Everyone loves feedback but too much of a good thing can result in chaotic communications and a haphazard workflow. In a digital library, the feedback "button" doesn't filter; it collects patron response regarding everything from missing pages within a particular scan to technical difficulties regarding the delivery of the digital book. The Biodiversity Heritage Library is implementing software designed to streamline the processes involved in collecting and responding to patron feedback.

1. We've Got Issues!
Discovering the right tool for the job
Erin Thomas
Biodiversity Heritage Library
Smithsonian Institution
thomase@si.edu

2. • The Biodiversity Heritage
Library
• Communications
• Software Solutions
• Librarianship and Identity

3. The Biodiversity Heritage Library
• Academy of Natural Science
(Philadelphia, PA)
• American Museum of Natural History (New
York, NY)
• California Academy of Science (San
Francisco, CA)
• The Field Museum (Chicago, IL)
• Harvard University Botany Libraries
(Cambridge, MA)
• Harvard University, Ernst Mayr Library of
the Museum of Comparative Zoology
(Cambridge, MA)
• Marine Biological Laboratory / Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institution (Woods
Hole, MA)
• Missouri Botanical Garden (St. Louis, MO)
• Natural History Museum (London, UK)
• The New York Botanical Garden (New
York, NY)
• Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
(Richmond, UK)
• Smithsonian Institution Libraries
(Washington, DC)

4. How to turn THIS into 1's and 0's...

6. Internet Archive
• 501 (3) (c)
• Dedicated to Universal
Access
• Founder of Open Content
Alliance
• Provides
o Mass Scanning
o Archival Storage
o Image Processing
o Technology
development

7. Mass Digitization
Pros
• Rich & robust quantity of content
• Access, Access, Access
• Collaboration across boundaries (institutional, geographic,
interdisciplinary)
• Few space limitations
• Library as global place with global audience
• Full text searching
• Ability to link content with other collections and services
• Future of information services realized (data-mining
opportunities, doors opened to new research opportunities,
library is where users are)

8. Mass Digitization
Cons
• Low cost model can compromise scanning quality
• Access over preservation
• Managing the details
• Scope creep
• Browsing can be overwhelming to users
• Cataloging inconsistencies among various libraries
• Access to originals can be compromised
• Threat to traditional library services
• Managing user expectations in the age of Google
• Copyright limitations

9. Serials, monographs, monographic
series, associated titles, title changes, duplicate
scans, merging records, missing pages, blurry
pages, foldouts, page insertion, gaps in serial
runs, mischievous
metadata, pagination, document delivery, PDF
generation, copyright, permissions, sequencing, t
echnical issues, authority lists, navigation, item
level corrections, title level
corrections, requests, record mismatches..on and
on and on... Photo courtesy curryegg.blogspot.com
And the problems begin…

10. Much ado over 40,000 Titles; 75,000 Volumes;
30,000,000 Pages...
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:
Re:Re:Re:The Problem
with the Portal....

11. Is Gemini the answer?
Issue tracking software used by BHL's development
staff.

12. New Terms for a New Purpose

13. For Example…

14. Greener Pastures?
.
image courtesy www.bergoiata.org

15. .
.
• RedMine • RoundUp
• Gemini • Projistics
• Trac • SimpleTicket
• Bugzilla • SharpForge
• Cerebro • Debbugs
• Issue Net • DisTract

16. Functional Requirements
• Custom Fields for Tagging
• Advanced Report Generation
• Time Tracking
• Email Intergration
• Hosted
• Sub-Issues
• Centralized Editing
• Support
• Budget Friendly

17. The Options

18. We Can Define Our Own Wheels!
Square-wheeled trike. Thanks to Jeff Atwood at
www.codinghorror.com.

19. THANKS FOR LISTENING!
Links:
http://www.slideshare.net/group/biodiversity-heritage-library
https://biodivlib.wikispaces.com
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Credit and Many Thanks to:
Grace Costintino!
Suzanne Pilske!
Bianca Lipscomb!
Martin Kalfatovic!
Erin Thomas
Biodiversity Heritage Library
homase@si.edu