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February 2008 Open Source ILS Gains Ground with Academic Libraries

Smart Libraries Newsletter

Smart Libraries Newsletter delivers hard data and innovative insights about the world of library technology, every month.

Contributing Editor Marshall Breeding To subscribe 615-343-6094 [email protected] To reserve your subscription, contact the Customer Service Center at 800-545-2433, press 5 for assistance, or visit www.techsource.ala.org. Interim Editor Tom Peters The 2008 subscription price is just $85 US. 816-228-6406 [email protected]

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Open Source ILS Gains Ground with Academic Libraries IN THIS ISSUE

Interest in open source alternatives to the commercial offerings of integrated library system (ILS) vendors has been a dominant trend in the past year. Until Open Source ILS Gains Ground now, the open source ILS implementations have taken place primarily in pub- with Academic Libraries lic libraries with no large academic libraries in the United States or Canada mak- PAGE 1 ing the leap. That situation recently changed, with a consortium of U.S. academic Youniquely4U From Checkpoint libraries and a major Canadian academic library making official commitments to PAGE 3 implement open source library automation systems. Compendia of Knowledge: ’s Grassy Knol PAGE 4 February 2008 XXVIII Volume Number 2 Where’s WALDO? American Schoolyard Fight: Westchester Academic Library Directors Organization (WALDO), a New York Intel and One Laptop Per Child Part Ways based consortium, has contracted with LibLime to implement Koha ZOOM for PAGE 6 17 member libraries—thirteen of the libraries are now sharing a common con- Spartan Kindles sorital system, one other operates a standalone system, and the remaining three PAGE 6 are Florida based libraries moving from yet another consortial system. WALDO’s associate and limited members, libraries of different types throughout New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, and Ver- mont, can also elect to use the contract negotiated with LibLime to gain access to the same pricing, discounts, terms, and conditions. Key to WALDO’s approach to the open source environment is a preliminary pilot implementation during the Summer of 2008 at St John’s University, Queens, New York, the largest member of the group. This pilot is seen by WALDO as a replacement for the traditional RFP approach to vendor selection. The pilot will implement a number of enhancements to the current Koha ZOOM release that ISSN 1541-8820 were identified in a scoping study performed jointly by LibLime and WALDO in the Spring of 2007. Successful completion of the pilot project will activate migra- tion for the remaining New York libraries in the Summer of 2009. The fourteen New York academic libraries that have signed contracts to implement Koha ZOOM through WALDO include libraries at the College of Mount Saint Vincent, the College of Westchester, Concordia College in Bronxville, NY, the Manhattan College Libraries, Marymount Manhattan College, Mercy Col- lege, Monroe College, New York Academy of Medicine, Nyack College and Alli- ance Theological Seminary, Sarah Lawrence College, Saint John’s University, Saint Receive Smart Libraries via e-mail Thomas Aquinas College, the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception, and Wag- ner College. Subscribers that would like an e-mailed ver- sion of the newsletter each month should for- ward one e-mail address and all of the mailing label information printed on page 8 of the Continued on next page newsletter to [email protected]. Type “e-mail my Smart Libraries” into the subject line. In addi- tion to your monthly printed newsletter, you will receive an electronic copy via e-mail (to one address per paid subscription) at no extra1 charge each month. A­LA TechSource www.techsource.ala.org

tem contract, it faced uncertainty An Evergreen Grows in The commitment regarding the state of the commercial library automation marketplace due Canada Laurentian University, located in Sud- of these academic to the spate of consolidations and pri- bury, Ontario, announced that it intends vate equity acquisitions. WALDO repre- libraries to to implement the Evergreen automation sentatives could not discern significant system, initially developed for the PINES implement open differences among the offerings of the consortium in Georgia. The press release remaining commercial vendors. Rather confirms the University’s commitment to source automation than initiate a procurement process contribute to the development of Ever- through an RFP, WALDO investigated systems warrants green and that it intends to migrate from the open source alternatives, eventually its current SirsiDynix Unicorn system to attention, because determining that Koha ZOOM with sup- Evergreen at an unspecified time in the port from LibLime is their preferred it appears to be the future. alternative. The commitment of these academic beginning of a trend. Koha has not been previously imple- libraries to implement open source auto- mented in large academic libraries. As mation systems warrants attention, Thirteen of the libraries have been a result, it lacks essential functionality because it appears to be the beginning of using their current system since 2005, for an academic library, such as course a trend. In the larger context, the com- reserves. The contract with LibLime implemented as a remotely hosted ser- panies offering proprietary systems con- includes custom development to provide vice by the vendor. Previously, the con- tinue to prosper and attract new library the new functionality designed to meet sortium libraries used PALS, a system customers. Polaris Library Systems, for WALDO’s specifications, which, consis- created and maintained by libraries in example, has recently been selected by tent with the open source model, will be Minnesota. In some ways, PALS can be both the Phoenix Public Library and the available to other libraries that use Koha considered a precursor to the current Dallas Public Library. While open source ZOOM. The WALDO libraries will share open source ILS movement in that it was ILS seems to be gaining momentum, the an implementation of Koha hosted by software developed by libraries outside the majority of libraries continue to use com- LibLime, following the same Software as ownership of a commercial company. mercially developed systems. The degree a Service model that they currently have As WALDO passed the mid-point to which open source gains ground in the in place with their vendor. of its current five-year commercial sys- overall ILS landscape depends very much on the success of these early adopters. —Marshall Breeding

More Info. @: WALDO Website: http://www.waldolib.org/ LibLime Website: http://liblime.com/ Laurentian University Press Release: http://laurentian.ca/Laurentian/ Home/News/Evergreen+library +system+08jan08.htm

2 Smart Libraries

Youniquely4U From Checkpoint

The December 2007 issue of Smart Librar- The categories currently pro- of the software according to the size of ies Newsletter covered the new business grammed into the service include: fam- the library and the number of active reg- relationship between Checkpoint Sys- ily, young adult, small business, smart istered borrowers. tems and 3M, where 3M will assume money, personal technology, health care, Businesses pay advertising fees to marketing and support for Checkpoint’s home improvement, pet care, hobbies, fit- have their coupons distributed by the RFID and security products targeting ness and wellness, cultural offerings, local library through the Youniquely4U service. libraries. Checkpoint continues in the offerings, and fiction. When a patron ini- The library can receive a portion of the library arena by offering a new service tially registers on the Youniquely4U site, revenue stream generated from the adver- called Youniquely4U, designed to help the system activates categories based on tising, depending on the deal constructed libraries market their services and pro- the codes entered. The patron can also with the partner. The library also can mote targeted resources to their patrons. manually select or deselect categories. offer free promotions to local businesses. Youniquely4U is the flagship product of Once signed in to the Youniquely4U By year-end 2007, about 50 libraries had the Patron Services Division of Check- Web site, library patrons can select any subscribed to Youniquely4U. Subscribing point Systems, Inc. category from the menu. When invoked, libraries include the East Brunswick Pub- Checkpoint formed its Patron Ser- each of the top-level menus will display lic Library and the Wayne Public Library vices Division in 2006 under the leader- sub-menus of additional sub-categories. in New Jersey, Terrebonne Parish Library ship of Michael Jermyn, who joined the Advertisements appear in selected cat- and Ouachita Parish Public Library in company that year. egories, usually with a button inviting Louisiana, and the Frisco Public Library One important concern for librar- the patron to receive a coupon or special in Texas. According to public documents, ians today involves the need to offer offer. The primary content of the system in February 2007 the Rangeview Library personalized services to library patrons. consists of resource links that connect the District in Adams County, Colorado, Checkpoint designed Youniquely4U as user to content from the library’s elec- serving a population of about 250,000, a new product to assist libraries in this tronic subscriptions, selected Web sites, or approved spending up to $41,000 to fund quest to deliver content tailored to each commercial destinations. The Younique- their implementation of Youniquely4U. patron’s interests and needs, and to pro- ly4U Web site carries its own prominent Checkpoint created Youniquely4U mote library programs and services. branding, though it also sports the logo of in partnership with Blue Iceberg, which The product works in conjunction with the library associated with the patron. created the interactive Web-based infra- the check-out transaction at the circu- As with other targeted advertis- structure for the product. lation desk, determining categories of ing environments, the counter-balance —Marshall Breeding the patrons’ interest based on the clas- involves protections against intruding sification of the library materials being into personal privacy. The category code More Info. @: checked out. Based on this information, generated by Youniquely4U is tied to Youniquely4U Web Site: the system channels patrons to related the items borrowed and not to demo- http://www.youniquely4u.com/ activities and content, both in-person graphic information about the patron, Checkpoint Systems’ Information and through the Web. thus diminishing concerns about patron about Youniquely4U: When a patron checks out library privacy. The service does not read any per- http://www.checkpointsystems.com/ materials, color printers create the return sonal data related to the patron’s transaction, default.aspx?page=youniquelyu receipt for the materials along with infor- so it sees neither the title nor the name of Rangeview Library District Document: mation promoting the Youniquely4U the person checking out the resources. http://www.northglenn.org/WEB service, branded as the “VIP Patron Pro- The business model for Youniquely4U -PDF/rangeview_library_agenda.pdf gram” and the URL for the library’s own involves annual subscription fees paid by Web site. The receipt also includes a cate- libraries to Checkpoint to license the ser- Blue Iceberg’s Web Page about gory code that can be entered on the You- vice, as well as revenue derived from the Youniquely4U: niquely4U Web site to direct the patron targeted advertising on the Younique- http://www.blue-iceberg.com/ to focused content and advertising. ly4U Web site. Checkpoint scales the cost featureyouniquely4u.html

3 A­LA TechSource www.techsource.ala.org

Compendia of Knowledge: Google’s Grassy Knol

The purpose of a compendium of knowl- bucolic confines. Who knows, Knol may So now we have at least three com- edge is to pull together what is already actually finally name with authority those peting models of how knowledge should known on various topics into a cohe- shadowy figures on the grassy knoll. be collected and disseminated in the third sive, coherent form that is both usable by Knol is still in its very early stages millennium and beyond: , Cit- and useful to seekers of already-known- of development, with the user popula- izendium, and Knol. Wikipedia is still knowledge. (The value and usefulness tion limited to a select group by invi- the most innovative or radical, because of compendia of knowledge to seekers tation only. I know of no one who has it seeks to achieve new efficiencies for of new knowledge is an interesting side- received an A-list invitation to the inau- the seekers of knowledge. In the exclu- topic.) Dictionaries perform this service gural Knol ball. I guess that puts me sively print era, someone who wanted to for words, their meanings, and their ori- squarely in the knowledge boonies. know what was known on a subject had gins. Encyclopedias do this for topics. All articles in Knol will be signed. to read various articles, books, chapters, Here and now in the early 21st century, Google is developing easy to use tools for and other documents, then synthesize attempts to devise new ways to codify and writing and editing the content, and they the results of that reading into a sense diffuse knowledge have reached levels of have agreed to host the Knol content at of what in general we—humanity—cur- effort and inventiveness not seen since no direct charge to contributors or users. rently know about that topic. Feedback the 18th century, the golden age of the The original Google blog post from other seekers of knowledge on that development of the modern encyclopedia. about the Knol project is mysteri- topic came in the form of letters to the For many observers, the Wikipedia is ously silent about intellectual property editors of journals, citations and discus- the poster child of this new inventiveness. issues. There will be no editorial activi- sions in subsequent documents, etc. Rather than have individuals or small ties or layer between what the authors Blogs increase a bit the efficiency of teams of writers and editors write each choose to write and what the reader getting a sense of the “lay of the land” in article in the encyclopedia, just about reads. Google seems loathe to plunge terms of current knowledge on a topic. anyone can begin or edit an article. Some into the business of editing content. Comments on a blog post often contain people—especially librarians, it seems Knol seems like it will be more akin to much useful information that balances —have rejected the Wikipedia autho- the print realm and the blogosphere than out the substance of the original post. rial concept in principle and labeled a wiki. Rather than have a single article on a Nevertheless, for really popular and/or the resource eternally and fundamentally topic, Knol will encourage multiple articles current topics, the lowly seeker of knowl- unreliable and uncitable. on a topic, with competing and perhaps edge still has to slog through hundreds or —reported in the even contradictory information presented. thousands of blogs to get a sense of cur- December 2006 issue of Smart Librar- The Knol system will let each rent knowledge and thinking on a sub- ies Newsletter—and other web and wiki- author decide whether he or she will ject. This arduous process of collecting and based compendia of knowledge tried to allow advertisements to be associated comparing current accounts of what is bring some order via “gentle expert guid- with the presentation of his or her Knol known and thought on a topic, then cre- ance” back to the incipient chaos pur- article. There is an economic incentive ating a synthesis, may hone one’s intellec- portedly unleashed into the staid realm here, however, that may prove to be irre- tual skills and build character, but it’s an of knowledge compendia by Wikipedia. sistible to many authors: “If an author inefficient way to diffuse knowledge among Google has become a little like chooses to include ads, Google will pro- the entire population. Compare courtly Microsoft in that if often sticks its blue- vide the author with substantial revenue love to a popular sexual revolution. blooded nose into endeavors where brave share from the proceeds of those ads.” The Wikipedia may be the STD of pioneers have achieved some success. The readers of Knol need not be passive the eternal human project to collect and In December 2007 Google announced a participants in the growth and valuation diffuse knowledge. The platonic ideal project called Knol with a goal to make of Knol content. Readers will be empow- of the Wikipedia, in which everyone in it easier for people to share knowledge ered to rate each knoll (via the usual fir- the world who knew something about a they already have acquired. Knol may mament of five stars), add comments, and topic would contribute to the one arti- tease rusticated expertise from its musty, even lengthy reviews of each Knol article. cle on that topic, and in which everyone

4 Smart Libraries

who knew little or nothing on that topic they suspect is already known by some- What are the roles for libraries and would sit on their hands, is sublime in its one else). The line between is all the other librarians in the dawning new age of fearful beauty. It could create great effi- people and systems (editors, librarians, knowledge compendia? Well, one way ciencies in the process of synthesizing systems engineers, etc.) who help authors to think about a library is as a type of and diffusing what is currently known, but and knowledge seekers connect. These knowledge compendium in its own right. it also smacks of some Orwellian world. newfangled knowledge compendium sys- A carefully selected collection of informa- The troublesome child or crazy uncle tems seem to try to get from Point A to tion objects on a wide variety of topics of knowledge always has been opinion. Point B as quickly and easily as possible. constitutes a sort of compendium. Librar- Everything that purports to be a com- Another key concept for knowledge ies were into knols before knols were cool. pendium of knowledge always wrestles compendia is authority. All purveyors —Tom Peters with the issue of what to do with opin- of knowledge claim to know something, ion: how to label it, how perhaps to limit but there are many sham-authorities More Info. @: its existence in the compendium, how to out there. A compendium of knowledge December 13, 2007 Google Blog Post fairly portray radically differing opinions must be able to differentiate and tag true about Knol: on a topic, etc. authority from sham authority. It is a http://googleblog.blogspot.com/ In this day and age, we not only never ending process of approximation 2007/12/encouraging-people-to want to know, we want it now. Another and culling. Sometimes all humanity is -contribute.html key component of any compendium of duped. Something we thought for a long Wikipedia article on Google’s Knol knowledge is the timeliness with which time was true knowledge is later proven Project: new knowledge gets added to the com- to have been sham knowledge. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knol pendium. Although in the 20th cen- tury, committees and other august bodies developed a nasty reputation for deliber- ating ad nauseam and being slow to act, when it comes to adding new knowledge to a compendium, a group effort may be much quicker than individual effort. If some Knol or Citizendium authority is working on an article, it may take days, weeks, or months for that individual or small group to whip that article into a presentable shape. Within a few days of Google’s announcement of the Knol project, there was a pretty good article in Wikipedia about Knol, containing an overview of the key points of the proj- ect, comparisons with other similar and competing compendia, and links to tren- chant, expert commentary on the project. An angry mob exerts its will quickly. One way to think about knowledge is as two points with a line connecting them. One point is the author (the per- son or group of people who know some- thing). The author may be the individual or group that actually generated the new knowledge. The other point is the knowl- edge seeker (the person or group of peo- ple who want to know something that

5 A­LA TechSource www.techsource.ala.org

American Schoolyard Fight: Intel and One Laptop Per Child Part Ways

For better or worse, the opportunities and experiences of librar- summer of 2007 Intel reached an agreement with OLPC to have ies and library users in this digital information age often are an Intel executive serve on the OLPC Board of Directors. An era influenced by competition between information technology of détente seemed to have dawned. organizations. Sometimes the competition results in better It was followed soon in January 2008 with a winter of products, services, and prices, but sometimes the competition discontent. Intel abruptly withdrew from the OLPC project, devolves into a grudge match. For example, the ongoing acri- which was experiencing disappointments in other areas, too. mony between Microsoft and Apple has had a major dampen- The initial orders to several developing nations have not actu- ing effect on the growing cluster of library services related to ally developed into firm sales followed by shipments of mil- downloadable audio books and digital media. OverDrive and lions of laptops to poor children. For a fortnight in November NetLibrary both have been using the Windows Media Audio 2007 OLPC offered to sell one of these laptops to Americans (WMA) file format for their downloadable digital audio book for $399. For each sale, another laptop would be shipped to a services, but the WMA file format developed by Microsoft developing nation. That promotional effort yielded disappoint- will not play on the iPod family of portable MP3 players from ing results, too, with only about 81,000 units sold in the U.S. Apple, which by far is the most popular product line in that cat- Production cost increases have made the idea of a truly $100 egory of consumer electronics. laptop a fading dream. Inexpensive and broadly diffused laptops for students In early January 2008 OLPC officials announced a new worldwide offer tremendous potential to revolutionize and OLPC America program that would bring laptops to needy improve education and information seeking and use. The One children in the United States. OLPC America plans to work Laptop Per Child initiative, also known as the $100 laptop proj- through state governments to get these inexpensive laptops to ect, has been a leader in this effort to enhance student access to needy school children. Perhaps American libraries will finally networked computers and all the digital information that is avail- assume some useful role in the OLPC initiative. able. Unfortunately, the grudge match between Intel and AMD, —Tom Peters major manufacturers of computer chips, may retard this effort. Intel representatives initially were critical of the One Lap- More Info. @: top Per Child initiative, perhaps because AMD chips were One Laptop Per Child Web Site: planned to be used in these inexpensive laptops. Then in the http://www.laptop.org/

Spartan Kindles

Late in 2007 the Kindle ebook device for example, the Sparta Public Library in positive. One of the very first users, a from Amazon.com launched to mixed New Jersey began circulating two Kindle woman with multiple sclerosis who expe- reviews. As of January 8, 2008, the aver- ebook readers they had purchased. Dur- riences difficulties holding and turning age rating of the 1,381 customer reviews ing the first month of the service, patron the pages of printed books, reported back was 3.4 stars out of five. The distribution interest was high, early feedback was that the Kindle was very easy to hold at that time was 514 five-star ratings, 235 positive, and there were few procedural and advance from one page to the next. four-stars, 183 three-stars, 150 two-stars, glitches in offering Kindles as part of a Another early user, a middle-aged male and 299 one-stars. public library’s circulating collection. educator, loved the device and the expe- Although the Kindle design, sales, On January 8, 2008 I phoned Carol rience, but commented that he would and content management system clearly Boutilier, the Director of the Sparta Pub- wait for the $399 MSRP to drop before he are targeting the end-user market, a few lic Library, to learn how their Kindle ser- seriously considers purchasing one. libraries have begun offering Kindles as vice was faring. She said early responses When the Sparta Public Library ciculatable items. In mid-December 2007, from the initial users have been quite launched their service, twenty-two

6 Smart Libraries

patrons immediately signed up to try instance is Best Buy Made Better. transfer of content from a computer, so out the device. Some of the patrons had When the Kindles at the Sparta Pub- patrons are discouraged from download- already heard or read about the Kindle, lic Library circulate, they are placed in ing audio books as well. while others learned about it for the first their leatherish cover, which Boutilier Boulitier chafed a bit at criticisms time at their local public library. Now reports significantly increases the usabil- from some bloggers that only a public that several one-week circulation peri- ity of the device, if not also the aesthetics. library in an affluent community would ods have passed, Boutilier reports that they Many pundits have commented seriously consider investing nearly $800 still have a waiting list of twenty-two, so the that the device is plug ugly, reminiscent in two portable reading appliances, rather library decided to remove the sign announc- of something designed in East Germany than spending that money directly on ing the new service until they work down during the Cold War era. The device and much-needed library materials. She said the waiting list. There are no plans to the charger cable are then packed into the Sparta Public Library has a long-term purchase additional devices at this time. their original box, placed in a library tote strategy of investing as much of its finan- The Sparta Public Library currently bag, and the patron is out the door cial resources as possible into library is offering its circulatable Kindle service Because purchasing content for the materials and service. They have a small only to adult patrons. Boutilier detects Kindle is easy and can be done almost but dedicated staff, and their library no demographic patterns in the patrons anywhere in a matter of a few minutes, building is relatively small. They focus who have signed up to try the device. the Sparta Public Library decided to allow on content and services. In 2007 their Women and men of all phases of adult- each patron to select and purchase one service population of 18,000 checked out hood seem interested. Now that the ser- Kindle book during each one-week cir- 400,000 items. vice is settling into a routine, two things they culation period. Boutilier reported no The Sparta Public Library has not wish for is a purchasing system that is pass- problems with this honor system, patron- set an ending date for its Kindle service. word protected and a dual screen display. driven collection development policy. It’s So far, the devices themselves are show- The Library has a history of purchas- unclear whether the software will alert ing no signs of wear and tear. Once the ing new reading and information techno- the person to a potential duplication of novelty factor wears off and the waiting logical devices to let their patrons try content if a patron attempts to purchase list dwindles, Boulitier reports that they them, perhaps before they buy them as and download a title that already has been may use their Kindles as one way to sat- individual consumers. For example, they purchased and downloaded onto that par- isfy interlibrary loan book requests. For offer a similar service based on iPod Shuf- ticular device. example, they may offer two options fles, but Boutilier reports that that device The collection on each Kindle grows to patrons who use ILL: either you can has not succeeded as well in a library cir- with each circulation. For example, the wait while we find and obtain a printed culation situation. Various aspects of the fifth person to check out one of the Kin- copy of the book you want from another form factor, such as the small screen and dles will have access not only to the ebook library or other source, or we can down- the controls, have not been well-received he or she selects, but also the ebooks the four load the title you need onto one of our by patrons at this library. previous users selected. Boutilier reported Kindles in a matter of minutes. Libraries can provide a vital public that she knows of no way to determine which Boulitier observed that, while the service by letting patrons try a new tech- ebooks on the device receive the most use. future of reading technology remains nology in an extended, private, support- Some patrons have downloaded some unclear, she thinks print technologies ive manner. Checking out a Kindle from samples onto the devices, will not be a major player moving for- your local public library and using it at which is fine with the library. ward. Although the iPod Shuffle and the home, at work, and on the go for a week Newspaper and magazine subscrip- Kindle may be far from the ideal digi- sure beats trying to understand a new tions also can be initiated on a Kindle, tal reading experience and system, better technology and trying to imagine how so the library has to warn patrons not to technologies of reading almost certainly well it would fit into your personal infor- make these ongoing financial commit- will emerge. mation lifestyle while looking at digital ments. The Kindle device also is capable —Tom Peters images and specifications for the device of playing back digital audio books, but online or holding a tethered floor sample Boutilier reported that library staff expe- More Info. @: in your hand at your local computer elec- rienced problems acquiring audio books Sparta Public Library website: tronics store while fending off the sales for the Kindle. The download process http://www.spartalibrary.com/ staff. The library service model in this is not as easy and seamless, involving a

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