[Olpc-open] Project idea: library in a (tiny) box

[Christophe Guéret]

Dear everyone,

We (everyone in Cc + me) have been thinking around the idea of a "library
in a box" and would appreciate having some feedback from you all, including
suggestions for possible users.

The idea is rather simple and builds on the Pathagar project from Sameer
[1]. The goal is to provide a library software that fits into a plug PC or
something equivalent, like a RaspberryPi, and has enhanced data sharing
capabilities. This software will be targeted at three group of users:
* Librarian
Let them enter the content of their library easily and manage a digital
index of the book they have without having to install a software on a
desktop computer.
* Teachers
They will be able to build lessons around the books and filter the content.
They will also get an overview on which books are downloaded from the
library to be read on an XO.
* Readers
They will access the books directly or be able to request physical copies
of the books. There will also be a system for sharing comments and ratings
about the books.

For the librarian, a web interface will be made available where they can
enter new books by typing the ISBN number or filling information manually.
OCLC is interested in working on this project and their book catalog,
WorldCat, has a lot of information in it. WorldCat, or an offline copy of
it, will be used to retrieve the data associated to an ISBN (including
ratings, availability of physical copies, etc). This same web interface
could be also used by the teachers with some appropriate rendering to focus
on the filtering tasks. On the XO, a custom activity would communicate with
the plug library via an API.

Does everyone of you know of similar projects and/or existing activities?
Also, are you in touch with users that would be interested in such a boxed
library?

Best regards,
Christophe

[1] http://www.olpcsf.org/projects/pathagar-sheevaplug-edition


-- 
Onderzoeker
+31(0)6 14576494
christophe.gueret at dans.knaw.nl

*Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS)*
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Kijk op www.dans.knaw.nl voor meer informatie en contactgegevens.
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