I've been lurking for a while but have questions (from a non-techie
perspective)...
The discussions I've been tracking about the next generation catalogue
(NGC) seems to presuppose the data will be held in one physical or virtual
location, an ILS.
Does the wider business world envelop all data in one piece of software or
do they spread their data through multiple software packages and make them
talk for the best use of that data? I assume the latter since they are
required to "turn on a dime" but I don't know.
Also, is our "ILS," for lack of a better term, required to be monolithic
as it has been historically, or a disaggregate? And what impact would this
have on a library catalogue/front end/the user experience?
I have to admit I like other peoples' ideas on splitting
presentation/manipulation (library catalogue) from content/back end work.
Kinda like what happened when someone split presentation from content in
the form of css. I am also interested in the idea of an "ILS" that is
built from pieces of software that represent leading software in their
respective fields/areas such as the acq/accounting module Art Rhyno is
currently working on for Evergreen, thus expanding the software being
integrated into the library field along with best practices related to
that field and all contingent opportunities for manipulation through this
physical/virtual disaggregation.
Does our approach really require all data held in one location or piece of
software? Wouldn't a disaggregate allow for the most flexible
opportunities for user and staff interaction? More so than a monolithic
piece of software? If we disaggregate the ILS, what opportunities arise
that were not apparent before?
Jennifer Soutter
Leddy Library
University of Windsor
Received on Wed May 02 2007 - 07:45:03 EDT