Talk:Library

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

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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 specific thoughts

Definitions

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.

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

• 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.

Library design

A good library should be beautiful, its use inspiring.

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.

2) The main portal page - Megan suggested a circular / annular theme to match the desktop. Eben, what do you think? A central circle containing 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.

3) We'll have 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 -- Eben, this would be similar to a 2-up display similar to what your tv-widget offers.

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.

5) We should have a template for search results; similar to 3) above but dynamically generated.