Library Systems

This book offers everything you need to know about selecting and implementing the best integrated library system (ILS) for your library, whether you purchase and install it yourself or hire a consultant to assist you. This is the book you've been waiting for. Integrated Library Systems: Planning, Selecting, and Implementing is an all-inclusive guide to acquiring a new ILS. Detailed and practical, the book covers every step of the process, from cost-benefit analysis, to evaluating software, writing the request for proposal, and implementation and training. You'll learn about different types of integrated library systems—standalone, turnkey, hosted, software-as-a-service (cloud computing), and open-source—and how to assess your facility and staff to find the best fit. The book also covers evaluation of software and hardware; third-party add-ons, such as RFID; and writing successful budget proposals and justification statements. There is even specific, headache-saving advice on working with sales reps, such as the warning not to ever accept the statement: "The vendor will not be held accountable to the contents of the RFP." Even if you're working with a consultant, this book will help you understand the process and make informed decisions.

Knowing about the open source alternative to integrated library systems and being able to make accurate comparisons can save a library tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars a year while more closely matching the library’s functional needs.

The Myth and Magic of Library Systems not only defines what library systems are, but also provides guidance on how to run a library systems department. It is aimed at librarians or library administrations tasked with managing, or using, a library systems department. This book focuses on different scenarios regarding career changes for librarians and the ways they may have to interact with library systems, including examples that speak to IT decision-making responsibilities, work as a library administrator, or managerial duties in systems departments. Provides guidance on how to run a library systems department Focuses on different scenarios regarding career changes for librarians and the ways they may have to interact with library systems Includes sample scenarios that speak to IT decision-making responsibilities, work as a library administrator, or managerial duties in systems departments

Information systems are central to libraries, and managing information systems is critical to serving library communities. Both a textbook for LIS courses and a handbook for practitioners, this volume thoroughly addresses modern libraries' challenges of integrating information technology. Written by Joseph R. Matthews and Carson Block, both experts on library information systems, this book describes the evolution of library information systems, their enabling technologies, and today's dynamic IT marketplace. It explains specific technologies and related topics, including standards and standards organizations, telecommunications and networks, integrated library systems, electronic resource management systems, repositories, authentication and link verification, electronic resources, and nextgen library systems. Readers will also learn the latest about information systems management, covering technology planning, basic technology axioms, the impact of technology on library services, system selection and implementation, system usability, and general technology management. The final section considers current trends and future developments in LIS, including those related to mobile devices and apps as well as the growth of digital libraries.