Dear All, It seems my points are not properly understood by some professionals in the thread. The subject of the first mail and next mail in this thread were little harsh towards LIS professional. So I had put forward my points which can be highlighted as follows: 1. Installation & default configuration are not all in Open Source Software (OSS). 2. Any interested professional can do basic implement of OSS by following manuals & other means. So it is not compelling to depend on someone for the same. 3. In the mail I was not asking the help but explaining the scenario. Here I want to inform that some of the questions of the advance customization were already asked in KOHA forum and to the developers. An advance implementer of KOHA cannot dissociate from KOHA community. But the developers don’t show any interest to help for free. So we tried to develop ourselves as per our requirement. And we have achieved success in our efforts. Our major objective during the development was to avoid any major changes in scripts and database tables. Most of the codes are like add-ons. We have planned to contribute our modifications to KOHA as open source once we satisfy ourselves by working for few months. Charity begins at home. My view is that the efforts of professionals should be for visible contributions in the serving institutes. It may be IR or automation or something else. Better image of library professionals at serving institute directly/indirectly uplifts the profession. If we implement IR (DSpace or Eprint) or automation (KOHA) by value additions in the serving institutes then other professional colleagues will definitely encouraged/interested to take the help. There are many professionals who have taken helps of successful implementers of DSpace, Eprints, etc from the days of first implementation of Eprints@IISc. No doubt it will continue in future also. Hoping for the best... धन्यवाद सादर - सत्य Thanking you Regards - Satya -------------------------------------------- सत्यरंजन साहु/ Satya Ranjan Sahu वैज्ञानिक एवं पुस्तकालय मुख्य/Scientist & Head of Library सीएसआईआर - राष्ट्रीय समुद्र विज्ञान संस्थान/ CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography दोना पाउला/ Dona Paula, गोवा/ Goa भारत/ India - 403 004 Phone: 0832-2450275 (O); Fax-91-(0)832-2450601 -------------------------------------------------- -------- Original message -------- From: Satyaranjan Sahu Date:16/02/2015 18:07 (GMT+05:30) To: lis-forum@ncsi.iisc.ernet.in Subject: Re: [LIS-Forum] Free service seems indigestible by many LIS professionals for Koha, DSpace etc. Dear All, The subject of the mail raises few questions on the implementation of Open Source Software in India. Few months back I was in a loop of mails on success of Open Access Institutional Repositories (IRs) in India. There was some logical questions raised and answered by well known professionals from India & abroad in the field of Open Access. Few points I would like to highlight here from that private discussion which I feel relevant with respect to the below mail as per subject. Does the implementation of Open Source mean "Installation & basic configuration/customization"? or it includes value addition and future upgradation/migration etc. Most of the libraries use only OPAC and/or circulation in KOHA. Some of the features in KOHA is not well defined for a library which wants to use it in a copybook style. Then who will help in these aspects. Since last 15years or more CSIR-NIO library is using computerized Library Management System (menu based to browser based). The current browser based ILMS was developed in-house, using CDS/ISIS database (in Unix/Linux OS), TCL/TK programming language, etc. The software was developed carefully as per the theory of automation to minimize the manual work. When CSIR-NISCAIR initiated a network project (KNOWGATE) in 2013 to make OPAC of all CSIR laboratories public, KOHA software was considered as suitable one. So CSIR-NIO library started exploring the features of KOHA in comparison to current ILMS in 2014. During the process, we contacted few KOHA experts (based on mailing activities in lis-Forum) in India to explore our requirements. But the responses were disappointing. Some could not help on Linux installation and some on the script level. If a commercial service provider can help in modification/customization of the software as per the library requirements then it should not be an issue. Although NIO library is working on script level customization without any help of commercial service support but does not discourage institutes for taking commercial firm service if they do value addition in KOHA. I put this view after realizing the level of IT skills needed to work with KOHA scripts & databases. Is there any expert (non-commercial) who can help in developing the following features? Acquisition: 1. User recommends a document for procurement using the "Your Purchase Suggestions" form. I want duplication check before "submit of recommendations" with OPAC & pervious recommendations. 2. Under suggestion management: a) There should be duplicate checking facility in pending suggestions. b) A mail should generate to a group of users (subject experts) when the status changes form pending to checked. c) Accepted documents TAB should provide option to ORDER (create basket) there than from "Vendor" side. 3. If the basket is created today for a vendor so all the order created for that particular vendor will attached to the same basket. The first statement is true unless the basket is open not closed, if it is closed a new basket would be created for the vendor. 4. Update of Exchange Rates based on Order Date there in the "Accounting Details" 5. Creation of Invoice with a choice of Vendor than the default way. 6. Receiving orders with the right Price Estimate than the Estimated Cost at the time of Order. 7. Order/Cancel of order should be mail based to the vendors We are trying to included few other features (as per the theory of automation) to minimize manual work. So if non-commercial experts can help in such requirements then there is no need of commercial support. धन्यवाद सादर - सत्य Thanking you Regards - Satya ------------------------------------------- सत्यरंजन साहु/ Satya Ranjan Sahu वैज्ञानिक एवं पुस्तकालय मुख्य/Scientist & Head of Library सीएसआईआर - राष्ट्रीय समुद्र विज्ञान संस्थान/ CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography दोना पाउला/ Dona Paula, गोवा/ Goa भारत/ India - 403 004 Phone: 0832-2450275 (O); Fax-91-(0)832-2450601 -------------------------------------------------- -----Original Message----- From: lis-forum-bounces@ncsi.iisc.ernet.in [mailto:lis-forum-bounces@ncsi.iisc.ernet.in] On Behalf Of Vinod Kumar Mishra Sent: Saturday, February 14, 2015 7:45 PM To: lis-forum@ncsi.iisc.ernet.in; nmlis@yahoogroups.com; libtech@yahoogroups.com Cc: dptkvs@gmail.com Subject: [LIS-Forum] Free service seems indigestible by many LIS professionals for Koha, DSpace etc. Dear All, We(myself and Mr. D.P. Tripathi)have taken initiative to implement open source software like Koha, DSpace, Joomla etc. in libraries and time to time motivating for the same to library professionals. I was thinking i am doing the great job free of cost but when i saw today a Tender of renowned Institute for Just installation of Koha, data migration from SOUL/Current ILMS and little training to staffs, i shocked and realize that real heroes are those people who have given opportunity for the same and successfully they are running Koha. They have expended Just on our TA/DA and honorarium as per government rules and saved Lakhs of Public money. In present case although i proposed the institute for the same task and given example of a renowned near by library where we have did the job and Koha is running successfully but even though they opted for the Commercial firm service which could be easily done by us in a much better way than any commercial firm. I do not know why they opted for the same and what is lacking from our side, however one can avail community support for installation/training on Koha and if desire later they can avail commercial support (AMC) for maintenance, by this method also they can save lakh of money on initial implementation of Koha. I would simply like to ask a question from such Professionals that: WILL YOU TAKE SAME DECISION IF YOU HAVE TO INVEST MONEY FROM YOUR OWN POCKET? OR WHAT DIFFICULTY YOU FACED IN INVITING ANY CAPABLE EXPERT FOR THE SAME TASKS FROM LIS COMMUNITY? I would like to request all leaders/Decision makers of the LIS community to avail such services from LIS community it will not only save money but strengthen our library profession and reputation as well as you will be called as a good leader and decision maker in LIS domain. You may visit http://mishravk.com/ for LIS related other activities and free support. Thanking You. Vinod Kumar Mishra Assistant Librarian NIT Rourkela -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean.