Library Technology Guides

The National Information Standards Organization (NISO) has published the white paper that I developed on the Future of Library Resource Discovery. I appreciate the opportunity to perform some additional research on this topic and to examine a variety of related issues. The paper provides an environmental scan of the current discovery environment, identifies gaps in the current products and services, and suggests some areas for future development. Given the current environment dominated by commercial services, I explored the possibilities of open source discovery interfaces and open access central indexes. The paper discusses linked data and other techniques which offer potential opportunities for improving the discoverability of resources of interest to libraries so that their community members might find them even when they bypass the interfaces provided by the library. Finally, the paper makes some recommendations regarding a possible next phase of the Open Discovery Initiative and highlights some areas of interest in the discovery arena that NISO may want to explore in the future. From the NISO press release:

The National Information Standards Organization (NISO) has published a white paper, The Future of Library Resource Discovery, written by independent consultant, speaker, and author Marshall Breeding. The white paper was commissioned by NISO's Discovery to Delivery (D2D) Topic Committee as part of its ongoing examination of areas in the discovery landscape that the information community could potentially standardize. Included in the paper is an overview of the current discovery environment; descriptions of how these technologies, methodologies, and products may be able to adapt to potential future change; and a look beyond current models of discovery to explore possible alternatives, especially those related to linked data.

The recent Electronic Resources and Libraries conference in Austin, TX, included a session to announce the publication of the white paper in which I presented a summary of its findings.

The paper is available as a free download from NISO.

Marshall Breeding Feb 24, 2015 10:11:04 Link to this thread

I have posted the results the eighth annual survey of data collected on how libraries rate their current integrated library system, the company involved, and the quality of customer support. Perceptions 2014: an international survey of library automation gives the general conclusions and presents all the statistical results derived from the survey. As usual, some of the most interesting and valuable information lies in the comments offered by responders.

"Libraries make major investments in strategic automation products, both during the initial implementation period and in annual fees paid for support, software maintenance, and other services. They depend on these products for efficient management of their daily operations and to provide access to their collections and services. This survey report allows libraries to benefit from the perceptions of their peers regarding the quality of automation systems and of the performance of the organizations involved in their development or support."

Just as I did for the previous editions survey, I created an interactive tool for viewing the statistical summaries and comments. The main tables in the article show statistics only for those products that had more than 15 survey responses. You can use the ILS Product Report to view the statistics on any of the products mentioned in the survey and to read the comments about that system, even if the number of responses did not meet the threshold. The comments that display have been edited to remove any text that identifies the individual or institution, preserving the anonymity of the responders. The narrative data in the comments largely corroborate the statistical responses and makes for interesting reading.

Marshall Breeding Feb 10, 2015 13:09:05 Link to this thread

My Systems Librarian column for the December 2014 issue of Computers in Libraries presents some of the trends that I think will play out in the coming year. One of the major business trends relates to the consolidation and investment ownership of the companies that produce tech products for libraries. Some of the technologies of interest include the increasing interest in linked data, the importance of delivering library services to mobile devices, 3D printing, and other technologies that might enhance the services that libraries offer in their physical facilities.

With another year winding down, we’re pausing to review some of the accomplishments with technology in libraries and consider what might be in store. Each year seems to bring an accelerating pace of change. While libraries tend to operate at a safe distance from the cutting edge of technology, it is important to look forward in order to be aware of the movement underway. Given the pace of change, interesting opportunities may slip by unless libraries move more aggressively in the development of new applications based on current technology advancements. This month’s column gives a speculative glimpse of what might happen in the next year or so among the companies comprising the library-technology industry based on recent patterns. We also look at some specific technologies that are gaining momentum and warrant the library community’s close attention. continue reading...

(The full text of my Systems Librarian columns are available on Library Technology Guides 90 days following their original publication in Computers in Libraries magazine.)

Marshall Breeding Jan 1, 2015 11:04:01 Link to this thread