Shared print programs are helping their member libraries right-size their collections. As they do, there are concerns about the adverse impact of bibliographic inaccuracies. This paper studies bibliographic record inaccuracies and the resulting frequency of mismatches between an item owned and the record representing ownership. Through analysis of…

In this chapter, we explore the organizational units, projects, and support that exist for digital literacy within the Vanderbilt University Library system. We frame the chapter chronologically, starting with the efforts of the past, then moving toward the present efforts, and concluding with where future efforts are going.

The author, a digital access architect in the information systems department of the Orange County Library System in Florida, was given the challenge of creating a library mobile app around the 2009 holiday season. At that time, Sheri Chambers, digital content manager in the information systems department, and Debbie Moss, assistant director of the…

The silo is a well-worn metaphor in information systems used to illustrate separateness, isolation, and lack of connectivity. Through the many iterations of system development, libraries, archives, and museums (LAMs) have sought to avoid silos and find the sweet spot between interface design and metadata interoperability. This effort is being…

The technology of the 21st century has had no shortage of challenges for libraries, but it has also brought opportunities. Operating systems, databases, and application environments that can use cheap off-the-shelf hardware to scale and handle hundreds of millions of transactions were not developed for libraries. However, libraries have taken…

In this article, the author, a technology consultant for the Northeast Kansas Library System (NEKLS), shares the story of how the Kansas Library on the Web (KLOW) program was created. KLOW's story begins with the initial startup fund finding and the enthusiasm of the six pilot libraries. The middle of the story has to do with building a flexible,…

This article presents the results of a comprehensive survey of integrated library system (ILS) vendors conducted by the author and commissioned by "Computers in Libraries" CIL. The survey was intended to: (1) provide an up-to-date comparison of functionality currently available in ILS products; (2) provide a comparison of support services…

This article discusses trends in five areas relating to software developed for libraries, and based on these trends, the author's predictions for developments that might play out in the next few years. The author's predictions, based on his own empirical observations, include: (1) the integrated library system (ILS) will be reintegrated; (2) the…

Four speakers presented their points of view on library networks and automated systems at the April 1, 1970 meeting of the Catholic Library Association's College and University Libraries section. Carlos Cuadra gave the keynote address "Library Automation and Networks" which stresses the potential application of automated information systems to…

What would technological librarians like to see in the next generation of Integrated Library Systems (ILS)? This question was asked of several well- known library technology experts, and their responses are presented in this article. Survey respondents expressed a clear desire for the following features and functionality: (1) Direct, read-only…

Necessity is still the mother of invention, and physical processing is a reality for most libraries. Ergo, the inevitable development of Indigo Media and its innovative MediaPrint software, which allows distributors to overlay customized labels, logos, barcodes, and artwork onto retail labels of audiobooks, CDs, VHS tapes, DVDs, and CD-ROMs, on a…

This survey by the New England Library Information Network as part of research to develop a regional automated ILL system studied lending patterns of different types and sizes of libraries, the flow of ILL among libraries, age of material requested, request fill rates, and turnaround time. (Author/JAB)

This report covers functional specifications for the OCLC Interlibrary Loan (ILL) Subsystem, designed to permit participating libraries to increase the availability of library resources to patrons by enabling these libraries to form, transmit, and fulfill loan requests more rapidly and effectively. It will provide rapid access to a large on-line…

Suggestions are made for solving problems in current computerized cooperative library networks. (KP)