ALA Techsource

May 2008

Thu, 01 May 2008 18:59:54 -0500

In Smart Libraries Newsletter This Month
Triple I Takes Big Bite of Big Apple
"During this period of uncertainty in the library automation industry, Innovative Interfaces has continued its steady influx of new clients and major contracts," reports Marshall Breeding in "Innovative Interfaces Expands Its NYC Presence."

"Among the company's successes, two recent awards stand out, that of a unified system for the New York Public Library and another one for the New York Art Resources Consortium. These major contracts represent the appeal of Innovative's Millennium system across major public, research, and museum libraries as well as the company's ability to consistently expand its client base."

Virtual Migration
In "Qwaq: Why a Duck?" Tom Peters discusses Qwaq Forums, a platform for three-dimensional virtual training, workshops, conferences, and other live interactive events. "After approximately two years of fairly intense exploration and development of library services, collections, and information experiences in existing virtual worlds...some librarians are beginning to explore and perhaps 'colonize' other emerging virtual worlds," notes Peters.

Also in May's Issue of Smart Libraries

"Serials Solutions' Product Line Now Includes AquaBrowser" by Marshall Breeding
"BookGlutton's Table Is Set" and "Have Fun" by Tom Peters

April 2008

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 22:21:18 -0500

In Smart Libraries Newsletter This Month
Just One More to Go...
"The library automation industry has not been a good environment for publicly traded companies," states Marshall Breeding in "BiblioMondo Goes Private," in the April issue of Smart Libraries. "Auto-Graphics stands as the last remaining public company in the industry, [which] minimally qualifies...," Breeding reports.

In this look at the state of some of the companies that make software for libraries, Breeding chronicles the history of BiblioMondo as well as provides perspective on the impact of this company's transition from publicly traded company to a privately owned venture.

New Media Consortium and Sun's Open Virtual Worlds Project by Tom Peters

NMC and Sun believe that an open-source option will offer participating organizations greater security, less fuzziness about the ownership of intellectual property developed and/or presented in a virtual world, and easier portability of assets from one virtual world to another. Last month, the New Media Consortium (NMC) — a group of about 225 colleges, universities, and research centers — and Sun Microsystems announced a two-year project to develop an open-source platform for virtual world development. Second Life, a popular virtual world, in which many library-related activities have taken place, is owned by a for-profit company, Linden Lab.

Also in April in Smart Libraries

"OverDrive Explores Retails Borders" by Tom Peters
Last month, OverDrive announced an agreement with Borders to sell downloadable digital audiobooks directly to end-users using OverDrive's platform and content.
"WebFeat Acquired by ProQuest and Merged with Serial Solutions"
"A move that consolidates the federated search sector of the library automation market..." — Marshall Breeding

March 2008

Tue, 04 Mar 2008 19:38:36 -0600

In Smart Libraries Newsletter This Month
"OCLC Acquires EZProxy," by Marshall Breeding
OCLC continues to pile its toolbox of library automation products, and its recent purchase of EZProxy software is yet another utensil the organization can use to help libraries build easier online access for users.

"Developed specifically to help libraries deliver access to subscribed electronic content to off-site patrons," EZProxy was created by librarian Chris Zagar, who comprises the one-person company Useful Utilities, from which OCLC purchased the application.

"OCLC's supporters will interpret this move as a savvy strategy to strengthen the organization's ability to expand services related to WorldCat.org into libraries," says Breeding of OCLC's latest acquisition. "Those skeptical of OCLC, including its commercial competitors, might view this acquisition with more concern."

Also by Marshall Breeding this Month
"NewGenLib: An Open Source ILS for Libraries in the Developing World"

And by Tom Peters in the March 2008 Issue of Smart Libraries Newsletter

"So, You Want to Use RFID in Your Library"
"Innovative SUSHI a la ARL"
"Live Online Homework Help from TutorVistacom"
Something Wikia This Way Comes"

February 2008

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 21:27:51 -0600

In Smart Libraries Newsletter This Month
Interest in open-source options for library software and integrated library systems has increased over the last year, notes Marshall Breeding in the February 2008 issue of Smart Libraries Newsletter. "Until now, the open-source ILS implementations have taken place primarily in public libraries, with no large academic libraries in the U.S. or Canada making the leap." That situation changed recently, however, with WALDO (Westchester Academic Library Directors Organization) and Laurentian Univ. in Ontario.

"The commitment of these academic libraries to implement open-source automation systems warrants attention, because it appears to be the beginning of a trend," Breeding reports in "Open Source ILS Gains Ground with Academic Libraries."

Checkpoint's "Youniquely4U" also by Marshall Breeding
"A new service designed to help libraries market their services and promote targeted resources to their patrons."

And in SLN in February by Tom Peters
In "Compendia of Knowledge: Google's Grassy Knol" Tom Peters looks at "Knol," a project Google recently launched "with the goal to make it easier for people to share knowledge they already have acquired."

Also by Tom Peters in Smart Libraries This Month

"American Schoolyard Fight: Intel and One Laptop per Child Part Ways"
"Spartan Kindles"

January 2008

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 17:39:55 -0600

In Smart Libraries Newsletter This Month
Moving from Advance... New York University plans to migrate to ALEPH 500, the library automation system Ex Libris developed and maintains, reports Marshall Breeding. This automation project encompasses a number of libraries — including the Elmer Holmes Bobst Library, The Stephen Chan Library of Fine Arts, and The Conservation Center Library — and will involve migrating from its Advance system developed by Infor Library and Information Systems (formerly Geac Library Solutions), Breeding explains.

The NYU Div. of Libraries is among the the top-tier members of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL): the library's selection of the ALEPH 500 Ex Libris automation product bolsters the position of Ex Libris, vaulting it to a company providing automation software to the largest tier of libraries.

For more about development and the impact of it, read "Ex Libris Captures NYU" by Marshall Breeding

And in SLN in January by Tom Peters
In "Plinkit: Plinking Away" Tom Peters talks "Plinkit"—Public Library Interface Kit—the software that helps public libraries, particularly small ones with few resources, put up and maintain a Web site. "Plinkit is a work in progress worth watching and investigating, and the fourstate collaborative is working hard to expand and improve what Plinkit can do for libraries, library users, and geographic communities," notes Peters.

Also by Tom Peters in Smart Libraries

"Whybrary: A Virtual Library for Tweens"
"Au Courant: Michigan in Bed with Google"
"Romance, Big Games, and E-Books in Libraries"
"The Mark of Zotero"

December 2007

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 23:21:25 -0600

In Smart Libraries Newsletter This Month
"Checkpoint Systems and 3M Library Systems Converge on RFID" by Marshall Breeding

Two of the top makers of library-focused RFID and library security products, 3M Library Systems and Checkpoint Systems, have consolidated their efforts. "This strategic sales and marketing alliance gives 3M Library Systems full responsibility for the marketing and support of Checkpoint products to libraries. Checkpoint will continue to develop and manufacture products, but they will be sold exclusively by 3M," reports Breeding.

And in SLN in December by Tom Peters
In "Librarians Out of Step on Privacy Issues?" Tom Peters discusses the OCLC commissioned report, " Sharing, Privacy and Trust in Out Networked World" released last fall. Peters outlines the basis of the research as well as some of the findings listed in the 280-page report. "This is just one research report, but the prospect that our professional attitudes and practices concerning privacy, confidentiality, and trust are on a divergent path from the overall attitudinal and behavioral patterns of the general populations of these six developed nations is worthy of careful professional discussion and further research," notes Peters in his conclusion.

Also in Smart Libraries in December

"Building the eXtensible Catalog" by Marshall Breeding
"Gluttons for Punishment?" A look at the online social network, BookGlutton
by Tom Peters
"OCA Plans to Scan on Demand in 2008" by Tom Peters
"Entwined" A Look at Twine, an application to help organize your digital documents
by Tom Peters

November 2007

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 15:30:34 -0500

In Smart Libraries Newsletter This Month
In "Open Source Momentum Continues," Marshall Breeding reports on another U.S. library system migrating from a proprietary integrated library system to an open source one.

"Howard County Library, headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, selected Koha ZOOM to replace its existing SirsiDynix Horizon system," notes Breeding. "Howard County stands among the middle tier of public libraries—with six branches, combined collections of about a million items, with annual circulation of about 4.7 million transactions. This library is one of the largest to date to select Koha."

And in SLN in November by Tom Peters
"BLC Joins OCA"
The Boston Library Consortium recently announced that all of its nineteen member libraries will participate in the large-scale digitization project being conducted by the Open Content Alliance. "Although BLC chose to partner with OCA, some observers are seeing this agreement as a deliberate snub of Google," observes Peters. "In a September 28, 2007, post to xconomy, Wade Roush wrote that this announcements signals '...the growing resistance to Google's professed goal of organizing 'all the world's information.'"

Also in Smart Libraries in November

"A Thoroughly Modern Library" by Tom Peters
"Composing a Symphony" by Marshall Breeding
"Holo Emitter: Cool Tool for Virtual Libraries" by Tom Peters
"Innovative Interfaces Reports Strong Sales" by Marshall Breeding

October 2007

Sun, 30 Sep 2007 15:01:05 -0500

In Smart Libraries Newsletter This Month
In "Rollin', Rollin: Google Book Search " Tom Peters reports on what some may consider to be an infamous Google activity in the library world.

"Google Book Search (GBS), the growing online resource born in part from a massive book scanning project involving dozens of partner libraries around the world, just keeps rolling along, like Old Man River," writes Peters. "You can love GBS, hate it, or be ambivalent toward it, but it may be the most significant information-related project since the creation of the Internet."

And in SLN in October by Marshall Breeding
"Partial Buyout at Mandarin Library Automation"

Also by Tom Peters This Month

"Hats off to Fedora Commons"
"Google and Microsoft Want to Be Your Health Information Manager"
"Structure Beyond Shelter"

September 2007

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 15:16:10 -0500

In Smart Libraries Newsletter This Month
In "VuFind: A Next-Generation Catalog from Villanova " Marshall Breeding reports on Falvey Memorial Library's open-source "next-generation" online catalog. Based as Villanova University, Falvey Library's "VuFind" offers features like search results displayed in relevancy-ranked order, the display and status of the current availability of items in the library, and user-contributed commenting and tagging functionality.

"Although in a nascent stage of development, VuFind enters the scene at a critical moment in the evolution of library technologies," surmises Breeding. "As libraries become increasingly drawn to open-source development and seek better alternatives than their current online catalogs, we can expect that many libraries will be interested in following, and even participating in, the evolution of this new library interface."

Also in SLN in September by Marshall Breeding

"New Management Team at SirsiDynix"

And by Tom Peters This Month

"Thinking Beside the Box (The Red Box)"
"Big Games: The Third Coast for Gaming in Libraries?"
"Accessibility Initiatives in Second Life"
"Library of Congress to Preserve Games, Virtual Worlds"

August 2007

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 14:28:47 -0500

In Smart Libraries Newsletter This Month
In "OCLC Completes Its Acquisition of PICA" Marshall Breeding discusses the final part of the OCLC PICA deal and its implications for the world of library technology.

"The completion of the purchase of PICA represents the latest in OCLC's growth into a global entity," explains Breeding, who adds, "No corporate acquisition such as this is devoid of some controversy. This latest move highlights the complexities between non-profit and for-profit activities within OCLC, which do not go without challenge from the organization's commercial competitors."

Also in SLN in August by Marshall Breeding

"New CEO for SirsiDynix"
"R.R. Bowker Acquires Medialab Solutions"
"New Name for Symphony Sounds Good"

And by Tom Peters This Month

"RFID for the Perplexed"
"Recorded Books and OCLC File Lawsuits over Audiobook Service"
"Public Libraries Try Their Hand at Mass Digitization"
"Removing Scratches from Optical Media"