Telstar

List8D

Ben Charlton relating how List8D was a project started at a Dev8D event – aimed at developing a new ‘reading list’ system. They then got funding under the JISC Rapid Innovation funding, and now being developed by the University of Kent for their live reading lists (hopefully from September). List8D has a Google Code page.

Now Matt Spence demonstrating the basic functionality. List8D has a very nice looking interface (although Ben notes that the use of complex CSS and javascript creates performance issues in IE). List8D allows you to search several sources at one time to add items – but has hierarchy, so you can display e.g. library catalogue results first. Also includes some admin functions – e.g. a ‘request a scan’ feature to get an item digitised for online delivery (nice idea), and a ‘note for librarian’.

Some technical details – built using ‘Zend‘ framework. Connection to other systems are handled via bits of code List8D project christened ‘Metatrons‘ – each metatron has a few functions:

• Find resources
• Load Metadata
• Pass types (lists what types of resource the source contains – e.g. books, journals, etc.)
• Unique (says what unique key the source uses)

The interface can be restyled – but generally advise doing basic stuff like colours and logo, as a bit hacked together.

Matt also talking about applying ‘reference’ styling. Something that they’ve not been able to spend a lot of time on but would love to be able to do better – very similar issue to Telstar here I think.