Meeting Minutes for 09/05/2023

Discussion Topics

• Playaway Launchpad format (Minute 00:35)
  • Libraries using the format determination based on MARC report that they are experiencing issues with format determination related to the Playaway Launchpad objects. The determination based on MARC can have multiple instances of the Playaway name, causing the records in Pika to be classified incorrectly as Playaway instead of Launchpad. 
  • In the 500 field, the words "issued on Playaway Launchpad" could be listed. The 300 field should have “Launchpad tablets,” as confirmed by a cataloger.
  • Some libraries might have “Launchpad” in the 245 title field to help patrons understand that it is not a Playaway as listed in the catalog. This is not standard and the extra data should be removed after the new format determination is put into place. 
  • MLN1, MLN2, and Anne Arundel are using the default format determination that pulls from the MARC. 
  • Other libraries using format determination based on other translations, e.g. mat type that don’t have mapping in place will probably have some strange displays. If your library is using a different style of format determination, and  “Launchpads” displaying incorrectly, let the Pika team know so they can handle your translation map properly and show the format determination of Launchpad.  
• Patron preferred name discussion (Minute 4:38)
  • The Pika team has had a few quests to display the patron’s preferred name, which is a bit sticker than it might seem for several reasons. 
  • If recorded, how is the preferred name captured in different ILSs
  • Distinctions from ‘legal name’
  • A preferred name in your ILS does not mean it can readily be displayed in Pika.
    • How are libraries entering the information in your patron records
    • Preferences on how your library would like to build those names in the account
  • As far as programming is concerned, there are several things to consider
    • One is the display name, which is the name listed in the “Logged In As” that has an assumption that we have a first and last name. A library admin setting lets you control whether Pika displays the first name initial, last name, or first name, last name initial.  
    • The display name appears in several places, like your account pages. 
      • It will display your linked accounts for checkout display
      • Public user lists that are indexed will show the display name as the author
      • What is displayed for the full name on the account settings page 
  • The Pika team would like advice on implementing the display of the preferred name. 
    • They would like the name to be first and last so the existing behavior can be applied to the preferred name, but would take other suggestions.
    • They wondered where the preferred name should be displayed.
• Hoopla record fetching and missing titles (Minute 15:40)
  • Many libraries have reported that the hoopla loads are missing some important or newer titles
  • The Pika team has had many conversations with the folks at Midwest about the missing hoopla titles 
  • Essentially, the Midwest folks reported that not all of their holdings were properly added to the Pika team's record sets.  
  • Currently, the Pika team is using an initial all-load for all hoopla sites. This approach involves using giant record sets obtained from hoopla that represent all titles and formats available. These record sets are meant to include everything that hoopla has to offer.
  • The Pika team reported to them that many popular titles were missing from those loads. The team has gotten a new load from them, so please look for those missing hoopla records. 
    • This information is all outlined in the Hoopla Handling and Interactions documentation
    • Note: If something new gets added to hoopla after the record set is loaded in Pika, those records will not show in Pika until a new record set is loaded.   
  • The Midwest people suggested the Pika team use the add and delete file instead of the initial complete file.
    • We are investigating using the recommended file sets rather than the InitialLoad master file sets, but the work is fairly complex.

Demo of new features, bug fixes, and documentation for the upcoming release (Minute 21:16 )

• Release Notes

Discussion of development priorities for the next release (Minute 33:21)

• 2023 was designated as a tech debt year
• The Pika team has been working through projects that have accumulated that focus on the underlying infrastructure  
  • One project is the migration to the Ubuntu operating system for different servers
    • Most of the discovery partners have been migrated 
    • The very next migration will be Marmot, and going in alphabetical order 
    • After Marmot will be Northern Waters and Wake 
  • Pascal has been working on the Islandora upgrade 
    • In our sandbox instance, he has successfully performed a test migration of parent and child collections.
    • He is also making progress on metadata and meditation migration configurations
    • Marmot has seen a surge in interest in the Marmot digital archive
      • Once the Islandora upgrade is completed, those interested libraries will get implementations for the digital archives.
    • Clearview Library District will have a Pika implementation project kickoff in Q2 2024. 
• Towards the end of the year, Marmot plans to hold a special meeting to discuss feature requests for 2023.
  • Marmot will involve the Discovery Committee to assess feature requests and develop a prioritization plan.

The next meeting is Tuesday, December 5th, 2023