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The Current Context of Library Automation

Explore the current landscape of library automation, including trends in the industry, consolidation of companies, and the emergence of open source alternatives. Discover how libraries are adapting to these changes and what the future holds for library automation.

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The Current Context of Library Automation

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  1. Maryland Interlibrary Consortium Annual Retreat – Villa Julia College The Current Context of Library Automation A view toward the future Marshall BreedingDirector for Innovative Technologies and Research Vanderbilt University http://staffweb.library.vanderbilt.edu/breeding http://www.librarytechnology.org/

  2. Presentation Agenda • Trends in Library Automation Industry • Next-generation Interfaces • Response to Questions

  3. Business Landscape and Trends

  4. Consolidation • SirsiDynix • Ex Libris • Follett Software Company • Axiell • Isacsoft / Bibliomondo

  5. Library Automation M&A History

  6. Internationalization • Many large companies extending their geographic reach • Ex Libris – Based in Israel • Civica – Based in the United Kingdom • SirsiDynix – Based in the United States • Innovative Interfaces – Based in the United States

  7. Private equity Ownership • Golden Gate Capital – Infor (formerly Geac) • 3i – Civica • Francisco Partners – Ex Libris • Vista Equity Partners – SirsiDynix • Some concern that strategy determined by outside interests.

  8. Founder Owned / managed Companies • Innovative Interfaces • Jerry Kline • VTLS • Vinod Chachra

  9. OCLC in the ILS arena? • Increasingly overlapped with library automation activities • WorldCat Local recently announced • Penetrating deeper into local libraries • Library-owned cooperative on a buying binge of automation companies: • Openly Informatics • Fretwell-Downing Informatics • Sisis Informationssysteme • PICA (now 100%) • DiMeMa (CONTENTdm) • ILS companies concerned about competing with a non-profit with enormous resources and the ability to shift costs.

  10. Open Source Software An Emerging Trend in the Global ILS Arena

  11. Open Source Alternatives • Explosive interest in Open Source driven by disillusionment with current vendors • Beginning to emerge as a practical option • TOC (Total Cost of Ownership) still roughly equal to proprietary commercial model • Still a risky strategy for libraries

  12. An industry in turmoil • Disruptions and business decisions to narrow options have fueled the open source movement • Benefit to libraries in having additional options • Traditionally licensed and open source ILS alternatives will coexist in the ILS arena

  13. Open Source ILS enters the mainstream • Earlier era of pioneering efforts to ILS shifting into one where open source alternatives fall in the mainstream • Off-the-shelf, commercially supported product available • Still a minority player, but gaining ground

  14. Current Open Source ILS Product Options

  15. Koha: first Open Source ILS • Koha + Index Data Zebra = Koha ZOOM • Components: • Perl • Apache • MySql • Zebra: search engine option for larger installations

  16. Libraries committed to Koha - • 300+ libraries • Horowhenua Library Trust • Nelsonville Public Library • Athens County, OH • Crawford County Federated Library System • 10 Libraries in PA • Howard County, MD • Service area population: 266300 • 4.7 million circulation transactions in 2006 • 1 million volumes • WALDO Consortium • Transition from a hosted Voyager system • Santa Cruz Public Library • Central, 9 branches • 2 million volumes • Near East University Library • 1.5 million volumes

  17. Evergreen • Developed by the Georgia Public Library Service • Small development team • June 2004 – development begins • Sept 5, 2006 – live production • Streamlined environment: single shared implementation, all libraries follow the same policies, one library card

  18. Libraries using Evergreen • Georgia PINES • http://gapines.org • Georgia PINES: • 1 Installation • 54 Public Library Systems • 260+ library facilities • Does not include municipal systems: Atlanta-Fulton County, Cobb County • Province of British Columbia in Canada – Northern PINES • Kent County, MD • Under consideration by academic libraries in Canada

  19. Evergreen

  20. OPALS • Open source Automated Library System • http://www.mediaflex.net/showcase.jsp?record_id=52 • Developed and Supported by Media Flex • Harry Chan • Original developer of Mandarin • Installation ($250) and Hosting services ($750) • South Central Organization of (School) Libraries • consortium of K-12 school libraries in NY

  21. NextGenLib • ILS designed for the developing world • Originally traditionally licensed, introduced 2003 • Transition to Open Source in Jan 2008 • 122 Installations (India, Syria, Sudan, Cambodia) • Collaborative project: • Kesavan Institute of Information and Knowledge Management • Versus Solutions • Versus IT Services Pvt. Ltd • http://www.librarytechnology.org/ltg-displaytext.pl?RC=13150

  22. Broad Trends • Fewer number of larger companies • Consolidation of product offerings • Internationalization: strong opportunities for systems with strong multilingual capabilities. • Strong interest in open source alternatives • Overall R&D Focused on fewer new products

  23. Product and Technology Trends

  24. Proliferation of Products for E-Content • Core ILS deployments slowing • Academic libraries especially focused on products focusing on management and access for electronic content • Increasing investments in e-comment require supporting infrastructure

  25. Integrated Library Systems • The legacy of library automation • ILS design cast in the 1970’s • Focused on print • Not designed for e-content

  26. OpenURL Link Resolvers • Finding aid for the article-level content provided by the library • Context-sensitive linking based on the profile of library subscriptions • Link users to the appropriate copy of the resource • Based on OpenURL Standard

  27. OpenURL Link Resolver Products • SFX (Ex Libris) • 360 Link (Serials Solutions) • WebBridge (Innovative) • 1Cate / WorldCat Link Manager (OCLC)

  28. Link Resolver Key Issue: Knowledge Base of e-journal Content • Both a content product and a Technology Product • Link Resolver relies on accurate data regarding what titles reside within each subscription product and the coverage available to the library’s users • Serials Solution Knowledge Source vs Ex Libris SFX Global KnowledgeBase • Effectiveness of the product depends on the quality of the knowledgebase. • Must be able to accurately constructs links that work

  29. Trends: • Essential infrastructure for any library with large quantities of e-content from multiple publishers • Serials Solutions gaining ground, SFX still dominant • WebBridge popular with libraries using Millennium

  30. Federated Search • Ability to search multiple information resources simultaneously • Distributed Query Architecture • Normalize query • Cast to multiple targets • Receive results • Normalize Results • User presentation: • De-duplication • Sorting / Ranking

  31. Federated Search Products • MetaLib – Ex Libris • Research Pro -- Innovative • MuseSearch – Muse Global (Distributed by Top Information Technologies in Taiwan) • 360 Search – Serials Solutions • WebFeat – Serials Solutions • Deep Web Technologies

  32. Federated Search Trends • Becoming a commodity product • Essential product for libraries with large investments in e-content from multiple publishers • Company / Product consolidation • Products supported determined through connectors • Open Connector initiative: WebFeat and Care Affiliates • Make connectors available separately • Eventual Transition to OAI

  33. Electronic Resource Management Systems • Automation Module specifically designed to manage a library’s subscriptions to electronic content • Managed approach for all aspects of electronic subscription content • Product coverage, license terms, cost, payment and procurement data, vendor data, use data • COUNTER compliant use statistics • SUSHI for automated gathering of use statistics

  34. ERMS products • Innovative – Electronic Resource Management • Ex Libris – Verde / Meridian • Serials Solutions – 360 Resource Manager

  35. ERMS Trends • Very low rate of adoption so far • Products complex • Not perceived as mature • Closely tied to Link Resolver

  36. Key issue: • Products involving management of e-content deeply interrelated. • Knowledgebase of Link Resolver, Federated Search, and ERMS must be synchronized • Products generally sold/implemented as a suite • Current level of integration / interoperability less than ideal • Lack of standards for interoperability with ILS • Fragmented approach to library automation • Integration among e-content products getting better • Difficulties with ILS integration persist

  37. Institutional Repositories • Repository for scholarly content of an institution • Usually managed by the Library • Scope of content varies by institution • Lightweight, informal metadata • Consolidates content across the institution into a single repository • Otherwise held in departmental servers, etc • Provides long-term preservation

  38. Institutional Repository Products • DSpace – open source collaboration between MIT and Hewlett Packaard • Fedora – open source collaboration between Cornell and University of Virginia • Framework, not off-the-shelf product • VITAL – VTLS product based on Fedora • Symposia – Commercial product from Innovative

  39. Digital Content Management Systems • Products for managing and providing access to locally produced digital content • Content: • digital documents, newspapers, photographs, Video clips

  40. Digital Content Management Systems products • CONTENTdm – OCLC • DigiTool – Ex Libris • Insight – Luna Imaging

  41. Next-Generation Library Interfaces

  42. Troubling statistic Where do you typically begin your search for information on a particular topic? College Students Response: • 89% Search engines (Google 62%) • 2% Library Web Site (total respondents -> 1%) • 2% Online Database • 1% E-mail • 1% Online News • 1% Online bookstores • 0% Instant Messaging / Online Chat OCLC. Perceptions of Libraries and Information Resources (2005) p. 1-17.

  43. Usage + / - from 2005 to 2007 +5% -10% +30% +14% “The unfortunate exception is the use of library Web sites; usage has dropped from 2005 to 2007.” +19% Source: Sharing, Privacy and Trust in our Networked World. OCLC 2007

  44. Crowded Landscape of Information Providers on the Web • Lots of non-library Web destinations deliver content to library patrons • Google Scholar • Amazon.com • Wikipedia • Ask.com • Do Library Web sites and catalogs meet the information needs of our users? • Do they attract their interest?

  45. The Competition

  46. The best Library OPAC?

  47. Better?

  48. Better?

  49. Demand for compelling library interfaces • Urgent need for libraries to offer interfaces their users will like to use • Move into the current millennium • Powerful search capabilities in tune with how the Web works today • Meet user expectations set by other Web destination

  50. Inadequacy of ILS OPACs • Online Catalog modules provided with an ILS subject to broad criticism as failing to meet expectations of growing segments of library patrons. • Not great at delivering electronic content • Complex text-based interfaces • Relatively weak keyword search engines • Lack of good relevancy sorting • Narrow scope of content

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