Future-Proofing Library Technology Trends

1. What’s next? Planning for Tomorrow's Hardware, Software and Communications Technologies

2. Introductions • Introduce Speaker • Marshall BreedingLibrary Technology OfficerVanderbilt University • Introduce workshop participants

3. Agenda • Introductions • Library Automation Trends • ILS • Managing Electronic Information • Digital Library Initiatives • Network Technologies • Wired • Wireless • Workstation and Server Guidelines • General Discussion

4. Library Automation Trends Integrated Library Systems Technologies for managing access to electronic information Tools for creating digital content

5. Integrated Library System • Automates the routine operations of the library • Circulation • Cataloging • Web OPAC • Serials control • Acquisitions

6. Business Trends A sketch of the current business landscape

7. Competitive marketplace • No single company currently dominates the market • Diverse mix of Large and small companies • Fragmented market • 8 companies selling to medium to large libraries had more than 50 sales in 2004

8. Companies are diversified • ILS revenues alone are not sufficient to fuel the growth of the industry • Companies offer a diverse array of products and services

9. Products • Core Library Automation System • Legacy Systems • Maintenance revenues important • Supplementary products • MetaSearch • Reference Linking • Content Enhancement • Electronic Resource Management • Institutional Repositories • Digital Library Systems

10. Library Services • Maintenance • Training • Consulting • Custom Development • Bibliographic Services

11. Industry Health • Strong revenues • Minimal real growth this year • Dependent on constrained library budgets • Federal, State and Local tax revenues allocated to libraries • Continued pent-up demand • Deferred upgrades and migrations

12. Market Forecast • Increases in revenues expected as the inevitable legacy migration cycle completes. • 3000+ libraries running legacy systems • Most companies expanding toward new international markets • School districts remain a fertile market

13. A Market of Migrations • Very few new automations except for very small libraries • Very large numbers of libraries continue to operate legacy systems • New generation systems are mature • Deferments generally economic not technological

14. Library Trends Factors that impinge on library automation

15. Competing with Google • Libraries struggle to maintain and gain ground lost to search engines, online bookstores and other resources/services on the “free Web”. • Library automation systems and related products need to help libraries offer services that will draw in patrons.

16. Constrained Budgets • See above!

17. Conservative market • Very few lateral moves • Flagship -> Flagship • Most stay with current vendor • The cost to upgrade is almost always less than the cost to buy new. • Strong competition for the migrating customers

18. Consortia • More libraries are choosing to join consortia • Enhanced resource sharing • Automation costs less expensive per institution • More efficient use of technical resources & staff • Well supported by network infrastructure • Funding agencies often see efficiencies in funding a single central system versus multiple standalones

19. Consortia – ILS concerns • Scalability: the aggregate size of the ILS implementation not as much of an issue now as in the past. • Massively scalable hardware • Multi-tier client/server well suited for large-scale implementations

20. School Libraries • School-by-school automation: Out • District-wide automation: In! • SIF: System Interoperability Framework – the ILS needs to work well with other administrative systems • Support for standardized reading programs • Strong interest in access to selected Internet resources

21. Public Libraries • Resource Sharing paramount • Reciprocal borrowing • Automated notification systems • E-commerce

22. Academic Libraries • Tools for managing electronic resources • Back-end: ERM • Front-end: MetaSearch, Reference Linking • Courseware Integration • Portal integration • Tools for building local digital collections • Institutional Repositories

23. Technology Trends • What are the current characteristics and trends seen among the library automation products?

24. Mature systems • Fewer points of differentiation in core ILS features • Standard set of feature expectations set by library community – RFPs

25. Extending ILS interoperability • Library-specific protocols: • Z39.50 support has been mandatory for years • ISO 10160/10161 support key for resource sharing • SIP2/NCIP: essential for interoperability functions needing item and patron data

26. Extending ILS interoperability • Standard business framework • Web Services or Service Oriented Architecture • WSDL – Web Services Description Language • SOAP – Simple Object Access Protocol • UDDI – Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration (directory services) • XML assumed throughout • SRW: (Search Retrieve Web Services) • Z39.50-like searching in a Web Services framework

27. Extending ILS functionality • New boundaries for functionality • Books handled well already • Better automation for electronic resources • Licensed Databases • E-journal Content • Other full-text resources

28. Focus on Electronic Resources • Reference linking • OpenURL • MetaSearching • Electronic Resource Management • Extend Acquisitions to handle subscriptions for e-content

29. Network Technologies

30. Network Basics A review of basic concepts and terminology

31. Ethernet • 802.3 • CSMA/CD • Governs Media Access Rules

32. Network Hardware Components • Hubs • Switches • Routers • Network Interface Cards

33. Network Operating Systems • Unix (Solaris, Linux, HP/UX, AIX) • Windows (NT/2000/XP/.Net) • Novell Netware (legacy?)

34. Network Client Software • Largely built into desktop operating systems

35. TCP/IP • Primary Network Protocol

36. TCP/IP Protocol Suite UserPrograms Telnet FTP SMTP LPR NFS DNS bootp Ping ReliableTransport TCP ICMP UDP DatagramDelivery IP PhysicalConnectivity Ethernet, TokenRing, SLIPP, or PPP

37. TCP/IP Configuration Details • IP Address • Subnet mask • Gateway/router

38. DHCP • Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol • Automatically configures network client for TCP/IP communications • DHCP servers provide only a temporary lease on a configuration set • ipconfig: /release, /renew, /all

39. Wide Area Networks • Connects facilities separated geographically • Different from LANS • Leased vs. owned media • Largely displaced by commercial Internet Service Providers • Virtual Private Networks

40. Library WANs • A necessity in earlier times to provide connectivity among library branches • Commodity service • Today mostly handled by commercial ISPs

41. Digital Circuit Bandwidth

42. Optical Bandwidth

43. Local Area Networks • Wired Networks • High capacity enterprise infrastructure • Wireless • Extends LAN and Internet to mobile users

44. Infrastructure • Cable Plant • Routers • Firewalls • Switches • Hubs • Application servers

45. Media options • Fiber Optic • Copper cabling • Wireless

46. Fiber Optic • Highest capacity • Highest security • Highest expense • Preferred media for • Internet infrastructure • building-to-building connectivity • Internal connections among wiring hubs

47. Copper Cabling • Copper prevails for most in-building networks • Unshielded Twisted Pair • Level 5 • Up to 100mb/sec Ethernet • Level 6 • 1 GB and higher

48. Network hierarchies • In-building LANS • Building-to-building infrastructure • Data center infrastructure • High-speed connectivity to serviers • 100mb -- yesterday • 1GB -- today • 10GB -- soon • Internet and private network connectivity • Wireless extensions to mobile users

49. Wireless basics • Uses radio frequency transmission over the air instead of network cabling • Stable and reliable technology • Increasing in popularity in business and home computing

50. Wireless Hardware • Access point • Functions just like an Ethernet hub • Shared media • 8-16 port versions • Receiver Network Interface Card • PC Cards for Laptops • PCI for Desktops • PDA versions available