Dis-Integrated Library Systems

1. Dis-Integrated Library Systems Promise & Peril ILS Vendors: What the hell are they thinking? Why Do OPACs Suck So Much? Open Source: “You’re gonna call it what?” Andrew K. Pace Head, Systems NCSU Libraries andrew_pace@ncsu.edu

2. Disclaimers Who would claim to be that who was not? • I am a librarian • I am an American • I used to be employed by a library automation company • I was a product manager for OPAC, Z39.50, electronic course reserves, and Web authentication

3. What’s in store? • How did this happen? • The ILS timeline • The legacy system • The dismantled system • The Wrath of the dis-integrated systems • The broken RFP • Electronic Resource Management Systems • The re-integrated system • OPACs, poor OPACs • The future of ILS vendors • Open Source Software • “The innovator’s dilemma” • Getting vendors to listen: DLF case study • Integration vs. (and?) Interoperability • The future of library automation

4. The Timeline Integration & sophistication The “dance with the one you brung” era. Making the best of a bad situation. GUI, WWW, RDBMS – the great distraction, or “the beginning of legacy status” Coming of age era – the best of the text-based library systems Mainframe and dumb terminals – the birth of integration First library automation – punchcard circulation at University of Texas Stand-alone modules, separated by department or function Peril or Promise?: XML, Java, OSS development. The “new” ILS 1936 1936 1960 1960 1970 1970 1980 1980 1990 1990 2000 2000 2005 2005

5. The RFP has not evolved The traditional ILS is a legacy system New innovation requires new technology Where we are “If we can be competitive with our ILS offerings and then truly differentiate ourselves through excellent customer service, new products, and a powerful vision, we win." Patrick Sommers, Sirsi “Innovation will have to come via integration with new technology.” Trevor Dykstra InfoVision Amlib “Incremental functionality improvements in the ILS are more and more expensive.” Roland Deitz Endeavor Information Systems

6. Classic Integrated System MARC Records Patron Records Patron self-service WEBPAC circ transactions • websites (856) • e-books • e-journals • databases • datasets reserve records serial holdings item holdings Serials Control Records Acquisitions Records

7. Dis-integrated Library System • Licensing Files • ILL Files • Collection Management Files • Helpdesk Files • Statistical Files alpha list of databases subject list of databases web subject guides Authentication & Authorization • websites (856) • e-books • e-journals • databases e-journal finder institutional repository Serials Solutions TDNet SFX alert services MyLibrary

8. What hath disintegration wrought? • Federated Searching • Reference Linking • Digital Asset Management • Institutional Repository • Statistics Workstations • Portals • Electronic Resource Management • OPAC!!

9. What hath disintegration wrought? • Federated Searching • Reference Linking • Digital Asset Management • Institutional Repository • Statistics Workstations • Portals • Electronic Resource Management WebFeat Muse Global

10. E-MATRIX ADMINISTRATIVE METADATA licensing I L S Data Repos- itories Website Catalog E-resources Alert Services Local DBs & Collections Digital Archives subscript-ion info statistics E-MATRIX DATA HOOKS PRESENTATION LAYER technical support remote access Other Databases: E-journal finder ETDs Instn’l Repository Etc. evaluative data Evaluative Tools vendor data

11. E-matrix Challenges • Public interface is secondary concern • Leveraging existing ILS data • Adherence to emerging standards • Avoid solutions looking for problems • Get rid of the “E-”

12. [ERD of E-Matrix, not yet published]

13. MyLibrary Patron Database MyTOCs MyAccount Collection Mgmt evaluative data SJERMs Journals / Serials Electronic Resources Databases My Courses Bib Data Acquisitions and licensing data Course Reserves Local subjects Statistical Data Search / Browse

14. OPACs • "Most integrated library systems, as they are currently configured and used, should be removed from public view." -Roy Tennant

15. OPACs E-books Movies & Videos Media Files Books

16. Sticker shock Interoperability Web Services (NB: VIIEWS, Vendor Initiative to Enable Web Services) Where we’re headed “We spend too much time fighting over small market share points, bludgeoning each other only to result in no significant profit and certainly a loss of opportunity to move the profession forward. Vendors and librarians together must recognize this.” Carl Grant, President of VTLS

17. Where we’re headed, part deux • Re-integration • More market consolidation • More vertical integration • More Open Source and local development 25% Financial & Inventory Apps 25% Public libraries 25% Academic libraries 25% Learning Mgmt Systems 25% Portals, Fed. Search, ref linking 25% Gov’t / Special libraries 25% Consortial libraries 25% Serials content and Mgmt “Library systems are changing because library assets are changing, [but] re-integration is inevitable.” Verne Coppi, VP for Development Endeavor Information Systems

18. Beware the Homegrown Backlash Why I fear open source Aut viam inveniam aut faciam • where’s the open source marketing? • where’s the open source documentation? • where’s the open source help desk? • will I spend 5 years getting back to where I started?

19. Getting Vendors to Listen How about “because.” Is “because” good enough for you?

20. Getting Vendors to Listen “We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.” “A proof is a proof. What kind of a proof? It's a proof. A proof is a proof. And when you have a good proof, it's because it's proven.”

21. Don’t Forget to Listen

23. “The worst level of Internet service that users will accept is the best level of service they have ever seen.” -paraphrased from Ron Dunn, Thomson Learning National Online 1999

24. What can we do? • Mutual Listening is called “Conversation”

25. Building a Dirt Bike

26. Thank You. http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/staff/presentations Andrew K. Pace Head, Systems NCSU Libraries andrew_pace@ncsu.edu