[WEB4LIB] Re: Do We Still Need Online Catalog Vendors?

[Dan Lester]

PS> Throwing in my 2 cents in response to this...

PS> Designing any fully functional automated library system is not simple, that is
PS> true.  Anyone attempting this should be aware of that.  Those who thinks
PS> otherwise are fooling themselves.  However, that by itself does not mean that
PS> such a task is necessarily impossible for anyone other than a commercial systems
PS> vendor.

Nothing is impossible if you have lots of skilled staff and lots of
money and time.

PS> Also, issue of scale is brought up.  A "home grown" system (or any system for
PS> that matter) doesn't need to serve the needs of 64 academic libraries in order
PS> to be useful to *somebody*.  There are many, many other libraries out there
PS> whose needs could be met by a system of a much smaller scale and level of
PS> complexity than that.  The scenario described probably hits the top end of any
PS> systems available, commercial or home-grown.

Yes, the example that Bill described below is at the high end.  Yes, OCLC
started out as a relatively small, relatively local system that wasn't
even online at first (we got catalog cards mailed to us, and ordered
them by sending in punched cards with LCCNs in them). But even then it
had a staff of a number of programmers, plus operators, management,
etc.

PS> There is nothing wrong with attempting to design a library system from the
PS> ground up. Though it isn't necessarily easy, that shouldn't discourage anyone
PS> away from doing it.

Well, no, if you can convince your boss that this is a good thing to
spend your time and his money on.  I'd be surprised if many library
administrators would go for it, though...at least if they wanted to
keep their jobs. We all know that tens or hundreds of thousands of
dollars is a lot of money, but that pales into what you'll pay for a
development team to develop one system comparable to a commercial
system of comparable size.

PS>  I say this having taken my share of programming and
PS> database courses in my undergraduate years in computer science.

I'm not arguing with your background, and won't bore you with mine,
but....contact any library system vendor, or read the literature that
reviews their operations annually....and note how many staff they have
developing the systems in question.  Even the vendors that develop
"small systems" (Follett, Winnebago, etc.) have tens of programmers
continually at work on development and upgrades.  And the basic system
any of them first came out with wasn't written by one person in his or
her spare time on the job.

cheers

dan


PS> --
PS> Peter Schlumpf
PS> Information Systems Specialist
PS> North Suburban Library System
PS> schlumpf at nslsilus.org


PS> Drew, Bill wrote:

>> As a systems librarian for almost 10 years, I must speak my 2 cents worth.
>> The library system is NOT just a OPAC anymore.  It includes circulation,
>> serials control, course reserve, authority control, maybe media booking, and
>> probably acquisitions.  One anyone like to design such a system from the
>> ground up?  Would you care to design one that also would allow 64 college
>> campuses to be searched at the same time and to eventually share state wide
>> circulation as well as ILL?  That is what has been done by ExLibris.  The
>> State University of New York is almost finished with contract negotiations
>> with them.  CUNY (City University of NY) will also be using the same system.
>> No home grown system would accomplish that.  Just talk to anyone from
>> Syracuse University.  They used to have a home grown system.  They don't
>> anymore.
>>
>> Anyone that wants to start from the ground up should take a course in
>> systems analysis and database design.  That would really be an eye opener.
>>
>> The other ideas expressed about integrating the OPAC with access to the web
>> and other databases will come given a little time.
>>
>> -----
>> Wilfred (Bill) Drew
>> Associate Librarian, Systems and Reference
>> SUNY Morrisville College Library
>> drewwe at morrisville.edu
>> Home: http://www.morrisville.edu/~drewwe
>> Not Just Cows: http://www.morrisville.edu/~drewwe/njc/
>> Library: http://www.morrisville.edu/library/
>> VOTE -- March 7,  New York Primary




-- 
Dan Lester, 3577 East Pecan, Boise, ID  83716-7115  USA
dan at 84.com   www.84.com   www.postcard.org  208-383-0165