Continuing the Conversation: How to go High-Tech on a Tight Budget (Part 2)</h1> <article> <h1>Continuing the Conversation: How to go High-Tech on a Tight Budget (Part 2)</h1> <p>Daniel A. Freeman — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:36:29 +0000</p> <p>We just wrapped up the second session of Maurice Coleman and Robin Hastings’ workshop How to Go High-Tech on a Tight Budget. The resources and slides for the event are listed below. Have further questions or comments? Whether you participated in the event or not, feel free to chime in via the comments area below!<br /> <br /> <p><strong>Maurice's and Robn's web page for resource links:</strong></p> <ul> <li><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/alahightech12">https://sites.google.com/site/alahightech12</a></li> </ul> <p><strong>Maurice and Robin’s Slides:</strong><a title="View How to Go High Tech on a Tight Budget Part 2 on Scribd" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/80963423/How-to-Go-High-Tech-on-a-Tight-Budget-Part-2" style="margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;">How to Go High Tech on a Tight Budget Part 2</a><script type="text/javascript">(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })();</script> </article> <article> <h1>Continuing the Conversation: How to go High-Tech on a Tight Budget</h1> <p>Daniel A. Freeman — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:35:36 +0000</p> <p>We just wrapped up the first session of Maurice Coleman and Robin Hastings’ workshop How to Go High-Tech on a Tight Budget. The readings, resources and slides for the event are listed below. Have further questions or comments? Whether you participated in the event or not, feel free to chime in via the comments area below!<br /> <br /> <strong>The Readings for Today’s Workshop:</strong></p> <ul> <li>TechSoup for Libraries: Planning for Success<a href="http://techsoupforlibraries.org/cookbooks/planning-for-success"> http://techsoupforlibraries.org/cookbooks/planning-for-success</a></li> <li>Technology Planning Made Easy <a href="http://dlis.dos.state.fl.us/bld/library_tech/TechnologyPlanningMadeEasy.doc"> http://dlis.dos.state.fl.us/bld/library_tech/TechnologyPlanningMadeEasy.doc</a></li> <li>(Familiarize Yourself with this Blog) The Atlas of New Librarianship<a href="http://www.newlibrarianship.org/wordpress/"> http://www.newlibrarianship.org/wordpress/</a></li> <li>Confronting the Future: Strategic Visions for the 21st Century Public Library<a href="http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oitp/publications/policybriefs/confronting_the_futu.pdf"> http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oitp/publications/policybriefs/confronting_the_futu.pdf</a></li> </ul> <p><strong>Maurice's and Robn's web page for resource links:</strong></p> <ul> <li><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/alahightech12">https://sites.google.com/site/alahightech12</a></li> </ul> <p><strong>Maurice and Robin’s Slides:</strong><a title="View How to Go High-Tech on a Tight Budget: Part 1 on Scribd" style="margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/80111592/How-to-Go-High-Tech-on-a-Tight-Budget-Part-1">How to Go High-Tech on a Tight Budget: Part 1</a></p> <p><script type="text/javascript">(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })();</script></p> </article> <article> <h1>Archive of the 2012 ALA Midwinter Tech Wrapup</h1> <p>Daniel A. Freeman — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:19:07 +0000</p> <p></p> <p>The 2012 ALA TechSource Midwinter Tech Wrap-up was a huge success. We had great presentations from our panel, and great participation from our audience.</p> <p>If you missed the event, or want to experience it again, you can view the video archive of the event <a href="https://alapublishing.webex.com/alapublishing/lsr.php?AT=pb&SP=EC&rID=4742212&rKey=1b36dc291d7a1f59 ">here</a>.</p> <p><strong>Again, the URL for the archive is: <a target="New" href="https://alapublishing.webex.com/alapublishing/lsr.php?AT=pb&SP=EC&rID=4742212&rKey=1b36dc291d7a1f59">https://alapublishing.webex.com/alapublishing/lsr.php?AT=pb&SP=EC&rID=4742212&rKey=1b36dc291d7a1f59</a> </strong></p> <p>The slides from all panelists are below.</p> <p><a title="View ALA TechSource 2012 Midwinter Tech Wrapup: Jason Griffey on Scribd" style="margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/79849904/ALA-TechSource-2012-Midwinter-Tech-Wrapup-Jason-Griffey">ALA TechSource 2012 Midwinter Tech Wrapup: Jason Griffey</a><script type="text/javascript">(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })();</script><br /> <br /> <a title="View ALA TechSource 2012 Midwinter Tech Wrapup: Marshall Breeding on Scribd" style="margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/79849902/ALA-TechSource-2012-Midwinter-Tech-Wrapup-Marshall-Breeding">ALA TechSource 2012 Midwinter Tech Wrapup: Marshall Breeding</a><script type="text/javascript">(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })();</script><br /> <br /> <a title="View ALA Tech Source 2012 Midwinter Tech Wrapup: Sue Polanka on Scribd" style="margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/79850136/ALA-Tech-Source-2012-Midwinter-Tech-Wrapup-Sue-Polanka">ALA Tech Source 2012 Midwinter Tech Wrapup: Sue Polanka</a><script type="text/javascript">(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })();</script></p> </article> <article> <h1>Apple's Textbook Strategy</h1> <p>Jason Griffey — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 04:20:13 +0000</p> <p>Apple has decided to attempt yet another media disruption, this time focusing on reinventing the textbook market. This move was foretold in the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Steve-Jobs-Walter-Isaacson/dp/1451648537/?tag=jasongriffey-20">biography of Steve Jobs</a>, where Walter Isaacson wrote about Jobs:</p> <p class="rteindent1">“He wanted to disrupt the textbook industry, and save the spines of spavined students bearing backpacks by creating electronic texts and curriculum material for the iPad."</p> <p>The <a href="http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2012/01/19Apple-Reinvents-Textbooks-with-iBooks-2-for-iPad.html">details of the announcement</a> should definitely interest anyone in libraries, but especially school libraries (and, I think, academic libraries as well). The first announcement was the simple fact that Apple is getting into the electronic textbook market, providing tools for making electronic textbooks with rich media embedded and selling them in the iBooks store for the iPad. Apple also announced that they had signed three of the largest producers of textbooks in the US to be partners in the project; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, McGraw-Hill, and Pearson.</p> <p>There were three different software products announced as well: iBooks 2, iBooks Author, and iTuneU for iPad.<a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ibooks/id364709193?mt=8"> iBooks 2</a> gives you access to the textbook store, as well as adding features like highlighting and note-taking, definitions, lesson reviews and study cards. The<a href="http://www.apple.com/education/itunes-u/"> iTunes U app </a>is a shortcut into the previously iTunes focused iTunes U portal for free curricular content from a number of colleges and universities across the world. <a href="http://www.apple.com/ibooks-author/">iBooks Author</a> is the most interesting of the products, as well as being the one that’s generated the most discussion, almost entirely because of its end-user license agreement.</p> <p>iBooks Author allows for the creation of media-rich eBooks for the iBook Store, or exportable to PDF or TXT files without the fancy media embeds. Unfortunately for everyone, Apple chose to not support the emerging EPUB3 standard for import and export. This is an Apple-Only playground for the time being, with no import facilities at all. You start from a template, and build out an ebook using tools that are reminiscent of Apple’s own Keynote presentation software...it’s by far the best interface I’ve seen for creating complicated ebooks. It’s a real shame that Apple chose to restrict the output to only working in iBooks...understandable from their point of view, but overall I think the wrong call.</p> <p>The real controversy comes in the EULA for Author. Included in the agreement is a section that reads:</p> <p class="rteindent1">B. Distribution of your Work. As a condition of this License and provided you are in compliance with its terms, your Work may be distributed as follows:</p> <p class="rteindent1">(i) if your Work is provided for free (at no charge), you may distribute the Work by any available means;</p> <p class="rteindent1">(ii) if your Work is provided for a fee (including as part of any subscription-based product or service), you may only distribute the Work through Apple and such distribution is subject to the following limitations and conditions: (a) you will be required to enter into a separate written agreement with Apple (or an Apple affiliate or subsidiary) before any commercial distribution of your Work may take place; and (b) Apple may determine for any reason and in its sole discretion not to select your Work for distribution.</p> <p>The commercial clause is the one that has most people worried, and seems to be unique in the world of EULAs. You’d be hard pressed to find another piece of software that limits your ability to sell the output of said program...they exist, but this is far more direct and draconian than any previous license that I’m aware of. For authors who want to use the tool, this locks them into distribution via the iBooks store, which means that libraries and librarians are going to be cut out of purchasing them for collections in any real way. On the other hand, it means that if libraries themselves want to use the tool to produce tools to help users and distribute them for free, they can easily and quickly do so with iBooks Author.</p> <p>Apple is starting their textbook rollout with titles designed for high school (grades 9-12 in the US), which is surprising given the intense political and educational decision-making that goes into choosing public school textbooks in the US. I had expected them to start with College and University textbooks where the decision to use or not use is almost entirely up to the professor teaching the class. This is almost certainly just a preliminary trial, and I suppose if they hook the high schoolers then the expectation of iPad textbooks might trickle up to the world of higher education. </p> <p>These are far from a sure thing, but as the last 15 years shows us, it’s not a good bet to bet against Apple when it comes to selling things to consumers. Libraries should be ready to answer questions about these things over the next year or so as Apple tries to make textbooks into another conquest in their personal electronics and services empire.</p> </article> <article> <h1>Continuing the Conversation: Library Analytics (Part 2)</h1> <p>Daniel A. Freeman — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:49:15 +0000</p> We just wrapped up the second session of Sarah Houghton and Paul Signorelli’s workshop <em>Library Analytics: Inspiring Positive Action through Web User Data</em>. The slides for the event are below. Have further questions or comments? Whether you participated in the event or not, feel free to chime in via the comments area below!<br /> <strong><br /> Paul and Sarah’s Slides</strong><br /> <a title="View How Libraries Analyze and Act on Scribd" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/79466879/How-Libraries-Analyze-and-Act" style="margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;">How Libraries Analyze and Act</a><script type="text/javascript">(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })();</script> </article> <article> <h1>Continuing the Conversation: 10 Steps to a User-Friendly Library Website</h1> <p>Daniel A. Freeman — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:23:09 +0000</p> <p>We just wrapped up Aaron Schmidt and Amanda Etches-Johnson’s workshop <em>10 Steps to a User-Friendly Library Website</em>. The readings and slides for the event are listed below. Have further questions or comments? Whether you participated in the event or not, feel free to chime in via the comments area below!<br /> <strong><br /> The Readings for Today’s Workshop:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Library Websites Should be Smaller (<a href="http://www.walkingpaper.org/3974">http://www.walkingpaper.org/3974</a>)</li> <li>Save the Time of the Reader (<a href="http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/ljinprint/currentissue/891924-403/save_the_time_of_the.html.csp">http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/ljinprint/currentissue/891924-403/save_the_time_of_the.html.csp</a>)</li> <li>Steve Krug on DIY Usability Testing (<a href="http://www.netmagazine.com/interviews/in-depth/steve-krug-diy-usability-testing">http://www.netmagazine.com/interviews/in-depth/steve-krug-diy-usability-testing</a>)</li> <li>Five Low-Hanging UX Tips (<a href="http://uxmag.com/articles/five-low-hanging-ux-tips">http://uxmag.com/articles/five-low-hanging-ux-tips</a>)</li> </ul> <p><strong>Aaron and Amanda’s Slides:</strong><br /> <a title="View 10 Steps to a User-Friendly Library Website on Scribd" style="margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/79346243/10-Steps-to-a-User-Friendly-Library-Website">10 Steps to a User-Friendly Library Website</a><script type="text/javascript">(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })();</script></p> </article> <article> <h1>O'Reilly's Joe Wikert on Publishing Technology and Public Libraries</h1> <p>Patrick Hogan — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:28:45 +0000</p> <em><p>Joe Wikert is General Manager & Publisher at O'Reilly Media, Inc., where he manages the sales and editorial groups. He is also Chair of O'Reilly's Tools of Change for Publishers conference (TOC). <a href="http://www.toccon.com/toc2012/" title="TOC conference page">TOC 2012</a> is February 13-15 in New York City at the Marriott Marquis Times Square. ALA TechSource readers can save 15 percent by registering with coupon code AMLIB, in addition to discounts offered to librarians. </p> <p>Joe follows new developments in publishing technology and emerging platform. ALA TechSource asked a few questions to get his perspective on public libraries. </p></em> <p><strong>ALA TechSource:</strong> Some public libraries are looking at ways they can be developers of content, helping people in their communities publish content of interest to their communities. The "hyper-local" approach. Drawing from your knowledge of start-up publishing platforms, what opportunities do you see for libraries?</p>  <p><strong>Joe Wikert:</strong> Just as publishers are being forced to reinvent themselves in the digital age I think it's important for libraries to do the same. Part of that means being prepared to completely abandon any/all of the services you provided before. I like the thought of libraries helping their patrons learn how to effectively develop content, but it shouldn't end there. I think they should also serve as a resource to help them <em>distribute</em> that content. This is a big hole that's missing in the self-publishing space, and libraries have an opportunity to step in and do something about it. Authors who want to self-publish are scratching their heads over which platform to use (e.g., Lulu, AuthorHouse, etc.) Wouldn't it be great if your local library morphed into a resource that helps authors figure that out? And let's not forget about the workshop opportunities that could result from this. Local libraries could have regular sessions covering all aspects of content authoring and distribution (e.g., contracts, rights, writing skills, hiring an editor, cover design, etc.) Thanks to the self-publishing phenomenon we're seeing a lot more people get into the area of content creation and libraries are well-suited to play an important role in it. </p> <p><strong>ALA TechSource:</strong> What is your perspective on the state of social reading? Some libraries are using Goodreads for book clubs, for example. Do you think startup social media platforms might be useful tool for public libraries?</p> <p><strong>Joe Wikert:</strong> I see three issues currently with social reading. First, prospective users need to be convinced there's a reason for it. There's a lot of skepticism out there. I can't tell you how many times I've heard someone say, "reading is a solitary activity...I don't want it to be social!" There's no question that a great deal of anyone's reading should be out of the social sphere, but what about the rest of their reading activity? There are plenty of times when I'm reading a book about WWII where I'd like to ask someone what they might know about a certain battle or leader. I'd love to be able to ask that question right within the book I'm reading and not be forced to hop out to a browser and search Wikipedia, for example. At other times I'd love to ask someone else who's reading the same book for clarification on something. Nothing beats being able to ask a classmate for help with a problem and the same applies to reading a book. I'm convinced social has a role in reading but we're not there yet. Second, there are too many option. Do I go with Goodreads, as you suggest or Librarything, for example? I've used both and there are plenty of other ones out there. Finally, one of the biggest obstacles I see with social reading now is that it's not built into the ereader app. I read a lot on my Kindle and for me to really engage with social activities while reading I'd need it to be built into the app or device.</p> <p><strong>ALA TechSource:</strong> O'Reilly publishes its ebooks without digital rights management (DRM) and offers subscriptions to a collection (including other publishers' books) in the Safari Books Online. Can you offer a general perspective on this model, its rationale, and results? As a publisher, what's your view of the library marketplace?</p> <p><strong>Joe Wikert:</strong> First of all, I love the library marketplace. As I noted earlier, I think this is a great opportunity for libraries to reinvent themselves and I truly hope they succeed in doing so. Regarding DRM and the Safari model, I'm obviously a big fan of no DRM and digital content subscriptions.</p> <p>Publishers who are using DRM are saying they don't trust their customers. What an awful message to send. And let's not forget that a DRM model that can't be cracked has yet to be built. DRM is nothing more than false security. Look around at all the ebooks available on torrent sites. Most of them were originally "protected" with DRM. Many others were never even officially released as ebooks but someone took the time to scan in the print version and create an e-version. So even if an uncrackable DRM could be developed, and it can't, illegal ebooks would exist thanks to simple scanning technologies. Given all this, why should publishers use DRM? Not only does it say they don't trust their customers but they have to pay extra for the feature and they limit what the customer can do with that content. What an awful formula. I'm sure you now see why I think DRM needs to completely go away!</p> <p>Safari is a great model for content subscription. It's mostly based on technology and business content but I could see the same model being successful for other genres too. Amazon is testing this out with their Kindle Owner's Lending Library program. It's a great deal for Amazon and their customers but an awful one for publishers and authors. Why? Amazon has acknowledged in their own press release about the service that they're paying most publishers a simple flat fee for use of their content. So regardless of how popular a given book is in the program that publisher/author's income is capped. I'm as opposed to revenue and royalty caps as I am to DRM. Amazon's model should be like Safari's, which is a pay-for-performance one. The more use a particular book gets the more income that publisher/author receives. It's uncapped, like it should be.</p> <p><em>Note: The O'Reilly Radar blog recently <a href="http://radar.oreilly.com/2011/12/drm-amazon-and-publisher-throa.html" title="O'Reilly Radar blog">posted</a> on web discussions around the mertis of publishers' DRM srategies and the possible threat of being beholden to Amazon. See also Joe's post <a href="http://radar.oreilly.com/2011/11/amazon-kindle-lending-library-publishers-authors.html" title="O'Reilly Radar blog">"The problem with Amazon's Kindle Owners' Lending Library."</a> and his <a href="http://jwikert.typepad.com/the_average_joe/" title="Joe Wikert's blog">Joe Wikert's Publishing 2020 Blog. </a> </em> </p> </article> <article> <h1>RMG Presidents' Seminar Explores Library Technology Trends</h1> <p>Patrick Hogan — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:57:09 +0000</p> <p>RMG Consultants will lead their 22nd Annual Presidents' Seminar on Friday, January 20, 2012, at ALA's Midwinter Meeting at the Dallas Convention Center (Rooms A201/A202) . This year's theme is "Invasion of the Customer Snatchers into a Saturated and Content-Driven ILS Marketplace"</p> <p>Senior executives of library technology companies will answer questions from moderator Rob McGee of RMG as well as the audience. Smart Libraries Newsletter editor Marshall Breeding will weigh in as a special commentator along with RMG's Geoff Payne. The companies and panelists expected this year are:</p> <ul> <li>Auto-Graphics, Paul Cope <li>ByWater Solutions, Brendan Gallagher</li> <li>Ex Libris, Matti Shem-Tov</li> <li>Infor, Ann Melaerts</li> <li>Innovative Interfaces, Neil Block</li> <li>OCLC, Robin Murray</li> <li>Polaris, Bill Schickling</li> <li>Serials Solutions/ProQuest, Jane Burke</li> <li>SirsiDynix, Bill Davison</li> <li>The Library Corporation (TLC), Annette Murphy</li> <li>VTLS, Vinod Chachra</li> </ul> <p>McGee will solicit opinions on how library workflows must change with the shift from print to electronic resources, Patron-Driven Acquisitions (PDA)/Demand-Driven Acquisitions (DDA), e-Book Lending, Discovery Services with access to Open Content and pay-per-download of licensed content, the synergies and competition among the technology and content sectors of the library industry. He will also seek comments on the competive environment wth new web-scale library management system players and vendors supporting Open Source Integrated Library Systems going after the customers of established players.</p> <p>RMG's Presidents' Seminar is a terrific opportunity to learn about the library technology marketplace. Even while executives strive to to stay on message with their competitive advantages, the open forum explores library technology trends and reveals how vendors are positioning themselves.</p> <p>Below are the trends and topics that RMG has identified.</p> <ul> <p>For a vendor in the saturated North American ILS marketplace, getting a new-name customer can mean snatching a library from somebody else’s ILS customer base – or selling it an add-on product or service.</p> <p>Content increasingly rules, and cloud services have gathered; this combination challenges legacy library automation systems designed and created before the dominance of e-content and the Internet. Discovering, accessing, and delivering e-content is a compelling alternative (or complement) to a library’s investment in a traditional ILS package of standard modules – along with a tug in another strategic direction for the ROI (Return on Investment) in RFID/AMH (Automated Material Handling) systems for gains in customer services and staff performance in managing books and AV materials.</p> <p>Industry dynamics in the last three years have been game-changers. Bywater Solutions, Equinox Software, and Liblime/PTFS have successfully commercialized the development and support of Open Source ILSs -- Evergreen and Koha. ILSaaS (Integrated Library System as a Service, including the web-scale offerings) is flattening the costs of open source and proprietary ILSs. Baker & Taylor and 3M now offer e-book lending (circulation control) services. In June 2011 Serials Solutions announced a Web-Scale Management Solution to debut in 4Q 2012. These together with Ex Libris’ Alma, Kuali OLE, Innovative’s Sierra, and OCLC’s WMS offer opportunities for improved library workflows and customer services that overcome the costly inefficiency and awkwardness of differentiated processes for selection, acquisition, discovery, access, and delivery of e- and p-resources.</p> <p>The pairing of ILS/Discovery by Ex Libris, Innovative, and OCLC has impacted the academic library sector. Discovery and delivery services that focus on public libraries and the e-resources provided by State Library agencies have yet to emerge in needed force to benefit millions of readers who go about public library use largely unaware of expensive licensed e-content that could be within easy reach for them with the right interfaces and services on laptops, phones, and tablets.</p> <p>The biggest slices of library budgets are for people/content: in the extreme, 20/80 for academic libraries; 70/30 for public libraries. Annual expenditures for e-resources may reach 80% of some academic library content budgets. Targeting increased ROI in people and content is a strategic direction for libraries.</p> <p>The sheer financial might of Baker & Taylor, OCLC, ProQuest/Serials Solutions, and 3M separates them from the traditional denizens of the ILS marketplace. That, coupled with their ability or potential to deliver e-content, discovery, and ILS services on a subscription basis just might be the forces that re-shape the library technology marketplace. Will 3M expand Cloud Library to include an ILS service; or will Baker & Taylor or EBSCO or Gale take the WMS-plunge? Remember Elsevier and Endeavor/Voyager?</p> <p>Will the Invasion of the ILS Customer Snatchers be advanced through mergers and acquisitions (M&A) of library technology and/or content vendors?</p> <p>Are we a step away from Amazon or Facebook or Google or Microsoft launching services that one-up Amazon’s recently introduced e-book lending services, that could partner or compete with libraries to reach individuals, homes, schools, and businesses?</p> <p>Will Apple’s iCloud and Siri (think out of the single-search box) lead to Internet, Cable, and TV services that make information as easy to find and use, and as much fun and effective, as the iPhone and iPad?</p> </ul> </article> <article> <h1>Register Now for the FREE 2012 ALA TechSource Midwinter Tech Wrapup!</h1> <p>Daniel A. Freeman — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:19:28 +0000</p> <p></p> <p style="margin:0pt;"><font size="2"><a href="http://www.ala.org/ala/conferencesevents/upcoming/midwinter/index.cfm">The ALA Midwinter Meeting</a> provides a fantastic opportunity to reflect on how technology is continuing to transform the library world. </font><font size="2">Between the exhibition floor</font><font size="2"> and the variety of </font><font size="2">technology-related events</font><font size="2">, the conference can provide attendees with an overview of where library technology is, and where it may be going. Of course, for various reasons, many librarians won't be able to attend, and many who do will find themselves spread so thin that they cannot attend some of the technology-related events. </font></p> <p style="margin:0pt;"> </p> <p style="margin:0pt;">We're happy to announce that we're continuing our free, conference-wrapping webinars with <a href="http://bit.ly/zKq6S8">The 2012 ALA TechSource Midwinter Tech Wrapup</a>. Our expert panel will present their observations and analysis of the top technology trends from the conference, and what they see as the implications for libraries.</p> <p style="margin:0pt;"> </p> <p style="margin:0pt;">We're excited to have a fantasic 3-person panel for this event, which will take place on<strong> <a href="http://bit.ly/zKq6S8">Monday, January 30th at 1pm Eastern/Noon Cental/11am Mountain/10am Pacific</a></strong>:</p> <p style="margin:0pt;"> </p> <ul><li><strong>Jason Griffey</strong>, Head of Library Information Technology, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, and blogger for ALA TechSource.<b><br /></b></li> <li><strong>Marshall Breeding</strong>, Director for Innovative Technologies and Research, Vanderbilt University Libraries, Library Automation Writer and Expert.</li> <li><b>Sue Polanka </b>, Head of Reference and Instruction at the Wright State University Libraries in Dayton, Ohio, Vice President/President Elect of the Academic Library Association of Ohio and author/moderator of <i><a href="http://www.libraries.wright.edu/noshelfrequired/">No Shelf Required</a></i>.</li> </ul> <p style="margin:0pt;"> </p> <p style="margin:0pt;"><a href="http://bit.ly/zKq6S8">Register now</a> for this Free Event!</p> <p style="margin:0pt;"> </p> <p style="margin:0pt;">Please keep in mind that attendance for the actual event is limited to 1,000 people. If you can't attend the live event, the full archive will be posted to the TechSource blog within 24 hours. </p> <p style="margin:0pt;"> </p> <p style="margin:0pt;">Again, the registration page is at <a href="http://bit.ly/zKq6S8">http://bit.ly/zKq6S8</a> </p> </article> <article> <h1>Continuing the Conversation: Library Analytics</h1> <p>Daniel A. Freeman — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 20:46:46 +0000</p> <p>We just wrapped up the first session of Sarah Houghton and Paul Signorelli’s workshop Library Analytics: Inspiring Positive Action through Web User Data. The readings, resources, and slides for the event are listed below. Have further questions or comments? Whether you participated in the event or not, feel free to chime in via the comments area below!<br /> <br /> <strong>The Readings for Today’s Workshop</strong>:</p> <ul> <li><a href="http://library.usu.edu/instruct/assessment/index.php"> Wikipedia Entry: Web Analytics</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_analytics"> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_analytics</a><br /> “About Us” Page, Web Anayltics Association<a href="http://www.webanalyticsassociation.org/?page=aboutus"> http://www.webanalyticsassociation.org/?page=aboutus</a></li> <li>Measuring Website Usage with Google Analytics, Part I<a href="http://jiscpress.blogs.lincoln.ac.uk/2009/11/22/measuring-website-usage-with-google-analytics-part-i/"> http://jiscpress.blogs.lincoln.ac.uk/2009/11/22/measuring-website-usage-with-google-analytics-part-i/</a></li> <li>Measuring Website Usage<br /> <a href="http://coi.gov.uk/guidance.php?page=235">http://coi.gov.uk/guidance.php?page=235</a> (from<a href="http://coi.gov.uk/guidance.php?page=229"> http://coi.gov.uk/guidance.php?page=229</a>)<br /> <a href="http://blog.ouseful.info/2008/08/20/library-analytics-part-1/">Library Analytics (Part 1) http://blog.ouseful.info/2008/08/20/library-analytics-part-1/</a></li> <p> The following suggested articles may require authentication or subscription to a fee-based database.</p> <li>Arendt, Julie and Wagner, Cassie. 2010. 'Beyond Description: Converting Web Site Usage Statistics into Concrete Site Improvement Ideas', Journal of Web Librarianship, 4: 1, 37 — 54<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19322900903547414"> http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19322900903547414</a></li> <li>Black, Elizabeth L.2009. "Web Analytics: A Picture of the Academic Library Web Site User", Journal of Web Librarianship, 3: 1, 3 — 14<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19322900802660292"> http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19322900802660292</a></li> <li>DANIEL WAISBERG and AVINASH KAUSHIK. 2009. "Web Analytics 2.0: Empowering Customer Centricity" SEMJ.org Volume 2 Issue 1.<a href="http://www.semj.org/documents/webanalytics2.0_SEMJvol2.pdf"> http://www.semj.org/documents/webanalytics2.0_SEMJvol2.pdf</a><br /> </li> </ul> <p><a title="View How Libraries Analyze and Act on Scribd" style="margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/78048052/How-Libraries-Analyze-and-Act">How Libraries Analyze and Act</a><script type="text/javascript">(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })();</script></p> </article> </main></body></html>