Dismantling Integrated Library Systems

摘要

No one intended to dismantle the integrated library system (ILS). For 25 years, the ILS proved a trusty tool for solving everyday library problems. First loosely integrated, then more fully so, it finally arrived at a plateau of innovation, until the early 1990s, when librarians cautiously embraced the web as their new gateway to information. Inevitably, the old technology of the ILS clashed with new web technologies. The web creates opportunities, challenges, and expectations that are fueling the changes in the ILS. Librarians are dismantling systems, and creating new modules, out of frustration with the inflexible and nonextensible technology of their proprietary systems. Vendors are also creating standalone products both to harness newer technologies and capture or invent new market shares.