[CODE4LIB] LITA Technology and Industry Interest Group

2012-01-03 Thread Breeding, Marshall
"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: DCC-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: 
https://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/lita/involve/igs/industry/lit-igven.cfm
E-Mail List: http://lists.ala.org/sympa/info/lita-industryig


Re: [CODE4LIB] Systems Tracker

2010-10-03 Thread Breeding, Marshall
Since it has been mentioned a couple of times in this thread, here is some 
additional information about lib-web-cats and Library Technology Guides. 
(http://www.librarytechnology.org)

The lib-web-cats component of Library Technology Guides draws on a variety of 
sources to keep up-to-date information regarding the technology products used 
in libraries.  It's most accurate and complete for libraries in the United 
States with increasing international scope.  As mentioned, vendor announcements 
constitute one source.  But I also use other means, including regular 
canvassing of library web sites, and e-mail queries and surveys to libraries.  
The site includes the ability for an individual associated with a library to 
register and update their listing, which I routinely verify.  Several state 
library agencies have worked with me to help gather automation data.  

Having maintained this resource for over 10 years, my experience is that only a 
small minority of libraries will actively submit or update their information.  
It takes a great deal of proactive effort.

lib-web-cats tracks most, but not all of the product categories mentioned. It 
includes:
Current and previous ILS with implementation dates
Current and previous discovery products with implementation dates
Current and previous OpenURL resolvers with implementation dates
Metasearch products
Institutional Repository platforms
Electronic Resource Management systems
RFID-based products implemented
Web content management system (Drupal, Plone, Joomla, Plinkit, etc)
Catalog enhancements (LibrayThing for Libraries, ChiliFresh, etc)

The ILS and discovery categories are much more complete than the others.

I am happy to add additional categories if there is interest.

Entries also include  library type, collection size, circulation volume, 
population served, and other qualifiers.

The database structure of lib-web-cats makes it possible to create reports or 
queries that illustrate trends or identify reference sites.  This resource page 
provides some examples:
  http://www.librarytechnology.org/web/breeding/ILS-marketshare-migrations/

A statistics page shows the number of libraries included from each country:
 http://www.librarytechnology.org/ltg-statistics.pl

(23,478 in the United States)

I hope this information is helpful.

-marshall

Marshall Breeding
Director for Innovative Technology and Research
Vanderbilt University Library
Editor, Library Technology Guides & lib-web-cats
http://www.librarytechnology.org







-Original Message-
From: Code for Libraries [mailto:code4...@listserv.nd.edu] On Behalf Of Susan 
Kane
Sent: Sunday, October 03, 2010 9:06 PM
To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU
Subject: [CODE4LIB] Systems Tracker

My only thought is that if you can use some kind of already existing system
(ACRL or ARL reporting?  Marshall Breeding?) I think you will have better
luck than requesting voluntary participation by either libraries or vendors.

Certainly, lots of libraries will voluntarily contribute these kind of data
to a joint effort, but will they keep it updated?

Won't we need to contact that library and make sure they're still using it
"just in case"?

(Although a database that tracks use of various systems over time and not
just each year would also be tremendously useful.)

The problem with vendor reporting is that it will be hard to get full
disclosure in a timely way across all vendors.

But even with that problem, it still makes more sense to have a limited list
of vendors who absolutely know who their customers are doing the reporting
than to trying to get every library in the country or the world to report
voluntarily.

Marshall Breeding uses (AFAIK) press releases from vendors to track system
changes and to report losses and wins.  So that's vendor reporting, albeit
indirect reporting.  Maybe he also sends a questionnaire to vendors each
year?

I think it would be ideal if ALA or ACRL would do this kind of data
collection.  I know it's hard enough to do your ACRL and ARL stats every
year but they are valuable and most institutions do them.  A few more
questions that are fairly easy to answer would provide a very rich data
source, although of course, adding even a single question has significant
impact on data processing, survey creation, etc. etc. etc.


Re: [CODE4LIB] ILS short list

2010-04-07 Thread Breeding, Marshall
Anna,

Have you taken a look at my recent issue of Library Technology Reports: 
  Opening up Library Systems through Web Services and SOA: Hype or Reality?
  
http://www.alatechsource.org/library-technology-reports/opening-up-library-systems-through-web-services-and-soa-hype-or-reality

One component of this report are data about each of the major systems that 
describe the API's that they provide to libraries for accessing and 
manipulating internal data and functionality.

I hope this helps.

-marshall



-Original Message-
From: Code for Libraries [mailto:code4...@listserv.nd.edu] On Behalf Of Anna 
Headley
Sent: Tuesday, April 06, 2010 2:32 PM
To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU
Subject: [CODE4LIB] ILS short list

I am looking to find or create a shortlist of ILSes, open or 
proprietary, that provide API access to bibliographic and item-level 
data.  I am really only looking for ILSes that are used by academic 
libraries.

Do you know of any resources that might be helpful?  I started with 
Marshall Breeding's 2009 Perceptions report, but it doesn't include much 
information about a given ILS.

Or, do you use such an ILS in your library?

So far my list is: Evergreen

Thank you!!
Anna


-- 
Anna Headley
Swarthmore College Library
610.690.5781
ahead...@swarthmore.edu