-----Original Message-----
From: Next generation catalogs for libraries
[mailto:NGC4LIB_at_listserv.nd.edu] On Behalf Of Andrews, Mark J.
Sent: Wednesday, April 25, 2007 5:09 PM
To: NGC4LIB_at_listserv.nd.edu
Subject: Re: WorldCat Local
<after a cogent summary of the 'death of a thousand enhancements', Mark
J. Andrews said:>
> For example, do I need a serials and acquisitions system?
Do you intend to purchase information resources and do you want to track
how you spend your money? Do you intend to purchase information
resources that are published in multiple parts over time and do you want
to be able to show your library's users what parts of those resources
you can actually provide to them? If you intend to maintain those
activities for information in ANY format, then you need a system to
manage those activities.
Philosophically, I absolutely agree that libraries spend far too much
time hassling vendors to 'enhance' products that essentially need to be
rebuilt from the ground up to accommodate new technology and the new
activities in which libraries are engaged. But the fact remains that
our current ILS's have evolved as they have to support basic activities
that remain necessary: acquiring resources, fiscal management,
description of resources, and control of inventory. We're still doing
all of that, and we still need systems to support all of those
activities. We also need systems that are flexible enough to allow for
mashing up bibliographic information in new ways and communicating with
library users in new ways. I'd hope that we can find ways to
accommodate all of those needs.
Tina Shrader
CONSER and Repository Coordinator
National Agricultural Library
tshrader_at_nal.usda.gov
Phone: 301-504-5210
Received on Thu Apr 26 2007 - 07:37:03 EDT