Gregynog 2012

Shared Library Systems ..progress in Wales

Mark HughesHead of CollectionsSwansea University

@Mark_H_Swansea

Why do ‘shared services’?

• Open up collaborative opportunities

• Avoid duplication of effort

• Avoid re-inventing the wheel

• Greater use of distributed knowledge

• Economies of scale

• Cloud Computing?

• .. drive down costs

http://dailyhaggis.com/2007/07/22/i-can-has-cheeseburger/

The UK context : Sconul / HEFCE / JISC• £12.5 million

HEFCE funding

• JISC / Sconul LMS Study

• JISC ‘Knowledge Base+’ service

• Recent project funding streams..

Welsh HE Library Systems: perfect timing?

• £600k+ p.a. expenditure

• LMS’ in use are ageing

• New functionality requirements

• Institutional mergers & co-operation

• Multiple institutions ‘reviewing position’

• New market options

http://500px.com/photo/6276618

Work done so far…

• CyMAL funding Sept 2011

• Projects for Public Library and HE sectors

• Feasibility study completed Jan 2012

• Overall ‘pro’ shared LMS with caveats

• but..posed as many questions as it answered…

CILIP Cymru 2011

What do we want from a shared LMS?• Robust & reliable shared platform

• Options to share data at different levels

• Options to co-operate in other ways

• Options to manage all of our resource types – print and electronic

• Improve services to our end users

• Improve library workflows

• Reduce / control our overall cost of ownership

Shared LMS: the marketplace

• Cloud solution = centrally hosted / shared

• ‘Traditional LMS’ available as ‘cloud’ solutions or local hosting

• Open Source options

• ‘Next Generation’ systems

Open Source• No ‘owner’ – community driven

development & control

• Standards support - open accessibility

• Sharing of expertise & knowledge

• International co-operation & community base

• Freedom & flexibility vs responsibility

• Full required functionality? Risk?

‘Next Gen’ Cloud Systems• Hosted & proprietary

service only

• ‘Next Generation’ software

• Data sharing options built in

• Uniform resource management (print and e)

• Total cost of ownership lower?

Current Generation Systems• Proprietary but various

hosting options

• Mature functionality

• Require additional software e.g. Electronic Resource Management

• Current market prices lower than ever

• Is this a step sideways?

The next stage…• JISC ‘Digital Infrastructure’

funding

• July 12 – Jan 13 project

• Dedicated project manager

• ‘..answer the difficult questions..’

• Examine wider infrastructure options & impact

• Provide detailed business case for institutional & wider use

Thank you

www.slideshare.net/Mark_H_Swansea

m.j.hughes@swansea.ac.uk

http://www.netvibes.com/mark_h_swansea