Just a Friday afternoon thought.
In the October issue of Computers in Libraries, Ellen Bahr says "That
danger includes being forced to pick ILS products or support from the
likes of Banner, PeopleSoft, or some other "search" company that happens
to sit among a portfolio of some equity firm that just picked up a
quaint little library software provider. (Wouldn't that be ironic? After
all our complaints about search problems, we're forced to use software
from a search company that knows nothing about inventory control?)"
I feel that many aspects of the NGC have been discussed fully on this
list, and to some extent feel that we understand more about what an NGC
should look like than a Next Gen Library Management System - I mean all
the stuff that isn't search. It isn't glamorous, but it is the heart of
much of the day-to-day work of the library. What does a superlative
circulation system look like? What would a world class cataloguing
client look like (and how could it deal with new challenges like FRBR
based cataloguing, or the use of alternatives to MARC)? How can ERM
systems develop to provide great license and subscription management
(and in the future is there a difference between Journal, Database and
E-Book management)? Etc.
Is there anywhere that these questions are being discussed? If not,
should there be one?
Owen
PS. On the homepage for NGC4LIB Eric writes:
This mailing list will exist from now until at least eighteen months
from now (Christmas 2007) when an evaluation whether or not the list is
fulfilling its purpose. If it is deemed to be useful, the list will
continue. Otherwise it will be discontinued.
Is it time to review this?
Owen Stephens
Assistant Director: e-Strategy and Information Resources
Imperial College London Library
Imperial College London
South Kensington
London SW7 2AZ
Tel: 020 7594 8829
Email: o.stephens_at_imperial.ac.uk
<blocked::mailto:o.stephens_at_imperial.ac.uk>
Received on Fri Oct 19 2007 - 10:51:47 EDT