Oren Beit-Arie, Ex Libris Chief Strategy Officer on Product Strategy
Vision and Strategy; Roadmap
The future of libraries? Technology has created a very different context for the missions of academic and research libraries (No Brief Candle, Daphnee Rentfrow) - Ex Libris subscribes to this notion.
Ithaka strategy and research faculty survey - scholarly information use practices have shifted rapidly; as a result the academic library is being dis-intermediated from the discovery process, risking irrelevance. But faculty members' growing comfort with digital versions of scholarly materials opens new opportunities for libraries.
Digital Information Seeker survey on behalf of JISC: Google is central, but users want enhanced functionality in library systems and enhanced content to help resource evaluation.
Therefore, high-quality metadata is becoming more important; the library system must do better in providing seamless access between discovery and delivery.
Vision and Strategy; Roadmap
The future of libraries? Technology has created a very different context for the missions of academic and research libraries (No Brief Candle, Daphnee Rentfrow) - Ex Libris subscribes to this notion.
Ithaka strategy and research faculty survey - scholarly information use practices have shifted rapidly; as a result the academic library is being dis-intermediated from the discovery process, risking irrelevance. But faculty members' growing comfort with digital versions of scholarly materials opens new opportunities for libraries.
Digital Information Seeker survey on behalf of JISC: Google is central, but users want enhanced functionality in library systems and enhanced content to help resource evaluation.
Therefore, high-quality metadata is becoming more important; the library system must do better in providing seamless access between discovery and delivery.
Ex Libris must be more agile to meet libraries' needs and help them change. Company is undergoing a paradigm change in development:
--Iterative sprints enable reaction to changes in requirements during the project lifecycle - change from old "waterfall" method of development where could not move fast enough to meet customers' needs
--Agile values - shows a Wordle where Collaboration, Responding, Interactions are bigger than Processes and Products
Next Gen Library Services: the Ex Libris strategic framework:
URD2 - Unified Resource Discovery and Delivery - one search and delivery point for all material types on a decoupled front end
URM - Unified Resource Management - decoupled back end functions for management of all material types
Data Services - metadata management, usage data, KBs, Vendor info - data that supports library processes, services, and core functions; value-added data used by applications or provided as a service.
URD2 started with Primo - now 275 Primo customers worldwide
URM in 5 points:
--A Service (on the network), but can be deployed locally
--For all materials and ownership methods - print, local/remote digital, preservation ready
--Workflows focused
--Open, modular, extensible
--Collaborations: between libraries; with users; with external systems (e.g.: material vendors, ERP, etc)
--First drop for development partners in June 2010
New framework areas of focus:
Traditional - doing the same things differently
Transitional - doing new things in support of traditional functions
Transformational - doing entirely new and different things
Key points of focus:
--Economies of scale
Moving to the Network Level: Cloud computing/Network level, Web-scale, Software as a Service - all about the same thing - enables you to get services as a utility; don't need to worry about background costs, maintenance. This is a general IT trend that also works for libraries with lower TCO (total cost of ownership), allows staff to focus on new projects within core competency. Cloud Computing doesn't mean one-size-fits-all - Ex Libris will be showing customers how they can still control what they need/want; not compromising for "vanilla" version of a tool.
Moving to the Network level means Data-based services - built once and used by all, with ability to contextualize to meet specific needs. Three examples of data-based services: Primo Central (takes a minute to say that it's not built as a content-specific platform); UStat; Metadata Management System (MMS) in URM (webinar schedule forthcoming; available with URM v.1)
Cloud philosophy: Focus on the unique (institutional) and integrate the common (global information).
--Reducing total cost of ownership
A key goal of URM, as in:
Unified workflows
network-level deployment
Rule-based automation
Centralized metadata management system
(more in afternoon URM session)
--Added-value services
Examples include:
bX - can/should be everywhere, with release of Primo v.3 will be embedded into Primo results, API allows embeddable-bX in other stuff, including Xerxes and Google Scholar (current pilot project)
Rosetta - a preservation solution for preserving digitally-born and digitized items to enable perpetual access and retrieval
"However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results" - Churchill
URM Electronic will be next major release for Verde customers; Verde 2 will continue to be supported
URM Digital will be based on all work that has gone into Rosetta - brings benefits of URM to digital materials. Will be the next major release of DigiTool.
More about Strategic Framework: mapping current products into URD2/URM/Data Services framework:
--URD2: all things user-interface - Primo, Metalib, SFX, bX - goal to build metasearch into the Primo environment - will be MetaLib Next Generation as part of URD2. Have already convened a MetaLib user group to work with this project. Will be next major release for all MetaLib customers.
SFX - will continue to maintain and develop SFX as a standalone system.
--URM: SFX Admin (back end), Aleph, Verde, Voyager, DigiTool, Rosetta map to URM with streamlined workflows and functionality needed for today and tomorrow as a next-gen library system
--Data Services: Primo Central; Central knowledgebases (SFX, MetaLib, bX, Verde), bX data, metadata management services
In response to an attendee question, Oren emphasizes that core products Aleph and Voyager will continue with separate development and support.
--Iterative sprints enable reaction to changes in requirements during the project lifecycle - change from old "waterfall" method of development where could not move fast enough to meet customers' needs
--Agile values - shows a Wordle where Collaboration, Responding, Interactions are bigger than Processes and Products
Next Gen Library Services: the Ex Libris strategic framework:
URD2 - Unified Resource Discovery and Delivery - one search and delivery point for all material types on a decoupled front end
URM - Unified Resource Management - decoupled back end functions for management of all material types
Data Services - metadata management, usage data, KBs, Vendor info - data that supports library processes, services, and core functions; value-added data used by applications or provided as a service.
But - all this isn't enough - building new framework for same work is important, but also need to look forward to coming needs, including preservation and usage metrics.
Company is working on an Open Platform philosophy - EL Commons is one example, but Oren thinks can be doing more - is looking forward to customer feedback.URD2 started with Primo - now 275 Primo customers worldwide
URM in 5 points:
--A Service (on the network), but can be deployed locally
--For all materials and ownership methods - print, local/remote digital, preservation ready
--Workflows focused
--Open, modular, extensible
--Collaborations: between libraries; with users; with external systems (e.g.: material vendors, ERP, etc)
--First drop for development partners in June 2010
New framework areas of focus:
Traditional - doing the same things differently
Transitional - doing new things in support of traditional functions
Transformational - doing entirely new and different things
Key points of focus:
--Economies of scale
Moving to the Network Level: Cloud computing/Network level, Web-scale, Software as a Service - all about the same thing - enables you to get services as a utility; don't need to worry about background costs, maintenance. This is a general IT trend that also works for libraries with lower TCO (total cost of ownership), allows staff to focus on new projects within core competency. Cloud Computing doesn't mean one-size-fits-all - Ex Libris will be showing customers how they can still control what they need/want; not compromising for "vanilla" version of a tool.
Moving to the Network level means Data-based services - built once and used by all, with ability to contextualize to meet specific needs. Three examples of data-based services: Primo Central (takes a minute to say that it's not built as a content-specific platform); UStat; Metadata Management System (MMS) in URM (webinar schedule forthcoming; available with URM v.1)
Cloud philosophy: Focus on the unique (institutional) and integrate the common (global information).
--Reducing total cost of ownership
A key goal of URM, as in:
Unified workflows
network-level deployment
Rule-based automation
Centralized metadata management system
(more in afternoon URM session)
--Added-value services
Examples include:
bX - can/should be everywhere, with release of Primo v.3 will be embedded into Primo results, API allows embeddable-bX in other stuff, including Xerxes and Google Scholar (current pilot project)
Rosetta - a preservation solution for preserving digitally-born and digitized items to enable perpetual access and retrieval
"However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results" - Churchill
Examining the framework:
Changes since last ELUNA: URM now able to include Digital materials in URM v.1 - URM 1 now able to include management of print, electronic (licensed), and digital materials. Will be 3 different modules so can subscribe to individual pieces, but (of course) are advantages for having all modules so can take advantage of unified workflows for selection, acquisition, cataloging, course reserve, and smart fulfillment.URM Electronic will be next major release for Verde customers; Verde 2 will continue to be supported
URM Digital will be based on all work that has gone into Rosetta - brings benefits of URM to digital materials. Will be the next major release of DigiTool.
More about Strategic Framework: mapping current products into URD2/URM/Data Services framework:
--URD2: all things user-interface - Primo, Metalib, SFX, bX - goal to build metasearch into the Primo environment - will be MetaLib Next Generation as part of URD2. Have already convened a MetaLib user group to work with this project. Will be next major release for all MetaLib customers.
SFX - will continue to maintain and develop SFX as a standalone system.
--URM: SFX Admin (back end), Aleph, Verde, Voyager, DigiTool, Rosetta map to URM with streamlined workflows and functionality needed for today and tomorrow as a next-gen library system
--Data Services: Primo Central; Central knowledgebases (SFX, MetaLib, bX, Verde), bX data, metadata management services
In response to an attendee question, Oren emphasizes that core products Aleph and Voyager will continue with separate development and support.
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