THE IMPACT OF RFID ON
LIBRARY MANAGEMENT
SYSTEMS’ DESIGN
Marshall Breeding
Director for Innovative Technology and Research
Vanderbilt University Library
Founder and Publisher, Library Technology Guides
http://www.librarytechnology.org/
http://twitter.com/mbreeding
09 Nov, 2010
CILIP RFID for Libraries Conference 2010
Summary

Marshall will provide an challenging personal
perspective on how system providers will
respond to the challenges posed by RFID as it
delivers many of the function previous
managed by librarians. He will draw on his
unique experience, and also engage with
delegates in an Open Forum discussion session.
More

examining the current state of play and giving
us his vision of the future for library
management.
Library Technology Guides
UK LMS Deployments (libraries)
UK LMS Deployments (facilities)
UK Academic LMS Deployments
Lib-web-cats Technology Profile
Lib-web-cats extended for RFID
Products
Lib-web-cats tech profile
Library Journal Automation
Marketplace



Published annually in April 1 issue
Based on data provided by each vendor
Focused primarily on North America
 Context
market
of global library automation
LJ Automation Marketplace
Annual Industry report published in Library Journal:
2010: ???
 2009: Investing in the Future
 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

New Models…
…no
longer an industry where
companies compete on the basis of
the best or the most features in
similar products but one where
companies distinguish themselves
through products and services that
define different futures for their
library customers.
Core Systems…
Although ILS sales no longer
completely define the library
automation market, new sales and
ongoing support of these flagship
products continue as the largest
and most reliable revenue stream.
General Findings


Moderately slow year for Core ILS products
Strong sales in Discovery Products
 Strategy
to move forward with new user interfaces and
defer investments in ILS replacement
 Current products deliver modern interfaces, while
mainly addressing local content (ILS / local digital)
 Emerging products bring vast collections of articles into
the primary discovery layer: Web-scale discovery
Key Context: Libraries in Transition

Academic
Shift from Print > Electronic
 Increasing emphasis on subscribed content, especially
articles and databases


Public




Increased emphasis on patron engagement – on premises
and via the Web
Strong emphasis on digitizing local collections
Demands for enterprise integration and
interoperability
Period of crisis for many libraries through reduced
funding
Key Context: Library Users in Transition

New generations of library users:
 Millennial
generation
 Self
sufficient – reluctant to seek assistance
 Receptive to self-service
 Perceive themselves as competent to use information tools
without help
 Web
savvy / Digital natives
 Pervasive Web 2.0 concepts
 Inherently collaborative work styles
Key Context: Technologies in transition
 XML
/ Web services / Service-oriented Architecture
 Beyond Web 2.0
 Integration
 Local
computing shifting to cloud platforms
 SaaS
 Full
of social computing into core infrastructure
/ private cloud / public cloud
spectrum of devices
 full-scale
/ net book / tablet / mobile
 Mobile the current focus, but is only one example of device
and interface cycles
LMS: a legacy concept?

LMS = 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 LMS to
competently handle both print and digital content (e.g.
Innovative Interfaces)
Rethinking library automation





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
Competing Models of Library
Automation

Traditional Proprietary Commercial ILS
 Millennium,

Traditional Open Source ILS
 Evergreen,

Koha
Clean slate automation framework (SOA,
enterprise-ready)
 Ex

Symphony, Polaris
Libris URM, OLE Project
Cloud-based automation system

WorldCat Local (+circ, acq, license management)
OCLC Web-scale Management Service


"the first Web-scale, cooperative library management
service”
New highly scaleable platform for WorldCat
Cataloging
 Interlibrary loan
 Discovery (WorldCat Local)
 Circulation
 Acquisitions
 License Management


Early deployments underway now – UTC, Pepperdine,
etc
In Challenge to ILS Industry, OCLC Extends WorldCat Local To Launch New Library System
Marshall Breeding, Library Journal 4/23/2009
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6653619.html
Open Source Library Automation

Koha

Evergreen

Kuali OLE
Koha Worldwide
The Shrinking LMS





The Library Management System no longer stands as
the single library automation product that provides
comprehensive support for all aspects of library
operations.
Many libraries putting much less emphasis on LMS
Manages workflows related to physical materials
Investments in electronic content increasing
Management of e-content handled outside of the ILS
…shrinking LMS



Yet: libraries need comprehensive business automation
more than ever. Mandate for more efficient
operations. Do more with less.
Proliferation of automation products needed to
handle all aspects of libraries can overwhelm many
libraries
Libraries lack technical personnel and needed capital
to purchase and manage multiple systems
Legacy LMS Model
Public Interfaces:
Staff Interfaces:
Interfaces
Business
Logic
Data
Stores
Circulation
BIB
Cataloging
Holding
/ Items
Circ
Transact
Acquisitions
User
Serials
Vendor
Online
Catalog
$$$
Funds
Policies
Breaking out of the mold




Academic and Research libraries especially
struggle with how to deal with managing increasing
proportions of licensed electronic content
LMS geared toward print materials
New products aim to manage library resources
spanning print and electronic; owned or licensed
Examples: Ex Libris URM, Kuali OLE
Legacy ILS + e-content modules
End User
Interfaces:
Circulation
Functional
modules:
Federated
Search
Data Stores:
Staff Interfaces:
Cataloging
Acquisitions
Serials
OpenURL
Linking
Electronic
Resource
Mgmt
System
LMS / Electronic Resource Management
Staff Interfaces:
Public Interfaces:
Application Programming Interfaces
CirculationCatalogingAcquisitions Serials
BIB
Online
Catalog
Protocols: CORE
`
Holding Circ
$$$
User Vendor
Policies
/ ItemsTransact
Funds
E-resource
License
Procurement Management
E-Journal
Titles
Vendors
License
Terms
LMS / Electronic Resource Management
Staff Interfaces:
Public Interfaces:
Application Programming Interfaces
Circulation
BIB
Cataloging
Holding
/ Items
Circ
Transact
Acquisitions
Print +
Electronic
User
Serials +
e-resources
Vendor
$$$
Funds
License
manager
Policies
Online
Catalog
License
Terms
Application Programming Interfaces

A set of tools used by programmers to:
 Extend
Functionality
 Connect external systems
 Extract or synchronize data


Proprietary API’s common in LMS space
Moving toward open API’s and Web Services
Legacy ILS Model / API
Public Interfaces:
Staff Interfaces:
Interfaces
Application Programming Interfaces
Business `
Logic
Data
Stores
Circulation
BIB
Cataloging
Holding
/ Items
Circ
Transact
Acquisitions
User
Serials
Vendor
Online
Catalog
$$$
Funds
Policies
Legacy ILS Model / protocol
Interlibrary
Loan
System
Public Interfaces:
Staff Interfaces:
Protocols: SIP2 NCIP Z39.50 OAI-PMH
Application Programming Interfaces
Circulation Cataloging
Acquisitions
Serials
Online
Catalog
Self-Check
BIB
Holding
/ Items
Circ
Transact
User
Vendor
$$$
Funds
Policies
Legacy ILS Model / External API
External
Systems &
Services
Public Interfaces:
Staff Interfaces:
Application Programming Interfaces / Web Services
Circulation Cataloging
Acquisitions
Serials
Online
Catalog
Flexible
Interoperability
Protocols: SIP2 NCIP Z39.50 OAI-PMH
BIB
Holding
/ Items
Circ
Transact
User
Vendor
$$$
Funds
Policies
Benefits of APIs to Libraries






Extensibility
Interoperability
Allows the LMS to connect with other automation
components
Create a matrix of interconnected systems rather
than isolated silos with redundant data and
functionality
LMS maturity means similar levels of functionality
LMS products increasingly differentiated by extent
and quality of APIs and interoperability support
Decoupled Discovery



Online Catalogs delivered with LMS products seen
as not suitable for current Web-savvy library uses
Need to modernize the interface
Expand the scope to encompass all aspects of
library collections
Discovery Products
Decoupled from LMS
Legacy ILS Model / Discovery
Discovery Service
Search:
Staff Interfaces:
Application Programming Interfaces
` CirculationCatalogingAcquisitions Serials
Online
Catalog Protocols: SIP2 NCIP Z39.50 OAI-PMH
•
BIB
Holding Circ
$$$
User Vendor
Policies
/ ItemsTransact
Funds
•
•
•
Bibliographic Record
Harvesting
Real time Holdings Display
Circulation Status
Requests: hold, renew,
Consolidated index
Search
Engine
Connecting LMS + Discovery


Digital Library Federation
Integrated Library System – Discovery Interface
protocol
 HarvestBibliographicRecords
 HarvestExpandedRecords
 GetAvailability
 GoToBibliographicRequestPage


Information Standards Quarterly Summer 2008
http://www.librarytechnology.org/ltgdisplaytext.pl?RC=13491
Legacy ILS Model / Extended
Discovery
Discovery Service
Search:
API Layer
`
Consolidated index
LMS
Search
Engine
Digital
Collections
ProQuest
EBSCOhost
…
JSTOR
Other
Resources
New Library Management Model
Discovery Service
Search:
Self-Check /
Automated
Return
Search
Engine
API Layer
`
Consolidated index
Library Management
System
Digital
Coll
ProQuest
EBSCO
…
JSTOR
Stock
Management
Other
Resources
Enterprise
Resource
Planning
Learning
Management
Smart Cad /
Payment
systems
Authentication
Service
LMS as Middleware


LMS provides strategic core of automation
Less involved with end-user contact
 Discovery
for Web-based collection discovery and user
services
 Self-service stations for loans and returns
 Smart-card and payment systems
RFID & LMS




Can RFID deliver value beyond self-check and
AMH?
Need enhanced interoperability models
Leverage existing standards and API’s in the same
way that the ILS-DI protocols provided needed
support to connect LMS and Discovery products
Provide comprehensive automation model that helps
libraries improve service and increase value to their
communities
Questions and discussion