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Sending SMS (Short Message Service) to library patrons

by using Google Calendar Data APIPresented by

Andrew Wong Venia Mak

8th Annual IUG meeting at HKIEd Library 3-4 December 2007

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Background Mobile phone is becoming the most popular personal

communication device to all kinds of user.

SMS is a very popular and effective messaging service to alert users with the latest information.

SMS (Short Message Service) is a mobile service that enables the transmission of alphanumeric messages between telecom devices.

SMS is reliable because the system holds undelivered message, and resends them at intervals until receipt is confirmed.

Some JULAC libraries have been using SMS such as HKU and LU.

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Why Google Calendar™ Sending SMS is not a free service.

Sender is required to pay for the messaging fee. HK$0.4 to HK$0.8 will be costed to send a SMS message.

Causes financial burden to the Library if sending SMS via telecom service provider.

“Google Calendar™ ” is a product of Google, which allows registered users to receive FREE SMS reminders of events.

Monthly average no. of library email notices sent (Dec 2006 to Nov 2007)

First overdue 2142

Second overdue 340

Third overdue 84

Pickup 3384

Recall 1891

Courtesy 15185

Drop hold 84

Recall overdue 867

Total 23,977

Monthly expense :

2,3977 x $0.4 = $9590.8 per month

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Why Google Calendar™

Google Calendar™ provides Web Service interface (i.e. Google Calendar Data API), which allows development partners to automatically feed new events to the Calendar.

“Web 2.0 is the network as platform, spanning all connected devices.” By Tim O’reilly.

The Library can make use of Google Calendar Data API to feed the “Library Notices” to Google Calendar™ as new events.

Technically, our “Library Notices” are treated as “Events” in Google Calendar™. Thus, the Google Calendar™ will send “Library Notices” as Calendar Events to our Library patrons via FREE SMS for notification if our patrons have registered in Google Calendar™.

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Google Calendar™ is based upon GData model which use REST principles and Atom

GData feeds support queries based upon URL parameters. With proper authentication, it also supports the ability to post new entries, to modify them or delete them.

Why Google Calendar™

Making connection:

GET /calendar/feeds/default/private/full HTTP/1.1

Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded

Authorization: AuthSub token="yourSessionToken“

User-Agent: Java/1.5.0_06

Host: www.google.com

Accept: text/html, image/gif, image/jpeg, *; q=.2, */*; q=.2Connection: keep-alive”

Insert an event:POST http://www.google.com/calendar/feeds/default/private/full <entry xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom' xmlns:gCal='http://schemas.google.com/gCal/2005'>

<content type="html">Please note 2 items are overdue Nov 11 11:10pm-11:10pm</content>

<gCal:quickadd value=”True”>

</entry>

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Architecture Library Patrons

-Mail server

-DB server

-SMS API

-Web server

1. Create Google account

2. Register mobile phone to Google Calendar3. Authorize

libsms.ied.edu.hk

5. Insert event by Google Calendar Data API

6. Send SMS alert

Innopac Server

4. Send Email notice

4. Cc copies of email notice

libsms.ied.edu.hk

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HKIEd LibrarySend Library Notification

via Email (INNOPAC)

SMS API(hosted at libsms.ied.edu.hk)

Google Calendar Data API

Patron’s event is inserted into his/her Google calendar directly through Google Calendar Data

API.

Google Calendar

Google CalendarA SMS reminder will be sent to patron who has registered his/her mobile phone with Google

Calendar Mobile Setting

Creating Calendar Event

Receiving CC copies of library email notice

Receiving SMS

Work Flow Library Services

Google

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Work Flow1. Send Library Notifications via Email (INNOPAC)

Library SMS server receives CC copies of library email notice

Procmail is a mail filtering utility. This utility can receive CC copies of Library Email notices. It can be set to accept those sender from *.ied.edu.hk. Afterwards, accepted mails are forwarded to SMS API (i.e. $HOME/sms/sms_main) for further processing.

Part of email contents are derived from the email notice such as user’s email address, type of notice and no. of items

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Work FlowContent of Library Notice Derived From the INNOPAC

From: HKIEd Library-Lending [mailto:circcomm@edlis.ied.edu.hk]Sent: Sunday, November 04, 2007 6:09 AMTo: CHAN, TAI MAN <chantaiman@ied.edu.hk>Subject: HKIEd Library : Courtesy Notice

Mong Man Wai Library (Lending Services) The Hong Kong Institute of Education 10 Lo Ping Road, Tai Po, N.T. Tel no.: 2948-6658. 04-11-07

DUE DATE REMINDER The following item(s) will be due for return within 3 days. Please return the item(s) on or before the due date, otherwise overdue fines will be charged. Please ignore this reminder if you have already returned or renewed the item(s). Please note that you cannot renew items that have been requested by other users. Thank you.

TITLE: How to evaluate progress in problem s CALL NO: QA63 .C48 1987 c.4 BARCODE: 31995007503935 MMW Lib Book DUE: 07-11-07 DATE CHECKED OUT: 06-10-07 04:52PM

TITLE: Visual Basic 6.0 CALL NO: QA63 .C48 1987 c.4 BARCODE: 31995007503935 MMW Lib Book DUE: 07-11-07 DATE CHECKED OUT: 06-10-07 04:54PM

CHAN, Tai Man

32:975

Patron’s email address.

i.e. chantaiman@ied.edu.hk

SMS API

Sender. i.e. Lending Service

No. of items.

i.e. 2 items

Types of notice.

i.e. Courtesy notice

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Work Flow2. SMS API

Store the information (receiver, sender, notice type, no. of items, pickup location) into the database

Check the patron if he/she has registered library SMS alert service

Regarding email notices, generate calendar events in the form of Google Calendar Data Feed

Google Calendar Data API

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Work Flow3. Google Calendar Data API

Google Calendar allows client applications to view and update calendar events

Example of Google Data API feedsExample of Google Data API feeds<entry xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom'

xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005'> <category scheme='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#kind' term='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#event'></category> <title type='text'>HKIEd Library: Please note 2 items due in 3 days.</title> <content type='text'>HKIEd Library: Please note 2 items due in 3 days.</content> <author><name>HKIEd Library</name><author> <gd:transparency value='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#event.opaque'> </gd:transparency> <gd:eventStatus value='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#event.confirmed'> </gd:eventStatus> <gd:where valueString='$location'></gd:where> <gd:when startTime=‘2007-11-04 11:10' endTime=‘2007-11-04 11:10'> <gd:reminder minutes=‘5‘ method=‘sms’/></gd:when></entry>

Google Calendar

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Work Flow 4. Google Calendar

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Work Flow4. Google Calendar

SMS reminder

Words shown in SMSDue time of event

Time to send SMS reminder

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Work Flow 5. Send SMS to patrons

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Schedule of Sending SMS

Not as same as the time of receiving Email notice

Temporarily schedule: sent out at 11:00 am, 11:30 am and 12:00 noon

Delay caused by no service connection

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Registration with SMS Alert Service

start

Have you registered in Google Calendar account?

Have you registered your

mobile phone with Google Calendar?

Register your Google Account in Library SMS

Register Google Calendar

Account

Register mobile phone with Google Calendar

NO

NO

Yes

Yes

Google

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Library SMS Alert Service – Registration Instructions

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3 Steps for Library SMS Alert Service Registration1) Create a Google Account

2) Register mobile phone with Google Calendar ™

3) Register to Library SMS alert service

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Types of Library Notice Sent to Google Calendar™Types of library notice SMS text to be shown on mobile phone

Courtesy notice HKIEd LIB: Please note <number> item(s) due in 3 days.

First overdue HKIEd LIB: Please note <number> item(s) now overdue.

Second overdue HKIEd LIB: Please return <number> item(s) now overdue.

Third overdue HKIEd LIB: Please return <number> item(s) now long overdue.

Item(s)to be picked up HKIEd LIB: <number> item(s) ready for pick up at <MMW or TCL> library.

Cancellation of requested item

HKIEd LIB: Request for <number> item(s) now cancelled.

Recalled item(s) HKIEd LIB: <number> item(s) recalled. Please check new due date.

Recalled overdue HKIEd LIB: URGENT - <number> item(s) now overdue.

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No. of Patrons Registered

Types of patrons Number

Staffs 50

Students 270

Total 320*

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*As of 30 Nov 2007

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Library SMS Alert Service Statistics

Types of SMS alert No. of SMS

First Overdue 258

Second overdue 18

Third overdue 3

Pickup at MMW 1125

Pickup at TCL 184

Recall 506

Drop hold 35

Recall overdue 192

Courtesy 2306

Total 4627

From 1 Sept 2007 to 30 November 2007

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Advantages of This Project1) Google is popular and users are familiar with its services.

2) The Library, as a data provider, we doesn’t need to “reinvent the wheel” for sending message if the technology is already available at INTERNET such as SMS, Blackberry and PDA.

3) FREE service from Google.

4) An value-added service to our EMAIL notice.

5) More convenient to library patrons. They can receive library notifications anywhere without checking emails.

6) Connecting INNOPAC with other standards and systems that can fully utilize its functionality and capability

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Disadvantages of This Project1) Request patrons to grant the permission to a

dedicated web server.

2) The availability of the service is determined by Google Calendar™.

3) Registration process is not straight-forward. Patrons have to create accounts in Google and activate SMS alert service before making registration for using our SMS alert service for receiving Library notices.

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Further Development

Implement “iCalendar” protocol. “iCalendar” protocol is a common format for exchange calendaring and scheduling information across Internet.

1) Simplify the registration process2) Extend to other calendars with supporting “iCal

endar” protocol such as Yahoo!

Strengthen the integration of INNOPAC with other systems such as Web 2.0 applications

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Thank You

Andrew WONG cwwong@ied.edu.hk

Venia MAK ymmak@ied.edu.hk

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