Library Software Manifesto Published
By Roy Tennant - Posted on November 12th, 2007
Tagged: Integrated Library Systems
Last week I gave a talk at the 2007 CODI Conference (Customers of Dynix, Inc.). I had decided to take as my topic a "library software manifesto" in which I would outline the rights and responsibilities of libraries and library software vendors. I posted about this on the Code4Lib mailing list and used some of the resulting comments in the resulting Library Software Manifesto published on this site.
I welcome your comments and contributions.
Excellent manifesto!
I have enjoyed reading comments about this particular piece of excellent writing!
No one knows the extent to which Technology may surprise us in the library world. No one knows how sophisticated our users will come in the near future.
And there are mediators, like ILS vendors who play with this fact. Little is known about the future, and it feels like a lottery, sometimes luck will show-up.
In Latin America, our short lived experience with systems, plus the fact that there is little or no experience which may facilitate communication between systems people and librarians, the whole deal ends up terribly bad. ILS vendors should know that it is to everyone´s benefit to offer a service (not a product), such as implied in the Manifesto.
Do to the many anecdotes which abound in relation to bad implementation of systems and worse follow-up after sales, many libraries here end up losing ownership of there own data. This is fatal for any institution.
The Open Source pathway is starting to get momentum. Building such a communities of librarians and systems specialists is the current challenge.
The manifesto in a source of inspiration to set the foundations of such systems development communities. Thanks!
Luis
Well that is something dictated by the purchasing policies dictated by funding bodies, auditors, and public perception. Sort of like asking a scientist support a flat earth theory. Ain't going to happen.
Done correctly an RFP is an extremely valuable tool which serves as the basis of a contract. Bad RFP equates to a bad contract. Train a staff member in purchasing documents and you have a real asset. They can consult with relevant staff subject experts to produce a quality document that protects the library and fills the library need.
The real solution with most of the issues he brings up, vague as they may be, is better contracting, negotiating, and purchasing skills by librarians. It's taken me 10 years to become sufficiently good at those skills to effectively navigate my library through the purchasing rapids. We could use more and effective training on these skills and less on "planning process". Speaking as a public librarian we need to foster the skills that will prevent us from being at odds with other agencies.
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