DAYS OF KNOWLEDGE ORGANIZATION The Future of the Library Catalog and the ILS Marshall Breeding Director for Innovative Technology and Research Vanderbilt University Library Nashville, TN USA 2 February 2008 Oslo University College

Issues and Questions addressed  Audience: The main target group is librarians wanting an up-date on their field of work  This year we plan to explore the (possible) future of the catalogue/ILS.  What sort of library systems do we foresee?  How can we make the front end systems work better for the end users?  Will/should the local OPACs disappear?  Should we rather put our efforts into developing good centralized services with access to all library resources?  What needs to be done in terms of developing workable backend systems? In Norway there are national plans to develop a centralized search and lending service which will give end user access to a majority of the local library catalogues. We hope our seminar will provide a good starting point for discussing the future landscape.

Library Technology Guides   Repository for library automation data  Lib-web-cats tracks 38,000 libraries and the automation systems used.  Expanding to include more international scope  Announcements and developments made by companies and organizations involved in library automation technologies

Current ILS Products and Business Environment

LJ Automation System Marketplace Annual Industry report published in Library Journal:  2008: Opportunity out of turmoil  2007: An industry redefined  2006: Reshuffling the deck  2005: Gradual evolution  2004: Migration down, innovation up  2003: The competition heats up  2002: Capturing the migrating customer

Upheavals in the library automation arena  Industry Consolidation  Abrupt transitions for major library automation products  Increased industry control by external financial investors  Demise of the traditional OPAC  Frustration with ILS products and vendors  Open Source alternatives hit the mainstream Breeding, Marshall: Perceptions 2008 an international survey of library automation. January 2009.

ILS Industry in Transition  Consolidation through mergers and acquisitions have resulted in a fewer number of players; larger companies  Uncomfortable level of product narrowing  Increased ownership by external interests  Yet: Some companies and products continue on solid ground Breeding, Marshall “Automation system marketplace 2008: Opportunity Out of Turmoil” Library Journal. April 1, 2008.

Product and Technology Trends  Innovation below expectations  Conventional ILS less tenable  Proliferation of products related to e- content management  New genre of discovery-layer interfaces

Web 2.0 / Collaborative Computing  Currently implemented ad hoc  Many libraries putting up blogs, wikis, and fostering engagement in social networking sites  Proliferation of silos with no integration or interoperability with larger library Web presence  Next Gen: Build social and collaborative features into core automation components

The Mandate for Openness

Opportunities for Openness  Open Source Software  Alternative to traditionally licensed software  Open Systems  Software that doesn’t hold data hostage  Open Access to Data and Content  OpenLibrary VS WorldCat?

Open Source Alternatives  Explosive interest in Open Source driven by disillusionment with current vendors and near- evangelical promotion of this software licensing model  Beginning to emerge as a practical option  TOC (Total Cost of Ownership) still roughly equal to proprietary commercial model  Still a risky strategy for libraries – traditional licensing also risky

Open Source ILS enters the mainstream  Earlier era of pioneering efforts to ILS shifting into one where open source alternatives fall in the mainstream  Off-the-shelf, commercially supported product available  Still a minority player, but gaining ground

Open Source Interest by Region  North America: strong  More purchasing by preference  Latin America: growing  Searching for low-cost options  Asia: weak  Europe: Weak to moderate  More structured procurement processes

Open Source ILS options  Koha  Commercial support: LibLime – North America BibLibre -- France  Evergreen  Commercial support from Equinox Software  OPALS  Commercial support from Media Flex

Business case for Open Source ILS  Comparative total cost of ownership  Evaluate features and functionality  Evaluate technology platform and conceptual models  Are they next-generation systems or open source version of legacy models? “Making a Business Case for Open Source ILS.” Marshall Breeding, Computers in Libraries March

Observations on Open Source ILS  Current Open Source ILS products similar in modular organization and functionality to existing systems. Evolving to achieve the same level of features and capacity present in established commercial systems.  Initial wave of Open Source ILS commitments happened mostly in the public library arena. Recent activity among academic libraries:  WALDO Consortium (Voyager > Koha)  University of Prince Edward Island (Unicorn > Evergreen)  Open Source ILS does not result in higher satisfaction  Perceptions 2008: An international survey of library automation  Do the current open source ILS products provide a new model of automation, or an open source version of what we already have?

Impact of Open Source ILS  Some libraries moving from traditionally licensed products to open source products with commercial support plans  Disruption of ILS industry  new pressures on incumbent vendors to deliver more innovation and to satisfy concerns for openness  New competition / More options

More Open Systems  Pressure for traditionally licensed products to become more open  APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) let libraries access and manipulate their data outside of delivered software  A comprehensive set of APIs potentially give libraries more flexibility and control in accessing data and services and in extending functionality than having access to the source code.  Customer access to APIs does not involve as much risk to breaking core system functions, avoids issues of version management and code forking associated with open source models.

A Continuum of Openness

Closed Systems Circulation Acquisitions Cataloging Staff Interfaces: End User Interfaces: Data Stores: Functional modules: No programmable Access to the system. Captive to the user Interfaces supplied by the developer Programmer access:

Standard RDBM Systems Circulation Acquisitions Cataloging Staff Interfaces: End User Interfaces: Data Stores: Functional modules: Database administrators can access data stores involved with the system: Read-only? Read/write? Developer shares database schema Programmer access:

Open Source Model Circulation Acquisitions Cataloging Staff Interfaces: End User Interfaces: Data Stores: Functional modules: All aspects of the system available to inspection and modification. Programmer access:

Open API Model Circulation Acquisitions Cataloging Staff Interfaces: End User Interfaces: Data Stores: Functional modules: Core application closed. Third party developers code against the published APIs or RDBMS tables. Programmer access: Published APIs

Open Source / Open API Model Circulation Acquisitions Cataloging Staff Interfaces: End User Interfaces: Data Stores: Functional modules: Core application closed. Third party developers code against the published APIs or RDBMS tables. Programmer access: Published APIs

Depth of Openness  Evaluate level of access to a products data stores and functional elements:  Open source vs Traditional licenses  Some traditional vendors have well established API implementations  SirsiDynix Unicorn (API available to authorized customer sites that take training program)  Ex Libris: consistent deployment of APIs in major products, recent strategic initiative: “Open Platform Program”  Innovative Interfaces: Patron API; Encore Web services

Next-generation Library Interfaces

Crowded Landscape of Information Providers on the Web  Lots of non-library Web destinations deliver content to library patrons  Google Scholar  Amazon.com  Wikipedia  Ask.com  Do Library Web sites and catalogs meet the information needs of our users?  Do they attract their interest?

The Competition

The best Library OPAC?

Better?

Demand for compelling library interfaces  Urgent need for libraries to offer interfaces their users will like to use  Move into the current millennium  Powerful search capabilities in tune with how the Web works today  Meet user expectations set by other Web destination

Inadequacy of ILS OPACs  Online Catalog modules provided with an ILS subject to broad criticism as failing to meet expectations of growing segments of library patrons.  Not great at delivering electronic content  Complex text-based interfaces  Relatively weak keyword search engines  Lack of good relevancy sorting  Narrow scope of content

Disjointed approach to information and service delivery  Silos Prevail  Books: Library OPAC (ILS module)  Articles: Aggregated content products, e-journal collections  OpenURL linking services  E-journal finding aids (Often managed by link resolver)  Local digital collections ETDs, photos, rich media collections  Metasearch engines  All searched separately

Change underway  Widespread dissatisfaction with most of the current OPACs. Many efforts toward next-generation catalogs and interfaces.  Movement among libraries to break out of the current mold of library catalogs and offer new interfaces better suited to the expectations of library users.  Decoupling of the front-end interface from the back- end library automation system.  Eventual redesign of the ILS to be better suited for current library collections of digital and print content

Scope and Concepts New Generation Discovery Interfaces:

More than the “library catalog”  More comprehensive information discovery environments  It’s no longer enough to provide a catalog limited to print resources  Digital resources cannot be an afterthought  Systems designed for e-content only are also problematic  Forcing users to use different interfaces depending on type of content becoming less tenable  Libraries working toward consolidated user environments that give equal footing to digital and print resources

Comprehensive Discovery Service  Current distributed query model of federated search model not adequate  Expanded scope of search through harvested content  Consolidated search services based on metadata and data gathered in advance (like OAI-PMH)  Problems of scale diminished  Problems of cooperation persist  Federated search currently operates as a plug-in component of next-gen interfaces.

Web 2.0 Flavorings  Strategic infrastructure + Web 2.0  A more social and collaborative approach  Web Tools and technology that foster collaboration  Integrated blogs, wiki, tagging, social bookmarking, user rating, user reviews  Avoid Web 2.0 information silos

The Ideal Scope for Next Gen Library Interfaces  Attempt to collapse silos or draw appropriately from each silo  Unified user experience  A single point of entry into all the content and services offered by the library  Print + Electronic  Local + Remote  Locally created Content  User contributed content?

Interface Features / User Experience  Simple point of entry  Optional advanced search  Relevancy ranked results  Facets for narrowing and navigation  Query enhancement – spell check, etc  Suggested related results / recommendation service  Enriched visual and textual content  Single Sign-on

Relevancy Ranking  Based on advanced search engines specifically designed for relevancy  Endeca, Lucene, FAST, BrainWare, etc  Web users expect relevancy ordered results  The “good stuff” should be listed first  Users tend not to delve deep into a result list  Good relevancy requires a sophisticated approach, including objective matching criteria supplemented by popularity and relatedness factors.

New Paradigm for search and navigation  Let users drill down through the result set incrementally narrowing the field  Faceted Browsing  Drill-down vs up-front Boolean or “Advanced Search”  gives the users clues about the number of hits in each sub topic  Ability to explore collections without a priori knowledge  Visual search tools  Navigational Bread crumbs  Select / deselect facets

Query / Result Enhancement  “Did you mean?” and other features to avoid “No results found”  Validated spell check / query suggestions  Automatic inclusion of authorized and related terms  More like this – recommendation service  Make the query and the response to it better than the query provided

Deep search  Entering post-metadata search era  Increasing opportunities to search the full contents  Google Library Print, Google Publisher, Open Content Alliance, etc.  High-quality metadata will improve search precision  Commercial search providers already offer “search inside the book” and searching across the full text of large book collections  Not currently available through library search environments  Deep search highly improved by high-quality metadata See: Systems Librarian, May 2008 “Beyond the current generation of next-generation interfaces: deeper search”

Beyond Discovery to Fulfillment / Delivery  Fulfillment oriented  Search -> select -> view  Delivery/Fulfillment much harder than discovery  Back-end complexity should be as seamless as possible to the user  Offer services for digital and print content

Current Commercial and Open Source Products New Generation Library Interfaces

Discovery Interface Products  Ex Libris Primo  Innovative Interfaces: Encore  Serials Solutions: Summon (under development)  Medialab Solutions: AquaBrowser  VUFind (open source)  BiblioCommons  eXtensible Catalog (under development)

Next generation ILS

Rethinking the ILS  Fundamental assumption: Print + Digital = Hybrid libraries  Traditional ILS model not adequate for hybrid libraries  Libraries currently moving toward surrounding core ILS with additional modules to handle electronic content  New discovery layer interfaces replacing or supplementing ILS OPACS  Working toward a new model of library automation  Monolithic legacy architectures replaced by fabric of SOA applications  Comprehensive Resource Management “It's Time to Break the Mold of the Original ILS” Computers in Libraries Nov/Dec 2007

ILS: a legacy concept?  ILS = Integrated Library System (Cataloging + Circulation + OPAC + Serials + Acquisitions)  Focused on print and physical inventory  Electronic content at the Journal Title or collection level  Emerged in the 1960’s – 1970’s  Functionality has evolved and expanded, but basic concepts and modules remain intact  Note: Some companies work toward evolving the ILS to competently handle both print and digital content (e.g. Innovative Interfaces)

ILS: ever diminishing role  Many libraries putting much less emphasis on ILS  Just an inventory system for physical materials  Investments in electronic content increasing  Management of e-content handled outside of the ILS  Yet: libraries need comprehensive business automation more than ever. Mandate for more efficient operations. Do more with less.

Dis-integration of Library Automation Functionality  ILS -- Print and Physical inventory  OpenURL Link resolver  Federated Search  Electronic Resource Management Module  Discovery layer interface

Is non-integrated automation sustainable?  Major burden on library personnel  Serial procurement / installation / configuration / maintenance cycles take many years to result in a comprehensive environment  Inefficient data models  Disjointed interfaces for library users  Very long cycle to gain comprehensive automation

Moving toward a new Generation of Library Automation  Are Legacy ILS concepts sustainable?  New automation environment based on current library realities and modern technology platforms  Equal footing for digital and print  Service oriented architecture

Breaking down the modules  Traditional ILS  Cataloging  Circulation  Online Catalog  Acquisitions  Serials control  Reporting  Modern approach: SOA

Service Oriented Architecture

Legacy ILS + e-content modules Federated Search Circulation Acquisitions Cataloging Serials OpenURL Linking Electronic Resource Mgmt System Staff Interfaces: End User Interfaces: Data Stores: Functional modules:

SOA model for business automation  Underlying data repositories  Local or Global  Reusable business services  Composite business applications

SOA for library workflow processes Data Stores: Reusable Business Services Composite Applications Granular tasks:

Comprehensive Resource Management  Broad conceptual approach that proposes a library automation environment that spans all types of content that comprise library collections.  Traditional ILS vendors: Under development but no public announcements  Open Source projects in early phases  Projection: 2-3 years until we begin see library automation systems that follow this approach. 5-7 years for wider adoption.

ILS Reinvention projects  OLE Project  Funded by the Research in Information Technology program of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation  1-year project to produce the requirements for a new approach to library automation  Will embrace the service-oriented architecture  Business process modeling based on library workflows unconstrained from existing legacy software  Possible follow-on project to build and open source reference implementation  Ex Libris URM  Mentioned publically but not formally announced  Working toward new platform that better integrates print and electronic content Probably will be based on some existing products

Large-scale resource sharing

Observations  Trend toward ever larger implementations of library systems  Problems with scale-ability less of a concern than ever before  Many possible approaches  Distributed  Centralized

Distributed systems  Interconnected ILS systems  Union catalogs  Virtual – Z39.50, NCIP, ISO ILL  Physical: harvested and synched NCIP or Z39.50 for real-time holdings Resource sharing or consortial borrowing component

Large-scale centralized environments  Large-scale resource databases that provide discovery, local library automation, and cross- institutional borrowing  COBISS – Slovenia and other Balkan countries  Serves national, university, and public libraries  Increasing interest in state-wide systems in the US  Based on Open source and proprietary software  WorldCat: Global discovery system (and more)

Conclusion: many opportunities  Open source vs proprietary software  New models of library automation that better integrate physical and electronic content  New discovery interfaces to improve end-user experiences  Large-scale systems that enable broad based resource sharing

Questions and Discussion