NISO Forum: Library Resource Management Systems

October 8-9, 2009 • Boston, MA

Agenda

Thursday, October 8, 2009
8:00 - 9:00 a.m.
Continental Breakfast

9:00 - 9:15 a.m.

Welcome & Introductions
Todd Carpenter, Managing Director, NISO
Biography
9:15 - 10:15 a.m.

Keynote Presentation: Toward Service-Oriented Librarianship
Oren Beit-Arie, Chief Strategy Officer, Ex Libris, Inc.
Biography • Presentation

There are significant changes in the manner in which scholarship is conducted – in research, teaching, and overall in scholarly communication. These changes create new conditions and contexts for libraries, and will impact the way we will all have to operate to be successful. As new forms of scholarship emerge, there seems to be a need for new forms of librarianship and for new models for library services.

This presentation will look at aspects of tradition, transition and transformation in library processes, and will outline in brief the new framework for Library Services that Ex Libris is developing in response to the changes we see.

10:15 - 11:00 a.m.

What do libraries want to achieve with their library systems?
Thomas Wall, University Librarian, Boston College
Biography

Update (10/6/09): Thomas Wall will not be able to join this forum. Two of his colleagues will be presenting in his stead:

  • Robert Gerrity, Associate University Librarian for Systems and Information Technology, Boston College Libraries
    Biography • Presentation
  • Kevin Kidd, Library Applications and Systems Manager, Boston College Libraries
    Biography • Presentation
11:00 - 11:15 a.m.

Break
11:15 a.m. - 12 noon User Perspectives: How Our Patrons Interact with Our Services
Judi Briden, Digital Librarian for Public Services, University of Rochester, River Campus Libraries
Biography • Presentation • XC User Research - Preliminary Report (May 15, 2009)

Led by an anthropologist, staff of the University of Rochester, River Campus Libraries have been conducting user research for more than five years, studying how undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty do their work. Drawing on completed research and a preliminary report of research in progress, Judi will discuss what has been learned from their users.
12 noon - 1:15 p.m.

Lunch
1:15 - 2:00 p.m. Build it yourself or buy it?
In this session, attendees will hear from two library case studies answering questions such as: How do you make the choice?  What are the costs/benefits? What was decision making process you went through in choosing your system/implementation?
  • John Culshaw, Professor and Associate Director for Administrative Services, University of Colorado at Boulder Libraries
    Biography • Presentation

    The University of Colorado at Boulder Libraries are committed to a "buy it" approach for critical library technology platforms. We migrated from the legacy CARL system (which was "built" here) to an Innovative Interfaces system in 1994 and have since maintained a strong library-vendor relationship including the recent purchase and launch of Encore as our next-generation discovery platform. Similarly, the Libraries also maintains a Luna Insight instance for its digital library. But we also participate in the Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries' Alliance Digital Repository, a preservation-oriented consortial digital repository developed with open source software. John will discuss how the library makes these choices including the costs and benefits from following this approach.

  • From Voyager to Conifer – the University of Windsor’s Experience
    • Art Rhyno, Head, Systems Department, Leddy Library, University of Windsor (contributor)
    • Guoying (Grace) Liu, Systems Librarian, Leddy Library, University of Windsor     (presenter)
    Biography • Presentation

    In May 2009, the University of Windsor Libraries switched from Voyager to Conifer, a consortial implemented Evergreen open source ILS. This presentation will share the experience of migrating from a proprietary system to an open source solution. The focus will be on the issues and challenges encountered, and the interaction of Evergreen with an existing ERM/URM.
2:00 - 2:45 p.m.

Panel discussion: Open Source Systems – What is working/what is progressing?

  • Tim McGeary, Team Leader, Library Technology, Lehigh University
    Biography

    Tim will be giving an update of the OLE Project, including highlights of the finalized design document published in July 2009 and information regarding the OLE Project Build Phase tentatively scheduled to begin January 2010.

  • Andrew Nagy, Senior Discovery Services Engineer, Serials Solutions
    Biography

    Andrew will be giving an update of VuFind, an open source discovery interface.  This will cover the history of VuFInd, whats happening now and where it is going in the coming years.
2:45 - 3:15 p.m.

Break
3:15 - 4:00 p.m.

Bringing Open Source to the Library: Lessons Learned

Annette Bailey, Digital Assets Librarian, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech)
Biography • Presentation

More and more libraries are turning to open source software to improve their services. This talk will give the perspective of a librarian who has created, distributed, and adapted open source software for libraries. This talk reports on the experience with the LibX and MAJAX projects, two open source software products that closely interact with vendor systems.  The presenter will share lessons learned during the development and adoption of this software, and provide advice for librarians considering combining vendor and open source systems. The talk will discuss the role of existing library technology standards and their benefits, and outline the need for new standards.
4:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Library Management Systems Business Models Roundtable

Facilitated by Marshall Breeding, Director for Innovative Technologies and Research, Jean and Alexander Heard Library, Vanderbilt University
Biography

Panelists:
Friday, October 9, 2009
8:00 - 9:00 a.m.
 Continental Breakfast

9:00 - 9:15 a.m.

Day Two Welcome
Todd Carpenter, Managing Director, NISO
Biography

9:15 - 10:15 a.m.
Day Two Keynote
Investing in a Time of Disruptive Change
Rachel Bruce, Programme Director, Information Environment, JISC
Biography • Presentation

There have been fundamental changes in the way that information is created, distributed and used, this has a major impact on the systems that are used to manage and access information. The UK Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC), working in partnership with the Society of College, National and University Libraries (SCONUL) has been exploring the impact of these changes and how the UK academic library requirements can be met. This talk will focus on the impact of the major changes, drawing on research and analysis in the UK, and will outline a model to help think through some of the changes and discuss the options for moving forward, in particular there is work underway exploring shared service options, and there are debates about whether Open Source is a realistic way forward. With the accelerating pace of change what way do we turn?
10:15 – 11:00 a.m.
Whither ERMI?
Ivy Anderson, Director, Collection Development & Management Program, California Digital Library
Biography • Presentation

In 2004, the Digital Library Federation's Electronic Resource Management Initiative (ERMI) published a groundbreaking report on standards for electronic resource management in libraries. Since that time, a number of commercial and 'home-grown' systems have sprung up to implement and manage this information;  yet integrating e-resource data and workflows with existing library management systems and practices remains challenging. The Electronic Resource Management Data Standards Review currently being launched by NISO will undertake a gap analysis of ERM-related data and standards and make recommendations regarding future needs for e-resource management standards within the context of the broader library data management landscape.

See www.niso.org/workrooms/ermreview for more information on this project.
11:00 - 11:15 a.m.
Break
11:15 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
The Library system in a broader context: Interaction with other library systems / interoperability
  • Integrating Library Resource Management Systems into Campus Infrastructure for Research and Education
    MacKenzie Smith, Associate Director for Technology, MIT Libraries
    Biography • Presentation

    In academic research libraries, Library Resource Management Systems are part of a large and complex IT landscape, both within the library and across the campus. To be effective, Library Resource Management Systems should seemlessly integrate with enterprise business systems (e.g., the HR database, Data Warehouse, campus network authentication and authorization system), with new library technology platforms (e.g., Institutional Repositories), and with other campus research and education systems (e.g., course management systems, departmental data archives). This talk will provide a framework for an institutional IT architecture, and the specific issues that arise when integrating different types of Library Resource Management System into the campus infrastructure.

  • Considering a New Information Topology
    Diane C. Mirvis, Associate Vice President Information Technology and CIO,
    Magnus Wahlstrom Library, University of Bridgeport
    Biography • Presentation

    Institutions have traditionally managed information technology split into two broad areas – administrative and academic computing. Evolving tools like enterprise Portals, Library discovery platforms, institutional repositories, course management systems, and student information systems with learning management options are providing more opportunities to serve up content at the point users require it to complete a task. Information content from the Library and other providers becomes a commodity that is delivered to users via role based workflow. The discussion has broadened beyond talking about systems integration and standards, to rethinking how the organization supplies information to its constituencies.
12:00 - 1:15 p.m.
Lunch
1:15 - 1:45 p.m.
Seamless Sharing: NYU, HathiTrust, ReCAP and the Cloud Library
Kat Hagedorn, HathiTrust Special Projects Coordinator, University of Michigan
Biography • Presentation

With the explosion in the number of digital and print repositories and the radically increased ability for sharing of these repositories, we find ourselves without an infrastructure to enable, manage and maintain these shared resources. What is needed is a clear proposal for how to effect this, complete with a pilot project that demonstrates, in real terms, how it could be achieved.

Under the auspices of CLIR and OCLC Research, we are developing precisely this proposal and pilot using:
  • the NYU Library as the pilot library
  • ReCAP as the print storage facility
  • HathiTrust as the digital preservation repository
Our end result will be the infrastructure and inner workings of a cloud library-- one that provides seamless access to services in both print and digital form. At least one need for these services has been demonstrated by our pilot library-- for space issues, the NYU Library is in the process of de-accessioning nearly a million volumes from their print collections by next summer. With a cloud library service, they will be assured of trusted access to the physical volumes inside of ReCAP and trusted access and preservation of the digitized volumes inside of HathiTrust.

We will describe the current scope and status of the project, our research into the needs of institutions for this shared cloud library, how trusted digital and print repositories will be enabled, and how we will build appropriate service models to encompass all perceived needs.
1:45 - 2:15 p.m.
 Large Consortium Systems:
Making the Library Work With Other Libraries
Kyle Banerjee, Digital Services Program Manager, Orbis Cascade Alliance
Biography • Presentation

In March of 2008, the Council governing the Orbis Cascade Alliance voted to enter a development partnership with OCLC to migrate the Alliance's union catalog and consortial borrowing system to a new platform. The Alliance's strategic agenda called for an improved patron experience as well as better integration of local, consortial, and ILL borrowing. The strategic agenda recognized that effective library services and resource sharing required seamless interaction between products produced by different vendors. For this reason, it sought investigation of systems that communicated using standard protocols.

Planning and executing the migration took eight months, and the system has been in production use by all 36 Alliance members since December 2008. This session explains the implementation process as well as the organizational and technical challenges faced in migrating so many institutions simultaneously.
2:00 - 2:45 p.m.
 Brainstorming Possibilities: A Group Activity
Facilitated by Karen A. Wetzel, Standards Program Manager, NISO
Biography • Presentation
2:45 - 3:15 p.m.
 Break
3:15 – 3:30 p.m.
Reports from Brainstorming
Facilitated by Karen A. Wetzel, Standards Program Manager, NISO
Biography
3:30 -  4:15 p.m.
Closing Presentation: Where can we go from here?
Marshall Breeding, Director for Innovative Technologies and Research, Jean and Alexander Heard Library, Vanderbilt University
Biography • Presentation
4:15-4:30 p.m.
Final Wrap-Up