From: LSYS1@UVVM.UVIC.CA (Kathleen Matthews)
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.notis-l
Subject: 5.2 circ core functionality clarification
Date: 13 Oct 92 17:01:26 GMT
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU

For those of you who attended the 5.2 Circulation Rewrite Update Session at
NUGM on Saturday (and to John Kolman who I hope reads NOTIS-L) I would like to
clarify statements I addressed to John during the session regarding "core
functionality".

The message I wanted to convey to John Kolman was that Release 5.2, as a start-
ing point, must include the "same functionality" that is currently available
in 5.0.2. By "functionality" I mean "features" - the THINGS we can do now: for
example charge items to lost, charge fines on overdue recalled items, etc. The
words "same functionality" were not intended to encompass the WAY we currently
are DOING things. On the contrary, I hope a new release will change/improve/
enhance the way we are able to accomplish things/features/functions.........
...whatever the word is that best describes all of this.

In no way was/is it my intention to box in the creative freedom needed to
deliver us the best possible circ system. I hope the new release gives us a
very different way to accomplish circulation tasks in less cumbersome ways
and that the new module will also offer us more things/features/functionality
to do in addition to the things/features/functionality that we can already do
in 5.0.2. (These 5.0.2 things/features/functionality being automatically
part of any new list of "core functionality".)

I hope my position/intent regarding the "core functionality" issue for the new
Circ module is clearer. I too want a brand new circ module that is easy
to use, that does what it does now better, and that does more that it does now.
But, I DO NOT want to have to lobby a circ rewrite committee to ensure that
current functionality/features/things are retained in the new release. I do
not,for example, want to renegotiate that fine calculation for overdue recalled
items be retained as a "core functionality" feature. However, I am happy for
any  opportunity to lobby a circ rewrite committee for new functionality (like
global renewal, or the option to be able to identify a patron at check out
time by name, not just patron ID., if I want to.)

 Thank you. I have been worrying about the potential for my comments
at the circ rewrite update session to be misunderstood. I probably also worry
that you might disagree with my position but am more concerned if there is
disagreement engendered by misunderstanding and confusion over what I
I was trying to communicate.   Unfortunately, it appears my use of
 the word "functionality" and perhaps John Kolman's use (and others who
attended the circ rewrite session) were not exactly congruent. ( John I did
look for you after the session to try and clarify what it was I meant..but did
not find you.) The price of being outspoken !!!!  Also the price of trying to
communicate all of this over a listserve using a MAIL package without a spell
checker and some basic word processing functionality/features/things!!!.

**********************************************************************
KATHLEEN WEBSTER MATTHEWS (LSYS1@UVVM.UVIC.CA)
Systems Librarian, McPherson Library
UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA, VICTORIA, B.C., CANADA.
(604) 721-8219
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Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU