Strategic Technology strengthens the Capacity of Libraries to serve their Communities

Abstract

In this era where libraries face enormous pressures in terms of inadequate funding and increasing demands for their services, technology plays a large factor in their success. The stakes for libraries to deploy the most appropriate technology platforms for resource management and discovery have never been higher. Academic, research, and national libraries experience more complexity than ever in managing collections of large scale and diverse formats. Public libraries need systems optimized as much for lending e-books or other digital materials in addition to their longstanding print offerings. Marshall Breeding, an expert in library resource management and discovery services will provide an overview of the technology products now available and how they have been received by libraries globally and explore some the major trends currently underway. The presentation will cover the major proprietary and open source options and will address their adoption across geographic and economic sectors. The presentation is based on Breeding’s ongoing research published in the annual Library Systems Report, the International Perceptions Survey of Library Automation, and from other data managed in Library Technology Guides (librarytechnology.org).