1. Strategic Library Technologies
Current realities and future possibilities
Marshall Breeding
Independent Consultant, Author, and
Founder and Publisher, Library Technology Guides
VALA 2018
15 February 2018

2. Abstract
Libraries depend on strategic library management and discovery technologies that power their work behind the scenes and patron-facing services. The industry that creates these strategic library technology products has seen profound changes in recent years through business dynamics such as horizontal and vertical consolidation. Mergers among the slate of companies developing library management systems now approach the limits of consolidation tolerable by the library economy. Beyond this type of consolidation, top-level companies offering a diverse portfolio of products and services to libraries have begun to expand their involvement with these strategic technologies, exploiting synergies possible among content, technology, and services.

3. Sources, methods, and projects

4. Library Technology Guides

7. World Wide Web Yellow Pages
1996 Edition

8. Selection and Deselections (Symphony)

9. Migration Reports

10. Vendor Personnel Statistics

11. Integrated Library Systems
(aka: Library Management Systems)

12. 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, 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)
Product examples
SirsiDynix Symphony, Millennium, Polaris, Sierra, Koha, Evergreen
Sierra, Spydus, SirsiDynix BLUEcloud, Polaris, Apollo, Koha
WorldShare Management Services, Alma, FOLIO
Development strategy
Brownfield
Greenfield

13. Google cools data center with bathtubs, dishwashers

14. 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

15. SirsiDynix Symphony Installations

16. Civica Spydus Installations

17. Sierra Implementations

18. Koha Installations Worldwide

19. Evergreen Installations

21. E-Book Integration Model
Aggregated Content packages
Search:
ILS Data
Library Catalog
Index
Search Results
Web Site Content
Digital Collections
Authentication
Checkout - Download
External
E-Book Lending Service
Local E-book
Repository
Discovery

22. Integrated Library Systems
Future Possibilities

23. Extending the ILS An Engine for Engagement
Customer Relationship Management
More natural discovery and access across digital, electronic, and print media

24. Library Services Platforms

25. 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

26. 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

27. 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

28. Ex Libris Alma Installations

29. WorldShare Management Services

30. 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),

31. 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

32. 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

33. 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

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

35. FOLIO Platform

36. } 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

37. 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

38. 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

39. Product Development Timeline

40. Library Services Platforms
Future Possibilities

41. Beyond the Library Services Platform
University administrators do not care about internal library workflows
Technologies and services which enable the library to support areas of strategic interest to the university
Research
Curriculum

42. Build new services on the platform
Foundation to expand beyond operational infrastructure
Technologies for new areas of library involvement
Research Data Management
Research Services support
Showcase research and publications, grant compliance
Support of teaching:
Reading List for courses
Reduce costs to students for materials
Copyright management

43. Discovery Services

44. Web-scale Index-based Discovery
ILS Data
Web-scale Index-based Discovery
(2009- present)
Digital Collections
Search:
Web Site Content
Institutional Repositories
Aggregated Content packages
Search Results
Consolidated Index
Open Access …
E-Journals
Usage-generated Data
Customer Profile
Reference Sources
Pre-built harvesting and indexing

45. Bento Box Discovery Model
Aggregated Content packages
Search:
Open Access
ILS Data
VuFind / Blacklight
E-Journals
Consolidated Index
Search Results
Web Site Content
Digital Collections
Institutional Repositories
Pre-built harvesting and indexing

46. Discovery Services
Future Possibilities

47. Future of Resource Discovery
More comprehensive representation of resources in index-based discovery services
Improved models for authentication, authorization, and access; (respond to disruption: SciHub)
Emphasis on global discovery:
Find and access library resources from general web search tools
Beyond keyword-based indexing and relevancy:
Discovery tools based on artificial intelligence, machine learning, concept extraction, etc.

48. Yewno Discovery interface
Quick demo:

49. Library Technology Industry
Recent Trends and Events

50. Library Technology Industry Reports
American Libraries
Library Journal
2013: Rush to Innovate
2012: Agents of Change
2011: New Frontier
2010: New Models, Core Systems
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
2014: Strategic Competition and Cooperation
2015: Operationalizing Innovation
2016: Power Plays
2017: Competing visions for Technology, openness, workflows

51. “Competing visions for technology, openness, and workflow”
Library System Report 2017
“Competing visions for technology, openness, and workflow”

52. Transition in Scholarly Publishers
Comparison of Research Search and workflow Tools
Elsevier
Digital Science
Clarivate
Citation database
Scopus
Dimensions
Web of Science
Content indexed
69 million publications from 5,000 publishers; 22,800 journals; 150,000 books
89 million publications; 870 million citations
68 million publications; 33,000 journals; 88,000 books
Analytics
SciVal
Plum Analytics PlumX
Altmetric
InSites Essential Science Indicators
Reference Manager
Mendeley
EndNote
Research information management system
Pure
Symplectic
management system for journals
ScholarOne
Peer review tracking and recognition
Publons
Research data repository
FigShare
Institutional article repository
bepress
Scientific collaborative network
SSRN
Media monitoring of articles and research
Newsflo
Collaborative writing and publishing tool
Hivebench electronic lab notebook
Overleaf
Decision support for science funding
ÜberResearch
Ownership
RELX (previously Reed Elsevier. Publicly traded on London Stock Exchange and Amsterdam Stock Exchange)
Holtzbrinck Publishing Group
Baring Private Equity Asia (previously part of Thompson Reuters)

53. Industry Trends
Future Possibilities

54. Looking forward Consolidation likely to continue
Not necessarily through mergers of direct competitors
Ongoing interest in library tech companies by top- level library companies or adjacent industries

55. Opportunities?
New synergies able to enable libraries to operate more efficiently or deliver new services
Development capacity able to create technologies not possible by smaller organizations

56. Concerns? Fewer choices for each product genre
Uncomfortable ties between content, workflows, and technology systems
Less control in shaping development
Will corporate interests align with library values and strategies?

57. Questions and discussion