Author Archive: Marshall Breeding

BiblioCommons Acquired by Constellation Software

By Marshall Breeding | February 14, 2020

The transaction marks a departure from its status as a founder-owned company. Though BiblioCommons will continue to operate independently, it now falls under the ownership of a large multinational technology firm managing a diverse portfolio of technology and software companies. But unlike general private equity firms, Constellation has never sold the companies it acquires. Long-term … Continue reading BiblioCommons Acquired by Constellation Software →

OverDrive’s New Owners: What It Means

By Marshall Breeding | December 31, 2019

OverDrive holds the dominant market share as the leading provider of digital content to libraries, with more than 43,000 libraries subscribing to its content lending platform. The OverDrive catalog currently offers 4.5 million books and audiobooks from more than 25,000 publishers. More than 95% of public libraries in the US and Canada rely on it … Continue reading OverDrive’s New Owners: What It Means →

Ex Libris and Innovative Interfaces logos

ProQuest to Acquire Innovative Interfaces

By Marshall Breeding | December 9, 2019

Since December 2015, Ex Libris has been owned by ProQuest. In addition to its role as a major content provider to libraries, ProQuest is now responsible for a growing portfolio of library technology products, including major systems for resource management, content discovery, materials acquisition, reading list integration, and research services. While ProQuest faces major competition … Continue reading ProQuest to Acquire Innovative Interfaces →

Personalization vs. Privacy

By Marshall Breeding | November 1, 2019

Commercial websites aim to capture as much personal data as possible. This data powers a global advertising ecosystem designed to strengthen retail sales through finely targeted ad placement. To manage websites and internet technologies in ways that reflect their values, libraries invariably must make difficult choices and compromises. While they may not be able to … Continue reading Personalization vs. Privacy →

A rep with mk Solutions demonstrates the mk LibDispenser in the 2019 ALA Annual Conference Exhibit Hall. Photo: Cognotes

On Display in the Exhibit Hall

By Marshall Breeding | July 17, 2019

The ongoing allure of books Traditional books still dominate much of the hall. Publishers and distributors pull out all the stops to win the attention of librarians, appreciated for their influence in promoting titles they recognize as quality literature. Many librarians schedule their exhibit visits around the times when their favorite authors are present to … Continue reading On Display in the Exhibit Hall →

Library Systems Report (Illustration by (c)vladgrin/Adobe Stock and Rebecca Lomax/American Libraries)

Library Systems Report 2019

By Marshall Breeding | May 1, 2019

Outdated automation systems can reinforce work patterns that no longer reflect priorities as core library activities change. Bursts of innovation can create new products better aligned with current library realities. The products that emerge out of these creative booms then become mainstays that support the next phase of library operations. The academic library sector can … Continue reading Library Systems Report 2019 →

Discovery Services

By Marshall Breeding | January 2, 2019

An academic library can assemble several combinations of products, depending on the ways in which it organizes its website and discovery environment and the types of resource management systems it has in place. One critical debate has recently emerged: Should discovery services be bundled or acquired à la carte? Perspectives differ regarding the benefits of … Continue reading Discovery Services →

Tech in the Exhibit Hall

By Marshall Breeding | July 18, 2018

The conference brought together more than 750 companies and organizations in the world’s largest exhibition of library-oriented technology. This roundup describes a few of the products that caught my eye. It’s not a comprehensive report; there were just too many interesting items on hand to write about them all. Seeking synergies ProQuest is a good … Continue reading Tech in the Exhibit Hall →

Library Systems Report 2018

By Marshall Breeding | May 1, 2018

Academic libraries are looking beyond efficiencies in collection management or improvements in library-provided discovery services. Instead, they are addressing broader education needs by inserting relevant resources into platforms that support the curriculum and enhance their institutions’ research activities. Public libraries seek technologies that improve engagement with their communities. These libraries value reliable and feature-rich automation … Continue reading Library Systems Report 2018 →

Open Source Software

By Marshall Breeding | November 1, 2017

Integrated library systems (ILS), as well as the new genre of library services platforms, are offered to libraries primarily as proprietary products controlled by a single vendor. Libraries that use these products remain dependent on that vendor for ongoing software development, solutions to systemic problems, and service enhancements. While proprietary software remains the dominant approach, … Continue reading Open Source Software →

Google promoted its “Libraries Ready to Code” joint initiative with ALA.

Tech Power

By Marshall Breeding | July 19, 2017

I probably spend more time in the exhibit hall than most conference attendees—you may have seen me browsing the aisles or rushing to my next appointment. The meetings I have with company executives and product experts inform much of my research and writing for months to come as a chronicler of the library technology industry. … Continue reading Tech Power →

Library Systems Report 2017

By Marshall Breeding | May 1, 2017

More statistics on sales performance, installations, and personnel for 2016 are available here. Consolidation deep and wide Library technology continues to consolidate horizontally and vertically. Horizontal consolidation—the merging of companies with similar business activities—shaped some of the larger players in the industry, such as Follett, and Infor Library and Information Solutions, Innovative Interfaces, Lucidea, OCLC, … Continue reading Library Systems Report 2017 →

Latest Library Links

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With everyone forced to bear with the stay-at-home mandate, the Children’s Place at the Wood County District Public Library in Bowling Green, Ohio, is helping to promote a way to ease the isolation, especially for children. Taking inspiration from the classic picture book We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury, the library is urging people to put toy bears in their windows, and if they don’t have one, a picture of a bear. The library has provided one to print out or copy to color. Children out for walks can spy them in the windows. The library’s bears hold hearts that contain the outline of the State of Ohio and then another heart marking the location of Wood County.
Bowling Green (Ohio) Independent News, Mar. 28
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Jessica Leigh Hester writes: “If time at home has you missing life in the stacks or sifting through old papers in search of pieces of the past, fear not: You can do the same thing online. Slews of institutions are in the market for armchair archivists—volunteers who can generate knowledge by clicking through digitized resources, deciphering handwriting, or tagging photos. Several institutions have already seen an uptick in digital detective work since the start of the pandemic. Here are a few projects you might consider.”
Atlas Obscura, Mar. 23
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Kathi Kromer writes: “Libraries were included in the largest economic stimulus package in history, which passed March 27. The $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act includes $50 million for the Institute of Museum and Library Services for digital inclusion projects and more than $30 billion in relief for schools and colleges, plus billions more for state and local governments and nonprofit organizations. The stimulus package also includes libraries—on Main Street, in schools, and on campuses—as part of a massive, long-overdue effort to ensure digital equity in America. Read a summary of CARES Act provisions for libraries, education, and cultural heritage institutions.”
The Scoop, Mar. 27
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Timothy Inklebarger writes: “Shortages of surgical masks, N95 respirator masks, safety goggles, and other personal protective equipment (PPE) have created a desperate need among health care workers as the pandemic escalates. Archivists and conservators from university libraries across the country have been pitching in to help bridge the supply gap, donating their supplies of the PPE. Through networking with local health care providers, libraries are getting lifesaving supplies where they’re needed most. Eric Alstrom, head of conservation and preservation at Michigan State University Libraries, says that he first heard about libraries making donations on an ALA listserv for preservation administrators.”
AL: The Scoop, Mar. 27
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Lara Ewen writes: “Keeping libraries safe is important for both workers and guests. But during the current COVID-19 pandemic, questions about how to do that—particularly when it comes to materials and surfaces—have complicated answers. It’s an unprecedented situation. Conservators, who are experienced in diagnosing and repairing collection damage, say that historical information on sanitizing library materials is lacking. Despite anecdotal evidence in a 2019 article in Smithsonian Magazine, Evan Knight, preservation specialist at the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, says there’s very little historical data available. ’[There’s] nothing published or shared from previous epidemics,’ he says.”
AL: The Scoop, Mar. 27
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Leanne Ellis writes: “The best response of a capable educator is to focus on student learning no matter what. While some educators lament the influx of emails, technology directives, and response time to take students online, others take on the challenge of learning the best practices and tools for teaching students in a virtual environment. None of this work is easy. Switching instruction from in-person to Google Classroom, for example, involves thought and preparation: how to manage student accounts and work, design lessons, post content, communicate, guide discussions and responses, give useful feedback, and grade work. And that’s just for one class. Here are some pointers to keep in mind.”
Knowledge Quest blog, Mar. 27
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Kate Conger and Erin Griffith write: “As life has increasingly moved online during the pandemic, an older generation that grew up in an analog era is facing a digital divide. Often unfamiliar or uncomfortable with apps, gadgets, and the internet, many are struggling to keep up with friends and family through digital tools when some of them are craving those connections the most. According to a 2017 Pew Research study, three-quarters of those older than 65 said they needed someone else to set up their electronic devices. A third also said they were only a little or not at all confident in their ability to use electronics and to navigate the web. Families are finding new apps and gadgets that are easy for older relatives to use.”
New York Times, Mar. 27

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