Information Technology Reference
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structure of ILS modules. The transformed nature of multi-faceted library collections
that favor electronic materials and new capabilities of resource management systems
present an opportunity to reconsider whether the traditional models of service make
sense in today's circumstances [4].
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Open Systems
Libraries today demand more open systems that provide access to data and
functionality outside of the user interfaces that come with the system. Libraries today
have little tolerance for a closed proprietary system that restricts or completely
disables access to its underlying data. Many libraries need to extend the functionality
of the system to meet specific local needs. They need to connect systems together to
exchange data efficiently. Library automation systems operate within an ecosystem of
data that spans many areas of the campus enterprise. The university's student
management system definitely manages the accounts of registered students, and this
data must be well synchronized with the ILS. The business transactions related to the
acquisition of library materials need to be reconciled with the enterprise resource
planning or accounting systems of the University. Campus-wide authentication
systems should enable all the patron-facing services of the library to operate through a
single sign-on mechanism.
In order to meet modern expectations of interoperability and extensibility, library
automation systems must be more open than ever before. The primary vehicle for
delivering this openness comes through application programming interfaces, or APIs,
that allow library programmers to access the data and functionality of the system
through a set of well documented requests and responses that can be accessed through
scripts of software programs.
In past generations, libraries needing local changes would hope for the ability to
customize the internal coding of a system. This model of customization is not
sustainable, since the changes made for one organization may not work well for the
general release. Also, any local changes would need to be re-implemented with every
new release of the software. Local customizations tend to be fragile, with the
possibility that any new version of the software may change the underpinnings on
which they depend. Rather than expecting to meet local changes by changing the
internal coding, modern systems offer a richer set of configuration profiles that meet
the needs of most organizations that implement the system and provide APIs to create
functionality for local requirements through a more sustainable method.
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Shared Infrastructure
A modern application, such as a library services platform, provides a base level of
functionality through its default user interfaces, but also allows each organization that
implements it to create utilities or widgets that extend its capabilities. Many of these
local needs may also be useful to other implementers of the system, providing the
opportunity for communities of developers surrounding any of these systems to share
their code creations and expertise.
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