6th October 2015. A briefing paper written by Ken Chad for Higher Education Library Technology contrasts the library resource management landscape now with the situation in 2008 when a Jisc/SCONUL LMS study (1) recommended that the time was not right for libraries to purchase a new library management system. In the intervening period a new generation of 'library services platforms' (LSPs) has emerged to replace library management systems (or integrated library systems –as they are also known) and the pace of procurement has quickened. Ken Chad analyses the current landscape and looks at the strategic issues around the changing nature of library collections, shared services, workflows, analytics and the cloud. He predicts that LSPs will move to encompass additional resource silos. Furthermore cloud-based library platforms will unleash further opportunity for shared services. "The cloud is becoming the new normal" he suggests, quoting Amazon's cloud strategy chief Andrew Jassy.
The paper is available under a Creative Commons license to enable easy, unrestricted re-use. It is published by Higher Education Library Technology (HELibTech), a free and open service for anyone interested in issues around library technology in Higher Education.
Jackie Marfleet, Librarian of Senate House Library, University of London commented:
"At a time of great change in libraries and library technology we need clear analysis. This short briefing paper provides very helpful insights into a complex technology and library collection landscape. It will be invaluable not just for librarians but also a wider audience of managers in Higher Education."
- Jisc & SCONUL library management systems study: An evaluation and horizon scan of the current library management systems and related systems landscape for UK higher education. March 2008. http://www.webarchive.org.uk/wayback/archive/20140615073047/http://www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/programmes/resourcediscovery/lmsstudy.pdf
About Ken Chad Consulting
Ken Chad Consulting Ltd (www.kenchadconsulting.com) was set up in 2007 to help libraries become more effective through the better and more imaginative use of technology. Consulting activities have included work for businesses, academic institutions including the universities of Cambridge, Kent and Manchester, and sector bodies such as Jisc and SCONUL (Society of College, National and University Libraries). Projects have encompassed ebooks, resource discovery, open and linked data, archives, repositories and research management systems. Ken has published articles and presented widely on the strategic impact of technology-driven change He is a member (MCLIP) of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professional CILIP, and the American Library Association (ALA). Ken is also a main and research & innovation committee member of UKSG which ‘exists to connect the information community and encourage the exchange of ideas on scholarly communication'.
About Higher Education Library Technology (HELibTech)
HELibTech (www.helibtech.comv) is a free and open community resource that aims to provide a starting point for anyone interested in library technology in Higher Education. HELibTech originated in a major sector project: The Jisc & SCONUL Library Management Systems Study that was completed in March 2008. HELibTech has enabled the work of that project to be kept up to date and expanded beyond the scope of the original project. As well as vital data on the various kinds of library technology employed across UK Higher Education, it also includes articles on major issues such as shared services, ebooks, open source and library services platforms.
