You enjoyed LibAgent, now it's time to give something back!

We are looking for Translators!

You probably noticed that the web site is written in English. But it should at least have the main parts written in Hebrew. This is a relatively easy task as it only requires you to prepare new versions of the stuff on the site and send them to us at libagent@libagent.org. We only ask that you generate:

• valid HTML that works on all browsers.
• Hebrew encoded in the UTF-8 character set (not windows-1255).

We have a few gmail invites to give to contributors who do this.

The page in most need of translation is the FAQ page, but you can work on any page that you want.

We will also welcome translation into other languages (eg, Arabic or Russian).

We are looking for volunteers!

Ever wondered what it's like to run an active web site? Join the LibAgent team and find out! LibAgent gives you a chance to get hands-on experience in all aspects of web mechanics, including:

• web site design
• user interface
• database administration
• active content/CGI
• reliability and performance
• and, of course, the book-extension software, relied on by thousands of students!

The work usually requires a good knowledge of Perl, SQL databases, and CGI. Don't worry if you don't know all these --- you can help in any aspect of the service. Besides, it's a great learning opportunity, and the current team is always around to help. In addition, if you know of a new way of doing things, we're always glad to learn from you! Being part of a larger team also means that you have higher probability of not doing those chores which you don't like (as long as someone else likes them, at least), so even if some of the items above are really not your piece of cake, do not give up!

Having said that, if you have absolutely no experience in UNIX-like systems, learning it here will probably require more effort than you would consider reasonable. Specifically, we expect you to have at least basic knowledge of the following tools:

• Perl.
• CVS.
• SSH.
• grep, cat, sed, awk, etc.

The majority of the work is done remotely over SSH. This means you have to arrange for an Internet access point for yourself. You can work from your home, office, computer farm, or any other place that has an Internet connection and a keyboard. But remember - we don't have any office-space of our own.

Naturally, we can't offer stock options, but the skills and experience you will acquire may very well help you land a job in a place that does. On the non-material side, there are the grateful emails from people this service actually helps, peer respect, and the satisfaction of seeing things work.

So, if you're ready to help, or just have questions about what it takes, feel free to contact us at: libagent@libagent.org.

And you can also just hang around the mailing list, and participate in the discussions relating to developments on the site.

A note about attachments

If you send us a resume, please don't do so by sending us a MS-Word file. It's best if you send us your resume in some portable format. Try "Save As.." and choose HTML or plain-text (I don't know if plain-text will work for Hebrew, but we can try).

Public-relations and administrative

We are looking for donations and support from the likes of:

• Student associations.
• University libraries.
• Universities.
• Computer clubs.
• Individuals and companies.

Many of which benefit directly from LibAgent. For example, think about the load we're taking off the librarians, and the fact that they now have to deal with less late returns.

Even if you are not in a position to make a decision, lobbying for us can also make a difference. As a student, you vote for the head of the student association (or at least, should be...) and pay the fees. You have the right to convince them what to do with the funds!

libagent@libagent.org.

Manpower

To ease the burden on the handful of regulars that need to support thousands of users, consider these options:

• Persuade student associations to support LibAgent (tell them to contact us to discuss the details).
• Talk librarians into providing email addresses where loan matters can be settled (much of our current workload is due to redirecting such requests to the librarians, therefore doing so will eventually help us).

LibAgent fact summary:

LibAgent is helping Israeli university students extend their library book loans and avoid fines since October 1996. It is endorsed by most of the libraries it supports, which now include over 30 universities and colleges from Tel-Hai to Beer-Sheva. Having won Captain Internet's "site of the week" award, LibAgent is regularly indexed by all major Israeli search-engines and portals, and gets over 1000 unique visitors a week. Current enrollment to LibAgent is over 25000 students. LibAgent is a voluntary, non-profit effort and is being supported by users, and by the Technion's computer-science department.