Subject: Re: [NGC4LIB] Next next generation catalogs

From: David Walker <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 27 Mar 2010 13:54:33 -0400

For academic libraries, in particular, "next-generation catalogs" were
always just an interim step toward something bigger.  

Our users didn't need an improved interface to the catalog.  They needed an
improved interface to *all* of our systems: both the catalog and our
(hundreds of) subscription databases.

A system that combines both catalog data (read: books) and data from our
databases (read: articles) into a single search is the "next" big thing. 
But, in fact, it's already here.  Systems like Summon, Ebsco Discovery
Service, Primo Central -- people are calling these things "discovery
systems" -- are already available.

E-books, however, are probably an even bigger game changer.  I think we'll
see academic libraries shift from buying print books to buying e-books this
decade in the same way they shifted from buying print journals to e-journals
the previous decade.  

I think e-books -- more so than any improvements to the catalog -- will
finally *increase* usage of books in academic libraries.   Circulation
counts have been declining in academic libraries for the past decade, in
large part because students simply prefer online resources -- they're just
easier to use.  As books go increasingly online, they will be just as easy
to use, so students will begin shifting their usage back towards books.

But moving to e-books (in a big way) will have a huge impact on library
operations.  They'll almost surely be bought as packages rather than as
individual titles (although I think pay-per-view is in our future), which
will reduce the need for collection development.  

People and systems devoted to managing physical books in libraries will also
become less and less necessary.  The ILS will transform into the "legacy
(print) collection management system."  Since libraries will likely not be
able to share e-books with other libraries, interlibrary loan (and the
various consortium systems devoted to making that task more efficient) may,
like the ILS itself, become obsolete by the end of the decade.

I see it playing out differently (or at least more slowly) in public libraries.

Just my own speculation.

--Dave

==================
David Walker
Library Web Services Manager
California State University
http://xerxes.calstate.edu
________________________________________
From: Next generation catalogs for libraries [[email-masked]] On
Behalf Of Tim Spalding [[email-masked]]
Sent: Friday, March 26, 2010 10:48 PM
To: [email-masked]
Subject: [NGC4LIB] Next next generation catalogs

Like "modern" art, the idea of "Next Generation" catalogs is starting
to feel dated. Instead of a daring project, it's become something of a
term of art. The edges are fuzzy. But it embraces systems like
Blacklight, SOPAC, Aquabrowser, Bibliocommons, Endeca catalogs and
systems enhanced with LibraryThing for Libraries, and it involves
ideas like faceted searching, social data, experimental, open-source
development and simple Google-ish interfaces.

There is, of course, a lot more to do here. Most catalogs "in the
wild" are last-gen (or worse). And the ideas themselves are still
being tested and refined.

But, in my opinion, the Copernican moment has passed, and next-gen
catalogs are the new normal. Some of the biggest ideas—like social
features—have been completely misunderstood and misapplied by the big
companies. But all the big companies now has a supposedly "next gen"
catalog. Some are even good.

So, ladies and gentleman, get out your crystal balls and tell me what
is the "next" next gen?

* What good ideas have yet to become mainstream?
* What idea trends—mobile? ebooks?—should cause us to rethink things?
* Is it time to decide that the next catalog is no catalog at all?
* Is it Google? A kiosk? A cell phone? A WorldCat metastasis? Dying
because the library is dying?

What do you think?

Tim

--
Check out my library at http://www.librarything.com/profile/timspalding