternative is to make every collection available as its own executable bundle, which embeds browser-like activities for rendering and explicitly requests script privileges so that it can access and process published files and materials.
Feel free to add to the agenda:
* Specific topics needed : bootstrapping materials, images for using each application
** Visual and playful introductions
** Module/topic priorities by country
** Curators and topical/language coordination


* Online v. school servers v. laptops -- finding & using material
** Exposing created works : documents, photos, videos, projects
** Finding project collections online


* Trial library testing
** laptop test materials (weekend)
** server materials, [[School Server Specification]], et al.


=== similar activities and interactions ===


There are other content-browsing activities which want to navigate quantities of data (effectively interfacing with a local database) and could potentially be served by a similar system :applications, such as a javascript spreadsheet
* Asides
* Gmail with an offline component (caching mail & responses)
** Content review and stamping
* editable google maps : a local database of geolocations and comments/media, (and an optional input of one's own location from a usb gps) combined, when connected to a tilecache, with map tiles.
*** microformats, Ratepoint, Connexions' del.icio.us model
** Game development, weekly discussions


Activities that build on and display available data would like to access
== This steals storage from the children. ==
:- data publicly available as part of our build images,
:- data installed as part of public bundles, such as the current help files or talk pages associated with a bundle
:- data published by the user.
:- statistics published by the system, including the time and its overall use


Finally, common libraries for managing many of these interactions and activities run as javascript, java, or flash; and rely on the browser and html/css to render the resutls [automatically handling zooming, bookmarking, screen rotation, and the like].
The kids have about 1/3 of a gigabyte free to start with, maybe more like 1/5 after all the software is written. This is supposed to last them for years.
: They should have at least 300MB free. They will have backups elsewhere, and can delete things in their library that they don't like, so it's not quite clear to me what "last them for years" means here.


It's enough space, barely, if it doesn't get filled up with stuff (libraries for example) that isn't all that likely to be useful. Kids will be creating images, sound, and maybe even video. There really isn't room for a library.
: That's roughly the idea. The best local materials are the ones that can be used to learn how to do things, and used as templates, or as part of other creative works.


=== library look and feel ===
The school server isn't likely to have lots of space either. It'll be doing backup duty. It'll be serving up textbooks, probably chapter-by-chapter to save space on the XOs. Anything left over could be used as a web cache if there is a net connection.
1) The overall HTML framework should replicate some of the look of the
: It will be serving up books and images and maps and materials in the school library, yes. And it will be part of a cache framework, along with the laptops themselves.
Journal, perhaps with a main view and layout similar to the upcoming journal redesign: clusters of icons as top-level navigation, with no other body content (focus on navigation, or on a topic, not both). Little other structure. No wasted space on any leaf page; a single link back to the overall library navigation. This is really how I'd like to see journal navigatino to work as well. --[[User:Sj|Sj]]&nbsp;[[User talk:Sj|<font color="fc9" style="font-size:70%">leave me a message</font>]]


2) A main portal page - Megan suggested a circular / annular theme to
The "web cache" could of course hold a library, if the students wish to use a library.
match the desktop, way back when. This was a fine idea. A central circle containing a library logo, with four sections for text, images, music/video, and
: Sporadic network access means that some of the active caching will have to take the form of a library that is preloaded or regularly made available, with updates available over time as well. [[User:Sj|Sj]] [[User talk:Sj|<font color="fc9"><small>talk</small></font>]] 10:58, 30 March 2007 (EDT)
games/activities, each represented by small images... as the top-level

browse view.
[[User:AlbertCahalan|AlbertCahalan]] 22:02, 18 March 2007 (EDT)

== More samples ==
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_in_Mathmagic_Land Donald in Mathmagic Land]
* [http://www.google.com/search?q=%22%E2%80%9CSurreal+Numbers%3A+How+Two+Ex-Students+Turned+on+to+Pure+Mathematics+and+Found+Total+Happiness%22&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a "Surreal Numbers: How Two Ex-Students Turned on to Pure Mathematics and Found Total Happiness"]

== [[library|library design]] ==

=== Monday, April 9 ===

<pre>
1. making a library activity that's readily customizable and skinnable
(with sugar and html views),
+ working with country partners to develop a local image in four
languages

2. coordination of look and search with the World Digital Library and
Internet Archive
+ html and other; design and usability guidelines

3. default views: by topic, by media, by language, by geography
+ existing projects and interfaces with view selections.

4. content guidelines: writing for children, for translation, other.
</pre>

=== Saturday, April 14 ===

<!-- Notes: TBW -->
[[Image:OLE.jpg|thumb|Visualization of components of the open library exchange.]]
Proposed schema for a [world open library exchange]: This needs defined interchange formats and collection-level style and feed guidelines. Most collections have limited collection or transparency of the fact that new additions or changes have been made (metametadata?).

<br clear=right>

[[Image:World-global-library.png|thumb|Graphical overview of proposed open library schema.]]
Classification into groups and collections, needing standard "breadcrumb" metadata format for all content providers to reference object locations in the [OLE]. This draws upon the ideas in [[Content_Stamping]] and the structure of the current library as well as desires to promote multilingual cooperation.

== Format and display issues ==
* screen resolution questions
* efforts to fix open font solutions

== Country materials and existing initiatives ==
Working through a few countries; looking for university and creative nexus collections. Feel free to add yours here: [[Library and learning initiatives]]

=== Argentina ===
* Educ.ar CD collections -- offline version prepared to demo on the laptops
* Universities:


3) Secondary pages for each section, offering a "browse" view organized by subject ("what") for that section. This can be a two-column view with sections, and icons for each major section -- similar to a 2-up display similar to what Eben's tv-widget offers.
=== Brazil ===
* Showing people how important english learning is.
* Talk to existing groups and researchers, make sure they are strongly involved
*: Teacher seem to be more committed and using machines; it is more commitment than we expected. a very short time; teachers that came to a first meeting, when nothing worked well... some researchers even left the room. But they became so motivated, and are wonderful to work with. We came with them to build a solution together.
*: Ways forward: on lists/groups, other teachers are saying, you aren't asking us about what we think! So we're getting teachers from the school working on the project on these lists (to draw them in)
* Universities: (porto allegre) - that's how to find videos on youtube LEC/UFRGS
*:


4) A "browse" view for people ("who") showing what each person has in his/her personal collection. This will be needed if the servers are done in time, but takes lower priority than the rest.
=== Colombia ===
''Roger''
* Portal development a couple of years back : '''relpe'''; for most of spanish-speaking south america.
* contents based on competences; mandatory for students and schools not to follow curriculum but develop competences in each topic
*: Math, science, language, technical, bilingual
* University: EAFIT, Andes U, UNAB, UTP, Nacional Uni., Colciencias


5) A template for search results; similar to 3) above but dynamically generated.
=== Pakistan ===
* Health and environment (coordinate with [http://dev.laptop.org/pub/content/library/uniwiki/water.html UNICEF water/environment])
* Literacy, English
* Lots of small regional projects; need coordination.
* Library coordination - needs someone on the OLPC side, in the US pulling on local government?
* University


== Library integration with the Internet ==
=== Nigeria ===
The biggest content repository is the internet, and perhaps it would be quite usefull to have the library also serve as an entry-way for kids to that content.
''from mini it/tech''
* Literacy - system to help teach, graphics to enhance and encourage lit
* Health - primary healthcare. (children influencing parents) If children take omre caution, the parents will as well.
* Environment - Being an oil/petro counry, there is much environmental trouble. 20-30 yrs ago, many areas that produced fish are now damaged.
*: '''BioVision'''
* Math/science - simplify visualization; add a lot of local content, to see how materials can be used.
* Games - a country rich in games! Want to proudce local games, folklore, things related to the educational and counting system.
* Library - Not much yet; trying to develop digital libraries. Libraries at the school will be nice; allowing to search and discuss with peers. Can add to the list of what we need in archives. Difrectly intersted in cultural heritage; most kids don't know their culture. My children can't even speak my language... we have so many in the country, we can't do all of them.
*: The interest in language is very important; most educational systems are built on basic language. Support and encourage a few languages; especially when visitors come.


I suggest that each category, Music, Activities, etc., have a separate space for web links. This would give kids a way to explore what (currently with the sample library) OLPC thinks is good on the web, and in the future what schools, teachers, but also hopefully students, parents, friends and local and regional communities think is good as well.
Questions: how will this affect the educational system? What will children see? hw will they be assured not to see what they will not see? (part covered yesterday)


For example, the music category could contain links to Jamendo, and other free music websites.
* Primary schools are mainly under local councils. (774 of them)
The image category could provide links to NASA's satellite imagery of countries and continents (see m. charitties user page for the link).
* On being lazy. Nigerians are v. individualistic. A system of local content that builds collab/cooperation, working with others to solve real world problems... that will be quite good. Groups that love education ask, ed for what? From a young age, think 'ed for job creation'. Right now it creates job seekers, not job creation.
The activity category could have a link to Instructables website.
*: Show how ed is useful from creating job from a young age, so hose with entrepreneurial tendencies are encouraged; so they could start companies, use knowledge and skills to make things happen, that would give them leewya to say they could get good education and start modern companies... have a mentoring system with fellow young people who did the right thing.
*: nb- connect with unicef mentors.
*: create/recruit a special class of young teachers to teach other young people. when the age group is close and they see creativity, they like to copy them. (cf mousers) wb - you can also leverage the nigerian propensity for filmmaking. the idea that you can use media to get cultural messages out; creation, not creating job-seeking.
* Universities: U. of Port Harcourt. Niger Delta Uni. U of Abuja. Obafemi Awolowe Uni. Uni of Lagos.


These are some quick guesses, and more thought should go to the choice of usefull, good educational resources to include.
* Inspiration and long-term projects - Launching new science/technology -- like a space satellite. Teaching children why these things are important; the space program, other technology. We don't have the local people to really develop and make people understand these things.
*: NA/ESA educational collabs? good opportunity of interest.


Of course, this Sample Library should clearly mark itself a sample, and not be seen as a Portal. For this reason, it should be somewhat limited in its range. At the same time, if it pointed towards content which adhere to the projects philosophical approach to education, it would be useful to do.
Huge bioresources. Let children know about these in their environment. How processes will lead to similar types of things. Help integrate learning with changes in the world around them.
: As an example, we could have a wiki page for each category dedicated to gathering useful links; and could link to that; a level of indirection that keeps the core library simple, continues to work as expected when there is an internet connection, and allows the list to be updated over time.
: [Also how to apply this to art, anything - C]
It should be made in a way that encourages communities to built on it, to add and improve it to fit their needs, and in no way impose our ideals/culture.


There might be problems of Nation-wide approved "Library links", but perhaps by reaching out to various cultures to come up with their own library sample, with content and weblinks representing what they are, would make better serve as example of how it could be used more dinamically.
: The nation-wide links could be applied by changing where the canonical redirect goes for each bundle.
I could picture there being a Portuguese library, showcasing our poets, scientists, culture, nature, and so on. These would be useful for countries or even communities to learn more from each other, by "trading" their made-libraries.
: Trading 'made' libraries is definitely in the cards. Countries are committed to making this kind of sharing a reality.


: These are all good ideas. See some of the existing [[Library use cases|use cases]]. --[[User:Sj|Sj]]&nbsp;[[User talk:Sj|<font color="fc9" style="font-size:70%">leave me a message</font>]] 16:53, 24 January 2008 (EST)
=== Paraguay ===
* In education: bilingualism. Teaking a spoken language can completely fail (keeping guarani alive) some try to take it out of the program. others want to keep it. olpc can help strenghten, with the capacity to move, up/download multimedia.
* Lack of transport: gettig people to cities is hard . Allowing participation to know what is up, what topics are discusse, that will be [big change].
* Library system isn't always maintained; some things are 40-50 yrs in storage
* University:


=== Uruguay ===
* re: Relpe, used broadly for ebooks
* Generating new content for olpc during the rollout, and format, other updates to existing materials
* 3-4 wks of teacher preparation, with 2 stages - how to use an xo, how to take advantage of apps for the XO and content generated on it.
* These curricula and developed material will be available; the model is available now; will send to Battro so he can consider it, and if it is good it will be shared.
* University:


=== Nepal ===
== Library use cases ==
''OLPC Nepal''
* No digital library yet
* A separate linux distro has been under development. Scanning materials and making digital libraries will come very soon. OLPC Nepal is making their own contents, converting physical contents for children
* UMN/UNICEF works ot produce physical books; they are working with them to digitize. Nepali WP with only 500 articles; working with university and high school students to develop it more rapidly.
*: NB: connect with Hivos
*Trying to make env and cultural contents, with UNESCO as well.
* Languages: 40-50 langs. Some groups are working to produce books in their own language. Working to digitize (connect to ICDL). Making local lang wikipedias as well.
*: Note: we need fonts for them as well. Connect with Rosetta Project before it disappears; also the Unicode Foundation
* Texts involve lots of delays; and are in a vacuum. There is a gov responsibility to get new texts every year to every student.
* Adult literacy is low. There are few books in the countryside. Tin truck libraries. There are numerous projects to bring books out in paper to the countryside; it is hard for them, the truck is the best solution.


=== positive use cases ===
* University: Tribhuban, Kathmandu, Pokhara
''use cases we want to support''
* BellaNet, MPP (very local, fonts &c)


=== Libya ===
==== Teachers ====
* I am a teacher and I cannot find the resource that I want. I can post a request for content some where and it gets to someone who can get that content.
Exciting... not a lot of public libraries. A few concentrated on history of the country. Universities, mainly reference. Culture of librarianship isn't strong.
* I am a teacher and I want to give my kids access to a set of documents that are too big for them to download entirely
* National texts : there is digitization underway (about history). High school? Perhaps not.
* I am an Indian teacher and I want to find an approved map of India
* Focus on English language, IT.
* Map digiitzation, using GPS.


==== Students ====
* Fonts? Use of Squeak.
* I am a student and I want to learn about Indian independence in 1942
* Work with companies in country to fund creation of materials. Teachers may lack qualification or willingness. Get in touch with university groups.
* Wants to find a photo from Uruguay not taken w/ an XO
* University: Al-Fatah (Tripoli), Garyounes (ben ghazi)
* I need help w/ math and I want to find more materials to study
* I want to find a penpal activity
* I turn on my computer and can access the materials for my course without "logging on" anywhere


=== Panama ===
==== Reviewers ====
* I am an official at Nepal's Ministry of education and I want to certify that a given set of activities meet Nepal's second grade curriculum for math
* I want to add metadata to new submissions
* I want to find and improve new uploads
* I want to apply a new format to all the materials for my area/country
* I want to reuse content about pandas in northern china that was created by Chinese student
* I have found content that questions our national regime and I don't want students to be able to access it


==== Archivists and librarians ====
* limited resources for tachers, including English
* I am an academic and I want to upload a set of classical poems and I am very particular about the metadata and presentation of those poems
* Education about the canal and nat resources matters. Smithsonian tropical research center. [check int'l location obligations] NASA atmospheric center - City of Knowledge [physical]
* I am a librarian and want to digitize and share print materials
* exploration programs online
* games; chess apps. tile layouts via Cairo; Pygame chess, for tournaments and bughouse?
* Some digitization possible at the nat library; glad for help.
*: See what other countreis are doing to inspire development.
* Health/telemedicine for countriside areas with no clinics; use cameras?
*: Argentine group working with the WHO -- basic first aid, &c, via curric-builder.
* University: Universidad nacional de panama, uni. technologica, USMA (private)
* NB: the head of the Senacyt (like the nsf here)


=== Ethiopia ===
==== Authors and creators ====
* I am an author or artist and I want to share my materials with {my country, the world}
''Thomas''
*: ...''but I don't want people to change them''
* In the 70s, there was help. Education was key; everyone went to Addis. Now every dept and faculty has some project in the past. Uncoordinated (competition?)
*: ...''but I don't want people to sell them''
* University: Addis... note the long history; used to external funding. But no library system. + 3 more, and moving to 3 more now. A siste rcompany is constructing 13 new universities; trouble is # of teachers. Vocational training centers; 108 different ones [basic IT maintenance]
* I am an author and I want to contribute to a freely available anthology (bankers m.)
*: a dean will likely work with you intensely if there is support for the university.
* For primary school: not much. Texts are handed out, not comprehensive; every 2 years or more. Old texts, no libs.
* Digital publishers: AA can access content around the world... but connectivity is poor. One university only (not AA) has good connectivity. infra is ongoing. New solutoins needed to distribute.
* MiniEd wants to see texts on machines, to solve distribution; local bureaus have own projects. One has text of books on CD --> 60 books atm.
* Despite the efforts recently, 138/139 on ICT use/density. Willing to put in a real push to make the leap. Really want to make this part of the ed system.
* Languages - focus on pictures for schoolbooks, not text. Easy to share.


=== Mexico ===
== negative use cases ==
use cases not desired
''Carla''
* Health and environment. how to integrate things so people can do things about it immediately. Practical learning for teachers and students to hlep them be part of change; motivate movement


* I am student and want to find pornography
Joint project with sister schols? paraguay, colombia, uruguay ...
* I turn on my computer and can shut down the computers of others around me.
Each school making the pilot will hae a sibling school with other countries; exchanging experiences with other schools [buenos aires, tucuman, abuja].
Starting with video conferencing to introduce one another; propose a plan for exchange. Others are welcome to join. (Nigeria is :)


== I can't find the sources ==
== Multilingual chat opportunities ==
How does this impact development?


The link to the source seems to be broken, do you move them elsewhere?
== General font discussion ==
*

Latest revision as of 15:50, 29 August 2008

A discussion page for library software and content delivery.

For related meeting notes, see content meetings. For older notes, see the archive. Below, the most recent discussions are first.


Library tools

The [Greenstone Digital Library] system provides a lightweight digital library in terms of application and collection size if properly configured. Greenstone can deliver collections on very old 16 bit hardware with much lower specs than the the OLPC laptop.

A slightly different [more limited?]notion of library than the one we have in mind.

Stephen's suggestions

Application configuration;

  • Only include the cgi library interface
  • lightweight http server (their may already be one on the device that could be reused)

Don't include the GLI interface for library creation, ditto for the supporting code, and perl wrappers/plugins etc. Much of the application in the full download is not required for searching/viewing collections.

Collection configuration;

  • Collections can be optimised and compressed in a variety of ways that would easily allow fitting a great deal of content into a small portion of the space available on the OLPC, or even on a small USB flashdrives for distribution.
  • The most efficient ways of including content is to store/compress it as either plain text or html (if linking or lightweight images are needed). This facility already exists in Greenstone.

- Stephen De Gabrielle


Some definitions

Terms

Library Activity
-- A way to interface to content on the XOs and school servers. Eventually this may become its own activity; currently this will be a browser interface.
XO library
-- the library of materials on an XO.
School library
-- the library of materials on a school server.
Regional library
-- the library of materials on a regional or country server.

Interface

The default interface for the library activity can be similar to the journal interface. (Eventually the journal may provide much of this interface.) Browsing the XO library: 

- main page (by subject)

Browsing the school library: 

- main page -- a page for "what" (by subject)
- "who"  (by student) **
- "when" (by time) **

There will be a multilingual server collection, linked to from the above: 

- literature, picture books and audiobooks
- world atlas of maps (with its own mini-portal)
- images from around the world
- video (movies, tv programs) and sounds 
- games (a puzzle game, simcity, tetris, an etoys project collection)

Also: dictionary, 'develop' activity (deep links), photos and videos take with capture activity, audio recorded likewise.

Many of the above will be loadable by browsing to them; some will require more technical know-how. 

* once a database is set up to store and search through metadata.  there can be 
  simple implementations before the full object store is in place.
** assuming a media streamer is working


A main browsing-page: 

------------------------
(journal-style search bar)

   [   A   ]     [   B   ] 

   [   C   ]     [   D   ] 
    
------------------------
A : Texts (reading, math, science; project ideas; for teachers, students; ...)
B : Images  (photos, snapshots, ...)
C : Video (clips, films, ...)
D : Activities (games, etoys, ...)


Subsidiary browsing pages: at least one for each of the sections listed above. One for each large collection [encyclopedia, dictionary if present, atlas, periodic table]. A variation of each portal for every core language [ideal portals have no text at all, or at branch tiers, text in every language].

Milestones

- get a number of draft sketches of possible main and secondary browsing pages 
- define what the design and layout will be like
- define when we will have final converted media from our own machines and from Real
- determine what media player to use
- finalize agreements re: use of media works
- draft spec for metadata store 
- have small localization team in place for En, Es, Pt, Ar
- find remaining resources needed

- revisit full timeline & needs
- test XO-customization activities
- test character-sets [again]; first run of localization work [on-wiki]

- testing ebook readers x2 (yellow and internet archive readers)
- testing datastore on server 
- testing video streaming, server to XO 
- test form creation, new games (simcity, puzzle game, &c)

- testing wiki & admin interface (moodle, &c)
- test localized sugar, journal.
- revisit full timeline & needs

...

- testing on a server

Resources needed

  • Mozilla expert to help perfect the interface via the browser
  • Moodle, Mediaplayer, &c. devs to help set up server apps
  • designer[s] to help create any images necessary in line with existing interface specs
  • developer to help write a database to support storing simple metadata about library materials and simple searching for those materials; and scripts to restructure and reformat text and metadata from existing sources.
  • group focusing on localization implementation -- activating a language preference, setting up workflows that will work over the longer term.


design criteria

A good library should be beautiful, should hint at overabundance and accessibility, and its use should be inspiring.

Libraries use librarians to help people to navigate collections with complicated relationships between sub-collections. The Library would be easier to navigate if it offered the following interfaces:

  • a dynamically generated view of available materials, local and regional, that updates when collections are installed or removed, and presents different views when isolated and when connected to a friend or local network.
  • a way to search through the system of available collections, and an api that allows a collection author to design its own search interface
  • a set of ways for collections to interact with users, either directly reacting to user input or storing and reading back state and data over time.

Some related interactions that it would be useful to provide to other activities as services include:

  • web browsing; to navigate/display local html pages and media, such as help pages for each activity
  • a way to edit in a distributed way a set of notes, inculding pervasive talk pages associated with each bundle and component, which can be updated and shared en masse or page by page (cf. MikMik)

loading and running scripts

Some of the above, including customizable interfaces for searching and tracking previous interactions, can be implemented as scripts that come with a collection and interface. If there were a way to limit the power and extent of what such scripts could do (as Javascript attempts to, for instance), one could let the creator of an otherwise static bundle define precisely the dynamic interfaces it wants.

Limitations on Javascript, in the absence of a state-service such as Google Gears and in the absence of a way to read public elements in the datastore, prevents some of this from being realized.

One option is to make a webservice available that will execute python scripts [as the web user?]

An alternative is to make every collection available as its own executable bundle, which embeds browser-like activities for rendering and explicitly requests script privileges so that it can access and process published files and materials.


similar activities and interactions

There are other content-browsing activities which want to navigate quantities of data (effectively interfacing with a local database) and could potentially be served by a similar system :applications, such as a javascript spreadsheet

  • Gmail with an offline component (caching mail & responses)
  • editable google maps : a local database of geolocations and comments/media, (and an optional input of one's own location from a usb gps) combined, when connected to a tilecache, with map tiles.

Activities that build on and display available data would like to access

- data publicly available as part of our build images,
- data installed as part of public bundles, such as the current help files or talk pages associated with a bundle
- data published by the user.
- statistics published by the system, including the time and its overall use

Finally, common libraries for managing many of these interactions and activities run as javascript, java, or flash; and rely on the browser and html/css to render the resutls [automatically handling zooming, bookmarking, screen rotation, and the like].


library look and feel

1) The overall HTML framework should replicate some of the look of the Journal, perhaps with a main view and layout similar to the upcoming journal redesign: clusters of icons as top-level navigation, with no other body content (focus on navigation, or on a topic, not both). Little other structure. No wasted space on any leaf page; a single link back to the overall library navigation. This is really how I'd like to see journal navigatino to work as well. --Sj leave me a message

2) A main portal page - Megan suggested a circular / annular theme to match the desktop, way back when. This was a fine idea. A central circle containing a library logo, with four sections for text, images, music/video, and games/activities, each represented by small images... as the top-level browse view.

3) Secondary pages for each section, offering a "browse" view organized by subject ("what") for that section. This can be a two-column view with sections, and icons for each major section -- similar to a 2-up display similar to what Eben's tv-widget offers.

4) A "browse" view for people ("who") showing what each person has in his/her personal collection. This will be needed if the servers are done in time, but takes lower priority than the rest.

5) A template for search results; similar to 3) above but dynamically generated.

Library integration with the Internet

The biggest content repository is the internet, and perhaps it would be quite usefull to have the library also serve as an entry-way for kids to that content.

I suggest that each category, Music, Activities, etc., have a separate space for web links. This would give kids a way to explore what (currently with the sample library) OLPC thinks is good on the web, and in the future what schools, teachers, but also hopefully students, parents, friends and local and regional communities think is good as well.

For example, the music category could contain links to Jamendo, and other free music websites. The image category could provide links to NASA's satellite imagery of countries and continents (see m. charitties user page for the link). The activity category could have a link to Instructables website.

These are some quick guesses, and more thought should go to the choice of usefull, good educational resources to include.

Of course, this Sample Library should clearly mark itself a sample, and not be seen as a Portal. For this reason, it should be somewhat limited in its range. At the same time, if it pointed towards content which adhere to the projects philosophical approach to education, it would be useful to do.

As an example, we could have a wiki page for each category dedicated to gathering useful links; and could link to that; a level of indirection that keeps the core library simple, continues to work as expected when there is an internet connection, and allows the list to be updated over time.

It should be made in a way that encourages communities to built on it, to add and improve it to fit their needs, and in no way impose our ideals/culture.

There might be problems of Nation-wide approved "Library links", but perhaps by reaching out to various cultures to come up with their own library sample, with content and weblinks representing what they are, would make better serve as example of how it could be used more dinamically.

The nation-wide links could be applied by changing where the canonical redirect goes for each bundle.

I could picture there being a Portuguese library, showcasing our poets, scientists, culture, nature, and so on. These would be useful for countries or even communities to learn more from each other, by "trading" their made-libraries.

Trading 'made' libraries is definitely in the cards. Countries are committed to making this kind of sharing a reality.
These are all good ideas. See some of the existing use cases. --Sj leave me a message 16:53, 24 January 2008 (EST)


Library use cases

positive use cases

use cases we want to support

Teachers

  • I am a teacher and I cannot find the resource that I want. I can post a request for content some where and it gets to someone who can get that content.
  • I am a teacher and I want to give my kids access to a set of documents that are too big for them to download entirely
  • I am an Indian teacher and I want to find an approved map of India

Students

  • I am a student and I want to learn about Indian independence in 1942
  • Wants to find a photo from Uruguay not taken w/ an XO
  • I need help w/ math and I want to find more materials to study
  • I want to find a penpal activity
  • I turn on my computer and can access the materials for my course without "logging on" anywhere

Reviewers

  • I am an official at Nepal's Ministry of education and I want to certify that a given set of activities meet Nepal's second grade curriculum for math
  • I want to add metadata to new submissions
  • I want to find and improve new uploads
  • I want to apply a new format to all the materials for my area/country
  • I want to reuse content about pandas in northern china that was created by Chinese student
  • I have found content that questions our national regime and I don't want students to be able to access it

Archivists and librarians

  • I am an academic and I want to upload a set of classical poems and I am very particular about the metadata and presentation of those poems
  • I am a librarian and want to digitize and share print materials

Authors and creators

  • I am an author or artist and I want to share my materials with {my country, the world}
    ...but I don't want people to change them
    ...but I don't want people to sell them
  • I am an author and I want to contribute to a freely available anthology (bankers m.)

negative use cases

use cases not desired

  • I am student and want to find pornography
  • I turn on my computer and can shut down the computers of others around me.

I can't find the sources

The link to the source seems to be broken, do you move them elsewhere?

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