System Analysis and Library Automation Session 12 LBSC 690 Information Technology

Agenda Questions System analysis Library automation –What do libraries do? –How can computers be used? –What management issues arise? Digital libraries

Solving Large Problems System analysis –How can we know what an organization needs? User-centered design –How can we discern and satisfy user needs? Implementation –How should we build it? Management –How will the organization use our technology?

Systems Analysis Understand the task –Strengths and weaknesses of existing approaches Understand the environment –External factors such as structure of the industry Identify the information flows –e.g., Serials use impacts cancellation policy Design a solution

Library Activities What do libraries do? Which can benefit from automation?

Core Workflow (Information Services) Acquisition –Books, serials, nonprint media, electronic sources Cataloging Search –Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) –Reference service Circulation

Other Core Activities Overdue notices Interlibrary loan Statistics –Door count, circulation, interlibrary loan Collection policy Weeding Preservation

Specialized Services Reserve Recall Special collections Unique provisions for access Document delivery

Support Activities Financial –Fines –Budget Schedule –Personnel –Facilities Personnel records

Analyzing Information Flows Where does information originate? –Might come from multiple sources –Feedback loops may have no identifiable source Which parts should be automated? –Some things are easier to do without computers Which automated parts should be integrated? What other systems are involved? –And what information do they contain?

An Integrated Library System Acquisition Serials Supplier Book Supplier Circulation Cataloging Interlibrary Loan OPAC Library Consortium Patron Order Availability Barcode and Due Date Availability Query Order Hold Search Results Query Search Results Existing Catalog Records New and Revised Records Availability Orders Availability Orders Title, Author, etc Catalog Records Overdue Notices

Implementation Requirements Availability –Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) –Mean Time To Repair (MTTR) Capacity –Number of users for each application –Response time Flexibility –Upgrade path

System Architecture Batch processing –Save it up and do it all at once Useful for recall notices, management reports,... Timesharing –Everyone uses the same machine Simple but expensive design, limited upgrade path Client-server Mobile software agents

Client-Server Data Replication Data A-M Data A-Z Data N-Z Primary Directory Server Alternate Directory Server Client Directory Request Directory response Data request Data response Data request

Client-Server Systems Divided workload improves efficiency –Between client and server and across servers Flexible upgrade paths –More machines, different division of work Good availability –Put the same data on several servers The Web as a client-server system

Automation Management Issues Retrospective conversion –Even converting electronic information is expensive Management information –Peak capacity evaluation, audit trails, etc. –Sometimes costs more to collect than it is worth! Staff training End user training Privacy

What is a “Digital Library” ? A library with digital devices? –OPACs, CDROMs, online search services,... A library with digital content? –Programs, data files, digitized media,... Digital content organized like a library? –Collection policy, cataloging, access, preservation

Advantages of Digital Objects Perfect reproduction –Copies are as good as the original Inexpensive and rapid distribution –Anywhere on the planet Compact storage –Measured in rooms, not buildings Easily searched –With combinations of retrieval and browsing

Hybrid Paper/Digital Libraries Publishing journals on demand DOIs on journal articles Bar codes and chips on paper “Electronic ink”

Agents Defining characteristics of an “agent” –Autonomous –Purposeful –Reactive Mobile Agents: can move around the network –To compute as close to the data as possible –Requires trust and a “reference architecture”

Problems with Digital Objects Display technology is often inadequate –Many tasks are easier on paper than on a screen Some traditional cues are missing –Shiny new book, dog eared pages, … Acquisition and cataloging costs may be inverted –For information that is “born digital” Conversion of existing objects can be expensive –Particularly if full-text searching is desired Long-term access is not assured –Media longevity, hardware and software dependence

Access to Digital Materials End user searching –Retrieval and browsing Expert human inter-mediation –Reference service, information brokering Emergent behavior –Recommender systems

Digital Library Design Exercise Form eight groups of 3 people (project teams?) Choose one digital collection –Two groups for each collection, from the next page Conduct systems analysis –Information flows, selective automation, integration Choose an implementation –Timesharing, client-server, autonomous agents Compare your design with another group

Example Collections “Gray literature” in a discipline –Preprints, technical reports, experiment datasets, … Government documents –Reports, databases, declassified documents, … Internet broadcasting –News, documentaries, public affairs, … Theses and dissertations –Bachelors, masters, doctoral

Digital Libraries and the Internet Digitize the content –BLS, performing arts library,... Develop the standards Dublin CORE SMIL XML-Data

Summary Systems analysis –Required for complex multi-person tasks Implementation –Client-server systems are the present trend Management –Operation can cost more than acquisition Digital libraries –At present, mostly focused on digital collections