Library Suggestions and Mild annoyances

[sandrageisha]

I've been enjoying my time troughly as being a librarian how weird that might sound on the surface. Yet there are some mild annoyances using the computer system I've found.

I will try to list them in an order from most plausible to be easy to fix to hardest implementation:

-An amount next to the general inventory of books would be great. Sometimes I'd like to have an overview of how many of each kind of book I have available to me, since people steal books and I'd like my library tidy and stocked. 

-The checkout system while great has some annoyances, the way you enter minutes is a bit annoying do I really have to click that button 30 times? Wouldn't two more buttons +5,-5,+10,-10 not do wonders? 

-An other mild annoyance with the checkout system is the name entering could it be possible to have a list of the active players where you just click the name of whomever is trying to lend the book? 

-The scanner provides little feedback and I've seen some duplicate books in the archive. Could it be possible to remove the books you've added to the archive that round. If dupes happen you're able to remove them. 

Now some suggestions I've thought of for the library system those are in no particular order:

-Another cool feature would be like an account system where you can register people for a library account, they could have checkouts registered to them. 

-Send remiders to a person in question when their book is due. 

-If they return a book not in time deduct a certain amount from their balance. It's like a fine for handing your book in late as found in libraries to date. 

P.S.: I could help with the implementation itself seeing how I do have a degree in C.S., nothing is as infuriating as someone just throwing more work your way. 

[davidchan]

You want my honest opinion? Adjust the Librarian role to be Media Curator in general, not just print media but digital as well. Books should be a nice throwback to simplier times in the 26th century and a large collection of them in the age of digital media something for niche audiences.

Move the holodeck to the Library and give the Curator/Librarian authority over it. People want to goof about in it they can ask the Librarian for access or to load a program. Add programs based on books and stories. Give the Librarian a random set of programs the start of each shift that can vary from random Shakespearean play, a movie of some sort or some last stand like Thermopylae or aliens with hostile holographic entities attacking everyone in the room (non-lethal knock outs of course). With a few upgrades from science/engineering the LIbrarian could outfit mini shows for entertainment to any place on the station with a holopad (which the AI uses to talk to folks.) 

There is no reason for anyone to really want books in SS13 when books in the library don't do anything. Even if we slipped sleeping carp scrolls and wizard tomes randomly into the shelves, nobody would explore the library after the round start. The Librarian needs more to do than write fanfaction and run a gossip column. 

The ultimate ideal implementation of this would for a digital library of entities and customization tools the librarian could use to craft their own stories to put on shows or run Holo-LARP  D&D campaigns.

[sandrageisha]

53 minutes ago, davidchan said:

You want my honest opinion? Adjust the Librarian role to be Media Curator in general, not just print media but digital as well. Books should be a nice throwback to simplier times in the 26th century and a large collection of them in the age of digital media something for niche audiences. 

I do agree with the sentiment to expand the librarian role to something more akin to an archiver of digital media and books. I'm just unsure how they would go about it seeing how this is a big feature request and to my understanding quite hard to pull off given the current system. So here's a counter proposal incorporate the current ways of storing information, audio recorder and video recording as well as photographs in the archives and be able to include photographs in current books. There's a big collection of quite helpful beginner friendly tutorial books as well maybe incorporate the library in some sort of mentor system?

54 minutes ago, davidchan said:

Move the holodeck to the and give the Curator/Librarian authority over it. People want to goof about in it they can ask the Librarian for access or to load a program. Add programs based on books and stories. Give the Librarian a random set of programs the start of each shift that can vary from random Shakespearean play, a movie of some sort or some last stand like Thermopylae or aliens with hostile holographic entities attacking everyone in the room (non-lethal knock outs of course). With a few upgrades from science/engineering the LIbrarian could outfit mini shows for entertainment to any place on the station with a holopad (which the AI uses to talk to folks.) 

I absolutely adore the suggestion but given they'd have to script a bunch of plays, virtual representations of entities, implement movement or even allow the Librarian to write custom scripts I don't see it happening anytime soon. But rad suggestion none the less

[Pokebro2000]

14 hours ago, sandrageisha said:

I absolutely adore the suggestion but given they'd have to script a bunch of plays, virtual representations of entities, implement movement or even allow the Librarian to write custom scripts I don't see it happening anytime soon. But rad suggestion none the less

If this were added, I can guarantee I would make a few scenarios. Even just a combat training course for new miners to prepare.