JULAC Libraries Forum 2013
29 November 2013
at HKBU
K.T. Lam (lblkt@ust.hk)
and
Li Yiu On (yoli@hkbu.edu.hk)
Last revised: 29 November 2013
A joint project of
◦ JULAC Access Services Committee
◦ JULAC Systems Committee
And is coordinated via the
◦ Task Force on JULAC Common Card Project
Thanks to all systems and access services colleagues
for participating in the planning and development of
this JULAC collaboration project.
2


Issues involved and how we resolved them
Two sub-projects
• JULAC Card Printing Solution
• JULAC Card Registration System (JCRS)



JCRS demo
Implementation timeline
Outstanding issues and tasks
3
JULAC Library Card
paper card
multiple barcodes
since 1991
HKUST
4
5
6
Time to replace
this paper-oriented operations
by issuing a …
Common Card
7

Adopt institutional ID Card as JULAC card?
◦ Use Mifare chip’s ID Number to replace multiple barcodes?
◦ Attach barcode to the ID Card?

Issue our own Common Card?
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Smart card, i.e. with Mifare chip?
Store patron data in the chip?
Smart card with attached barcode?
Plastic card with printed barcode?
CUHK’s gate system does not support barcode.
Compromise?
 Attach Mifare chip to plastic card
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
Issue our own Common Barcode?
◦ Compatibility with access gates?
◦ Compatibility with INNOPAC?

Create a system to transfer patron data among
institutions?
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Transfer data by pear-to-pear servers?
Transfer data by a central server?
Store and maintain data in individual databases?
Store and maintain data by a central database?
Provide patron data on-demand?
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


Plastic card
Printed with common barcode
Allow attachment of Mifare chip at back of card
◦ Resolve CUHK’s incapability of supporting barcode
◦ To be attached on the card during registration

Automate the registration process
◦ In-house system development

Patron data on-demand model
◦ Transfer patron data directly from Home Library to a Host
Library in the presence of the card holder during
registration
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JULAC Library Card
Application, Production and Registration
Home Library
Card
Application
Patron
data
Card
Production
Host Library
Patron data
Gate DB INNOPAC
INNOPAC
Patron
identity
Patron data
Card
Registration
JULAC Common Barcode (jbarcode)
Symbology
Code39
xx + xxxxx + J + x + x + x
a
b
c d
e
f
a
b
c
d
e
f
Institutional ID (2-digit): 80-89
Sequential Number (5-digit): 00001-99999
JULAC Letter: J
Reserved Letter: A-Z (exclude I and O)
Card Replacement Digit: 1-9
Check Digit: 0-9
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Institutional Code, ID and Reserved Letter
Name
Code
ID
Reserved
Letter
Chinese University of Hong Kong
cuhk
80
A
City University of Hong Kong
cityu
81
B
Hong Kong Baptist University
hkbu
82
C
Hong Kong Institute of Education
hkied
83
D
Hong Kong Polytechnic University
polyu
84
E
Hong Kong University of Science &
Technology
hkust
85
F
Lingnan University
lu
86
G
University of Hong Kong
hku
87
H
13
cuhk
cityu
hkbu
hkied
polyu
hkust
lu
hku
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
12345
12345
12345
12345
12345
12345
12345
12345
J
J
J
J
J
J
J
J
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
4
7
0
3
6
9
2
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Sub-projects
Card
Production
JULAC Card Printing Solution
Card
Registration
JULAC Card Registration System
15

To provide a standard set of hardware and software
for the production of JULAC Library Card
Pre-Print Card
Card Printer
Card Printing Software
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



Tendering process completed
last month
Selection process completed
early this month
HKUST tender board approved
our recommendation early
this week
Will be meeting with
contractor (Toppan Forms) to
start the card design and
software development
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Card Design
Draft Only!
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Institution
Number of
Cards
CUHK
7,500
CITYU
5,500
HKBU
7,000
HKIED
2,500
POLYU
4,000
HKUST
2,000
LU
2,000
HKU
9,500
Total
40,000
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
Patrons
◦ Plastics card is more durable than paper card

Card issuing staff
◦ Card printing is fully automated
 no manual work, such as card typing and photo attachment

Host library counter staff
◦ No longer need to put barcode on JULAC Cards
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

To provide a system for onsite registration
Decided to develop the system collaboratively by
all eight institutions
Home Library
Patron data
Host Library
JCRS - Card
Registration
System
Registration
Station
Patron
identity
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JCRS System Architecture
Home Library
A
Web
Program
to retrieve
patron data
Host Library
Web Page
Registration
Station
C
Print
B
Patron
Data
Provider
Submit
Online
Import
Offline
Import
INNOPAC
INNOPAC
Gate DB
5 November 2013
Web
Program
to store
patron data
e
D
Patron
Data
Importer


HKUST is responsible for the development the
common portions of the system (Program A and C)
All eight institutions develop their own Program B
◦ Authentication
◦ Getting patron record from INNOPAC
◦ Validation of patron record


Institutions opting for online import will develop
their own Program D
Pilot prototype development
◦ Proof of concept
◦ Completed: HKUST, HKBU, POLYU, HKU, CUHK, CITYU
◦ Almost finished: LU, HKIED

Full-scale development has started
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Home page seen on the Registration Station
(e.g. at CityU)
Web page
showing card
holder from
HKUST
retrieving
his/her patron
data on CityU’s
Registration
Station
Sample patron data
in XML Format
JCRS Administration Interface
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JCRS tool – construct jbarcode
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JCRS Demonstration
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
Home library
◦ Reduce labor work for processing paper application slips
◦ Do not need to make a photocopy for patron registration at
host libraries

Patron
◦ Do not need to make additional photocopies of application
slips themselves (7 copies for registration at 7 libraries)
◦ Do not require to present a photocopy of application slips
at host Libraries

Host library
◦ Patron record data provided by home library in real time
 Data is most up-to-date and accurate
◦ Patron data may be uploaded to host library’s INNOPAC
system automatically
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

Both the Card Production and Registration systems
are targeted to be completed on 15 April 2014
Tasks after 15 April 2014
◦ Institutions begin to issue common cards to new users
◦ New card holders begin to use JCRS
◦ Institutions begin to replace existing paper cards
 Batch by batch
 Takes a while to completely replace all card
◦ Parallel run of paper and plastic cards – for gate access,
circulation and card registration
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
Card replacement process
◦ Determine how existing patron records are updated in the
card replacement process
◦ Determine a mutually agreed date to complete card
replacement
 Cut-off-date to stop supporting old paper cards
 Possibly forcing an expiry date on paper card holders

Card application process
◦ Determine how to make use of INNOPAC’s patron record to
store card application data
◦ This is for those that don’t have a card application
system/database
◦ e.g. JULAC barcode; card issue date; card expiry date (can
be different from the one in the expiry date field)
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
Lost card handling
◦ Issues of concurrently holding both paper and plastic card




Lost card and then found
Lost card picked up and used by someone
Claimed lost card
Resolution:
 Must collect paper cards from card holders during card
replacement process
 Claimed lost card treat as lost card
◦ Lost card notification program enhancement
 Current practice: notify via fax among institutions
 Enhancement: notify by email via JCRS, to be developed by
HKUST
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Louisa Lam, CUHK
Peggy Fung, CITYU
Li Yiu On, HKBU
Belinda Kwok, HKIEd
Lisa Kwan, POLYU
Diana Chan, HKUST
K.T. Lam, HKUST (Chair)
Venia Mak, HKUST (Secretary)
Andrew Liu, LU
K.M. Ku, HKU
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Thank you!
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