New BIBFRAME website announced

The Library of Congress has launched a new website (http://bibframe.org/) in support of its Bibliographic Framework Transition Initiative. Begun in May 2011, the Initiative "aims to re-envision and, in the long run, implement a new bibliographic environment for libraries that makes 'the network' central and makes interconnectedness commonplace." The new model for linked bibliographic data is called BIBFRAME, short for Bibliographic Framework. In the Overview section, the BIBFRAME.org website provides access to background documents about BIBFRAME and to webcasts presented by Kevin Ford of LC and Eric Miller of Zepheira (LC's BIBFRAME development partner). Other sections of the website present the draft BIBFRAME model vocabulary, sample collections of linked data translated from MARC into the BIBFRAME model, and two tools to evaluate MARC bibliographic data in the BIFRAME model: the "comparison service" and the "transformation service." The comparison service allows you to "[e]nter the bibliographic identifer (MARC BIB field 001) or a Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN) and view a before and after presentation of a MARC record from the Library of Congress's database as BIBFRAME resources." The transformation service permits you to "[s]ubmit your own MARC bibliographic records (as MARC/XML) and view them as BIBFRAME resources ... "  Finally, there is a link to the BIBFRAME online discussion list (http://listserv.loc.gov/listarch/bibframe.html), for those wishing to contribute to the discussion about the development of BIBFRAME.

Archiving and Recovering Database-driven Websites

From D-Lib Magazine, January/February 2013 (vol. 19, no. 1/2)
An ever increasing amount of information is provided by database-driven websites.  Many of these are based on Content Management Systems (CMS). The author developed and implemented a procedure that enables storing both file and database data from a website in a single XML document based on an XML Schema, where the data in the database are mapped into a standardized form to facilitate recovery on different systems.

Cornell and Columbia to Integrate their Technical Services Operations

The libraries at Columbia University and Cornell University are taking an unprecedented new step in their 2CUL partnership: integrating technical services operations.

For library users, the 2CUL integration will mean better and faster access to more materials — including licensed journal articles, foreign materials and other content. When negotiating with vendors and other third parties for services and content, the technical services operation will exercise bargaining power on behalf of both research libraries.


The integration will also include:

• Seeking a common library management system that integrates data and workflows;
• Establishing collaborative collection building and coordinated processing;
• Reviewing policies, practices, workflows and job responsibilities at each institution, with an eye toward reconciling them as much as possible;
• Drafting best practices and guidelines; and
• Adopting a new organizational structure and culture.

For more information, see: http://communications.library.cornell.edu/news/130116/2cul

SkyRiver Joins LC’s BIBCO Program

The Library of Congress Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC) has designated SkyRiver as a Bibliographic Record Program (BIBCO) utility. Under this program qualified BIBCO catalogers may create and upgrade bibliographic records to BIBCO standards using SkyRiver’s cataloging client. 

For more information, check out SkyRiver's press release.

Perspectives on the future of e-books in libraries in universities

This article reports research into the perceptions and predictions of academic librarians regarding the future role and development of e-books, and e-book collections and services.  A number of recent studies reported in the literature review indicate increasing interest in e-books.  Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 32 academic librarians, in seven case study libraries.  Most interviewees anticipated a significant growth in the size and role of e-book collections in academic libraries over the next five years.  The actions and policies of each of the key stakeholder groups, e-book vendors (publishers and aggregators), academic libraries and users are viewed as pivotal to the future use of e-books in universities.  The growing importance of e-books will have a number of consequences for academic libraries, in terms of the technologies that they make available to users, the use of library space, user education and staff workload.

Please see the full text of the article at http://lis.sagepub.com/content/44/4/217

Information standards quarterly: The future of library system

Information standards quarterly v.24, no. 4 (Fall 2012) features an overview of future trends in library systems.  In his introductory essay, guest editor Marshall Breeding refers to these next generation systems as "library service platforms".  Three general approaches to building new platforms are described.  "Sometimes you just have to start over", is an approach exemplified by ExLibris Alma and Serials Solutions Intota.  The "don't throw the baby out with the bathwater" approach used by Innovative's Sierra and VTLS's Open Skies products approach change in libraries as a more evolutionary rather than revolutionary process.  Finally, "we are open" refers to open source software approaches such as Evergreen and Koha.

A narrative overview of features for the new systems is provided along with a summary comparison chart.  Articles describing experiences with some of these systems follow.