Jesse Ephraim
2008-09-06 19:48:32 UTC
>ILSes are, in fact, quite complicated, since, not only do
>they manage workflows, but have to deal with each
>individual doing everything a little bit differently
>(as Jonathan Rochkind says, "we're unique little snowflakes").
...
>However, if they were 'simple systems' like you claim, the OSS
>alternatives would have far surpassed the competition years ago.
Complexity is a relative thing. From a programmatic standpoint, ILSes
are not very complex - certainly nowhere near the level of most business
systems and games. Some of them - Horizon, for example - would barely
pass muster as shareware, at least from a reliability and design
standpoint. I helped build much, much more complex business and
entertainment applications during my decade as a professional
programmer.
Even at that, there is a lot of unnecessary complexity in many ILSes,
often stemming from the use of archaic data handling methods and
proprietary, closed systems. There are a lot of parts to ILSes, and it
would take a little time to build a complete system from scratch, but
they are ultimately just specialized forms of a certain type of common
business software. Patrons are "customers," books and such are our
"products," and circulation is just a type of "order fulfillment."
Rules and exceptions that may apply to certain individuals, items,
branches ("distribution centers"), records, etc., but that is also true
of the systems used by warehouses and distribution centers.
Amazon and LibraryThing are doing the innovation that libraries SHOULD
have been doing a decade ago. They are leaving the library world in the
dust. LibraryThing even markets their own technology to libraries,
when ILS vendors - or libraries themselves - should have been developing
the same types of software back in the 1990s. Good for them. Shame on
us.
As far as open source systems vs. commercial systems, the normal
"survival of the fittest" rules don't really apply. Libraries often
don't make the most logical, cost-effective technology choices,
particularly when it comes to ILSes. Since libraries have allowed ILS
vendors to slap huge price tags on their software - often with
ridiculously high "maintenance fees" - they have dug themselves into a
situation where dropping those systems becomes politically complex. It
is hard to justify an ILS change to city councils, library boards, and
school administrators when you have bought into a system that costs tens
of thousands of dollars.
Since most librarians are not very technically proficient, and most
libraries (outside of some large public ones or university systems)
don't have techs on staff, they often buy into systems without knowing
how to realistically evaluate them. Many stay away from open source
systems because they don't have anyone on staff who can install and
maintain them, or they have some vague concept (often promoted by
commercial vendors) of them being "unstable."
Since hiring a devoted tech person with coding and other development
skills is not possible for most small (and many mid-sized) libraries, we
need to see library schools teaching those skills, or at least teaching
students how to realistically evaluate ILS software.
Jesse Ephraim
Youth Services Librarian
Southlake Public Library
1400 Main St., Ste. 130
Southlake, TX 76092
Email: ***@ci.southlake.tx.us
Phone: (817) 748-8248
FAX: (817) 748-8250
www.southlakelibrary.org <http://www.southlakelibrary.org/>
uncommonly friendly service
>they manage workflows, but have to deal with each
>individual doing everything a little bit differently
>(as Jonathan Rochkind says, "we're unique little snowflakes").
...
>However, if they were 'simple systems' like you claim, the OSS
>alternatives would have far surpassed the competition years ago.
Complexity is a relative thing. From a programmatic standpoint, ILSes
are not very complex - certainly nowhere near the level of most business
systems and games. Some of them - Horizon, for example - would barely
pass muster as shareware, at least from a reliability and design
standpoint. I helped build much, much more complex business and
entertainment applications during my decade as a professional
programmer.
Even at that, there is a lot of unnecessary complexity in many ILSes,
often stemming from the use of archaic data handling methods and
proprietary, closed systems. There are a lot of parts to ILSes, and it
would take a little time to build a complete system from scratch, but
they are ultimately just specialized forms of a certain type of common
business software. Patrons are "customers," books and such are our
"products," and circulation is just a type of "order fulfillment."
Rules and exceptions that may apply to certain individuals, items,
branches ("distribution centers"), records, etc., but that is also true
of the systems used by warehouses and distribution centers.
Amazon and LibraryThing are doing the innovation that libraries SHOULD
have been doing a decade ago. They are leaving the library world in the
dust. LibraryThing even markets their own technology to libraries,
when ILS vendors - or libraries themselves - should have been developing
the same types of software back in the 1990s. Good for them. Shame on
us.
As far as open source systems vs. commercial systems, the normal
"survival of the fittest" rules don't really apply. Libraries often
don't make the most logical, cost-effective technology choices,
particularly when it comes to ILSes. Since libraries have allowed ILS
vendors to slap huge price tags on their software - often with
ridiculously high "maintenance fees" - they have dug themselves into a
situation where dropping those systems becomes politically complex. It
is hard to justify an ILS change to city councils, library boards, and
school administrators when you have bought into a system that costs tens
of thousands of dollars.
Since most librarians are not very technically proficient, and most
libraries (outside of some large public ones or university systems)
don't have techs on staff, they often buy into systems without knowing
how to realistically evaluate them. Many stay away from open source
systems because they don't have anyone on staff who can install and
maintain them, or they have some vague concept (often promoted by
commercial vendors) of them being "unstable."
Since hiring a devoted tech person with coding and other development
skills is not possible for most small (and many mid-sized) libraries, we
need to see library schools teaching those skills, or at least teaching
students how to realistically evaluate ILS software.
Jesse Ephraim
Youth Services Librarian
Southlake Public Library
1400 Main St., Ste. 130
Southlake, TX 76092
Email: ***@ci.southlake.tx.us
Phone: (817) 748-8248
FAX: (817) 748-8250
www.southlakelibrary.org <http://www.southlakelibrary.org/>
uncommonly friendly service