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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the agenda for library technology for the next 20 years.Design/methodology/approach A long-term historically based analysis of the evolving roles of librarians and library technology, especially the catalog.Findings The rise of standardized cataloging codes, communications formats, bibliographical utilities, and software for online searching constitutes a great triumph in universal bibliographical access for everybody. But each reader is unique and no-one is “everybody” so a uniform service is not ideal for all. The ideal librarian knows both the collection and the readers. The catalog is a guide to the collection and a surrogate for the librarian. The librarian understands the readers. The development of library technology will remain significantly incomplete until the uniqueness of each reader is accommodated. Some ways to do that are noted.Research limitations/implications Research and development should focus on relating the uniqueness of individuals to the uniformity of services provided.Practical implications Strategic directions are indicated.Originality/value Provides a perspective on the development of library service in terms of changing relationships between technology and librarians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - This paper aims to explore the information technology environment in a developing country, Morocco, through a discussion of the people, their information environment, and libraries. Concepts of modern library and information studies (LIS) education and the new role of the library professional in this context are also to be explored. Design/methodology/approach - Largely based on a review of literature on the people, their information environment, and technology in Morocco, this paper incorporates both synthesis and discussion from an LIS point-of-view. Findings - Basic elements of the culture make library work difficult in Morocco. In reflecting on other cultures and participating in the international LIS dialogue, librarians can develop new perspectives on difficulties they experience at their home institutions while contributing to solutions of problems abroad. Practical implications - By supporting library work in developing countries, western librarians can have a positive impact on users both at home and abroad. Originality/value - Third world librarianship is not a phenomenon happening "over there" in a vacuum - real librarians trained in library and information science in countries like Morocco are helping users to access information. Their work contributes to the international conversation taking place in LIS, a discussion that is ultimately of benefit to all involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose — This paper aims to considers how to extend RFID applications given the limited funds and budgets in libraries. RFID can replace barcodes and magnetic strips for security control and collections management. Design/methodology/approach — This study describes the Shih-Hsin University Library UHF RFID system which uses long distance induction to assist in three innovative applications. The three applications are regional seeking and positioning for collections in mis-shelves or collections loss in library, statistics calculation in usage frequency and length of book reading, and instant library guiding service. This research explains the implementation of the tag frequency, the construction of the multi-transceiver and existing TCP/IP network appliances. Findings — The application not only estimates benefits in advance and lower the risk of failure setups, but it also provides innovative library services. Originality/value — This study discusses issues and possible solutions in the process of implementing RFID applications for three innovative applications in library services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- This paper aims at providing a robust, user-friendly and efficient navigation procedure in an online library catalog that is based on semantic information encapsulated within subject headings. Instead of relying on a static, predefined hierarchical navigation structure, the proposed navigation procedure relies on a dynamic, interactive graph-based structure. Subject headings and their relationships constitute the nodes and arcs respectively of the graph. Such a structure may be encoded in a variety of semantic-aware technologies implementing subject-based classification. The ultimate goal of the navigation procedure is to guide users in locating useful information as accurately and efficiently as possible. Design/methodology/approach -- The building block of the proposed approach is the employment of ontologies. Specifically, users select subject headings by interacting with the prototype application which is based on an AJAX-powered web graphical user interface (GUI). The GUI communicates with an underlying ontology that comprises the subject headings and their interrelations. Such headings are used within the OPAC to semantically describe the contained assets. By selecting a specific subject heading, the proposed application addresses a typical search query to the OPAC containing the selected heading. A working functional application embedded within a real-world OPAC will be provided illustrating the effectiveness of the proposed approach. Findings -- According to the proposed method, a GUI interface exposes the hierarchy of the subject headings employed within an OPAC, as well as all stated relations between such headings, as links that the user can follow, effectively traversing the ontology and formulating at the same time the actual query to the underlying OPAC. This act of interactive navigation through the library's assets aids searchers in accurately formulating their queries, by offering broader or narrower concepts for selection or indicating alternative or related concepts they might be initially unaware of. The augmented exposition of inter-relations between concepts provides multiple paths for information retrieval and enables searchers to fulfill their information needs in a faster, more efficient and intuitive manner. Practical implications -- The paper includes implications for the development of modern, semantic web applications focused on the library domain. The novel approach of visualizing subject headings could be further extended to visualize a number of other conceptualizations of the library domain. Originality/value -- This paper fulfils an identified need to take advantage of the "hidden knowledge" existing within the library domain but, for a number of reasons, is never exposed to the library users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - This paper sets out to describe developments in Australian libraries and the national interlibrary loan and document delivery systems, in particular the outcomes of the Local Interlending and Document Delivery Administration Systems (LIDDAS) project. Australian libraries have had a highly cooperative approach to resource sharing for many years. ILL (Inter Library Loan) has become increasingly automated since the introduction of the online union catalogue in 1981 and the national interlending system in 1989. In 2004 interoperability was introduced, with 2006 developments in directories completing the national connected system. Design/methodology/approach - Analysis is undertaken of the factors leading to a national approach, use of the automated solution by libraries and trends in use by end users. Findings - Rapid and easy access to interlibrary lending has increased significantly through automation of local and national systems. While the overall number of loans and copies has not increased, the speed of delivery and efficiency of ILL has increased significantly. Practical implications - By understanding the environment that led to a coordinated approach to automation by libraries in a variety of sectors, and evaluating the outcomes of the technological developments, this paper gives a basis for considering opportunities for future cooperative arrangements. Originality/value - LIDDAS has stood the test of time as a highly original approach to providing access to the resources of the nation's libraries. This paper provides a study of the outcomes of the project, the impact of interlibrary lending in Australia and a cooperative approach between university, state, national and public libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - Aims to provide a summary and analysis of the organizational changes of the UNLV Libraries Knowledge Access Management Division since it was previously described in Library Hi Tech. Design/methodology/approach - Describes and analyzes the significant and unanticipated changes in organization structure that occurred as the UNLV Libraries attempts to respond to the web and digital scholarly information world. Findings - Several alternative organizational structures to respond to web and digital initiatives are described. The process used to select an organization structure that was not anticipated three years earlier is documented. Originality/value - This article provides useful reading for academic library administrators contemplating organizational change to respond to the web and digital information world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The management of library "pick-up books" — a phrase that refers to books pulled off the shelves by readers, discarded in the library after use, and picked up by library assistants for reshelving — is an issue for many collection managers. This research attempts to use geographic information system (GIS) software as a tool to monitor the use of such books so that their distributions by book shelf-ranges can be displayed visually. With GIS, library floor layouts are drawn as maps. This research produces some explanations of the habits of library patrons browsing shelved materials, and makes suggestions to librarians on the expansion of library collections and the rearrangement potential for library space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metadata and information technology staff in libraries that are building digital collections typically extract and manipulate MARC metadata sets to provide access to digital content via non-MARC schemes. Metadata processing in these libraries involves defining the relationships between metadata schemes, moving metadata between schemes, and coordinating the intellectual activity and physical resources required to create and manipulate metadata. Actively managing the non-MARC metadata resources used to build digital collections is something most of these libraries have only begun to do. This article proposes strategies for managing MARC metadata repurposing efforts as the first step in a coordinated approach to library metadata management. Guided by lessons learned from Cornell University library mapping and transformation activities, the authors apply the literature of data resource management to library metadata management and propose a model for managing MARC metadata repurposing processes through the implementation of a metadata management design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines several library metadata standards, structures and schema relevant to the challenge of managing electronic resources. Among the standards, structures and schema to be discussed are MARC, METS, Dublin Core, EAD, XrML, and ODRL. The authors' analysis reveals that there is currently no one standard, structure or schema that adequately addresses the complexity of e-resource management. The article concludes with an outline and proposal for a new metadata schema designed to manage electronic resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes the construction of the author's Perl program, Cyril, to add vernacular Russian (Cyrillic) characters to existing MARC records. The program takes advantage of the ALA-LC standards for Romanization to create character mappings that "de-transliterate" specified MARC fields. The creation of Cyril raises both linguistic and technical issues, which are thoroughly examined. Concludes by considering the implications for cataloging and authority control standards, as we move to a multilingual, multi-script bibliographic environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the e-book program of the University of Texas, surveys the state of the e-book market and e-book technology, provides e-book usage statistics for three different consortia, and offers guidelines for e-book acquisitions, as well as e-book issues to be considered. Relevant specification, standards, and working groups are explained, as are the future e-book plans of The University of Texas. The author concludes that e-books are to printed books, as television is to radio and movies: another format with its own strengths and weaknesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the architecture, technology and library design of the Bruce T. Halle Library at Eastern Michigan University. Designing a new or renovated library building; Collection storage and retrieval; Technology infrastructure.

Internet resources have become a standard part of the resources offered by many libraries. Despite this fact, issues surrounding the selection of these resources, as well as providing access to them through cataloging, continue to present problems for libraries. Since Internet resources are not published or made available to libraries in the same manner as traditional print materials, there are many more factors to be considered in the selection process. The decision to catalog Internet resources presents a number of challenges to libraries as well. Decisions must be made as to what types of Internet resources will receive cataloging, and what information should be included in the bibliographic record. Cataloging decisions are further complicated by the fact that long-standing cataloging conventions do not readily apply to Internet resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the difference in what is cataloged and accessible via a link in an online public access catalog record and what is listed on electronic library (EL) Web menus at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Automation of the creation of EL resource pages; Proliferation of metadata formats.