Information
technology affects every aspect of every library service to
the extent that in many countries all librarians use
sophisticated computer hardware and software to do his or her
job. Cataloguers can use OCLC (to edit and download records),
the local library system (to manage holdings and item level
data), and FTP files from the library of Congress or other
vendors. The new advancement in technologies has already
turned library automation into a continuing process in which
librarians need to be aware of more affordable, powerful, high
efficiency and reliable systems to improve their services.
What kind of
library automation system are libraries looking for? What
features do they want? What needs to be considered when
selecting a system? In this article, we will consider these
questions using examples from four library automation systems,
VTLS Virtua, ELIB from iGroup, Horizon from Epixtech Inc.
and Innopac
from
Innovative Interface Inc.
 Track record of your
vendor
The reputation
and track record of the vendor is a major consideration.
Libraries will look for reputable vendors with many years'
experience in serving the technological needs of libraries, so
as to ensure high quality after sales support. The vendor's
profitability and revenue growth will also be checked as a
sign that they have staying power and that they will
continually upgrade their product in line with new
technologies.
Client and user
interface
Most vendors
are now promoting Graphical User Interfaces (GUI) in their
systems as they are more user friendly and interactive when
compared to the older menu driven interfaces. Most systems are
designed for use on PC's running Microsoft Windows 95, 98,
2000 and NT. In Innopac, its Java character based interface
supports any microcomputer, including Macintosh
workstations.
Microsoft has
recently launched a new operating system, Microsoft Windows
XP. Will vendors make their system compatible with this new
operating system? Time will give us the answer.
Internet
technology has had an impact not only at the strategic and
operational business level, but also on the way people work
and generate information. It has brought convenience and the
capability of accessing a vast amount of information in a
timely and efficient manner. As a result, most libraries want
their system, especially online catalogues, to be incorporated
or integrated into web services, so that users are able to
access catalogues and subscription databases through the
library home page anywhere and anytime.
Librarians also
consider the flexibility of the system when designing screens,
especially when they are integrated into the Web. Most
libraries would like to have their logos, background
information, events, notices and other library information
incorporated into the interface. Others may request changes to
searching capabilities or even the icons used, to accommodate
different group of users, especially school children or the
visually disabled. Customisation is also a key factor. For
example, many libraries in Southeast Asia need their system to
provide multilingual support to cater to users globally and
enable easy system set-up and local customisation. We will
talk more about customisation in a later section.
Libraries are
also concerned about the scalability of the system. Systems
need to be expandable and upgradable to any size with advanced
multi-tier, client/server design without incurring too much
cost and time. Moreover input from devices such as barcode
readers attached to workstations is desirable.
Help files need
to be online through the system interface. Additionally,
librarians and patrons prefer to have all commands available
simultaneously, without the need to switch modules, menus or
screens.
Acquisition
Ever since the
Acquisition feature was incorporated into library systems, it
has contributed to savings of time and cost as well as labour.
Most acquisition transactions such as ordering and payment can
be done electronically. It not only helps to reduce the amount
of paper needed for purchase orders and invoices, it also
helps to facilitate filing and organising of forms in
electronic format, another time saving feature.
Most libraries
now expect to have a fully integrated acquisition module,
which includes pre-order searching, ordering, claiming,
cancellation of orders, receipt processing, payment, routing,
fund accounting, vendor accounting, currency control and
statistics report compilation. With the emergence of new
storage and entertainment media such as CD-ROM, CD, VCD and
DVD, libraries need their acquisition features to accommodate
these new formats as well as printed publications.
Managing fund accounts is the most crucial and sensitive
function of an acquisition module. Most
libraries are non-profit organisations and most of their funds come
from either the government or the private sector or the
general public. So they must manage their finances carefully.
Because of this, security issues have to be imposed to the system
but at the same time enable authorised librarians to
create, update and close an account at any time, add or remove amounts
to or from the allocation at any time and permit freezing
of funds with override capabilities. The system must
also calculate the average annual cost for categories of materials
by type, fund and subject heading. In VTLS Virtua, the
system issues a prompt to replenish funds when a
minimum predetermined balance is reached.
There are
numerous ways for libraries to acquire materials necessitating
many types of orders. It is not possible for the system to
generate all order types, but it must at least accommodate the
followings: Firm order, prepayment, gift, exchange,
membership, on approval, blanket order, standing order and
subscription based. In addition, Innopac for example. can also
manage and accommodate depository items, replacements and
prepaid items. Moreover, Innopac supports multi-copy fund
ordering and single copy multi-fund ordering.
When it comes
to receiving materials, the system must be capable of
accepting credits, refunds and partial order payments and
provide real time update of vendor and account records. But
what if items are not received? The system must be able to
produce claim notices and send the claims electronically to
vendors, or to the librarian. The librarian should be able to
cancel and resubmit orders without re-inputting record
data.
Acquisition
reports are needed to document performance statistics and
summaries of work done during the acquisition process in a
specified time frame. In the past, they were compiled
manually, a tedious job. Nowadays library systems come with a
graphical report interface that enables point and click
selection of appropriate date elements, time periods,
frequencies, output devices etc.
(Figure 1:
ELIB Non-MARC Cataloguing Interface)
Cataloguing
The library
catalogue forms the base for most library activities such as
acquisition, reference, inter-library loan etc. Users of the
catalogue will appreciate how fast retrieval, search and
printing is in an automated environment. Moreover, users can
have simultaneous access to the same database if the system is
available in a network environment. As for library staff, jobs
such as printing and filing of library cards are eliminated.
Libraries do
not want their collection records messed up by intruders or
hackers, so levels of security are needed in the cataloguing
system. This usually requires authorised librarians to key in
their PIN/Password number in order to access it. Once there,
they can update, edit, add or remove records from the
database. This security feature also enables libraries to do
tracking on the record.
Nowadays, most library systems support
USMARC bibliographic and authority record format. In the Horizon library
system, it is fully integrated with the Z39.50 cataloguing
client. Z39.50 is an NISO standard defining a protocol
for computer to computer information retrieval. It allows users in
one system to search and retrieve information from
other systems that have implemented Z39.50.
Now let us
focus on customisation. There are many formats of materials in
a library collection such as serials, books, audio-visual
materials etc. In order to accommodate them, the system must
allow cataloguers to customise records by adding or removing
an unlimited amount of fields as well as supporting an
unlimited length of data in each field. Furthermore, the
system must be able to support exporting and importing of MARC
records to and from tape, diskettes and other devices.
VTLS Virtua
cataloguing system supports Unicode character sets permitting
cataloguers to customise cataloguing records in preferred
languages.
What about
librarians who are not trained in cataloguing? The ELIB
library system has NON-MARC labelled work forms for librarians
not proficient in MARC cataloguing. Furthermore, it enables
librarians and patrons to launch applications automatically,
associated with URL's in MARC 856 fields, as a hypertext
function. ( Refer to fig.
1
)
Authority
control, forms a very important aspect of cataloguing. There
are authors with more than one name and there are authors who
have changed their names. So which name should be used when
cataloguing? Aeroplanes or Airplanes: which headings should be
used when cataloguing? This is where authority control is
essential. The system must enable libraries to establish,
verify, maintain, copy and use authors, titles and subjects as
authority headings and generate cross referencing so that
users can retrieve relevant results no matter what search
terms or headings they use. Innopac library system supports
global updating, which allows changes to be made on many
records at once, and can be used on all types of records and
any
fields.
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(Figure 2:
ELIB Circulation Interface)
As for
searching capabilities, novice and advance search options are
now standard. As a minimum, specific and phrase searching by
author, title and keyword is expected. Also expected are
Boolean, proximity and wildcard searching. VTLS Virtua enables
users to save search queries and execute them for later
searching.
Libraries also
expect the system to sort search results to user-defined
sequences and to refine, structure or combine search criteria
for effective searches.
Innopac enables users to jump into an entry without
clicking ‘next record' or ‘previous record' icon repeatedly. It
also gives users the capability to mark, save, print
and email selected search results. In its full bibliographic
record, the author and subject fields contain links for users
to look for related records.
Circulation
In addition to
online, real-time process control and tracking checkouts,
check-ins, renewals, overdue, fines, holds, recalls and loans,
libraries expect their system to provide an unlimited number
of patron types and item classes with different circulation
policies for each class. Further, librarians should be able to
change, delete or augment user and item profiles at anytime
after they have been established.
Will patrons'
privacy be violated? This is a concern that worries patrons.
To address this issue, certain levels of security are imposed
to the circulation system. To protect patrons' privacy, all
information in the patron record is secured and only
authorised staff have access to it.
Before an item
is checked out, the system must be able to determine
privileges such as loan period, loan limit and number of
renewals a user may make based on the user profile in
conjunction with the item type. It should automatically
reflect the status of an item in the public catalogue
immediately after it has been charged or discharged.
Librarians also expect the system to bill the users
automatically for registering or extending library membership,
renewing items, lost items, returning overdue items or damaged
items. ELIB accepts full as well as partial payments for fines
and calculates the remaining balance. ( Refer to fig. 2
)
When it comes
to loan period calculation, the system must be able to
determine it automatically for each item and take into account
closed days and holidays. Therefore, the system must allow
authorise librarians to override the system-calculated due
date when charging an item if for example a holiday in
announced unexpectedly.
(Figure 3:
Horizon Circulation Interface)
In the olden
days, notices were sent by hand mail to notify users of
overdue items. Now they can be generated automatically without
any human intervention and support email notice capability. In
Horizon, the circulation system offers telephone notification.
This feature helps to reduce their notice production costs by
delivering overdue and hold pick-up notices by phone. Printed
and fax notice options are also available. ( Refer to fig. 3
)
Self-check
machines are very popular and widely available in many
libraries as they eliminate queuing and allow the librarian to
concentrate on other services. They are integrated with the
circulation system and allow patrons to checkout books without
librarians' intervention. Date due slips are automatically
printed.
Innopac offers
an automated circulation backup system, which enables the
librarians to continue to serve patrons during unforeseen
circumstances such as power failure.
Serials
management
There are many
types of collections in a library and serials is one of the
most significant. Moreover, the way of handling and managing
serials is different from the way librarians handle the book.
So it is necessary to have serial management in a library
automation system to facilitate the circulation of these
materials.
Libraries want
their serial management to be fully integrated with
Acquisition, Cataloguing, OPAC and Circulation. Once
integrated, the system must be able to predict the next issues
automatically, detect and alert librarians about duplicates
between firm orders and subscription orders for monographs in
series, accommodate pocket parts, replacements, supplements
and other pieces related to a serial. Upon receiving serials,
the system must record the issue chronology, date received,
number of copies received and claim any copies expected but
not received. Bindery control features can be added for
comprehensive serial management.
Social Routing
ensures patrons are kept completely up to date with
developments in their chosen field. As new serial issues
arrive, they will automatically be circulated. Serial routing
involves the library keeping and maintaining a list of people
interested in reading a serial title and automatically sending
each new issue to people on the list as soon as it comes off
display. VTLS Virtua gives librarians the ability to view, add
or remove patron names or move patrons up and down in the
routing priority list.
Price
Price is
another factor to consider. Vendors face competitive pricing
from the other vendors. Libraries are mostly non-profit
organisations, funded either by government or other private
organisations, and constrained by strict budgets. As a result,
they are looking for systems which are affordable and priced
reasonably.
A typical
library automation system has three major components
(Circulation, Cataloguing and OPAC) that may or may not be
sold and priced as separate modules. In fact, libraries can
avoid some costs and effort for integrating and maintaining
the systems if it acquires an automation product that was
deliberately designed to integrate all of these functions.
Maintaining individual products that are not designed to work
together can be difficult and costly, so it is wise to avoid
integrating products from multiple vendors.
Price
As you can see,
even though there are many library automation products on the
market, not all of them perform the same functions or do them
equally well. Only a selection will be appropriate for use in
a particular situation or environment.
The potential
benefits of library automation are well highlighted: increased
efficiency, enhanced service, facilitated searching and
retrieving of information and saving of time. None of these
benefits can be realised, however, without the provision of
adequate staff training.
In addition,
vendors should constantly upgrade or create a new version of
their library automation system so as to keep pace with
changes in technology and information needs otherwise the
system will soon become outdated.
Migration to a
new automated system is a fact of life in the world of library
automation. Sooner or later the librarian will conclude that
for a variety of reasons, his or her present system is
inadequate. Migration involves large amounts of time, cost and
manpower. It also has hazards such as loss of data and
corruption of files.
Conclusion
Automation
systems play a pivotal role in libraries, both in terms of
delivering services to clients and their impact on how
libraries are managed. Consequently, one of the key areas
affecting libraries in the future will be an increasing focus
on automation systems, which necessitate changes to the way
libraries organise themselves.
There is a wide
range of technology/products available, produced by different
vendors. Therefore it is necessary for librarians to keep a
watch on developments in library automation. It is not
possible for vendors to create systems that can accommodate
many types of libraries catering to different group of users.
Therefore it is important for librarians to develop a
checklist of features and requirements that they want in their
library system and to discuss them with computer
professionals. Library automation at all levels needs good
co-ordination between librarians and computer services
professionals.
Lee Hui
Quan, Student
Temasek
Polytechnic
Diploma In
Information
Studies
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