Author Archive: Marshall Breeding

Follett School Solutions Sold to Private Equity Firm

By Marshall Breeding | September 8, 2021

Follett School Solutions’ products include the Destiny Library Manager used by many US K–12 school libraries, the Aspen Student Information System, and the Titlewave ecommerce platform, which it uses to distribute print and digital content for educational institutions. The company was acquired from Follett Corporation, a family-owned business based in Westchester, Illinois. While divesting its … Continue reading Follett School Solutions Sold to Private Equity Firm →

Clarivate to Acquire ProQuest

By Marshall Breeding | May 25, 2021

The acquisition means a change of ownership for ProQuest but will not substantially affect the products and services purchased by libraries since Clarivate’s products and services do not typically compete in the library market. As part of Clarivate, ProQuest and its technology businesses Ex Libris and Innovative Interfaces potentially gain access to resources that will … Continue reading Clarivate to Acquire ProQuest →

2021 Library Systems Report

By Marshall Breeding | May 3, 2021

Only a few minor acquisitions took place in this deeply consolidated industry last year. Unlike in 2019, none of these transactions altered the overall balance of power among competitors. Vendors made extraordinary efforts to help customer libraries cope with changed services while they continued product development agendas looking beyond current circumstances. Responses to the crisis … Continue reading 2021 Library Systems Report →

Photo illustration: © Dariusz Jarzabek/Adobe Stock (library); © nongkran_ch/Adobe Stock (circles)

2020 Library Systems Report

By Marshall Breeding | May 1, 2020

Technology for public library automation has been mired in stagnation. It takes a substantial level of development to both maintain existing products and build next-generation technologies for the emerging realities of a given library sector. Will Ex Libris opt to invent a new platform for public libraries, as it did for academics? How it responds may … Continue reading 2020 Library Systems Report →

Vendor Responses to COVID-19

By Marshall Breeding | April 15, 2020

Library vendors, like the libraries they serve, have shifted their operations to a primarily work-from-home model. Almost all support services and software development continue in this way. Most were well prepared to make the change, because many of their employees are accustomed to working remotely. No major service interruptions or lapses in support have taken … Continue reading Vendor Responses to COVID-19 →

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 →

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Sallyann Price writes: “Actor and comedian Molly Shannon is perhaps best known for the larger-than-life characters she created over six seasons as a Saturday Night Live cast member. She talked about the vulnerability that forged those characters—and the real-life personalities that populate her forthcoming memoir Hello, Molly! (Ecco, April)—at the American Library Association’s LibLearnX conference on January 23 in conversation with author Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney. ‘I have so much respect for what you do and for writers in general,’ Shannon told Sweeney. ‘I think it’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, ever. Way harder than performing.’ “

AL: The Scoop, Jan. 23
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Sanhita SinhaRoy writes: “How do you address low morale at your organization? What can you do to foster more diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in recruitment and retention? In her 15-minute ShopTalk session, “3 Reasons Your DEI Programs Are Not Working,” Elaina Norlin presented research and anecdotes from consulting on DEI issues to attendees of ALA’s LibLearnX virtual conference on January 23. Norlin, author of The Six-Step Guide to Library Worker Engagement (ALA Editions, 2021) and professional development and DEI program coordinator for the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries, said that recent studies show 92% of DEI trainings fail on multiple levels and can create more harm than good.”
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The American Library Association has selected The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu (Little, Brown and Company) by Tom Lin as the winner of the 2022 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction and A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance (Random House) by Hanif Abdurraqib as the winner of the 2022 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction. The selections were announced during ALA’s inaugural LibLearnX conference January 23 at the Reference and User Services Association’s Book and Media Awards virtual event. “Congratulations to both medalists for gifting readers with essential antidotes to the polarizing challenges we continue to face,” said Terry Hong, chair of the selection committee for the 2022 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence.”

AL: The Scoop, Jan. 23
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Terra Dankowski writes: “If you’ve ever wondered if your library should be doing more to support independent and self-published authors—such as holding book festivals featuring their work or including more of their titles on your shelves—Tejas Desai and Kacper Jarecki of Queens (N.Y.) Public Library (QPL) think the answer is yes. At ‘Supporting Indie Authors,’ an educational session at the American Library Association’s LibLearnX conference on January 22, Desai and Jarecki discussed how libraries can be a lifeline for independent and self-published authors and their readers—especially those who live in the communities they serve. ‘We’re firmly committed to the idea that everyone has a story,’ said Desai, assistant manager and supervising librarian at QPL’s Cambria Heights branch.”

AL: The Scoop, Jan. 22
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Carrie Smith writes: “As attention on trauma-informed care for library patrons grew, Karen Fisher, professor at University of Washington School of Information, began to wonder whether equal attention should be turned toward library workers. ‘We had a long list, pages and pages of incidents that we had been gathering from the media, all the types of stresses coming into library workplaces,’ said Fisher during the January 22 session ‘Trauma in the Library’ at ALA’s LibLearnX virtual conference. ‘We really wanted to turn it more inward and ask, What is the impact on staff?'”

AL: The Scoop, Jan. 22
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Chase Ollis writes: “The American Library Association (ALA) presented its annual I Love My Librarian Awards in a livestreamed ceremony at the inaugural LibLearnX event on January 22. The awards honor 10 librarians per year for outstanding service. This year’s recipients include three academic librarians, three school librarians, and four public librarians, including one prison librarian. ‘These 10 honorees are inspiring examples of what is possible in our profession,’ said ALA President Patricia ‘Patty’ M. Wong during the ceremony’s opening remarks. ‘Their stories are a testament to the profound leadership, compassion, and expertise of our nation’s librarians.’ “

AL: The Scoop, Jan. 22, Jan. 10
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Sanhita SinhaRoy writes: “As US demographics change and as the push to become a more inclusive and equitable society grows, libraries must follow suit. That was the message at ‘Advancing Race and Social Equity in Library Communications,’ a January 22 session at ALA’s LibLearnX virtual conference. Three members of Prince George’s County (Md.) Memorial Library System (PGCMLS) discussed the library’s ongoing antiracism and social equity work, how that work is reflected in its communications, and how it has strengthened the library’s role in the local and statewide community.”

AL: The Scoop, Jan. 22

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