BC's: How to update the Magic Window

This page refers to the old system and is completely out of date. It will be replaced asap.

This page is also available in: Spanish / Esta página tambien existe en español

Creating a new group project

--> See: What does a book coordinator do?

Basics about using the BC admin

1. To make things easy for you, you'll see there's a tiny link to the BC admin right underneath the reader list in the first post of your project:
2. When you click on this link, you will be taken directly to the login screen
3. Login with your Workflow username and password
4. You will be taken to the Section Compiler screen for your project where you can update and or edit the information that appears in the Magic Window.

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1. When you get to the BC admin, you'll see your project's reader list. The reader list has two views: (a) the 'reader' view (where you enter readers) and (b) the 'sections/chapters' view (where you mark sections complete, etc). You can get from one to the other by changing the sort order - there is a link just above the list:

Preparing the Magic Window for reader claims

Adding chapter/section titles to the reader list

Often a book will have chapter titles. It's good to include these in your reader list so your readers know EXACTLY which sections they're signing up for. Give plenty of specific information to avoid confusion!

Also, titles in the Magic Window will be used during cataloging and added to files as ID3 tags. Therefore, enter the titles as you'd like them to appear later, remembering that the section number will be automatically added to the beginning of each title. This will make the files sortable. So a title entered as "Chapter I" in the MW will be given an ID3 title tag of "01 - Chapter I" during the cataloging process. To add titles:

1. Click on the BC admin link under your MW.
2. Click in a "Title" field. Type (or paste) the chapter/section name. NEW: Do not add the section number! The new system will add these automatically during cataloging.
3. Hit "return/enter" on your keyboard to save the title.
4. Continue adding titles for all the sections in the same manner.
5. Important: The title column should only include plain text for the chapter title. No links, authors or other info. If you need this information to show in the magic window, please enter it in the Notes column.
6. If this is a non-English project, enter the titles with the proper accents or non-English characters.

Example of a Magic Window:

Adding the sections' word count

It is very helpful if you enter each section's word count in the Notes field. This will enable readers to choose better which sections they can manage in the time they have available. Above the Magic Window, there is a sentence explaining the word count: "Forum discussions have shown that average reading speed is approx. 2000 words in 15 minutes."

How to count the words, see: Word Count

1. Click on the BC admin link under your MW.
2. Click in the "Notes" field.
3. Enter "Word count: xxxx" or similar (you can round the number)
4. Click the "save" button.
5. Repeat 2.-4. for all sections.

Example of a Magic Window:

Adding links to text sections

Sometimes you may want to divide a very long chapter up into smaller sections (most readers prefer sections no longer than 4000 words, i.e. ~30 minutes' reading time). You can give your readers links to those sections (use Google docs or similar to host the text portions). This is also helpful when the sections are not clear-cut, e.g.when there are no chapters.

1. Click on the BC admin link under your MW.
2. Click in the "Notes" field.
3. Paste in this code: <a href="" target=new>Link to text</a>
4. Now, between the quotation marks, paste in the URL to the text, e.g. https://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AcMZiSudHexxZHQ3MjR2d18zZ3RqajNi&hl=en
5. So the whole thing reads: <a href="https://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AcMZiSudHexxZHQ3MjR2d18zZ3RqajNi&hl=en" target=new>Link to text</a>
6. Click the "save" button.
7. Right click your new link to open in a new tab and make sure it works :)

Example of admin:

Example of a Magic Window:

Signing up readers

Assigning and removing readers

As readers sign up, add them to the reader list.

1. Click on the BC admin link under your MW.
2. To assign a reader to a section, click the "Assign reader Sections" button above the table.
3. Enter the first few letters of the reader's username and then select the correct reader from the dropdown list. You must select a reader from the dropdown. Please do not just type in a full username without choosing the reader from the list.
4. Enter the section number(s) that are to be assigned to the reader and then click Add.
5. The reader assignment should appear in the reader column in the table and the status should change from Open to Assigned.
6. To add more than one reader to a section, repeat the process above to add the additional reader(s).
7. Record the date the reader has claimed the section in the Notes field - please use the word for the month as this will be less confusing for volunteers: something like "Claimed 03 June." (Tip: leave in the word count and the text link, if you have one, until the reader actually submits the section. If you have to orphan the section, all you have to do is remove the claim date!) The claim date will be used to determine when sections should be put back in the pool if a reader doesn't submit their recording within the two-month guideline.
8. To remove a reader from a section, simply repeat the process above, but click Remove rather than Add.

Adding a new reader to the dropdown list

1. If your reader is new to LibriVox and is not in the dropdown, you will need to add them to the reader list before you can assign them a section to read.
2. Click the "Add new reader" button. A popup window will appear.
3. Enter the reader's forum username and catalog (display) name and a website if one has been provided.
4. Click Add reader to add the new reader to the system.
5. NOTE: If you get an error message that the email can't be found, contact your MC for help.
6. Once this is done, you can now assign sections to this reader as outlined above.

(Old images: will use to develop new images for above instructions:)

Example of a Magic Window:

Adding readers who have already claimed a section of the project

Sometimes readers come back for more.

1. Go to your BC admin.
2. Sort by Readers (see section 2. "Basics on using the BC admin" above).
3. Look for the reader in the list.
4. Click on 'Edit' next to the existing section/s the reader has claimed.
5. Add the new section/s, separating them with commas.
6. Hit return/enter to save. Everything will be updated and the reader should show up as having claimed the new section/s.
7. Click the "Sort by Sections/Chapters" link and record the date the reader has claimed the section in the Notes field (tip: leave in the word count and the text link, if you have one, until the reader actually submits the section. If you have to orphan the section, all you have to do is remove the claim date!). This date will be used to determine when sections should be orphaned if a reader doesn't submit their recording within the new two month guidelines. Notes in the Sections/Chapters view are public (they will be visible to everyone in the table in your first post of your project), whereas the Readers view notes are private (only visible to the BC). - See also section on 'Making notes about your communications with readers' below

Example of a Magic Window:

Adding submitted files

When they are submitting files, readers should provide the file location (a URL) and the file duration. The latter is important because your MC needs it during cataloguing to check the file hasn't been chopped off somewhere during the process.

Noting down the file duration and "PL needed"

1. Go to your BC admin.
2. Sort by Sections/Chapters (see section 2. "Basics on using the BC admin" above).
3. Click "Edit" in the 'Notes' field of the section for which you've received a file.
   1. If you wish, you can delete the claim date and the word count now. Leave the text link if you have provided one (your PLer may wish to use it).
   2. Enter the file duration in the format mm:ss.
   3. Enter "PL needed" so your PLer(s) know the section is ready to be downloaded for proof-listening. To make this stand out more so it's easier to spot, we like to enter it in red and bold. Copy and paste this code to do this: <font color=red><b>PL needed</b></font>
4. Click the "save" button. See c. Marking sections 'Complete' to see how this same section will look in the Magic Window.

Entering the file location

1. Go to your BC admin.
2. Sort by Sections/Chapters (see section 2. "Basics on using the BC admin" above).
3. Click "Edit" in the 'Listen URL' field of the section for which you've received a file. Copy and paste the full URL. In the Magic Window, this URL will automatically appear as a clickable "Listen!" link.
4. Hit return/enter to save.
5. Make sure the URL is correct (that it follows your filename scheme). If it isn't, PM your MC and ask her/him to correct it for you in the Uploader admin. When it's done, change the URL to the correct one in the admin as in 1.-4. above.
6. See c. Marking sections 'Complete' to see how this same section will look in the Magic Window.

Marking sections 'Complete'

Once a reader has completed a section, you'll mark it 'complete.'

1. Go to your BC admin.
2. Sort by Sections/Chapters (see section 2. "Basics on using the BC admin" above).
3. Click the "Complete" checkbox(es) for the completed section(s). The colour of the section will change to green. In the Magic Window, the "Status" column will change from 'available' to 'complete' and the colour will change there, too.

OR:

1. Sort by Readers (see section 2. "Basics on using the BC admin" above).
2. Click the "edit" link in the "Completed" column.
3. Enter the number(s) of the completed section(s).
4. Hit return/enter on your keyboard to save.

Adding links to uploaded files

1. Click on the BC admin link under your MW.
2. Click in the Listen URL column and paste the link provided by the reader.
3. Hit Enter on your keyboard to Save.
4. NOTE: Please be careful that the Listen URL does not include any extra spaces at the beginning or the end. This will cause your MC a big headache during the cataloging process!! The best way to avoid these bad white space errors is to copy the link by right clicking on it and selecting copy link location. Then right click in the Listen URL column in the Section Compiler and choose paste
5. A link to the new file will appear in the Link column.

Noting down the file duration

1. Click in the 'Notes' field of the section for which you've received a file.
   1. If you wish, you can delete the claim date and the word count now. Leave the text link if you have provided one (your PLer may wish to use it).
2. Enter the file duration in the format mm:ss
3. Click the "save" button.

Changing the status of a section

1. To change the status of a section, click in the status column.
2. Use the down arrow to expand the list and then click on the appropriate status.
3. Alternate method: Click once to expand the list, then type the first letter of the status (i.e., P for PL OK) and hit enter to save.

How to use the new status designations: Open - no reader assigned Assigned – section assigned to a reader Ready for PL – file uploaded by the reader and ready for prooflistening See PL Notes – prooflistener has listened to the file and posted edits for the reader Ready for spot PL – The reader has made the requested edits and the file is ready for the prooflistener to spot check PL OK – file is ready to catalog

Adding PL notes

As your proof-listeners report back, add their findings to the "Notes" field (if they are DPLs, they can do so themselves as they will have Admin access).

1. Go to your BC admin.
2. Sort by Sections/Chapters (see section 2. "Basics on using the BC admin" above).
3. Click "Edit" in the "Notes" field for the chapter you wish to notate.
   1. If the file is good to go, change "PL needed" if you had it there before, to "PL OK:" or just "OK." If your "PL needed" was red, you now want to change the colour to green by using this code: <font color="green"><b>PL OK</b></font>
   2. If the file has PL notes, change "PL needed" if you had it there before, to "PL notes" and add notes, such as "Repeat @ 14:32" or "too soft" or "Funny background noise through entire file" or "OK to catalog". You can achieve line breaks with this code: <br/>. See screenshot below.
      -- Or simply refer to the page of the project thread where the PL notes for this section were posted. The code for this: <font color="red"><b>PL notes (see p.x)</b></font> mm:ss (replace 'x' with page number; mm:ss should already be there as the file duration).
      -- The most elegant solution is to link to the post where the PL notes have been posted in the forum thread. The code: <font color="red"><b>PL needed, see <a href="URL for forum post" target=new><u>PL notes</u></a>)</b></font> mm:ss (replace URL for forum post with the URL but leave the quotation marks around it!)
   3. See below for examples of code and how this will look in the Magic Window.
   4. Make sure you leave the file duration in the Note.
4. Click the "save" button.

Example of admin:

The sections above in the Magic Window:

Marking a Section Edited

Once the PL notes are back, if the section is not OK, the reader will edit the file. They should re-upload the edited file with the same name as before, so you shouldn't have to change the Listen URL (make sure the URL is correct, though). They should also note the new, post-edit, file duration.

You will need to change the Notes field. (Ideally, the PLer will double-check that the required changes have been made.)

1. Go to your BC admin.
2. Sort by Sections/Chapters (see section 2. "Basics on using the BC admin" above).
3. Click "Edit" in the "Notes" field for the chapter you wish to notate.

• • If the file is good to go, change "PL note" if you had it there before, to "PL OK (edited)" or just "OK (edited)" - it's advisable to note that a file is edited so there's no confusion about the status. If your "PL notes" or similar was red, you now want to change the colour to green by using this code: <font color="green"><b>PL OK (edited)</b></font>
  • See the images above about editing the Notes field.

1. Change the file duration to the post-edit duration.
2. Click the "save" button.

Making notes about your communication with readers

Sometimes you may contact one or several readers via PM or email - for instance, to tell them that the project has moved to Readers Found, or to ask them for an update about their sections. You may wish to note down the date/the particulars of your correspondence. These sorts of note are typically just admin notes that need not be public. You can add private notes like this:

1. Go to your BC admin.
2. Sort by Readers (see section 2. "Basics on using the BC admin" above).
3. Click the "Edit" link in the "Notes" field for a section.
4. Type in your note - anything you like. Remember that this is not visible to anyone but you and your MC.
5. Hit "return" on your keyboard to save.

Example of admin:

Orphaning a section

Sometimes you must remove a reader from a section - either because they've given up the section, or they've disappeared.

1. Go to your BC admin.
2. Sort by Readers (see section 2. "Basics on using the BC admin" above).
3. Look for the reader in the list.
4. If they have not read any of their assigned sections:
   1. Click the "delete" link at the end of their row in the list.
5. If they have completed sections, but you need to remove them from some uncompleted ones:
   1. Click the "Edit" link in the "Sections" column.
   2. Delete the section number(s) you are removing them from
   3. Hit "Return" on your keyboard or click the "Save" button to save.

FAQ

Are there rules about how we must enter information in the "Notes" fields?

You can enter information in the "notes" fields in whatever format is most efficient for you. There's no real standard; just try to keep everything as clear and comprehensible as possible for you, your readers, and your proof-listeners. The use of colour has become wide-spread; we have included bits of code above which you can use. It's not hard. However, this is not a requirement.

What do I do if I have a work which is divided into several "books", each with subdivisions, e.g. "Book Two, Chapter Four, Part Three"?

When you first enter the project, total up how many files you will have. Enter this number in the "Number of Sections" field (this usually corresponds to the eventual "track number"). Then type out the names of all the sections into the "Title" fields so your readers know exactly what sections they're signing up for (see 3.1 above).

Can I see a list of all the projects I'm working on?

Yup! Click the "View All My Projects" link in the upper-right corner of the admin page.

(Have a question? Need clarification? Think something should be added to this page? Found a bug in the system? Have a feature request? Send a PM to your MC!)