HOW DO
ILS CHANGES AFFECT ME?,
by Donna Schaal and Michelle Ralston
An integrated
library system, or ILS, is a resource planning system for a library,
used to track items owned, orders made, bills paid, or patrons
who have borrowed. An ILS is usually comprised of a relational
database, software to act on that database, and two graphical user
interfaces (one for patrons, one for staff). Most ILS vendors separate
software functionality into modules, which are then integrated
into a unified interface. Examples of modules include: acquisitions,
cataloging, circulation, serials and the OPAC (public interface
for users). At LTLS, our ILS is a Sirsi-Dynix product called Horizon.
Many academic libraries (UIUC. EIU) in this area utilize an ILS
called Voyager. No matter which ILS is used, the future is changing
rapidly and libraries will have to make some difficult choices.
LTLS will be hosting a symposium in September to talk about issues surrounding the ILS and its future.
How will this affect you?
- The ILS of LTLS will be heading for changes in the
future. With Sirsi/Dynix's decision not to pursue Horizon 8, LTLS will have
many questions to answer in the near future.
- Currently, LTLS utilizes MARC standard for bibliographic records. Will that be necessary in the future or will a different type of standard emerge?
- The landscape of the library world is also changing. How will a library satisfy the needs of the patrons when those needs are changing at a breakneck pace?
- It is always best to plan early when making a substantial change to how you do business, so where do LTLS and our members start in the planning process?
- What challenges do library vendors have? Can they provide a product that works with a large consortiums such as large as ours?
- What is Open Source software and is it something LTLS should consider?
- Do we owe our patrons a better search engine? How can we improve the OPAC for our patrons?
These questions directly impact how you do business
in your library. Whether you are automated or not with LTLS, the questions
still remain. These and many other topics will be highlighted at the symposium.
LTLS encourages all of our libraries to become part of the solution for our
consortium's future.
Resources for Further Reading
Marshall Breeding
http://www.librarytechnology.org/automationhistory.pl
This chart, developed by symposium speaker Marshall Breeding,
illustrates the changes, mergers, and acquisitions among library system vendors
from 1968 to 2006.
Marshall Breeding
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6429251.html
An Industry Redefined: Private equity moves into the ILS,
and Open Source Support Emerges, Library Journal, April 1, 2007
This article is on changes in the library ILS industry and the emergence of
commercial support options for libraries choosing open-source ILS platforms.
Marshall Breeding
http://www.orbiscascade.org/council/c0601/breeding.ppt
This links to a PowerPoint presentation on The Future of Integrated Library
Systems.
Evergreen
http://www.open-ils.org/
Evergreen is an enterprise-class Integrated Library System (ILS). Evergreen
is an open-source project developed and maintained by a worldwide group of
organizations and interested individuals, led by the Georgia Public Library
Service. Evergreen is currently in use by Georgia Library PINES, a consortium
of 265 public libraries. A public demo of Evergreen's online catalog is located
at http://demo.gapines.org.
Koha
http://www.koha.org
Koha is a full-featured open-source ILS, developed initially in New Zealand
by Katipo Communications Ltd and first deployed in January of 2000. One of
the earliest open-source ILS projects, Koha is currently maintained by a team
of software providers and library technology staff from around the globe.
Karen Calhoun
The Changing Nature of the Catalog and Its Integration with Other Discovery
Tools
http://www.loc.gov/catdir/calhoun-report-final.pdf
This Library of Congress report that challenges assumptions about the traditional
library catalog and proposes new directions for the research library catalog
in the digital era. Published in 2006, and prepared by Associate University
Librarian Karen Calhoun of Cornell University, the report assesses the impact
of the Internet on the traditional online public access catalog and concludes
that library patrons want easy-to-use catalogs that are accessible on the Web.
Lorcan Dempsey
The Library Catalogue in the New Discovery Environment: Some Thoughts
http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue48/dempsey/
This July 2006 article by Lorcan Dempsey, Vice-President, Programs and Research & Chief
Strategist for OCLC, discusses how the library catalog will develop alongside
other non-library network discovery systems. Lorcan also writes about these
and other topics on his blog,
http://orweblog.oclc.org/
Alison Dellit and Kent Fitch
Rethinking the Catalogue
http://www.nla.gov.au/nla/staffpaper/2007/documents/Dellit-Fitch-Rethinkingthecatalogue.pdf
This April 2007 white paper, prepared for the National Library of Australia,
presents four strategies for rethinking the modern library catalog. The key
areas are Rethinking Cataloging, Creating an Interactive Space, Unifying Information
Resources, and Improving Access.
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