The Current Context of Library Automation

1. Maryland Interlibrary Consortium Annual Retreat – Villa Julia College The Current Context of Library Automation A view toward the future Marshall BreedingDirector for Innovative Technologies and Research Vanderbilt University http://staffweb.library.vanderbilt.edu/breeding http://www.librarytechnology.org/

2. Presentation Agenda • Trends in Library Automation Industry • Next-generation Interfaces • Response to Questions

3. Business Landscape and Trends

4. Consolidation • SirsiDynix • Ex Libris • Follett Software Company • Axiell • Isacsoft / Bibliomondo

5. Library Automation M&A History

6. Internationalization • Many large companies extending their geographic reach • Ex Libris – Based in Israel • Civica – Based in the United Kingdom • SirsiDynix – Based in the United States • Innovative Interfaces – Based in the United States

7. Private equity Ownership • Golden Gate Capital – Infor (formerly Geac) • 3i – Civica • Francisco Partners – Ex Libris • Vista Equity Partners – SirsiDynix • Some concern that strategy determined by outside interests.

8. Founder Owned / managed Companies • Innovative Interfaces • Jerry Kline • VTLS • Vinod Chachra

9. OCLC in the ILS arena? • Increasingly overlapped with library automation activities • WorldCat Local recently announced • Penetrating deeper into local libraries • Library-owned cooperative on a buying binge of automation companies: • Openly Informatics • Fretwell-Downing Informatics • Sisis Informationssysteme • PICA (now 100%) • DiMeMa (CONTENTdm) • ILS companies concerned about competing with a non-profit with enormous resources and the ability to shift costs.

10. Open Source Software An Emerging Trend in the Global ILS Arena

11. Open Source Alternatives • Explosive interest in Open Source driven by disillusionment with current vendors • Beginning to emerge as a practical option • TOC (Total Cost of Ownership) still roughly equal to proprietary commercial model • Still a risky strategy for libraries

12. An industry in turmoil • Disruptions and business decisions to narrow options have fueled the open source movement • Benefit to libraries in having additional options • Traditionally licensed and open source ILS alternatives will coexist in the ILS arena

13. Open Source ILS enters the mainstream • Earlier era of pioneering efforts to ILS shifting into one where open source alternatives fall in the mainstream • Off-the-shelf, commercially supported product available • Still a minority player, but gaining ground

14. Current Open Source ILS Product Options

15. Koha: first Open Source ILS • Koha + Index Data Zebra = Koha ZOOM • Components: • Perl • Apache • MySql • Zebra: search engine option for larger installations

16. Libraries committed to Koha - • 300+ libraries • Horowhenua Library Trust • Nelsonville Public Library • Athens County, OH • Crawford County Federated Library System • 10 Libraries in PA • Howard County, MD • Service area population: 266300 • 4.7 million circulation transactions in 2006 • 1 million volumes • WALDO Consortium • Transition from a hosted Voyager system • Santa Cruz Public Library • Central, 9 branches • 2 million volumes • Near East University Library • 1.5 million volumes

17. Evergreen • Developed by the Georgia Public Library Service • Small development team • June 2004 – development begins • Sept 5, 2006 – live production • Streamlined environment: single shared implementation, all libraries follow the same policies, one library card

18. Libraries using Evergreen • Georgia PINES • http://gapines.org • Georgia PINES: • 1 Installation • 54 Public Library Systems • 260+ library facilities • Does not include municipal systems: Atlanta-Fulton County, Cobb County • Province of British Columbia in Canada – Northern PINES • Kent County, MD • Under consideration by academic libraries in Canada

19. Evergreen

20. OPALS • Open source Automated Library System • http://www.mediaflex.net/showcase.jsp?record_id=52 • Developed and Supported by Media Flex • Harry Chan • Original developer of Mandarin • Installation ($250) and Hosting services ($750) • South Central Organization of (School) Libraries • consortium of K-12 school libraries in NY

21. NextGenLib • ILS designed for the developing world • Originally traditionally licensed, introduced 2003 • Transition to Open Source in Jan 2008 • 122 Installations (India, Syria, Sudan, Cambodia) • Collaborative project: • Kesavan Institute of Information and Knowledge Management • Versus Solutions • Versus IT Services Pvt. Ltd • http://www.librarytechnology.org/ltg-displaytext.pl?RC=13150

22. Broad Trends • Fewer number of larger companies • Consolidation of product offerings • Internationalization: strong opportunities for systems with strong multilingual capabilities. • Strong interest in open source alternatives • Overall R&D Focused on fewer new products

23. Product and Technology Trends

24. Proliferation of Products for E-Content • Core ILS deployments slowing • Academic libraries especially focused on products focusing on management and access for electronic content • Increasing investments in e-comment require supporting infrastructure

25. Integrated Library Systems • The legacy of library automation • ILS design cast in the 1970’s • Focused on print • Not designed for e-content

26. OpenURL Link Resolvers • Finding aid for the article-level content provided by the library • Context-sensitive linking based on the profile of library subscriptions • Link users to the appropriate copy of the resource • Based on OpenURL Standard

27. OpenURL Link Resolver Products • SFX (Ex Libris) • 360 Link (Serials Solutions) • WebBridge (Innovative) • 1Cate / WorldCat Link Manager (OCLC)

28. Link Resolver Key Issue: Knowledge Base of e-journal Content • Both a content product and a Technology Product • Link Resolver relies on accurate data regarding what titles reside within each subscription product and the coverage available to the library’s users • Serials Solution Knowledge Source vs Ex Libris SFX Global KnowledgeBase • Effectiveness of the product depends on the quality of the knowledgebase. • Must be able to accurately constructs links that work

29. Trends: • Essential infrastructure for any library with large quantities of e-content from multiple publishers • Serials Solutions gaining ground, SFX still dominant • WebBridge popular with libraries using Millennium

30. Federated Search • Ability to search multiple information resources simultaneously • Distributed Query Architecture • Normalize query • Cast to multiple targets • Receive results • Normalize Results • User presentation: • De-duplication • Sorting / Ranking

31. Federated Search Products • MetaLib – Ex Libris • Research Pro -- Innovative • MuseSearch – Muse Global (Distributed by Top Information Technologies in Taiwan) • 360 Search – Serials Solutions • WebFeat – Serials Solutions • Deep Web Technologies

32. Federated Search Trends • Becoming a commodity product • Essential product for libraries with large investments in e-content from multiple publishers • Company / Product consolidation • Products supported determined through connectors • Open Connector initiative: WebFeat and Care Affiliates • Make connectors available separately • Eventual Transition to OAI

33. Electronic Resource Management Systems • Automation Module specifically designed to manage a library’s subscriptions to electronic content • Managed approach for all aspects of electronic subscription content • Product coverage, license terms, cost, payment and procurement data, vendor data, use data • COUNTER compliant use statistics • SUSHI for automated gathering of use statistics

34. ERMS products • Innovative – Electronic Resource Management • Ex Libris – Verde / Meridian • Serials Solutions – 360 Resource Manager

35. ERMS Trends • Very low rate of adoption so far • Products complex • Not perceived as mature • Closely tied to Link Resolver

36. Key issue: • Products involving management of e-content deeply interrelated. • Knowledgebase of Link Resolver, Federated Search, and ERMS must be synchronized • Products generally sold/implemented as a suite • Current level of integration / interoperability less than ideal • Lack of standards for interoperability with ILS • Fragmented approach to library automation • Integration among e-content products getting better • Difficulties with ILS integration persist

37. Institutional Repositories • Repository for scholarly content of an institution • Usually managed by the Library • Scope of content varies by institution • Lightweight, informal metadata • Consolidates content across the institution into a single repository • Otherwise held in departmental servers, etc • Provides long-term preservation

38. Institutional Repository Products • DSpace – open source collaboration between MIT and Hewlett Packaard • Fedora – open source collaboration between Cornell and University of Virginia • Framework, not off-the-shelf product • VITAL – VTLS product based on Fedora • Symposia – Commercial product from Innovative

39. Digital Content Management Systems • Products for managing and providing access to locally produced digital content • Content: • digital documents, newspapers, photographs, Video clips

40. Digital Content Management Systems products • CONTENTdm – OCLC • DigiTool – Ex Libris • Insight – Luna Imaging

41. Next-Generation Library Interfaces

42. Troubling statistic Where do you typically begin your search for information on a particular topic? College Students Response: • 89% Search engines (Google 62%) • 2% Library Web Site (total respondents -> 1%) • 2% Online Database • 1% E-mail • 1% Online News • 1% Online bookstores • 0% Instant Messaging / Online Chat OCLC. Perceptions of Libraries and Information Resources (2005) p. 1-17.

43. Usage + / - from 2005 to 2007 +5% -10% +30% +14% “The unfortunate exception is the use of library Web sites; usage has dropped from 2005 to 2007.” +19% Source: Sharing, Privacy and Trust in our Networked World. OCLC 2007

44. Crowded Landscape of Information Providers on the Web • Lots of non-library Web destinations deliver content to library patrons • Google Scholar • Amazon.com • Wikipedia • Ask.com • Do Library Web sites and catalogs meet the information needs of our users? • Do they attract their interest?

45. The Competition

46. The best Library OPAC?

47. Better?

48. Better?

49. Demand for compelling library interfaces • Urgent need for libraries to offer interfaces their users will like to use • Move into the current millennium • Powerful search capabilities in tune with how the Web works today • Meet user expectations set by other Web destination

50. Inadequacy of ILS OPACs • Online Catalog modules provided with an ILS subject to broad criticism as failing to meet expectations of growing segments of library patrons. • Not great at delivering electronic content • Complex text-based interfaces • Relatively weak keyword search engines • Lack of good relevancy sorting • Narrow scope of content