Overview

The library and gear rooms are powered by a modified module called Book Library (com_booklibrary). The module was modified to handle items other than just books, to automate sending emails out, look and feel, and many other customizations. Do not upgrade the component with a new com_booklibrary or all these modifications will be lost.

WARNING! – The backend component upon which all this is built does not seem to guard against multiple backend users operating on the same record(s). So, if more than one ‘Gear-Meister’ is checking stuff in and out or editing the same item, then the last to submit will win. I think. Best to have only one person working on it at a time.

Your job as Gear-Meister is:

• Initially configure the system with your Gear-Mesiter email address (one time).
• Manage the database of items that can be loaned out.
• Receive requests from Members to add or remove their items from the database.
• Receive emails from the system notifying you that a Loan Request has been made by a member.
• Accepting or Declining a Loan Request.
• Marking items as Returned when they are brought back.

Additionally, the traditional job of figuring out how/when/where to get club items to members, collecting gear waivers and the like must be performed as well.

Configuring Gear-Meister Information

You must set your email address. This is the address at which you will receive an email notice at when a member requests to borrow something. Log into the website as Administrator and click on [Components->Book Library->Configure Settings :: Backend]. Enter the address in the ‘Gear Meister Email’ field. The entered address can be comma separated. Nothing else on this page needs modifying.

Adding New Items

To add new items to the item database, log into the website back end. Click on [Component->Book Library]. The list of current books (items) is displayed. Press the New button (upper right). A form will be presented for you to fill in.

BookID: You can either assign a Book ID yourself or let the system assign it for you. The ID must be unique in the system. If you leave the field entry blank, the system will assign the ID. Recommend leaving blank.

Owner’s ID: Select the Owner.

ISBN:  Set the ISBN number if it is an actual book and use the Fetch feature to get the info from Amazon.com. If the new item is not a book, set the ISBN number to either GEAR or MOVIE. The system uses these key words to display certain fields to members using the system. Enter ISBN numbers with no dashes, e.g., enter 0930410793 and not 0-930410-79-3.

Category: Pick a location for the item in the listing. Pick the lowest (deepest location) that applies, i.e., Books and not Library.

Fetch Information: If you have the ISBN number entered then you can select Amazon.com and press save at this point. The system will automatically retrieve all the required remaining information when you press [Save]. Otherwise if not a book with an ISBN, select ‘On your own’ and continue entering stuff.

Fill in the remaining info if it is not retrieved from Amazon.com

Title: Title of book or movie. Name of item if gear or something else.

Authors/Manufacturer/Publication Date/Edition: If applicable and known.

Price: The replacement cost of the item.

Rating: Can leave at default.

Picture URL: URL to a photo of the item.

[Book cover] link: URL to further information on the item.

Upload picture: If you can’t find a web photo to link to you can upload one. {Note at this time something is not working here. It is better to either link to a remote site or to store the photos on the server first, then link locally. See below for the common area to upload the photos}.

After filling in the form, press the [Save] button. You will be returned to the list of items. The new item you just added will be listed but not Published. You need to click on the red X in the Published column to publish it for checkout.

Removing Items

You can simply Un-publish an item by clicking on the Green checkmark in the Published column. The green check will turn to a red X and that item will not longer be listed for members to see. Do this if the item might be again published some day.

If the item will never be published again it can just be deleted. Do not delete items that are lent out or in the pending lend list. Check those items back in before deleting.

Item Photos’ Storage Location

The book library photos can be stored locally or linked to remote sites. Either way is fine. It is easy to link to a remote photo but that photo might go away some day.

If you need to store locally a book cover or gear photos, or you need to find one of those already stored, they are configured to be stored here: /images/stories/com_booklibrary. (Default was: /components/com_booklibrary/covers/). DO NOT PLACE SPACES in the file’s name. For example; use ‘IceAxe.jpg” and not “Ice Axe.jpg”.

Receiving a Loan Request

When a Member submits a load request you will receive an email similar to the following:

Dear Gear Meister,

Member [Joe Doe][86]
Requests: THE EDGE One Hundred Years of Scottish Mountaineering (VHS). (Owner: PATC-MS) Member email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Comment from Joe Doe: I can pick this up at the next meeting. Let me know.

Go to website backend component BookLibrary->Lend Requests to Accept or Decline this request.

If the item is Member owned, the owning Member will also receive an email similar to the following:

Dear PATC-MS Member Jane Little,

Member [Patrick Dishner] has asked to borrow your [Minus 148 Degrees: The First Winter Ascent of Mount McKinley].

Member email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Comment from Patrick Dishner: I've wanted to read this for awhile. Thanks SO much for listing it!

Please contact Patrick Dishner to Accept or Decline this request and cc the Gear Meister, then arrange getting the item to them.

Thank you for contributing to the club's Member Library!

After getting this message you should contact the Member to figure out how to get it to them.

Accept or Decline a Loan Request
When you receive a Load Request email you decide whether to loan the item out or not. Go to the backend and log in. Click on [Components->Book Library->Lend Requests].

You will see a list of the pending requests. Use the [Accept request] and [Decline request] buttons to accept or decline the request. An email will automatically be sent to the Member to inform them of the action

Once you Accept or Decline, the item will removed from the Lend Request list. If you Accept it, the item will be marked in the database as lent out and will be unavailable for other Member to request.

It is up to you when you mark the item Accepted; when you receive the request or when the user picks it up. It might be preferable to wait until they have it.

Checking Back in an Item

When the item is returned (or a Member informs you that his Member owned item has been returned to them), go to [Components->Book Library] and click either on the return arrow symbol in the listing or check the items’ check boxes and press the [Return books] button. A Return Books screen will be shown.  Confirm the items and again press the [Return books] button.

An email will automatically be sent to the Member to inform them of the action and the item(s) will again be available for Members to submit Lend Requests.

What to do for Member Lent Items

Your job is to make sure the loop is closed between the item’s owner and the borrower. The item’s owner will arrange the item’s exchange.

You will have to perform the Accept, Decline and Return operations on behalf of the owner since they will not have access to the backend components.