In my Library Technology Systems class today we were talking about Integrated Library Systems. A question came up asking the class what systems they had experience using and what they thought could be improved about the modules they used. I mentioned having used III Millennium as well as Ex Libris’s Voyager. I have limited experience with the cataloging module, but mentioned that a more intuitive interface might help for libraries that utilize student workers to maintain and adjust some records. This could free up staff training time and allow technicians and librarians to more easily do their jobs. A bit later today I was thinking about it some more and wondered if any systems incorporate links to AACR2 or other rules, so a cataloger could easily stay where they are, and bring the information to them. Maybe through an API into Catalogers Desktop or something….Maybe it exists – I shall have to investigate.
Cataloging Module Improvements
So basically an IDE for catalogers. That’s a really good idea. The main problem you are going to run into is copyright issues between the people who are creating the cataloging module and the people who own the various documentation programs that they use. I hate to say it, but OCLC is probably in the best position to pull this off…