Library Services Platforms: a new paradigm for library automation Marshall Breeding Independent Consultant, Author, Founder and Publisher, Library Technology Guides http://www.librarytechnology.org/ http://twitter.com/mbreeding 24 January 2018 15th Annual Lecture on Informatics

Description Library services platforms represent a relatively recent model of library automation which differs in many ways from the traditional integrated library system.  Breeding will discuss the key characteristics of this new genre library management software, including the way they address functionality and the technologies embodied.  The presentation will include an overview of the major products from OCLC and Ex Libris as well as the open source FOLIO project still in its development phase. 

Integrated Library Systems Longstanding model of library automation Emerged during the era when libraries were dominated by print materials Modular organization persistent across vendors and products: Cataloging – Circulation – Acquisitions – Serials Management – Catalog Bibliographic + Transactional databases

Evolution of the ILS Persistent through multiple cycles of technology: Mainframe – Terminal Client/Server with graphical interfaces Client/Server with Web interfaces Functionality continually evolves Well established for print resource management

Scope of management ILS: Print + ebooks ERM (electronic resource management) subscriptions to e-resources and open access content Link Resolver: Knowledgebase + OpenURL link server Digital asset management: digital images, video, sound Archival Management System: archives + Special Collections Discovery Interface: provide access to multiple content repositories Discovery Index: article-level index for scholarly literature

Legacy: Fragmented Environment Integrated Library System for management of (mostly) print Duplicative financial systems between library and university Electronic Resource Management E-Resource knowledge base and Link Resolver A-Z e-journal lists and other finding aids Interlibrary loan (borrowing and lending) Digital Collections Management platforms (CONTENTdm, DigiTool, etc.) Separate systems for archival materials and special collections Discovery-layer services for broader access to library collections No effective integration services / interoperability among disconnected systems, non-aligned metadata schemes

Integrated (for print) Library System Staff Interfaces: Public Interfaces: Interfaces Business Logic Circulation Cataloging Acquisitions Serials Online Catalog Data Stores BIB Holding / Items Circ Transact User Vendor $$$ Funds Policies

ILS / ERM: Dual Systems Model Circulation BIB Staff Interfaces: Holding / Items Circ Transact User Vendor Policies $$$ Funds Cataloging Acquisitions Serials Online Catalog Public Interfaces: Application Programming Interfaces ` E-resource Procurement License Management Protocols: CORE E-Journal Titles Vendors License Terms

Common approach for ERM Circulation BIB Staff Interfaces: Holding / Items Circ Transact User Vendor Policies $$$ Funds Cataloging Acquisitions Serials Online Catalog Public Interfaces: Application Programming Interfaces Budget License Terms Titles / Holdings Vendors Access Details

Fresh Start: Opportunity to create a new model of resource management and discovery for libraries Not follow the prevailing models for organizing functionality Initial scope: Electronic + Print resource management

Cycles of fragmentation > unification Early Phase: Modular automation Integrated Library Systems Proliferation of systems to manage electronic resources and digital collections Current unification phase: library services platforms bring together print and electronic resource management Next phase? Bring archival and digital assets under common management platform

Comprehensive Resource Management Simplify resource management through platform consolidation ILS + ERM + OpenURL Resolver + Digital Asset management, etc. very inefficient model Consolidation requires a flexible platform capable of managing multiple type of library materials, multiple metadata formats, with appropriate workflows

Library Services Platforms “This new generation of products - more appropriately called something like library services platforms rather than integrated library systems - addresses the fundamental changes that libraries have experienced over the course of the last decade or so toward more engagement with electronic and digital content. In their own distinctive ways, these recently announced or delivered systems aim to break free of the models of automation centered mostly on print materials deeply embodied by the incumbent line of integrated library systems.” Breeding, Marshall. (2011). A Cloudy Forecast for Libraries. Computers in Libraries 31 (7), 32-35.

Library Services Platform Library-specific software. Technical infrastructure to help libraries automate their internal operations, manage collections, fulfillment requests, and deliver services Services Services-oriented architecture Exposes Web services and other API’s Facilitates the services libraries offer to their users Platform General infrastructure for library automation Consistent with the concept of Platform as a Service Library programmers address the APIs of the platform to extend functionality, create connections with other systems, dynamically interact with data

Library Services Platforms – Functional Manages electronic and print formats of materials Replaces multiple incumbent products Flexible Metadata Management spanning multiple schemas Procurement workflows appropriate for each type of library asset: purchased physical items, licensed resources, demand-driven acquisitions, etc. Knowledgebases Built-in collection analytics Decision support for collection development

Platform characteristics Technical infrastructure to support complex business applications Delivers common services: data stores, messaging, events, workflow engine Agnostic relative to structure of higher-level applications Common UI framework Designed for multitenancy

Knowledge bases Electronic Resource Management based on collective database of the body of e-content rather than library-by-library management LSP extends knowledge base model to all resources Make links or associations from local holdings to common bibliographic records WorldShare Management Services – based on WorldCat Bibliographic records Ex Libris Alma – includes Community Zone of shared records and resources

Support for BIBFRAME New bibliographic framework based on mapping MARC concepts and data into linked data model No direct support for BIBFRAME in either integrated library systems or library services platforms Developers are involved in BIBFRAME initiative Operational implementations will come once the model has stabilized Current phase of experimental projects and prototypes Applies differently to discovery versus resource management

Library Services Platforms – Technical Beyond Client/Server Computing Multi-tenant platforms Web-based interfaces Services-oriented architecture Exposes APIs for extensibility and interoperability Interoperable

New Library Management Model Consolidated index Unified Presentation Layer Search: Digital Coll ProQuest EBSCO … JSTOR Other Resources Self-Check / Automated Return ` API Layer Library Services Platform Discovery Service Stock Management Enterprise Resource Planning Smart Cad / Payment systems Learning Management Authentication Service

Cycle of adoption and deployment Mid point of a cycle of transition that will last a decade Stable and relatively mature products available now New projects in development phase (FOLIO) Now in mass deployment phase Over the course of the next decade, academic libraries will replace their current legacy products with new platforms Not just a change of technology but a substantial change in the ways that libraries manage their resources and deliver their services

Relationship with Discovery Discovery and Management solutions will increasingly be implemented as matched sets Ex Libris: Primo (or Summon) / Alma OCLC: WorldCat Discovery Service / WorldShare Platform EBSCO Discovery Service: Works with any Resource management system Both depend on an ecosystem of interrelated knowledge bases API’s exposed to mix and match, but efficiencies and synergies are lost

Web-scale Index-based Discovery ILS Data Web-scale Index-based Discovery (2009- present) Digital Collections Search: Web Site Content Institutional Repositories Search Results Aggregated Content packages Consolidated Index … E-Journals Your title is covered up with the ILS data content – DISCO instead of Discovery Usage-generated Data Customer Profile Reference Sources Pre-built harvesting and indexing

Demise of the local catalog Many library services platforms do not include the concept of an online catalog dedicated to local physical inventory Designed for discovery services as public-facing interface Implication: Discovery service must incorporate detailed functionality for local materials and related services

Discovery Strategy Options Integrated suite: discovery and management systems from the same provider Open source discovery + Library Services Platform VuFind or Blacklight Discovery layer + ERM with separate ILS for print collection

Current Products In production In development Ex Libris: Alma OCLC: WorldShare Management Services In development Axiell: Quria FOLIO

Resource Management Models Category Integrated Library System Progressive integrated library System Library Services Platform Resources managed Physical Print, electronic Electronic, Physical Technology platform Server-based Multi-tenant SaaS Knowledgebases None e-holdings, bibliographic Patron interfaces Browser-based Staff interfaces Graphical Desktop (Java Swing, Windows, Mac OS) Procurement models Purchase Purchase, license license Hosting option Local install, ASP SaaS Only Interoperability Batch transfer, proprietary API Batch transfer, RESTful APIs, APIs (mostly RESTful) Products SirsiDynix Symphony, Millennium, Polaris Sierra, SirsiDynix Symphony/BLUEcloud, Polaris, Apollo WorldShare Management Services, Alma, FOLIO Development strategy Brownfield Greenfield

Product Development Timeline https://librarytechnology.org/chron/libraryservicesplatforms.pl/

Ex Libris Alma Strategic resource management platform from Ex Libris Adopted primarily by academic and research libraries, national libraries, consortia, networks Global multitenant platform deployed across multiple global data centers

ProQuest acquires Ex Libris December 2015 “Ex Libris, A ProQuest Company” Ex Libris becomes the primary technology business unit for ProQuest Matti Shem Tov reports to ProQuest CEO Kurt Sanford Product portfolio = Ex Libris + ProQuest Workflow Solutions

Ex Libris Product suite ProQuest Workflow Solutions Alma Primo SFX Alma Analytics Leganto Voyager Aleph CampusM Rosetta Intota v.2 Summon 360 Link 360 Resource Manager Intota Assessment SIPX Commitment to existing development and support timelines for all products used by libraries as production systems

ProQuest – EBSCO dynamic EBSCO Information Service Content: ProQuest platform Ex Libris + PQ product suite Alma Primo, Summon Strategy of platform bundling: Alma + Primo EBSCOhost EBSCO Discovery Service Strategy of Integrating discovery into all other platforms Open Source Strategy: FOLIO Koha

ProQuest – EBSCO dynamic EBSCO Information Service Content: ProQuest platform OASIS acquisitions Ex Libris + PQ product suite Alma Primo, Summon Strategy of platform bundling: Alma + Primo EBSCOhost EBSCO Discovery Service GOBI acquisitions service Strategy of Integrating discovery into all other platforms Open Source Strategy: FOLIO Koha

Ex Libris Knowledgebase and Indexe Strategy Interfaces and applications will remain, with internal content components consolidated Summon index will be extended with unique content from Primo Central New consolidated index will power both Summon and Primo ProQuest knowledge base will be extended with unique content from SFX / Alma knowledgebase New knowledge base will power Alma, SFX, 360 Link, etc

Alma discovery strategy Primo bundled with Alma by default Tight integration, shared knowledgabases Summon now offered as a supported patron interface Active support for open source discovery: Blacklight, VuFind Other options possible via APIs

Ex Libris Dominating Academic Library Tech Alma receiving strong reception Large Academic libraries Multi-campus Systems Consortia Proven ability to support collaboration among institutions through shared infrastructure

Academic Shared Infrastructure Projects selecting Alma Orbis Cascade Alliance (37 libraries) WHELF: Academic libraries in Wales BIBSYS: 205 National, Academic, Special libraries in Norway California State University (23 campuses) University of Georgia system: all public universities Detroit Area Library Network Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges Österreichische Bibliothekenverbund und Service Gesellschaft in Austria

Alma Migration Report

Alma Implementations by Type

Alma Implementations by Size

Ex Libris moving beyond Alma Alma continues to evolve in functionality, but now considered by Ex Libris a stable and robust system Leverage the platform to address other pressing needs of academic institutions, even beyond the library Leganto: integration of library resources into learning management systems SIPX: Management of course materials and copyright management Management of research data campusM platform: mobile-friendly content management platform for academic institutions

OCLC WorldShare Management Services Strategic resource management platform developed by OCLC Other apps built on the WorldShare Platform: WorldShare License Manager WorldShare Interlibrary Loan Tipasa ILL management system (replaces ILLiad)

WMS Migration Report

WMS Implementations by Type

WMS Implementations by Size

FOLIO Open source library services platform Designed for multitenancy Microservices architecture Designed for multiple deployments In development

EBSCO Supports new Open Source Project FOLIO the Future of the Library is Open https://www.folio.org/ A community collaboration to develop an open source Library Services Platform designed for innovation. American Libraries feature: https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2016/04/22/ ebsco-kuali-open-source-project/

Motivating factors Initially oriented to academic libraries Academic libraries interested in Library Services Platform Narrow options (Ex Libris Alma, OCLC WorldShare Management Services) Unbundle Discovery from Resource Management Choice for patron-facing services Alternative functional approach based on apps and modules

Technology Microservices architecture Modular Enables choice for discovery Pluggable modules Not monolithic

} Monolithic Application: Enterprise SOA Model Scripts/ Third Party Systems User Interfaces API endpoints Web service Presentation Layer Application software Business Logic } Reusable Composable Services Enterprise Service Bus Database Engine Table Table Table Table Table Table Table Table Table Table Table Table Table Table Table Table

Microservices-based Application Scripts/ Third Party Systems User Interfaces API endpoints Presentation Layer / UI Toolkit API Gateway Microservice Data Store Web service Run time libraries Application software Service components Microservice Data Store Web service Run time libraries Application software Service components Microservice Data Store Web service Run time libraries Application software Service components Microservice Data Store Web service Run time libraries Application software Service components Microservice Data Store Web service Run time libraries Application software Service components Microservice Data Store Web service Run time libraries Application software Service components Microservice Data Store Web service Run time libraries Application software Service components Microservice Data Store Web service Run time libraries Application software Service components Microservice Data Store Web service Run time libraries Application software Service components Microservice Data Store Web service Run time libraries Application software Service components Persistence / System Layer

FOLIO Platform

Organization Independent foundation Financial support from EBSCO http://www.openlibraryfoundation.org/ Financial support from EBSCO Index Data contracted for Initial development Community support from Open Library Environment (formerly Kuali OLE) Synergy with Global Open Knowledgebase (GOKb)

EBSCO Involvement Not owned by EBSCO EBSCO provides financial and in-kind resources Governed through independent non-profit Participation by Kuali OLE Engage with developers from libraries, consortia, and commercial entities EBSCO will provide hosting services Based on modules and pluggable apps

Timeline Aug 2016: Release of base platform to developers 2018: Initial versions available for early adopters Implementable tools and modules will be available prior to a comprehensive system

The current state of the art Two well-established products Two new projects in development Transition to new technology infrastructure important strategically, difficult operationally Initial focus on academic libraries spreading to Public libraries Evolution of ILS products to more resemble Library Services Platforms

Questions and discussion