Industry News
Saturday Jan 28, 2012 
20 most recent items:
January 27, 2012. Softlink leaps into the mobile world with Hermes. Local Australian software developer Softlink has leapt their competition and introduced a full suite of mobile computing features to their customer base titled Hermes. The Hermes communication suite will allow students and teaching professionals access to Oliver information and content though their mobile (multiple) devices. Softlink provides 21st century resource management systems (such as Oliver) which are used in school libraries and iCentres worldwide, including over 50 percent of Australian schools. <<more>>
January 26, 2012. ARL releases Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for academic and research libraries. The Association of Research Libraries announces the release of the Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Academic and Research Libraries, a clear and easy-to-use statement of fair and reasonable approaches to fair use developed by and for librarians who support academic inquiry and higher education. The Code was developed in partnership with the Center for Social Media and the Washington College of Law at American University. <<more>>
January 26, 2012. ByWater Solutions Names Nicole C. Engard VP of Education. ByWater Solutions announced the promotion of Nicole C. Engard to Vice President of Education. Nicole started with ByWater Solutions in September of 2009 and in that time she has educated hundreds of librarians on the use of their new Koha ILS installations. In her new role, Nicole will continue to manage education efforts for the company with a new focus on teaching librarians the nature of open source and how they can participate in community efforts. She will also continue in her role as Documentation Manager for the official Koha ILS project and help with supporting those using Koha in their libraries. <<more>>
January 26, 2012. Credo Reference Introduces Literati by Credo. Credo Reference announced that their new solution "Literati by Credo" is now available to libraries worldwide. Literati by Credo is a collaborative research platform that promotes research effectiveness and information literacy by combining Credo’s well-regarded content with innovative library-centric technology. Beyond the platform, Literati by Credo offers customized tools and services, so that libraries can brand and enhance their end-user experience. <<more>>
January 26, 2012. Huntsville Public Library live on LibLime Koha. LibLime announced that the Hunstville Public Library has successfully migrated to LibLime Koha. Huntsville Public Library staff worked with LibLime’s project management staff on data migration, system configuration, and training. LibLime also provided Huntsville with data conversion services and training. <<more>>
January 26, 2012. Koha 3.6.3 is now available. koha-community.org announced the release of Koha 3.6.3 <<more>>
January 25, 2012. Ex Libris Releases Aleph Version 21. Ex Libris announced that version 21 of the Aleph integrated library system has been released to the Aleph community of over 2,300 sites. Among the release’s 74 enhancements are numerous features that reduce the total cost of ownership, such as improving cash workflows and simplifying renewals of serial encumbrances. Other enhancements will provide an enhanced experience for end-users—for example, users may make borrowing requests for multiple items, view their request history, and view availability information by collection. <<more>>
January 25, 2012. Equinox Software announces Canadian subsidiary. Equinox Software, Inc. announced the formation of a wholly-owned Canadian-based subsidiary, Equinox Library Services Canada. ELSC was formed in response to Canadian libraries requesting that ILS systems be physically located in Canada; all ESLC hosting services will be provided from a Toronto datacenter. ELSC will also provide implementation, support, training, and other services for Evergreen and Koha. <<more>>
January 24, 2012. Fighting poverty together: Open Repository partners with Oxfam . Oxfam GB has adopted Open Repository – the service from open access specialist BioMed Central, which allows organizations to build, launch, host and maintain their own repositories. While Oxfam is best known for its anti-poverty programme and campaigning work, the organization also produces vital research and policy materials from its experience across the world. Through the implementation of the Open Repository system, Oxfam is now able to maximize the distribution of this documentation in a one-stop personalised repository - at a fraction of the cost of other commercial systems. <<more>>
January 24, 2012. Copyright Clearance Center introduces Motion Picture License in partnership with the Motion Picture Licensing Corporation. opyright Clearance Center announced the launch of its Motion Picture License in partnership with the Motion Picture Licensing Corporation. The Motion Picture License is a solution which enables employees to legally show movies and TV shows from more than 400 producers from around the world and all major Hollywood studios within their organizations for sales meetings, company functions, employee training and development programs, conferences, and more while respecting the rights of content creators. The License also saves time and money by reducing the need to pursue individual permissions and minimizes the risk of unintended copyright infringement. <<more>>
January 23, 2012. Tillamook County Library (OR) selects Millennium. Innovative announced that Tillamook County Library in Tillamook, Oregon has selected the Millennium ILS along with the Encore discovery application. As a member of the newly formed OCEAN consortium, the Tillamook County Library will share its system with two partner libraries: Newport Public Library in Newport, OR and Driftwood Library in Lincoln City, OR. The Library has also selected a suite of products, including AirPAC for Smartphones, Reporter, and Content Pro to provide a complete solution to support its community of patrons. <<more>>
January 21, 2012. VTLS Celebrates 2011 Successes. VTLS celebrated the coming of the New Year with the launch of Virtua at the Hong Kong Public Library, marking the successful end of a 21-month project. The project involved substantial software customization to meet HKPL’s operational requirements. In all, 309 specific customizations were designed and delivered. The launch of Virtua at one of the world's busiest libraries concluded a successful year that included the launch of exciting new product offerings as well as many new system implementations. In addition to Hong Kong Public Libraries VTLS installed 13 Virtua ILS systems, 12 Chamo Social OPAC’s, 2 ChaVis Global Discovery systems, 1 Visualizer and 3 new Fastrac RFID systems. The launch of VITAL Media introduced a new concept in digital asset management, focusing on management and version control for real-world digital media publishing. The introduction of Vitation provides flexible citation management for Virtua and VITAL customers but is designed to also work with other web OPACs. Finally, the packaging and expansion of our Drupal services has produced custom Drupal modules that can be implemented as an alternative OPAC, while associated Drupal consulting and development services are now available from VTLS to help libraries use Drupal to unify their website and web applications. <<more>>
January 21, 2012. OCLC establishes strategic partnership with Sustainable Collection Services . OCLC has established a strategic partnership with Sustainable Collection Services, LLC, an organization founded by the principals of R2 Consulting, that leverages WorldCat data to help libraries intelligently manage their print monograph collections. Sustainable Collection Services makes use of the WorldCat Search API to provide decision-support for collection assessment, deselection, and shared print projects. The firm’s data-driven services enable carefully-managed drawdown of low-use print monographs while supporting resource sharing and print archiving efforts. The SCS service leverages WorldCat data, the largest aggregation of bibliographic data in the world, as a primary source for deselection metadata. Access to this data is enabled by the OCLC WorldShare Platform, which exposes OCLC’s Web services and data for use and reuse by third party partners. <<more>>
January 21, 2012. Web-Scale management solution has a new name: Intota. The discovery and management family of services from Serials solutions has a name: it will be called Intota <<more>>
January 21, 2012. TLC, OverDrive partner to provide MARC records. The Library Corporation and OverDrive announced an agreement that enables OverDrive customers to order high-quality TLC MARC records and cataloging services simultaneously with their digital OverDrive materials. Using TLC's streamlined BiblioFile OnDemand technology, MARC records for e-books, audiobooks, and music and video titles will be prepared and delivered directly to each OverDrive library ready to import in just a few days. Final testing is under way and is expected to go live very soon. <<more>>
January 20, 2012. Primo Central Index to provide full-text search in renowned HathiTrust collection . Ex Libris announced that a new agreement with HathiTrust will enable library users to carry out full-text searches of the HathiTrust collection via the Primo Central Index of scholarly e-content. Users are already able to search the collection’s metadata, which was previously indexed in Primo Central. <<more>>
January 20, 2012. Polaris Library Systems continues strong growth; reaches 59 signed contracts in 2011. Polaris Library Systems announced that it ends 2011 with a total of 59 signed contracts, up from 27 signed contracts in 2010. These contracts represent a total of 285 new library locations and 41 new customers for the year. Polaris has experienced steady growth over the last several years by expanding its customer base and growing its business with current customers. High customer satisfaction ratings – for both the Polaris ILS and its service and support – have helped the company consistently earn new business from both public and academic libraries. <<more>>
January 20, 2012. Polaris Library Systems debuts new products, new staff and enhancements to customer support at ALA Midwinter 2012. Polaris Library Systems is exhibiting at the American Library Association Midwinter Meeting in Dallas. Booth number 1323 features a new design, manned with some new staff members, and offers attendees a sneak peek at the latest version of the Polaris ILS, version 4.1. In addition, the company is offering visitors a walk-through of its new customer extranet, PolarisTown. <<more>>
January 20, 2012. Auto-Graphics releases new version of VERSO ILS software at ALA Midwinter 2012. Auto-Graphics announced that it will be showcasing Version 3.9 of its VERSO integrated library system at the ALA Midwinter Meeting 2012 in Dallas, TX. Part of the AGent family of Library Automation Software & Solutions, Version 3.9 incorporates nearly 200 enhancements to the VERSO system with improvements to the User Administration, Circulation, Serials, Acquisitions and Cataloging functions. These new features are a direct result of customer feedback and are focused on streamlining workflow, improving speed and providing better cohesion between modules. <<more>>
January 20, 2012. Serials Solutions Summon Service continues its mission of returning researchers to the Library . Serials Solutions commemorates the anniversary of introducing the Summon service at the American Library Association Midwinter meeting in 2009. In just three years, the service has grown its unified index, from 200 million items to more than 800 million and built a client base from 2 beta partners to a list that now tops 400 institutions worldwide. More than 30% of Association of Research Libraries’members have adopted it, making it the most popular discovery service among these thought leaders. The Summon service delivers one search box, one set of results, one path to the library’s most relevant content – and it continues to deliver new features aimed at exceeding expectations. <<more>>
January 20, 2012. Hong Kong Public Libraries launch Virtua and Chamo. VTLS announced that the Hong Kong Public Libraries, one of the largest public library systems in the world, is now live on Virtua. The public launch of the new Virtua system occurred on December 27, and was announced by the Hong Kong Secretary for Home Affairs as a New Year’s present for the people of Hong Kong. The Virtua implementation includes all of the ILS features of Virtua as well as the Chamo Social OPAC running on Hewlett-Packard hardware configured to support HKPL’s 59 million annual circulations and 3.8 million patrons. <<more>>
The Library Technology Guides website aims to provide comprehensive and objective
information related to the field of library automation.
It provides information on the technology products, companies, and trends that impact libraries.
Whether you are in the process of selecting a library automation system,
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LITA Technology and Industry Interest Group
“Bringing service organizations, vendors, IT providers, librarians, and library technologists together to discuss industry and technology trends.”
The newly organized LITA Technology and Industry Interest will meet at the ALA Midwinter Meeting:
Date: Saturday, January 21
Time: 10:30 – 12 noon
Place: Dallas Convention Center A303
Co-Chairs: Marshall Breeding (Vanderbilt University), Matt Goldner (OCLC)
The LITA and Technology Interest Group has been constituted to bring together members from companies and other organizations that produce technology-oriented products and services with members from libraries that depend on them. This IG facilitates the partnerships inherent in the relationship between vendors, including both commercial companies and non-profit organizations and libraries. It spans those involved in proprietary and open source software. These partnerships include involvement in collaborative development of new technology products, beta testing arrangements, involvement with API toolkits or other development platform, and a variety of other activities.
Topics that might be addressed by the Interest Group might include:
- Strategies for strengthening positive relationships between libraries and their technology partners
- Working toward more coherent API frameworks across heterogeneous product environments
- Facilitating library involvement at earlier stages of product development
- Establishing reasonable expectations regarding vendor support and involvement at library conferences and encouraging libraries to engage with vendors at conferences in ways that increase the value of the investments made in exhibit rental, receptions, and sponsorships.
- Plan a program for the Annual Conference that highlights these topics and stimulates a dialog between libraries and industry representatives.
IG Web site: www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/lita/involve/igs/industry/lit-igven.cfm
E-Mail List: lists.ala.org/sympa/info/lita-industryig
Marshall Breeding Jan 3, 2012 19:27:19 Link to this thread
Respond to the International Library Automation Perceptions Survey
There is still time to respond to the International Library Automation Perceptions Survey conducted through Library Technology Guides. The survey will remain open for data collection through January 13, 2012. If your library has not yet responded, please take a few minutes to complete this brief survey. I also encourage you to write any comments that you might have that reflect your experiences and that you feel that other libraries should know when considering this product.
This survey collects what I hope will be useful information to help libraries become better informed about automation products available and the organizations involved with them. It’s important to have as much information as possible when making strategic decisions regarding the automation products that might best serve the library in the future. This survey collects data measuring the degree of satisfaction that libraries experience with their current automation systems and the organizations that support them and probes at their interest in current trends such as open source automation systems or the implementation of discovery products.
While the survey responses in the past four years have been dominated by libraries in the United States, I hope to increase the numbers from other regions. Toward this goal, I’ve been able to have colleagues produce translations of the survey invitation in Spanish, Italian, and Chinese. Thanks to Nieves González, Giulio Bonanome, and Nie Hua for their work. A broader international response will help increase awareness of the many automation products used in libraries outside the United States and whether the feel well served by these products.
Note that only one response per library is allowed. I do allow responses from each branch or facility associated with a library, but not from the same individual, as defined by unique e-mail address. You should work directly in the library for which you respond. I encourage each response to be considered as much as possible as an institutional response, not necessarily just the impressions of a single individual.
These survey and the reports based on their response data make an impact. Not only does it provide information for libraries to use as one element of their investigation processes for technology products, but they provide a mechanism for feedback to the organizations that develop and support the systems.
For more information and instructions on how to participate:
- Participate in the Perceptions 2011 International Library Automation Survey
- Participa en la encuesta internacional del 2011: Percepciones sobre los sistemas de automatización de bibliotecas
- Partecipa all'Indagine Internazionale 2011 sulle Percezioni nel campo dell'Automazione Bibliotecaria
- 请参加 2011年度观察：国际图书馆自动化调查
Marshall Breeding Dec 12, 2011 12:14:00 Link to this thread
请参加 2011年度观察：国际图书馆自动化调查
在过去的四年中，根据参与调查的图书馆对于所使用的核心自动化产品的质量以及服务的满意度的观察，共完成四个年度调查报告，详见 2010年度观察：国际图书馆自动化调查, 2009年度观察：国际图书馆自动化调查, 2008年度观察：国际图书馆自动化调查 和 2007年度观察：国际图书馆自动化调查.
现在开始收集2011年度调查的数据。这是图书馆对于其所使用的图书馆自动化集成管理系统系列产品，厂商，维护与支持服务的质量等发表观察和评论的一个机会。比如，厂商的服务有所改善还是更加令人失望？该调查也探寻向新系统迁移的考虑，以及在何种程度和兴趣上，考虑使用开源的ILS产品等。数量化的评分将支持该研究的统计结果，同时，描述性的评论对于目前的图书馆自动化产品和服务的满意度提供更为深入的信息。
在此邀请您参与本调查。您所提供的有关图书馆自动化方面，包括厂商表现，产品质量等各方面的信息都将有助于该方面的策略研究和决策。我们希望能够有大量的调查数据以便强化本调查的影响并支持相关报告。
注：如果您已经参与了往年度的调查，请继续参与本年度的调查。了解相关的变化，更好或者反之，非常重要。
与往年度的调查一样，每个图书馆只提供一份答卷，即提供一次数据。图书馆馆员可能会有各自不同的想法和见解，请您尽量代表您的图书馆的广泛意见。
如何参与调查
调查直接链接到lib-web-cats目录，这样调查数据将与图书馆的基本数据和信息建立联系。
- 在lib-web-cats上查找您所在的图书馆:
- 选择并查看您所在的图书馆的信息
- 按此按钮完成本调查 button
- 完成调查表单并填写您的评论
查看您所在的图书馆的信息时，请修改并补充任何不准确或者不完整的信息。
如果您所在的图书馆尚未在lib-web-cats上注册，请在此提交 提交 您的图书馆的信息。
[translated by Nie Hua]
Marshall Breeding Dec 11, 2011 13:41:12 Link to this thread
Partecipa all'Indagine Internazionale 2011 sulle Percezioni nel campo dell'Automazione Bibliotecaria
Negli ultimi 4 anni ho condotto un sondaggio e scritto una relazione sulle percezioni delle biblioteche riguardo alla qualità dei principali prodotti per l'automazione che usano e la loro soddisfazione del servizio che ricevono: Perceptions 2010: An International Survey of Library Automation, Perceptions 2009: An International Survey of Library Automation, Perceptions 2008: An International Survey of Library Automation and Perceptions 2007: An International Survey of Library Automation.
E' arrivato il momento di raccogliere i dati per l'edizione 2011 del sondaggio. Per le biblioteche questa è un'opportunità per esprimere la loro opinione rispetto al prodotto ILS che usano, al rivenditore e alla qualità del supporto ricevuto. Il servizio di assistenza è migliorato o peggiorato? L'indagine indaga anche le possibilità di migrazione verso nuovi sistemi e l'interesse nei confronti di ILS open source. Mentre le misurazioni quantitative sono alla base dei risultati statistici dello studio, sono i commenti lasciati che offrono una maggiore comprensione dell'attuale grado di soddisfazione dell'automazione bibliotecaria.
Rispondendo al questionario, aiuterete tutti i vostri colleghi bibliotecari che si troveranno a valutare opzioni di automazione. Qualsiasi informazione circa le prestazioni del rivenditore e la qualità del prodotto potrebbe essere d'aiuto nel compiere decisioni strategiche riguardanti alternative d'automazione. Un vasto numero di risposte rafforzerà l'impatto dell'indagine e della successiva relazione.
Nota: se avete risposto a edizioni precedenti dell'indagine, vi invito a rispondere anche quest'anno. Sarà d'aiuto per capire se le cose stanno migliorando o peggiorando.
Così come per le precedenti versioni del sondaggio è concessa una sola risposta per biblioteca. Anche se ciascuna persona che lavora nella biblioteca potrebbe avere le proprie opinioni, cercate di rispondere tenendo in considerazione l'esperienza generale della biblioteca.
Come partecipare
Il sondaggio vincola ogni risposta alla registrazione della biblioteca nella directory lib-web-cats. Questa connessione permette di correlare le risposte con il vasto numero di biblioteche elencate in lib-web-cats.
- Trova la tua biblioteca in lib-web-cats:
- Seleziona e vedi la voce per la tua biblioteca
- Premi il pulsante button
- Completa il modulo e scrivi i tuoi commenti!
Quando vi trovate nella pagina della biblioteca all'interno di lib-web-cats, per favore controllate eventuali informazioni incomplete o imprecise e fatemi sapere se ci fosse bisogno di correzioni.
Se la biblioteca non è elencata in lib-web-cats, per favore inviatemi le sue informazioni.
[Translated by Giulio Bonanome]
Marshall Breeding Dec 3, 2011 16:15:35 Link to this thread
Participa en la encuesta internacional del 2011: Percepciones sobre los sistemas de automatización de bibliotecas
En los últimos cuatro años, he estado realizando un estudio y publicando un informe sobre la percepción que tienen las bibliotecas en relación a la calidad de los productos básicos de su SIGB y del servicio de soporte que reciben: Perceptions 2010: An International Survey of Library Automation, Perceptions 2009: An International Survey of Library Automation, Perceptions 2008: An International Survey of Library Automation and Perceptions 2007: An International Survey of Library Automation.
Ya es momento de recopilar los datos para el informe de este año. Para las bibliotecas, representa una oportunidad el hecho de poder expresar sus opiniones acerca de los sistemas que usan, el proveedor y la calidad del soporte que reciben, si está mejorando o empeorando. Otros aspectos que recoge la encuesta son los proyectos futuros de migración a nuevos sistemas y el nivel de interés que despiertan los SIGB en código abierto.
Aunque la encuesta aporta unos baremos en base a datos estadísticos cuantitativos, sin embargo son los comentarios cualitativos los que ofrecen un panorama más real del grado de satisfacción que tienen las bibliotecas con sus sistemas de automatización.
Al responder a la encuesta, ayuda a otras bibliotecas que estén en proceso de selección de un sistema de automatización de bibliotecas. Cualquier información en relación a los proveedores o sobre la calidad del producto, puede ser de utilidad cuando se están tomando decisiones estratégicas sobre alternativas en la automatización. A mayor número de respuestas, el impacto de la encuesta será mayor así como el informe resultante.
Nota: Si ya ha respondido a esta encuesta en años anteriores, por favor vuelva a responderla este año y ayúdenos a identificar cualquier tendencia que esté mejorando o empeorando tanto los productos como el servicio de soporte.
¿Cómo participar?
La encuesta vincula cada respuesta al directorio de bibliotecas lib-web-cats. Esta conexión ofrece la posibilidad de relacionar respuestas con la amplia lista de bibliotecas de lib-web-cats.
- Encuentre su biblioteca en lib-web-cats
- Seleccione y busque su biblioteca en el listado
- Pulse el botón button
- Complete el formulario y escriba sus comentarios
Cuando vea su biblioteca en el listado de lib-web-cats, compruebe que toda la información es correcta y completa y envíeme en caso contrario los cambios necesarios.
Si su biblioteca no aparece en el listado, por favor envíeme la información.
[Translated by Nieves González]
Marshall Breeding Nov 27, 2011 16:01:44 Link to this thread
Participate in the Perceptions 2011 International Library Automation Survey
For the last four years I have conducted a survey and written a report on the perceptions that libraries form of the quality of the core automation products they use and their satisfaction with the service they receive: Perceptions 2010: An International Survey of Library Automation, Perceptions 2009: An International Survey of Library Automation, Perceptions 2008: An International Survey of Library Automation and Perceptions 2007: An International Survey of Library Automation.
It's time to collect data for the 2011 edition of the survey. This is an opportunity for libraries to register their perceptions of the ILS product they use, its vendor, and the quality of support delivered. Is support getting better or worse? The survey also probes at considerations for migrating to new systems and the level of interest in open source ILS. While the numeric rating scales support the statistical results of the study, it’s the comments offered that provide the most insight into the current state of library automation satisfaction.
Please help your fellow libraries who might be in the process of evaluating library automation options by responding to the survey. Any information regarding vendor performance and product quality can be helpful when making strategic decisions regarding automation alternatives. A large number of responses strengthen the impact of the survey and the subsequent report.
Note: If you have responded to previous editions of the survey, please give your responses again this year. It’s helpful to understand whether things are getting better or worse.
As with the previous versions of the survey, only one response per library is allowed. While all the individuals that work in a library may have their own opinions, please respond to the extent that you can from the general experiences of your library.
How to participate
The survey links each response to the listing for a library in the lib-web-cats directory. This connection provides the ability to correlate responses with the extensive library demographic data in lib-web-cats.
- Find your library in lib-web-cats:
- Select and view the listing for your library
- Press the button
- Complete the form and write in your comments!
When viewing the entry for your library in lib-web-cats, please check for any incomplete or inaccurate information and let me know of any needed changes.
If your library isn't listed in lib-web-cats, please submit its information.
Marshall Breeding Nov 14, 2011 14:18:46 Link to this thread
¿Por qué Marshall Breeding es bibliotecario?
I was in Santiago Chile to speak at Innovatics2011, one of the more interesting and engaging conference in which I’ve had a chance to participate. Upon arriving in Santiago, three of us took the opportunity to tour around the city center to see some of the architecture, parks, and scenery. The view of the city from the top of one of the hills in a park was particularly spectacular. It was great to get to know two new colleagues also there to speak at the conference, Nieves Gonzalez, an expert in social marketing in libraries from Seville and Javier Leiva Aquilera head of a company called Catorze Asesoria Internet. We had lunch in one of the main plazas, during which Nieves recorded a quick video interview. Nieves posed the same question to me as she does to others in her collection of interviews: “how did you become a librarian?”
Marshall Breeding Nov 1, 2011 18:27:15 Link to this thread
Thanks for the video, Marshall. Interesting to hear about your career! RReitzel
Regina Reitzel Nov 17, 2011 08:54:47
Caveat and Credit
Library Technology Guides was created and is edited by Marshall Breeding, the Director for Innovative Technologies and Research at the Jean and Alexander Heard Library at Vanderbilt University. He is solely responsible for all content on this site, and for any errors it may contain. Please notify him if you find any errors or omissions.
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