Library Technology Guides

UKeiG's Jason Farradane Award winner for 2024. The UK electronic information Group announced that the winner of its prestigious international Jason Farradane Award for 2024 is Karen Blakeman. Over decades Karen's consultancy and professional development role has impacted many sectors and subjects, including business, marketing, company and health information. The Jason Farradane Award is presented in recognition of an outstanding, creative and enterprising contribution to the library, information and knowledge profession. [Full Announcement].

KohaCon24: The power of collaboration in the GLAMR sector. Ideas flourish when shared. When communities collaborate toward a common goal, bringing with them their resources, experience, and passion, the GLAMR sector can thrive. The global Koha community aims for the Koha library management system to solve problems and present opportunities for many kinds of organisations and their collections. The project's open source nature enables unique innovation and collaboration, is amplified at the regular gatherings, including KohaCon. KohaCon is an annual conference for users and contributors of Koha from all around the world. [Full Announcement].

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control selects TIND ILS. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has selected TIND Integrated Library System to modernize its library services and optimize the management of its collections. Migrating from AdLib, ECDC joins a growing community of special libraries relying on TIND ILS, such as the United Nations, the Folgers Shakespeare Library, the Munch Museum, and the World Food Programme. [Full Announcement].

Iris.ai collaboration with Tomas Bata University. Tomas Bata University in Zlín embarked on a transformative journey by acquiring a license for Iris.ai's flagship AI-powered solution, RSpace. As the first institution in the Czech Republic to integrate this cutting-edge tool, Tomas Bata University has taken a bold step towards enhancing the efficiency and innovation of its research practices. [Full Announcement].

Stockholm Public Library and Systematic pioneer the future of library services. In the heart of Stockholm, an invisible revolution is underway at the iconic city library and its 40 branches. A 20-year-old IT system is about to be replaced with a new, innovative library system combining the Danish-developed Library Management system Cicero from Systematic with the Intelligent Material Management System (IMMS) from Danish Lyngsoe Systems. The new joint solution will redefine the library experience for users and staff alike. [Full Announcement].

Kubikat Libraries choose library management and discovery solutions from Clarivate. Four German university-independent art history research institutes across Europe have decided to implement the Alma library management system as well as the Primo discovery solution from Ex Libris, part of Clarivate. The unified Alma and Primo solution offered will upgrade the current joint catalogue kubikat, based on the jointly operated Ex Libris Aleph 500 library system, to deliver a modern approach delivering superior benefits to staff and users. The four libraries – Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz – Max Planck Institute; Central Institute for Art History in Munich; Deutsches Forum für Kunstgeschichte/Centre allemand d'histoire de l'art Paris; and the Bibliotheca Hertziana – Max Planck Institute for Art History in Rome – will leverage the Software as a Service services will make their various types of resources even more efficient and technically up to date. [Full Announcement].

Clarivate reveals Citation Laureates 2024. Clarivate, a leading global provider of transformative intelligence, unveiled the Citation Laureates 2024 list – used to forecast future Nobel Prize recipients. These 22 exceptional scientists and economists spanning six countries have demonstrated such groundbreaking impact in their fields that their work is considered of Nobel stature. Experts at the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) at Clarivate have identified 75 Citation Laureates prior to their Nobel success – often several years before they received Nobel honors. This year's Citation Laureates have made significant contributions to advancing key areas, including clean energy, nanotechnology, 3D protein structures, the economic impact of corruption, heart disease, molecular dynamics, quantum computing, genetic imprinting and condensed matter physics. [Full Announcement].

The real value of GLAMR events. Libraries play many important roles in a community. They house ideas, enable creativity and connect us to history and generational knowledge. Libraries support education and encourage critical thinking. In some cases, libraries are also the vital ‘third space'(external link) that provides a place of connection for people from all walks of life. The following blog post has been written by Aleisha Amohia, Rōpū kohinga Technical Lead, reflecting on her recent trip to the VALA conference and why Rōpū kohinga are proud to be working within the world of galleries, libraries, archives, museums, and records. [Full Announcement].

Glen Innes Severn Public and TAFE Library re-signs with Libero. Knosys announced that Glen Innes Severn Public and TAFE Library has re-signed with the Libero Library Management System for another 5 years. [Full Announcement].

Queensland Health extends contract with EBSCO for its state-wide Clinical Knowledge Network. The Australian state of Queensland through Queensland Health has continued its partnership with EBSCO Information Services with a new contract to deliver and manage its state-wide online clinical knowledge portal, the Clinical Knowledge Network. EBSCO will provide portal development, hosting, and management; search and access tools; remote access; 24-hour user support; user training; and management and other value-added services to deliver a uniquely comprehensive collection of online information resources from the world's top health publishers. The new contract is for nine years, commencing 1 July 2024, and expands the existing ten-year relationship between the two organisations to deliver the CKN portal. [Full Announcement].

31 new libraries sign on to OCLC's WorldShare Management Services platform. In the last six months, 31 new libraries have signed on to use OCLC's WorldShare Management Services (WMS), the fully integrated library services platform designed to meet the needs of modern libraries. In addition, other libraries have signed extended renewals of WMS this year, reinforcing their commitment to OCLC's shared data network and technology for more efficient workflows. More than 850 libraries have signed on to use WMS worldwide. [Full Announcement].

NESCOT chooses Koha open source library management system, hosted and supported by PTFS Europe.. North East Surrey College of Technology has chosen PTFS Europe to host and support its Koha system. PTFS Europe has implemented the new system and will provide on-going hosting and support services to NESCOT to ensure its success in supporting these collections into the future. [Full Announcement].

CCC helps establish Leiden Institute for FAIR and Equitable Science (LIFES) as a Founding Member. CCC, a leader in advancing copyright, accelerating knowledge, and powering innovation, announced its collaboration with key industry stakeholders to launch the Leiden Institute for FAIR and Equitable Science. In recognition of the challenges that exist with data reuse within the global research community, LIFES is a joint effort by an international public-private partnership of eleven academic and private organizations to build a wide and diverse network of public and private members that want to incorporate FAIR data principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) and equitable data reuse within their organizations. [Full Announcement].

ProQuest One Education is the new go-to for research and learning. In a 2024 report, UNESCO sounded an alarm about teacher shortages around the world, critical barriers to achieving United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 – Quality Education. While especially urgent in developing nations, high-income regions like Europe and North America are struggling to recruit and retain qualified educators. [Full Announcement].

OCLC Global Council elects Xuemao Wang, re-elects Anja Smit to Board of Trustees. OCLC Global Council has elected Xuemao Wang, Dean of Libraries and the Charles Deering McCormick University Librarian for Northwestern University, and re-elected Anja Smit, Director of DANS, an institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Dutch Research Council, to the OCLC Board of Trustees. [Full Announcement].

Sir Roly Keating to step down as Chief Executive of the British Library in April 2025. After 12 years as Chief Executive, Sir Roly Keating has announced that he will step down from the role in April next year. [Full Announcement].

ICOLC Statement on AI in Licensing. As artificial intelligence – in particular, generative AI and large language models – has developed rapidly since the release of ChatGPT to the public in late 2022, electronic resource vendors have begun to present libraries and consortia with new license language defining rights and restrictions related to AI. As libraries and vendors navigate the rapidly changing technological and legal landscape of AI, ICOLC supports its member consortia in their efforts to ensure library user rights are maintained in alignment with organizational interests and values. [Full Announcement].

2023 Year in Review. Reflecting on a year of innovation and progress, BiblioCommons has once again raised the bar for library engagement and accessibility. From the significant transition to Google Analytics 4 to the introduction of the BiblioCommons Analytics Platform, we've ensured that library-specific data is not only accessible but also actionable. Our dedication to enhancing user experience is evident in our focus on personalizing the patron experience while ensuring patron privacy and the continuous infrastructure upgrades that included implementing next-generation firewalls and expanding server capacity to accommodate the growing needs of our Library Partners. Continued accessibility updates, new product features, and the expansion of language support in BiblioApps support our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. With the rollout of new features and services, proactive security measures, and the invaluable contributions from the BiblioCommons community of Partner Libraries, we look forward to what's next and invite all libraries to celebrate all the past year's achievements. [Full Announcement].

Learning lessons from the cyber-attack. The British Library published a paper about the cyber-attack that took place last October. This is of especial importance for libraries and all those institutions who share our mission to collect and make accessible knowledge and culture in digital form, and preserve it for posterity. Though the motive of the attack on the British Library appears to have been purely monetary, it functioned as, effectively, an attack on access to knowledge. The paper is informed by our expert advisers and specialists, but is our own account, updated and adapted from our internal investigations into the incident. It gives a description and timeline of the attack, to the best of our current understanding, and its implications for the Library's operations, future infrastructure and risk assessment. [Full Announcement].

United Kingdom -- Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Independent Review to guide libraries strategy in 2024. A series of recommendations proposed in an independent review to ensure that public libraries are supported and providing the best possible service for their communities will be taken forward by the government, Arts and Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay has been published. The independent review, led by former journalist and government adviser Baroness Sanderson of Welton, was commissioned in September 2022 to seek views and develop innovative ideas on how to improve public libraries across England, in order to inform a new government strategy. [Full Announcement].