TOOLS, PROCESSES, AND PRODUCTS Technology in Academic Libraries.
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Transcript of TOOLS, PROCESSES, AND PRODUCTS Technology in Academic Libraries.
TOOLS, PROCESSES, AND PRODUCTS
Technology in Academic Libraries
Technology Topics2
Systems & MethodsResources & ServicesDevices & Device Related IssuesSocial Networking & User-Generated ContentPolicy Issues
Purpose of Technology3
The ends? Increased productivity for both user and staff 24/7/365 access and availability
The means? Application of evolving technologies evidenced
by modernization transformation decentralization
Life Cycle4
We employ life cycles to implement and manage IT as an infrastructure:
Planning Strategic and long term plans Technology plan
Budgeting Initial Costs
Cost models and financing, such as buy or lease? Recurring Costs
Life Cycle5
InvestigationNegotiation/AcquisitionInstallationTrainingEvaluation
Does it work? How do we know?
Upgrade, migrate, or replace
Life Cycle6
Operations Staffing
Increasingly skilled Internal relationships with other campus information
technology providers Licensing of access and availability
Use of proxies
Accountability How do you measure and report a “hit”?
Life Cycles7
The most important aspect of the life cycle is the ongoing evaluation of the effectiveness and efficiency of the system must be aware of when it is time to consider upgrade,
migrate, replace or abandon Keep a technology beyond its usefulness and you lose
both effectiveness and efficiency As a result: accountability and credibility suffers
IT: Modernize and Transform8
Modernization and transformation important and visible concepts
Modernization Use of computers to replicate tasks
such as acquisitions, cataloging, circulation Idea is to improve efficiencies
Transformation Fundamentally altering the nature of the organization
and/or the services it provides
IN ACADEMIC LIBRARIES
9
History of Technology
Historical Overview: 1960s-70s10
Libraries offered some of the first public access to technology: Dummy terminals connected to mainframes which
supported workflow of backroom operations or created systems of local inventory
Development of databases that could store massive amounts of information centrally which could be accessed worldwide. Dialog becomes first commercial online database in
1972
Historical Overview: 1970s-80s11
• Local inventory systems built on ordering, acquisition, and cataloging of materials= move to integrated library systems
Commercial development of library systems Library systems became “off-the-shelf”, using
parameter tables to locally customize systems to modernize applications, such as circulation
Historical Overview 1980s12
Minis and Microcomputers Use of CD-ROMs for bibliographic data by a librarian
(Murphy – BiblioFile) Networking
OS appears – UNIX Serial internal from muxes to terminals
Computer labs became common on college campuses Productivity software leading to office suites
IT: Transformation13
1990s: Transformation BeginsTransformation
Fundamentally altering the nature of the organization through these capabilities
Examples: Providing user access to full text content stored remotely
from the library Distance education opportunities
IT: Transformation14
Microcomputers and supermicros Now called multiprocessors
Internet to colleges via NSF grantsGUIs (Macs and Windows)Web browsers (Mosaic Firefox)ISPs (dialups such as AOL)Full text availability
IT: Transformation15
E-everything (books, journals, reserves, etc.)Wireless networksMobile ubiquitous phonesClient/servers
Simple definition: client requests and server provides over standard communication protocols
IT: Transformation16
Hand heldsDigital librariesCustomized access
My library portal
Movement of reference into virtual
Transformation = application of learning/user centered technology
IT: Transformation17
We could not achieve transformation without:
Standards NISO Z39.2: Bibliographic Information
Interchange Format (MARC) NISO Z39.50: Information Retrieval Application
Service (interoperability) TCP/IP: Terminal Control Program/Internet
Protocol HTTP SGML (HTML and XML)
IT: Transformation18
Integrated Library System All modules share a single bibliographic database Share a common command language Changes in one module are immediately reflected in
all other modules which use that informationThe OPAC is an example of a transformational
application to “user centered” technology.
IT: Decentralization19
Movement from automating staff and backroom functions to providing direct services to end users through technology
Reduce staff mediation and replace with end user empowerment
IT: Decentralization20
As a result of decentralization:The library is “virtual”
Resources available 24/7/365 Not the same as a digital library
Reduced or, in some instances, eliminated barriers and boundaries of geography and time Distance education (Asynchronous) Digital reference
IT: Decentralization21
Decentralization also impacts:Instruction technology
Becomes much more complicated Transformational to learning and teaching
Information literacy Skills are needed by users to effectively access,
retrieve AND evaluate information, especially its quality
IT: Decentralization22
Authentication Need to authenticate remote users to comply with
information vendor licenses Often done through proxy servers, many mounted on
ILS (use of patron records)
Security Application of firewalls Why? To ensure continuity of services to end users
Times, They Are A Changing …23
Because of modernization, transformation and decentralization, the academic library has changed, evidenced in part by its: organizational structure staffing
fear of the unknown and uncertainty position descriptions
communication methods services offered (remote access; proxies, etc.) cooperation with other information services
IT: Change24
Management issues and challenges must be dealt with or we will become extinct Accountability and evaluation Assessment of student learning outcomes Perceptions:
University administrators really think that everything is on the Web
Also think that libraries are becoming ghost towns
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
25
It trends & Challenges
Trends and Challenges26
Systems and Methods Catalog- Next generation catalogs
http://sccl.bibliocommons.com/ http://cat.danburylibrary.org/
Discovery-to-delivery tools Customization/personalization
Devices Smartphones/handhelds/ebooks Location-based services (privacy issues) Pushing content to mobile devices Designing (webpages, apps, etc) for mobile devices
Trends and Challenges27
Resources, Publishing, & Services Libraries as publishers Digitization opportunities and challenges OpenURL (connecting to accessible material) Metadata harvesting Metasearching
http://www.dogpile.com BC Library Holmes (
http://library.bc.edu/F?local_base=BC_CATALOG) Automated Reference Semantic Web
Hakia (http://hakia.com) Gaming Technology
Trends and Challenges28
Social Media and User-Generated Content Preservation of new media (end-user content) Citizen journalism Participation- e.g. tagging library content
Trends and Challenges29
Policy Issues Digital divide Privacy is dead (?) Open source/content/access Copyright Self-publishing Openness, sharing content DRM
The Future30
The so what: focus has, and will continue to shift from the place (the library) to providing services directly to the clientele (in anyplace)
IT is Cyclical ….31
Modernize Transformation
thenWe modernize a transformation
an example: PDFs over full text ASCII
That, in turns, leads to another transformation.
Therefore, the ultimate future is:32
Virtual Reality Sit at home and physically browse a book remotely
stored Eliminates the criticism “well, I can’t read it in bed
…” Contextual experience 3D reference chats
We may never leave home ……. except for the need of the “human moment”
IT: System33
Information technology is a means to an end, not the end in itself. It is a tool to improve efficiencies and to increase effectiveness