trends in library automation marshall breeding director for innovative technologies and research...
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Trends in Library Automation
Marshall BreedingDirector for Innovative Technologies and Research
Vanderbilt University
http://staffweb.library.vanderbilt.edu/breeding
February 24, 2006Alaska Library Association
Annual Conference
Industry Trends
The business is becoming more brutal…
Feb 24, 2006 Trends in Library Automation
Fragmentation vs Consolidation
Library industry fragmented Industry entering phase of consolidation Library industry still fragmented
Many companies competing for a limited market with overlapping products with marginal differentiation
Sirsi + Dynix + DocuTek + DRA + NOTIS + MultiLIS + INLEX = SirsiDynix + ?
Library clients captured through acquisition Greater disparity between the smallest and the largest companies
Feb 24, 2006 Trends in Library Automation
Who owns the Industry?
Some of the most important decisions that affect the options available to libraries are made in the corporate board room.
Increased control by financial interests of venture capital SirsiDynix -> Seaport Capital + Hicks Muse Ex Libris -> Walden Israel + Tamar Technology Geac -> Golden Gate Polaris -> Croydon Company
Privately owned by Founders Innovative Interfaces The Library Corporation Keystone Systems
Division of Larger corporation Endeavor Open Text
Feb 24, 2006 Trends in Library Automation
Growth Strategies
Assembly & Acquisition: SirsiDynix BiblioMondo
Some companies continue to prosper and grow organically through steady sales of products to new libraries Innovative The Library Corporation Keystone
Feb 24, 2006 Trends in Library Automation
Libraries demand choice.
Room for niche players Domination by a large monopoly unlikely to be accepted by
library community
Feb 24, 2006 Trends in Library Automation
A New Role for OCLC?
Library-owned cooperative on a buying binge of automation companies: Openly Informatics Fretwell-Downing Informatics Sisis Informationssysteme PICA
Acquired a broad range of technology components Open WorldCat will grow into a much broader set of services
Feb 24, 2006 Trends in Library Automation
Key Issue
It’s essential for libraries to partner with a company that will be one of the survivors of the industry.
Very disruptive to a library’s automation strategy if its vendor is acquired.
Given the relative parity of library automation systems, choosing the right automation partner is more important than splitting hairs over functionality. Understanding of library issues Vision and forward-looking development
Feb 24, 2006 Trends in Library Automation
The Future?
A fewer number of larger companies Some weaker companies may allow themselves to become acquired Consolidated companies will consolidate product offerings
ILS Sales will decline Fewer opportunities for sales in US and Canada Focus on Non-ILS offerings Define a new ILS More International marketing
More cross-industry ownership Courseware + ILS? ERP/CRM + ILS?
Technology Trends
Feb 24, 2006 Trends in Library Automation
The ILS is not dead
Rumors of its demise are greatly exaggerated A well-functioning automation system is essential to the operation
of the library Libraries have never needed automation more than today The ILS does need to be redefined
Give primacy to electronic content Maintain solid support for print materials Designed to integrate with external systems Evolve into Service Oriented Business Application
Compartmentalize and contain resources invested in traditional ILS functionality to catch up with deficits in supporting electronic content
Feb 24, 2006 Trends in Library Automation
Comprehensive Automation
The goal of the Integrated Library Systems involves the automation of all aspects of the library’s internal operations and to provide key services to library users.
As the scope of libraries evolve, so must the scope and capabilities of the ILS
Feb 24, 2006 Trends in Library Automation
Resource Sharing
Limited budgets demand sharing collections Opportunities to make ILL more like circulation Fast delivery of physical items from non-local collections: remote
storage, consortium partners, ILL
Feb 24, 2006 Trends in Library Automation
Large-scale automation
Trend toward automation through consortia The days of single-library ILS implementations are waning An increasing portion of ILS sales involve independent libraries
joining a consortium to gain access to a shared automation environment
Small and mid-sized consortia are merging into larger ones ASP / Vendor-hosted automation
Take advantage of industrial strength hosting facilities Realization that small libraries do not have the resources to deal with
security, disaster planning, and other technical aspects of maintaining and ILS.
Feb 24, 2006 Trends in Library Automation
The ILS Crisis
The ILS, which had been steadily evolving for over 2 decades reached a crisis in about 2000. While libraries had evolved into new roles involving increasing electronic content, the ILS remained fixated on print and traditional materials.
Feb 24, 2006 Trends in Library Automation
Response to the Crisis
A bevy of add-ons: OpenURL Link Resolvers Metasearch environments Electronic Resource Management modules New front ends and portals
Replacement OPAC interfaces AquaBrowser Library Endeca Guided Search
Feb 24, 2006 Trends in Library Automation
Blindsided despite Obvious Trends
Libraries have been acquiring and creating electronic content since the emergence of the Web
One of the most fundamental changes in the nature of libraries, yet the automation systems fell behind in features needed to manage and deliver electronic content.
Feb 24, 2006 Trends in Library Automation
A fundamental failure
The emergence of these non-integrated add-on applications stand as an indictment that the ILS failed to evolve in step with changes in the library environment.
Libraries failed to demand adequate tools in time of need. Satisfied with ad-hoc solutions.
Vendors failed to incrementally evolve their core products to accommodate electronic content.
The ILS would be much different today if it gained these functions as native capabilities.
Feb 24, 2006 Trends in Library Automation
Threats and challenges -- general
Library users expect more than they currently receive. Google and other modern Web destinations set high user
expectations. Library offerings seem clumsy, complex, and ineffectual.
Feb 24, 2006 Trends in Library Automation
Threats and challenges – academic
Libraries struggle to find their place in the academic enterprise Organizationally: Role in academic support and
student life Virtually: Challenge to be both conspicuous and
transparent in the academic web presence Challenges: be a great destination among the Web
services the university offers its faculty and students
To deliver library services through non-library interfaces: campus portal, courseware, etc.
Feb 24, 2006 Trends in Library Automation
Threats and challenges – public
Increased pressure to: Reduce costs Share resources Increase service quality
Integrate with municipal or county IT infrastructure and support structures
Integrate with e-government systems Deliver access to more electronic content
Feb 24, 2006 Trends in Library Automation
Threats and challenges – schools
Automate at the district level rather than individual school libraries
Decrease IT support burdenSupport assessment and reporting
requirementsIntegrate library automation with other
school administration systemsSchool Interoperability Framework
Feb 24, 2006 Trends in Library Automation
Path to Recovery?
More systematic approach toward hybrid print/electronic collections
Adoption of technologies that support e-content OpenURL-based linking widely deployed Metasearch stands as the current kludge for unifying the OPAC and
ever-growing collections of electronic content Develop new search and information discovery models Redefine the library catalog
Not just the physical holdings
Library portal options still limited and immature New library interfaces with more comprehensive scope Library Web services that integrate into strategic higher-level
interfaces and portals
Questions and Discussion