NISO Forum: Library Resource Management Systems: New Challenges, New Opportunities (Day One)

NISO on the Road

About this Forum

Libraries have a dizzying array of options for acquiring, implementing, and modifying library resource management systems. The ballooning number of choices reflects the changing character of this marketplace. Commercial vendors now compete not only with each other, but also with widely-publicized open source offerings. When evaluating new and existing systems, libraries attempt to balance sometimes conflicting needs:

  • Maintain functionality for staff / Offer usable interfaces for patrons
  • Preserve local individuality / Profit from shared practices
  • Cope with shrinking resources / Crave more development input
  • Value external service and support / Appraise the advantages of internal creative freedom

Join NISO for a two-day forum in which we will consider these issues' consequences for customers, users, vendors, and developers. During this event, we will:

  • Explore the effects of changes to the library community on system suppliers' business models
  • Compare the benefits and disadvantages of commercial and open-source systems through real libraries' experiences
  • Examine the implications of placing library systems in the cloud
  • Address the need for interoperability between library management systems and other systems at work in the library
  • Consider how information standards can help all stakeholders cope with this shifting terrain

Attendees at all levels of system involvement and expertise will find thought-provoking discussion and ample opportunity to share ideas with the library, vendor, and developer communities.

To view the agenda for Day Two of this forum, click here.

Event Sessions

Continental Breakfast

8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.

Welcome & Introductions

Speaker

9:00 a.m. - 9:15 a.m.

Keynote Presentation: Toward Service-Oriented Librarianship

Speaker

9:15 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.:

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 ExLibris is developing in response to the changes we see.

What do libraries want to achieve with their library systems?

Speakers

Robert Gerrity

Associate University Librarian for Systems and Information Technology
Boston College Libraries

Kevin Kidd

Library Applications and Systems Manager
Boston College Libraries

10:15 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.:

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

Break

11:00 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.

User Perspectives: How Our Patrons Interact with Our Services

Speaker

Judy Briden

Digital Librarian for Public Services
University of Rochester, River Campus Libraries

11:15 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.:

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.

XC User Research Preliminary Report

Lunch

12:00 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.

Build it Yourself or Buy it?

Speakers

John Culshaw

Professor and Associate Director for Administrative Services
University of Colorado at Boulder Libraries

Art Rhyno

Head, Systems Department, Leddy Library
University of Windsor

1:15 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.:

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

    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)

    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.

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

Speakers

Andrew Nagy

Director of Software Innovation
EBSCO Information Services

2:00 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.:

  • 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 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.

Break

2:45 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.

Bringing Open Source to the Library: Lessons Learned

Speaker

Annette Bailey

Digital Assets Librarian
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech)

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

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.

Library Management Systems Business Models Roundtable

Speakers

Neil Block

Vice President
Worldwide Sales, Innovative Interfaces, Inc.

Carl Grant

Chief Technology Officer and Associate University Librarian for Knowledge Services
University of Oklahoma

4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.:

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

Panelists:

Additional Information

  • Early bird rates are offered until October 1, 2009.
  • Registration closes October 5, 2009. After that date call the NISO office to arrange for registration at the regular rate. A processing fee of $50 will be added to each on-site registration.
  • Cancellations made by October 5, 2009 will receive a full refund less a $50 processing fee. After that date, there are no refunds.
  • Registration includes a continental breakfast and lunch. Notify the NISO office if you have any dietary restrictions (301-654-2512).
  • Students should submit proof of enrollment when registering. Please contact the NISO office(301-654-2512) with questions.