NISO Standards Bearer Blog » ILL

Upcoming Forum on Library Resource Management Systems

Todd Carpenter — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:19:48 +0000

In Boston on October 8-9, NISO will host a 2-day educational forum, Library Resource Management Systems: New Challenges, New Opportunities. We are pleased to bring together a terrific program of expert speakers to discuss some of the key issues and emerging trends in library resource management systems as well as to take a look at the standards used and needed in these systems.

The back end systems upon which libraries rely have become the center of a great deal of study, reconsideration and development activity over the past few years. The integration of search functionality, social discovery tools, access control and even delivery mechanisms to traditional cataloging systems are necessitating a conversation about how these component parts will work together in a seamless fashion. There are a variety of approaches, from a fully-integrated system to a best-of-breed patchwork of systems, from locally managed to software as a service approaches. No single approach is right for all institutions and there is no panacea for all the challenges institutions face providing services to their constituents. However, there are many options an organization could choose from. Careful planning can help to find the right one and can save the institution tremendous amounts of time and effort. This program will provide some of the background on the key issues that management will need to assess to make the right decision.

Registration is now open and we hope that you can join us.

FedEx – Physical delivery and Resource Sharing – Part 4

Todd Carpenter — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 16:42:49 +0000

It occurred to me after writing the last post that our collective mindset about physical delivery has changed radically in the past two decades. In preparing my regular article for Against the Grain, I thought to write some more about changing user expectations regarding when people can receive things. The most obvious of the services that have radically changed our mindset about delivery is FedEx. A quick search of the web turned up a number of the vintage commercials about FedEx services. It’s amazing how things that had been services almost exclusively for business have become ubiquitous. Some classics: Here, here, here, and here.

Advice from Peter Drucker – an idea from the Resource Sharing meeting – Part 2

Todd Carpenter — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 17:45:07 +0000

During the Collaborative Resource Sharing meeting earlier this week, Adam Wathem, Interim Head of Collections Services Department, Kansas State University Libraries wrapped up the meeting by discussing barriers to efficiencies within libraries. It was a great presentation that brought together the threads of the conversations and presentations throughout the meeting. At one point in the presentation (available here), Adam quoted Peter Drucker, which summarizes one of the problems that libraries face:

“There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.”

How much of the workflow processes in institutions is bound by a focus on improving how things that neither meet user needs or expectation of today?