The integrated library management system what we need

The integrated library management system – what we need? Lucy A. Tedd, Lecturer, Department of Information Studies, Aberystwyth Editor: Program: electronic library and information systems July 2009 1

Plan for session Brief background - historical overview – current state Input from YOU Some feedback gathered already 2

General definition An integrated library management system (ILS or LMS or ILMS) comprises modules for various processes ( circulation control, ordering and acquisitions, cataloguing, serials control, interlibrary lending, OPAC) linked through a relational database. 3

Brief historical overview 1960 s- early experimentation 1970 s – local systems, use of parent-body computers, data collection devices, cooperative systems Early 1980 s – turnkey ‘stand-alone’ systems – mainly for circulation control e. g. ALS Module 4, BLCMP Circo, CLSI-LIBS 100, Geac, Plessey Online Public Access Catalogues – OPACs 4

. . And a little more history 1980 s – integrated library management systems (LMS) – BLS, Dynix, DOBIS/LIBIS, SLS, URICA 1990 s – industry-standard software, improved OPACs, etc. plus new products e. g. ALEPH, ALICE, DS Galaxy, Heritage, Millennium, Talis, Unicorn, VTLS, Voyager 5

Some key developments of the 2000 s Mergers, acquisitions and private equity of companies supplying LMS New products Formation of consortia Links to mobile ‘devices’ Web 2. 0 features appearing to improve user interface Open source software UK Core Specification for LMS 6

New products Aquabrowser – Medialab Aspire - Talis Encore - Innovative Interfaces Primo - Ex Libris Symphony – Sirsi Dynix 7

Aquabrowser Used for example at University of Sussex (with Talis), Napier University (with Aleph), Aston University (with III Millennium) Margaret Lobban, Deputy Director of Learning Information Services at Napier University, says: “Aqua. Browser combines simplicity, relevance and serendipity to introduce a broad range of materials to searchers. The Google-type searching ensures simplicity while the refine option enables searchers to specify their requirements resulting in access to the most relevant materials held within the library. For those who are exploring new topics the word cloud facility introduces an element of an all important element of browsing and serendipity. ” http: //www. aquabrowser. com/2008/09/three-uk-universities-purchaseaquabrowser/ 8

Aspire from Talis Aspire, which is already in use at two major UK HE institutions, exemplifies a new way of approaching old problems, as Chris Clarke (Education Division Programmer Manager) explained: "With the rise of e-content over the last few years, one would expect that student access to learning resources would be easier than ever. However, we found that a myriad of publisher platform, link resolvers and authentication mechanisms was confusing students. So rather than directing students to content, we decided to take the content to students, and allow educators to embed it within their online course packs. " 9

Encore at Wellcome History of Medicine Library Robert Kiley, Head of e-Strategy the Wellcome Library says: "We have a clear need to provide easier access to the Library's holdings, and do so in ways which are intuitive, engaging and exploit both Web 2. 0 functionality and the richness of the way we have catalogued these objects. In implementing Encore, all the Library's collections —whether they are described in Innovative's Millennium ILS, Wellcome Images, or our Archives and Manuscripts—can be available through a single interface. ” – March 2009 http: //www. iii. com/news/press_releases. php 10

Southampton Solent and Ex Libris “We found Ex Libris well matched to our library needs in areas that extend beyond product functionality”, explains Elizabeth Selby, acting dean of the learning and information service at Southampton Solent University. “Whereas we were very impressed with the range of services that we would be able to offer our users and staff by implementing the Ex Libris products that we selected, the true deciding factor was the “meeting of visions” that we had with the company. The Ex Libris road map for development very much reflects the strategic direction of our library and learning services. By using Ex Libris solutions to manage our library resources, our users will enjoy all of the benefits that a completely interoperable system can offer”, adds Selby. http: //www. exlibrisgroup. com/default. asp? catid={5 FD 5 A 4 BC-85 D 94 EC 4 -8 D 75 -49 F 2 F 5 A 84 A 51}&details_type=1&itemid={16 B 3438 FB 089 -484 E-AAFB-13 DD 4 AAE 036 A} 11

Symphony from Sirsi Dynix (release 3. 3. July 2009) Acquisitions Vendor Interface Port (VIP). Enhanced Usability Wizards Group Item Circulation – e. g. for study groups, book clubs and multi-piece kits Enhanced Personalization for Users Automated Print Options Staff. Web Client Horizon and Dynix Migrations 12

London Libraries Consortium, Hackney and Open Galaxy The London Borough of Hackney has moved to the Open. Galaxy LMS provided by Axiell and joins the London Libraries Consortium (LLC), which now totals 12 members. The London Borough of Hackney serves a population of 209, 000. By moving to the Open. Galaxy LMS and joining the LLC, Hackney Libraries now have access to a London-wide catalogue of over 3 million books, CD’s, DVD’s and other items. This improves the service available to library users and, because cataloguing records are shared, reduces the administrative overhead for the cataloguing and acquisitions process. Axiell (formerly DS) provides LMS to about one-third of UK’s public libraries. http: //www. axiell. co. uk/news#NEWS_HACKNEY 13

‘Mobile’ developments e. g. from OCLC (not as in mobile van - do see the film “Sleep Furiously”) “The World. Cat Mobile pilot allows users to search for and find books and other materials available in libraries near them through a Web application they can access from a PDA or smartphone. Based on World. Cat. org, the world's largest online resource for finding information in libraries, the pilot has already proved a huge success in the U. S. and Canada. Thanks to advanced global positioning capabilities found in most mobiles, World. Cat Mobile pilot users in these countries will be able to find local library materials, if the library in question has loaded records in World. Cat, no matter where they happen to be. Users can even get a Google Maps view of the library location along with detailed driving instructions if the mobile device supports the application. ” – July 2009. 14

New-generation OPACs – and Web 2. 0 Tag cloud of recent topics searched in catalogues Spell checker ( did you mean? ) Borrowing suggestions ( others who borrowed this also borrowed. . ) User ratings Simple search box Table of contents, summary, book jacket See paper by Tam, Cox and Bussey to be published in Program: electronic library and information systems, Vol. 43, No. 4, 2009 15

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Open source software Open source refers to software that is free and that includes the original source code used to create it so that users can modify it to make it work better for them. Increasing interest in the UK and Europe following developments in US ( with Evergreen from Georgia Public libraries) and rest of the world (with Koha from New Zealand). e. g. Breaking the barriers conference May 2009 Use at Royal Homoeopathic Hospital, London is described by Bissels in a paper in Program: electronic library and information systems, Vol. 42, No. 3, 2008. 18

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JISC/SCONUL report Autumn 2007 JISC and SCONUL commissioned an “evaluation and horizon scan” of LMS and related systems landscape for UK Higher Education (HE). Reported March 2008 Adamson, V. , Bacsich, P. , Chad, K. and Plenderleith, J. (2008) An evaluation and horizon scan of the current library management systems and related systems landscape for UK higher education. Available at: http: //www. jisc. ac. uk/media/documents/program mes/resourcediscovery/lmsstudy. pdf 20

Key finding of JISC/SCONUL UK HE LMS market is mature and dominated (87% of market) by 4 vendors with little product differentiation. UK HE libraries spend ₤ 13. 1 million annually- about 5% of global LMS marketplace – most for annual maintenance for systems. Movement in product replacement is slow – and customer loyalty to LMS vendor is high 180 HE institutions surveyed Ex Libris (inc. Endeavor) 43 Talis 42 Sirsi. Dynix 41 Innovative 33 What system is used where YOU work? 21

Key finding 2 of JISC/SCONUL Service developments – “libraries are not yet exploiting intelligence about user habits to enhance their position in the information value chain. Libraries are however increasingly aware of the need to ‘liberate’ their data for users to create new services and applications”. 22

Key finding 3 of JISC/SCONUL Implementation of an open source LMS is not yet seen as beneficial Whilst there is widespread use of Information Environment services from JISC Data Centres such as EDINA and MIMAS, further development of open interfaces is required 23

Recommendations of JISC/SCONUL report Libraries reviewing LMS contracts should seek increased value, looking at ways to improve services by implementing features around the core LMS The focus on breaking down barriers is endorsed, involving single sign-on, unifying workflows and liberating metadata for re-use Service Oriented Architecture (SOA)-based interoperability across institutional systems is emphasised as the foundation for future services and possibly de-coupling of LMS components 24

Library Journal 2009 Innovative Interfaces signed the largest no. of ILMS contracts to newname customers Sirsi. Dynix signed more contracts overall as customers moved to new Symphony system Ex Libris expanded its staff force and led the fields for link resolvers with SFX New wave of ‘modern’ interfaces for catalogue – Aqua. Browser, Encore (III), Primo (Ex Libris), Worldcat Local Available at Marshall Breeding, Investing in the Future: Library Automation Marketplace 2009. Library Journal, April 1 st 2009. http: //www. libraryjournal. com/article/CA 6645868. html 25

What do YOU think? Discuss with colleagues sitting close about needs for LMS in your workplace 26

Needs identified by JISC/SCONUL Improved user interface (Web 2. 0, Personalisation etc. ) Integration with external systems and open APIs to do this easily ( e. g. finance dept, registry, VLEs) Electronic Resource Management Reading lists – and improved links with VLE Better management reporting capabilities ILL 27

Case 1 – ‘new’ university library E-resources development manager Strategically responsible for LMS and the IT team in the library Have had Talis since 2002 Looked at marketplace in 2008 Stayed with Talis Need for LMS to link in more closely to university systems including the VLE, general student portal etc. Need for ‘integrated’ resource management system for ejournals and e-books Good to see developments such as Talis ASPIRE for resource list management which can be used with other LMS Need to look at customer needs, business needs and marketplace ‘outside’ LMS http: //www. talis. com/aspire/documents/plymouth_cs. pdf 28

Case 2 – an ‘old’ university Library systems officer Part of ‘library support’ team Voyager since 1999. SFX for linking and Metalib for federated searching – both hosted by Ex Libris. No resources (time/staff) to do a major change Would like to do a study of user needs – no time/effort Would like a system to be totally integrated for print and e-resources Feels self-service should have more prominence 29

Case 3 A small research institute “I am in the process of writing my own LMS. After working with MINISIS (where we built our own very simple system onto a database package) and then a commercial system, I decided I could do better myself! We do not need a lot of the complications of the commercial system - but we do need a lot of enhancements of our own (e. g. email updates, document delivery service). I got frustrated with waiting for the commercial supplier to make changes/fix bugs and also their system was a "black box" to me. I've now completed OPAC (with related functions) and circulation, and am fairly far on with cataloguing. ” 30

Case 4 A medical library We've used Koha for cataloguing and circulation for well over a year now, but are still lacking some of the functionality that was part of the spec, and was meant to be available by end 2007/early 2008: some basics like authority file control, then more advanced stuff such as federated searching, EDIFACT, SIP 2 support. …. Overall, I still believe in Koha and the flexibility of Open. Source, and have to blame the delays we've been experiencing on the support situation two years ago - when there was only one tiny company in the UK offering to implement and support Koha. 31

Case 5 Engineering consultancy firm Was using Sydney Plus Identified needs: federated searching of technical papers, journal articles, responses to previous queries, as well as subscribed databases, User tagging, user rating of ‘docs’, use of “did you mean”, “other docs like this” etc. Spell checking for cataloguers “…there isn't really one that's good for everything. In general, it seems to take a combination of a traditional LMS with a bolt-on OPAC for the bell-and-whistles web 2. 0 functionality! We really like Aquabrowser for the OPAC- it has a really good faceted search function, and a nice tag cloud. Presto from Soutron is also a good one for the Web 2. 0 front end, while Heritage (IS) and Liberty (Softlink) are both quite good and seem straightforward to use”. 32

Case 6 – a supplier Current LMS were designed for ‘print’ world with users coming in to library etc. Very different needs between the academic/national libraries and the public libraries In academic libraries great need now for systems to manage licences and access rights – book lending is falling off dramatically Need for totally new approach – but still some years away Meantime – ‘add-on’ solutions that enable products from different suppliers to be used e. g. SFX, Metalib, Verde New-generation OPACs, with Web 2. 0 functionality etc. , so that ‘front-end’ searching by users can be achieved through different supplied software to the ‘back-end software 33

Case 7 – a consultant in the LMS area Open source LMS are more mainstream in the US than the UK – but may come here Open source LMS are currently replicating what the ‘closed’ source systems are doing – need for some re-thinking Libraries, public and academic are “under erosive attack” 34

Where to find information? Mm. IT group website http: //www. cilip. org. uk/specialinterestgroups/bysubject/multimedia Library Technology Guides - http: //www. librarytechnology. org/ CILIP training events e. g. Library Mangaement Systems – procurement and implementation October 2009. http: //www. cilip. org. uk/training/2009/libinfo/librarymanagemen tsystemsprocurementandimplementation. htm Alison Felstead, “Library systems marketplace: a digest of current literature”, Program: electronic library and information systems 38(2), 2004, pp. 88 -96 Lucy Tedd (2007), Library management systems in J. H. Bowman (ed. ) British Librarianship and Information Work 2001 -5. Aldershot: Ashgate, 2007. 35