NEWS RELEASE: RMG Consultants, Inc. 17 December 2009,
Chicago
"Forces of Change Sweep Across the Library Automation
Landscape:
Business and Technology Partnerships, Foundation and
Government Funding, Non-profits versus For-profits"
is the lead topic of
RMG's Twentieth Annual Presidents' Seminar: The View from
the Top
Friday, January 15, 2010, 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
ALA Midwinter Conference, Boston
Boston Convention & Exhibition Center - Room 162 A/B
RMG's 2010 Presidents' Seminar focuses on initiatives and
trends in the library technology industry: new partnerships
for developing integrated library systems and discovery
tools; foundation and government funding for open source
software development and support; and the growing list of
non-profit organizations partnering and competing with
for-profit companies.
The first segment of the program will feature Speakers from
grant funded projects making brief presentations about what
they're doing and why, and responding to questions from
Panelists and the Audience.
In the second segment the Panel, Speakers, and Audience
will engage industry topics.
Executives of library automation companies who have been
invited include:
Auto-Graphics, Paul Cope
Equinox, Brad LaJeunesse (unavailable)
Ex Libris, Carl Grant
Infor, Ann Melaerts
Innovative Interfaces, Jerry Kline (unavailable)
LibLime, Josh Ferraro
OCLC, Andrew Pace
Polaris, Bill Schickling
Serials Solutions, Jane Burke
SirsiDynix, Gary Rautenstrauch
SkyRiver, Leslie Strauss
TLC, Gary Kirk
VTLS, Vinod Chachra
Speakers invited to make brief presentations and answer
questions about their projects are:
Mary Anne Hodel, Library Director and CEO of the Orange
County Library System, Orlando FL, representing the
libraries led by King County Library System that have
received an IMLS grant to develop an Open Source
maintenance and support infrastructure model.
Catherine C. Wilt, President, Lyrasis on the The Andrew W.
Mellon Foundation funded project to plan a support service
for assisting libraries with the adoption and use of open
source software and systems.
A representative has been invited for the Kuali OLE (Open
Library Environment) Project, supported by its college and
university partners and the Mellon Foundation, that plans
to deliver an enterprise-ready, community source software
package that will allow academic and research libraries to
discontinue their current library automation systems for
managing scholarly information.
Robert Walton, CEO of the Claremont University Consortium,
and Marshall Breeding of Library Technology Guides will
participate as Commentators.
These recent grants for development and support of open
source software (OSS) for libraries illustrate
well-planned, super-funded, partnership-led changes coming
to the ILS industry. Government and foundation funding for
development projects adds a new twist to the issue of
competition in the industry, and blurs some old
distinctions between vendors and users.
For-profit companies and non-profits have long competed in
the library space, but this year brings some new wrinkles:
OCLC’s addition of new circulation, delivery, and
acquisitions features to WorldCat Local’s existing
cataloging and discovery tools, to compete with the
for-profits’ ILS offerings; and the launch of SkyRiver by
Innovative Interfaces’ owner Jerry Kline to offer
alternative bibliographic utility services.
Building on the theme of last year's RMG program, "Starting
Over: Re-Inventing the Integrated Library System and the
Library Automation Industry," these and other developments
between now and then are expected to inspire discussion at
the 2010 program.
Other interested librarians and leaders of companies from
the library, information, and education industries are
invited to attend as members of the Audience, and to add
their questions and comments to those of the Panelists,
Speakers, and Commentators.
Registration is not required.
RMG Consultants is an information technology consulting
firm specializing in IT procurements (designed as
team-based enterprise learning processes) and IT Strategic
Planning for libraries and Higher Education institutions.
RMG Consultants, Inc.
333 W. North Avenue, #396
Chicago IL 60610
312.321.0432 v
rmg@rmgconsultants.com
www.rmgconsultants.com
For information on the projects mentioned above, see:
http://kuali.org/ole
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6701493.html
http://www.lyrasis.org/News/Press-Releases/2009.aspx