=Paper=
{{Paper
|id=None
|storemode=property
|title=Data Model for Consortial Circulation in Libraries
|pdfUrl=https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-920/p35-tesendic.pdf
|volume=Vol-920
|dblpUrl=https://dblp.org/rec/conf/bci/Tesendic12
}}
==Data Model for Consortial Circulation in Libraries==
https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-920/p35-tesendic.pdf
Data Model for Consortial Circulation in Libraries
Danijela Tešendić
Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad
Trg Dositeja Obradovića 4, Novi Sad, Serbia
+381214852873
tesendic@uns.ac.rs
ABSTRACT
This paper deals with a data model of a software system used to
2. LIBRARY CIRCULATION
Library circulation includes all activities associated with
manage library patrons. This system is known as a circulation
management of library users such as recording user data, charging
system and is usually developed within a library management
and discharging library items. In order to improve library
system. The paper discusses functionalities of a circulation system
performance, a large number of research papers in this field
that allows circulation at the level of library consortium. Based on
describe various aspects of circulation and some directions for
these functionalities, a data model is made that contains all
further development of electronic support for the process of
necessary data for managing library users, both local users and
circulation. Internet-oriented services provided to users and
users from other libraries within the consortium. The presented
internet-oriented communication and data sharing between
model was used in the development of one particular circulation
libraries represents a major direction in which research is headed.
system, but consideration of the following can be useful in the
The experiences presented in papers [2] and [4] show that the
development of any other circulation system as well.
electronic services that libraries provide to users allow more
Categories and Subject Descriptors efficient use of either the printed or electronic library collection.
H.2.1 [Database Management]: Logical Design – Data models In paper [3] several of those services are described and how they
improve the library business.
General Terms The most of the software system for circulation is commercial and
Design it is not publicly accessible for downloading. What is possible is
to download the accessible instructions for the users and, based on
Keywords their contents, to analyze the software functionalities. The
Library management system, consortial circulation, circulation systems enable standard activities related to the work with the
system functionality, UML users such as charging and discharging, membership fee renewal,
printing lending form and receipt, searching users and
1. INTRODUCTION publications as well as generating statistical reports. Some of
Besides storing and recording a library collection, one of the main them include the support for UNICODE, bar code and RFID
activities of each library is to provide that collection to library technology, printing and sending reminders to the users for the
users. Its business affairs as related to its users are circulation, exceed of loan period and publication reservation. Client
both within the local collection and the library consortium, and applications of the systems are implemented either as Windows
interlibrary loans. There are a number of library management applications only supported by the Windows operating systems or
systems that support these processes. On the Library of Congress as web applications.
website for MARC standards there is a section with an overview
A library consortium is an association of libraries in a particular
of library software packages [5]. Some of those software packages
area that work together towards improvement of services for its
which support circulation are ALEPH 500, Voyager, Atriuum,
patrons. One of the activities at the consortium level is consortial
Polaris Library Systems, SirsiDynix Symphony, Evergreen
circulation. The consortial circulation is a process in which users
Integrated Library System and Koha.
of one library are allowed to borrow books from other libraries
This paper discusses the functionalities of a software system for which are members of the consortium. Member libraries of the
circulation of a library collection with emphasis on the circulation consortium set up rules for the usage of library collections. Good
within a library consortium. According to these functionalities, a examples for library consortiums are public libraries that are
data model is made that contains all necessary data for managing composed of several libraries in a city area or university libraries
library users, both local users and users from other libraries within within a university. To enable this activity, it is necessary to
the consortium. Data model and functionalities are presented provide software support for the circulation of library collections
using UML notation. The results presented in this paper were at the consortium level. In other words it is necessary to enable
used in the implementation of the library management system user data exchange between libraries within a consortium. The
BISIS [1] which is deployed and used in a number of university library where a user belongs to and/or pays fees represents his
and city libraries throughout Serbia. The results presented could home library. When a user goes to a library which is not their
be useful to anyone who is involved in the development of library home library, it is necessary to provide access to data about that
management systems. user which is located in their home library. This access is needed,
for example, to check whether the user has the privilege to borrow
BCI’12, September 16–20, 2012, Novi Sad, Serbia. books. Also, when the user borrows the book in one library, this
Copyright © 2012 by the paper’s authors. Copying permitted only for private and information should be available to other libraries in the
academic purposes. This volume is published and copyrighted by its editors. consortium. Communication and data exchange among libraries
Local Proceedings also appeared in ISBN 978-86-7031-200-5, Faculty of Sciences,
University of Novi Sad.
are defined by standardized NCIP (NISO Circulation Interchange
35
Protocol) protocol for exchange data about library users. The Librarian Hom e library
protocol is public and can be downloaded from the official
website of the protocol [6]. Besides its definition the site offers
additional documentation that can be useful for understanding the
protocol, news from the area of its development and use, as well Entering user num ber Choosing library
as information about implementation of the protocol by various
software vendors.
3. FUNCTIONALITIES OF CIRCULATION [Local user]
SYSTEM
In paper [7] modelling and implementation of a system that [Rem ote user]
allows circulation for local library users are described.
Functionalities of the system are shown and described using a use
Connecting to home library
case diagram. The diagram shows actions a librarian carries out Finding local user
on a daily basis when serving users. These include registering
new users, extending user fees, checking out and retrieving books Finding user
and searching users and the library collection. In order to provide
service for users who come from other libraries within a
consortium, it is necessary to provide functionalities for
searching, charging and discharging. Those functionalities now
must include communication with systems of other libraries in Accepting user data
order to exchange user data. Further in the text these
functionalities are explained in detail using activity diagrams with
the aim to observe differences in the operation of the system in
the case of local users and in the case of users from other
libraries. Based on these functionalities a data model is created Figure 1: Activity diagram for finding user data.
and described in the next section.
the publication’s item ID. Charging by searching the library
The activity diagram in Figure 1 shows the functionality for collection is represented by the activity Searching publications
finding data about users, whether the data is from a user in the and Finding publication. During the collection search the librarian
local system or from a user in the library consortium. The selects from the search results the item ID of the publication
diagram clearly shows differences in the operation of the system which is then checked out to the user. Charging of selected
in the case of two types of users. Activities Entering user number publications is presented with the activity Checking out
and Choosing library represents input of user identification publication. Depending on whether it is charging the local user or
number and choice of the library which a user belongs to. Based charging the user from any other library, one of two workflows is
on this information data about the user can be found. Depending performed. In the case of charging a local user, data about
on what was chosen upon choice of library, whether the user is a charging is stored in the local system, which is represented with
local user or a user from another library, one of two workflows is the activity Storing data about charging. In the case of charging a
performed. In the case of a local user, data about the user is found user from another library, data is stored in the system of that
in the local system which is represented with Finding local user library and that is presented with the activities Connecting to
activity. If the case in point is another library in the consortium home library and Storing data about charging. This approach
the application accesses the system of that library and finds the ensures that the user’s charging data from any library is stored in
user’s data. This is represented with the activities Connecting to the one place from where they are available to all libraries in the
home library and Finding user. After finding the user whether in consortium. Besides that a portion of the data about the user and
the local system or in the system of another library, the user data their charges are placed in the local system for the purpose of
is returned to the application for further processing which registering the charges of publications within the collection,
represents the activity Accepting user data. In the case of local which is represented with the activity Storing data about charging
user data a librarian is allowed to modify this data and save the remote user.
changes made. But in the case of users from other libraries the
One of the exceptions of the described functionalities can be
librarian does not have the ability to change the data.
unavailable network connection to user’s home library. In that
The activity diagram in Figure 2 shows the functionality of case there are two solutions. One solution is to not allow charging
charging the user. The differences among charging local users and of the user, which is bad solution from the viewpoint of the
charging users from other libraries can be seen on the diagram. library users. Other solution is to allow charging and store data
Functionalities of the renewals and discharging do not differ only in local system and, after connection is restored, store data in
essentially from the functionality of charging and are therefore user’s home library too. This solution is bad for libraries because,
left out from the paper. It is assumed that discharging is done in in the moment of charging, there is no way to check user’s data
the same library as charging. Charging, which is represented with and all responsibility concerning correctness of user’s data is on
the activity Charging, can be done in two different ways: by librarian. This approach is very error prone and because of that
entering the publication’s Item ID or by searching the library libraries should decide which solution they are going to use.
collection. Depending on the choice one of the workflows is Detail description of these solutions is omitted from the paper
performed. The activity Entering Item ID represents entering of because it has no impact on data model.
36
Librarian Home library Library
+ nam e : String Location
Charging 1..1
+ address : String + nam e : String
+ city : String 0..* + last_user_id : int
[Searching] + zip : String
+ email : String 1..1 0..1 0..1
[Entering number]
+ phone : String
Searching publicatons
Entering item ID number
0..* 0..* 0..*
Finding publication
Lending
Record 0..1 + item _id : String
+ record : String 1..1 + charg_date : Date
+ discharg_date : Date
Checking out publication
+ renew_date : Date
+ due_date : Date
[Remote user]
Connecting to home library 0..* 0..* 0..*
[Local user]
Storing data about charging 0..1 0..1 0..1
Storing data about charging local user
Librarian
Storing data about charging remote user + username : String
+ password : String
+ first_nam e : String
+ last_nam e : String
+ address : String
+ city : String
+ zip : String
Figure 2: Activity diagram for charging users. + phone : String
+ email : String
4. DATA MODEL OF CIRCULATION + adm in : int
SYSTEM Figure 3: Data model extension that allows storing user
Based on the described functionalities a data model was created charges from other libraries.
for the circulation system. This model is designed according to
where the publication was charged, the loan period and the
the requirements and set of data used in the library management
librarian’s name who charged the publication. Information about
system BISIS. It includes data required for both circulation within
the date and the librarian also exist for renewals and retrievals of
the local library collection and circulation within the library
publications. It is assumed that renewal and retrieval is done on
consortium. This model as well as the following considerations
the same location as charging of publication.
presented in this section can serve as the basis for the
development of any circulation system and may be useful to In the previous section, the activity diagram in Figure 2 shows the
anyone who deals with circulation systems. Moreover, with fewer functionality of the charging users. When it comes to charging
modifications and adjustments according to needs of particular local users the previous described model satisfies all requirements
library this model could be implemented within any circulation for carrying out this activity. Only change which is done is
system. For example, libraries can have different sets of user’s possibility to have different locations for charging, discharging
data which they store. and renewal of publication. To enable charging users from other
libraries in the consortium the previously described model
Paper [7] shows the class diagram of the data model for the
requires some extensions. The activity diagram shows that while
circulation system. This data model meets all system requirements
the user charges from other libraries, data about charging is
related to managing local library users. Within the model there is
placed within the system of the library that the user belongs to. In
a class that describes the user data which is stored in the system
this way the data is organized within a consortium so that all
(Users), a class that describes the data about user’s membership in
information about a user is stored in one place from where it is
the library (Registering), and the class that describes the data
available for other libraries in the consortium. To make this
about user’s charges (Lending). In addition to these there are
happen it is necessary to resolve several tasks related to this data
classes that represent the coders from which the values are taken.
model.
As previously mentioned the set of data shown in the model is
adjusted to the system BISIS and the libraries that use it. As already mentioned in the current model an item ID number,
location, date and librarian are stored for each charge. The first
With regard to checked out publications the model stores only its
task is related to the item ID number. In a system that stores data
item IDs within the user’s charging data. Since the item ID
about charging (the system of the library that the user belongs to)
number uniquely identifies a publication, other data about this
there is no information that ties the bibliographic record to the
publication can also be found. Data about publications is stored in
item ID number. In other words the publication is not identified,
the form of bibliographic records that are located in another part
because that information is in the system of the library where the
of the system. Besides the item ID number within the user’s
charging is done. Moreover, that item ID number could be
charging data there is also the date and location within the library
assigned to any publication that belongs to that system. This
37
Library home library, but rather stored in the system of the library which
+ name : String Location has performed the charging. The method of storing this data will
1..1
+ address : String + name : String be explained later.
+ city 0..*
: String + last_user_id : int
+ zip : String The class diagram in Figure 3 shows the data model extension
+ email : String 1..1 1..1 0..1 0..1 that allows storing user charges from other libraries. This
+ phone : String extension allows storing all user charges at the consortium level
in the system of the library to which the user belongs. Figure 3
shows new previously explained classes, as well as the class
Lending, Location and Librarian. All three associations between
Lending and Librarian have zero value for lower value of
0..* 0..* 0..* 0..* multiplicity to enable to store charging without information about
Librarian librarian who did it.
+ username : String RemoteUsers
1..1 Besides the data about charges being placed in the system of the
+ password : String
0..* + user_id : String user’s home library, the activity diagram in Figure 2 also shows
+ first_name : String + first_name : String
+ last_name : String that some data about charges and the user are stored in the system
0..1 + last_name : String
+ address : String + item_id : String of the library which performs charging. The reason for recording
+ city : String 0..* and tracking the charged publication within the system of the
+ charg_date : Date
+ zip : String 0..1 + discharg_date : Date owning library and recording the user who charged the
+ phone : String 0..* + renew_date : Date publications is to create various statistics within that system.
+ email : String + due_date : Date
+ admin : int The class diagram in Figure 4 shows the extension of the data
model that allows storing data about charging in the local system
Figure 4: Data model extension that allows storing charging of the library which performs charging. The class Remote Users
data within local system. describes charges of users from other libraries within the
means that when storing data in the system of the user’s home consortium. In addition to data about charging, this class also
library, it is important to store information about the publication displays the user identification number, the user’s name and their
itself. This task is solved by extending the data model with the home library. Based on this data it is possible to find other user
class Record that contains a bibliographic record of the data stored in the system of the user's home library. Besides this
publication that the user has charged outside the home library. data, an item ID number is stored for each charging of a
This extension is shown in the class diagram of Figure 3. The publication, along with location and date of the charging, the loan
variant that was chosen was to place the entire record in the class period for the charge and the librarian who performed the
Record, not just some data from the record, because the charging. There is also data about the date, location and librarian
circulation system BISIS already has an interface for work with for renewals and retrievals of publications. Classes Location,
bibliographic records. With this solution there is no need to Librarian and Library are previously explained.
extend the system which would work only with certain data from The class diagram in Figure 5 shows the entire data model of the
records. circulation system within library management system BISIS. This
The second task that needs to be solved in order to store data data model satisfies all the system functionalities related to
about charging in the system of the user’s home library is related managing both local users and users from other libraries within
to the location of charging. In the current model class Location the consortium.
describes the circulation departments within the library where
charging could be done. In order to input information into the 5. CONCLUSION
model and the library where the charging is done the model is The circulation of the library collection today includes a wide
extended with the class Library which describes the libraries range of services provided to users. Besides the availability of
within the consortium. Each library has locations (departments) different information over the Internet, utilizing the collections of
for charging and those locations are further described with the several libraries and delivering library materials to specific
class Location. This extension is also shown on the class diagram locations is becoming a standard in the library business. This
in Figure 3. This solution requires that the data about the libraries paper considers the functionalities of the circulation system that
in the consortium and their locations be uniform and shared by all enables the use of collections of several libraries and supports the
systems in order to uniquely determine in which library and in circulation within the entire library consortium. Based on the
which location within the library is the charging performed. specified functionalities one possible data model of the system is
The third task that needs to be resolved is related to data about the given and is explained in detail. This model and the following
librarian who performed the charging. If this task could be solved considerations presented in this paper can be used as the basis for
in a similar manner as the previous one, where for each charge it the development of any circulation system. The results presented
is known which librarian from which library in the consortium in this paper were used in the implementation of the library
level completed the task, this would mean that the data about management system BISIS.
librarians would be shared at the consortium level. Such data
organization in the consortium would not be practical because this 6. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
data is changed often. Thus the task is solved another way. For The work is partially supported by Ministry of Education and
charges that are made at locations in other libraries, information Science of the Republic of Serbia, through project no. III47003:
about the librarian is not stored within the system of the user’s "Infrastructure for technology enhanced learning in Serbia".
38
RemoteUsers Registering User categs
+ user_id : String Membership
+ start_date : Date + id : long 1..1
+ first_name : String + expir_date : Date + name : String + id : long
0..*
+ last_name : String + cost : double + titles_no : int + cost : double
+ item_id : String + receipt_id : String + period : int
+ charg_date : Date 0..*
0..*
+ discharg_date : Date 0..* 0..* 1..* 0..1
0..* 1..1
+ renew_date : Date
+ due_date : Date 1..1
Mmbr_types
0..*
0..* Users + id : long
0..* 0..* 0..* 0..* + sys_id : long + name : java.lang.String
+ user_id : String + period : int
1..1 0..1 0..1 1..1 + first_name : String
+ last_name : String 0..1
Librarian + parent_name : String
1..1 1..1 0..1 0..1 Edu_degree
+ username : String + address : String
1..1
+ password : String + city : String 0..* + id : long
+ first_name : String + zip : int + name : String
Location
+ last_name : String + phone : String
+ name : String + address : String + email : String 0..1
+ last_user_id : int 0..*
+ city : String + umcn : String Organization
+ zip : String + doc_id : int
1..1 0..1 0..1 + phone : String + doc_no : String + id : long
0..* 0..*
+ email : String + doc_city : String + name : String
+ 0..1 + address : String
+ admin : int country : String
+ gender : String + city : String
1..1 + 0..* + zip : int
age : String
0..1 0..1 0..1 + add_address : String
Library + add_zip : int
+ add_city : String 0..1
+ name : String Languages
0..* 0..* 0..* + add_phone : String
+ address : String 0..* 0..* 0..* + id : long
+ note : String
+ city : String + name : String
Lending + interests : String 0..*
+ zip : String + remind_ind : int
+ email : String + item_id : String + occupation : String
+ phone : String + charg_date : Date + title : String
+ discharg_date : Date 0..* + student_card_no : String 0..1
+ renew_date : Date + class_no : int Groups
+ due_date : Date 1..1
+ pass : String + sys_id : long
1..1 + block_reason : String + user_id : String
1..1
1..1 + inst_name : String
0..1 + registering_date : Date
0..* 0..* + address : String
Reminders Record + city : String
Duplicate + zip : int
+ remind_date : Date + record : String
+ phone : String
+ remind_no : String + id : long
+ email : String
+ due_date : Date + dupl_no : int
0..* + fax : String
+ note : String Remind types + dupl_date : Date
1..1 + add_address : String
+ id : long + add_city : String
Archive
+ name : String + add_zip : int
Remind counters + rtext : String + id : long + add_phone : String
1..1 + sys_id : int + cont_fname : String
+ id : long 0..* + arch_date : Date + cont_lname : String
+ remind_year : int + content : String + cont_email : String
+ last_no : int
Figure 5: Data model of circulation system.
7. REFERENCES [4] Joint, N. 2008. Is digitisation the new circulation?:
Borrowing trends, digitisation and the nature of reading in
[1] BISIS Library Management System, US and UK libraries. Library Review. 57, 2, 87-95.
http://www.bisis.uns.ac.rs/
[5] MARC Records, Systems and Tools,
[2] Boone, M. D. 2002. Taking FLITE: how new libraries are http://www.loc.gov/marc/marcservice.html
visioning their way into the future. Library Hi Tech. 20, 4,
464-468. [6] NCIP Implementation Group website,
http://www.ncip.info/
[3] Falk, H. 2005. Temple of the computer. The Electronic
Library. 23, 2, 244-248. [7] Tešendić, D., Milosavljević, B., Surla, D. 2009. A Library
Circulation System for City and Special Libraries. The
Electronic Library. 27, 1,162-186.
39