Documentation

Welcome to the VuFind documentation. These pages are designed to help you install and customize VuFind. Please see the about and features pages if you first want to learn more about what VuFind is and what it can do for you.

• Requirements - Notes on the software needed to run VuFind.
• Installation Status - A detailed list of institutions currently using VuFind. Please add yours!
• Changelog - A history of VuFind's releases and their features.
• Usability - Information on VuFind's usability (and how to test it).

These pages should guide you through the steps of installing VuFind, configuring it to meet your needs and maintaining it over time.

• Installation - Start here to get VuFind running on your server.
• Starting and Stopping VuFind - How to turn your new discovery server on and off.
• Getting Records out of your ILS - How to export records from your ILS system.
• Importing and Managing Records - Advice on getting your data into VuFind.
• Configuration and Customization - How to change the look, feel and behavior of VuFind.
• Connecting to Third-Party Content - Getting VuFind talking to Summon, WorldCat, etc.
• Performance - Making the most of VuFind once it is running.
• Security - Preventing attacks on VuFind.
• Automation - Keeping VuFind updated and running smoothly over time.
• Search Engine Optimization - Making VuFind results visible to the world.
• Migration Notes - Considerations for upgrading to new versions of VuFind
• Notes for the Project Manager - How to manage VuFind after you have it running.
• Third-Party Add-ons - Notes on using external tools to enhance VuFind.

• Developer Manual - Standards and basic information useful for VuFind programmers.
• VuFind 2.0 Developer Manual - Notes on the new release of VuFind (work in progress).
• New Feature Specifications - Pages for discussing and specifying new features.
• Testing Checklist - Feature list helpful for validating functionality of VuFind code.

The VuFind project is guided by a group of Core Developers who help prioritize development goals and make design decisions through a regular Developers Call. The following links provide more information on this mechanism as well as other details on how the project is run.

• Core Developers - The team behind VuFind – please join us!
  • ILS Support List - VuFind users with experience using particular library systems.
  • Language Support List - Volunteers to help with the internationalization of VuFind.
• Developers Call - Information and minutes related to the regular online discussion for VuFind developers.
• Continuous Integration - Notes on project-level VuFind testing.
• Conferences - Information on official VuFind conferences (including the upcoming October, 2012 event at Villanova)
• Release Checklist - Notes on releasing a new version of VuFind.

• Standard VuFind Presentation: PowerPoint | Google Docs
• Access 2008 PowerPoint
• NERCOMP New Discovery Tools Symposium (February 1, 2010) PowerPoint
• Bibliothekskongress 2010, Leipzig (Germany), March 16, 2010, in Session "Stirbt der OPAC ?": Slideshare
• Catholic Research Resources Alliance All-Members Meeting 2010 VuFind Discussion PowerPoint
• El uso e implementación de un OPAC Social : Experiencia en la Red de Bibliotecas Públicas Chilenas. PowerPoint
• VuFind Beyond MARC (code4lib 2011) PowerPoint

VuFind Brochure

Feel free to add your own thoughts and external links to this section.

• VuFind on OS X

George Mason University discusses the issues of VuFind on OS X

• Index Fields

Stanford University's documents on VuFind index field population algorithms and field uses. Not guaranteed to be 100% accurate or up to date.

• DAIA/PICA driver

Documentation about the PICA/DAIA driver

• Hacking VuFind into German Libraries: Findings of a 2 days hack session