MOVING UP TO THE CLOUDExploring the impact of Emerging Cloud Technologies in Libraries

Jan 9, 2013

Marshall BreedingIndependent Consult, Author, Founder and Publisher, Library Technology Guideswww.librarytechnology.org/twitter.com/mbreeding

Virginia Commonwealth University

Services, Collections, Management

Libraries Redefined

Appropriate Automation Infrastructure

Current automation products out of step with current realities

Majority of library collection funds spent on electronic content

Majority of automation efforts support print activities Management of e-content continues with inadequate

supporting infrastructure New discovery solutions help with access to e-

content Library users expect more engaging socially aware

interfaces for Web and mobile

Key Context: Libraries in Transition Academic Shift from Print > Electronic

E-journal transition largely complete Circulation of print collections slowing E-books now in play (consultation > reading)

Public: Emphasis on Patron Engagement Increased pressure on physical facilities Increased circulation of print collections Dramatic increase in interest in e-books

All libraries: Need better tools for access to complex multi-format

collections Strong emphasis on digitizing local collections Demands for enterprise integration and interoperability

Key Context: Technologies in transition

Client / Server > Web-based computing Natively social computing

Integration of social computing into core infrastructure

Local computing shifting to cloud platforms Application Service Provider offerings standard New expectations for multi-tenant software-as-a-

service Full spectrum of devices

full-scale / net book / tablet / mobile Mobile the current focus, but is only one example of

device and interface cycles

Key Context: Changed expectations in metadata management Moving away from individual record-by-record creation Life cycle of metadata

Metadata follows the supply chain, improved and enhanced along the way as needed

Manage metadata in bulk when possible E-book collections

Highly shared metadata E-journal knowledge bases (KnowledgeWorks / 360 Core)

Great interest in moving toward semantic web and open linked data Very little progress in linked data for operational systems AACR2 > RDA MARC > RDF: Bibliographic Framework Transition Initiative

http://www.loc.gov/marc/transition/

Key Context: Research Data Academic libraries have increased library

involvement with research data Facilitate data management plans for

research projects Lend Library expertise to organization

and management Preservation

Surging Interest in the Semantic Web

Open Linked Data Bibliographic data sets released through

Creative Commons Public Domain License (CC0) Europeana, Harvard, etc.

Databases that natively manage RDF triple stores

Currently at Early stages of introducing semantic technologies in discovery

Relational databases continue to power business systems

Cooperation and Resource sharing

Efforts on many fronts to cooperate and consolidate

Many regional consortia merging (Example: suburban Chicago systems)

State-wide or national implementations Software-as-a-service or “cloud” based

implementations Many libraries share computing

infrastructure and data resources

Beyond “Cloudwashing” Cloud as marketing hype Cloud computing used very freely,

tagged to almost any virtualized environment

Any arrangement where the library relies on some kind of remote hosting environment for major automation components

Includes almost any vendor-hosted product offering

Example: ASP now Software-as-a-Service

Cloud computing – characteristics

Web-based Interfaces Externally hosted Pricing: subscription or utility Highly abstracted computing model Provisioned on demand Scaled according to variable needs Elastic – consumption of resources can

contract and expand according to demand

Gartner Hype Cycle 2009

Gartner Hype Cycle 2010

Gartner Hype Cycle 2011

Gartner Hype Cycle 2012

Fundamental technology shift Mainframe computing Client/Server Cloud Computing

http://www.flickr.com/photos/carrick/61952845/http://soacloudcomputing.blogspot.com/2008/10/cloud-computing.html

http://www.javaworld.com/javaworld/jw-10-2001/jw-1019-jxta.html

Data as a service General opportunity to move away from library-

by-library metadata management to globally shared workflows

Shared knowledge bases E-resource holdings Bibliographic services Linked data applications

Key Issues Data ownership Creative commons license Data portability across competing providers

Cloud computing trends for libraries Increased migration away from local

computing toward some form of remote / hosted / virtualized alternative

Cloud computing especially attractive to libraries with few technology support personnel

Adequate bandwidth will continue to be a limiting factor

Relevant trends No technical limitations on scalability of

infrastructure General move toward ever larger

implementations of automation infrastructure

National infrastructure (beginning with smaller countries)

US: Statewide and regional projects

Personnel Distribution

Server Administration

Application maintenance

Staff client software updates

Operational tasks

Application configuration or profiling

Operational tasks

Local Computing Cloud Computing

Budget Allocations

Server Purchase Server

Maintenance Application

software license Data Center

overhead Energy costs Facility costs

Annual Subscription Measured

Service? Fixed fees

Factors Hosting Software Licenses Optional modules

Local Computing Cloud Computing

Benefits of Cloud Computing

Elimination of capital expenses for equipment

Lower annual costs

Redeployment of technical staff to more meaningful activities

Higher revenues relative to software-only arrangements

Provision of infrastructure at scale with lower unit costs

Longer-term relationships with customers

Libraries Providers / Vendors

Is the status quo sustainable? ILS for management of (mostly) print Duplicative financial systems between library and campus Electronic Resource Management (non-integrated with ILS) OpenURL Link Resolver w/ knowledge base for access to

full-text electronic articles Digital Collections Management platforms (CONTENTdm,

DigiTool, etc.) Institutional Repositories (DSpace, Fedora, etc.) Discovery-layer services for broader access to library

collections No effective integration services / interoperability among

disconnected systems, non-aligned metadata schemes

Integrated Library Systems Model for library automation since

1970’s Modules

Circulation Cataloging Acquisitions Serials Authority Control Public Catalog

Oriented to Print / Physical Materials

ILS now restricts Innovation Business models hard-coded in ILS no

longer represent current library realities Force disproportionate levels of

personnel attention toward print Personnel involved in non-print areas

forced to work on other platforms Libraries now organized around

idiosyncrasies of the ILS

Library Organization

Circulation Cataloging Acquisitions Serials Interlibrary Loan Reserves Electronic resources Digital Collections

Fulfillment Collection

Management Research Services

Integrated Library System

Library Services Platforms

New Organizational Options Fulfillment

Discovery Social engagement Delivery (all media and formats) Dynamic procurement: demand-driven acquisitions, peer institutions,

unaffiliated institutions Blended processes to deliver library content to users (local, remote,

owned, licensed, etc.) Collection Management

Local + shared collections Global Metadata Curation Preservation

Research Services Support for library collections Involvement with research data

LMS / ERM: Fragmented Model

Circulation

BIB

Staff Interfaces:

Holding / Items

CircTransactUserVendor Policies$$$

Funds

CatalogingAcquisitionsSerials OnlineCatalog

Public Interfaces:

Application Programming Interfaces`

LicenseManagement

LicenseTerms

E-resourceProcurement

VendorsE-JournalTitles

Protocols: CORE

Consolidated indexUnified Presentation LayerSearch:

Digital Coll

ProQuest

EBSCO…

JSTOR

Other Resource

s

New Library Management Model

`API Layer

Library Services Platform

LearningManageme

nt

Enterprise ResourcePlanning

StockManagement

Self-Check /

Automated Return

Authentication

Service

Smart Cad /

Payment systems

Discovery

Service

Comprehensive Resource Management No longer sensible to use different

software platforms for managing different types of library materials

ILS + ERM + OpenURL Resolver + Digital Asset management, etc. very inefficient model

Flexible platform capable of managing multiple type of library materials, multiple metadata formats, with appropriate workflows

Libraries need a new model of library automation Not an Integrated Library System or Library

Management System The ILS/LMS was designed to help libraries

manage print collections Generally did not evolve to manage electronic

collections Other library automation products evolved:

Electronic Resource Management Systems – OpenURL Link Resolvers – Digital Library Management Systems -- Institutional Repositories

Library Services Platform Library-specific software. Designed to help libraries

automate their internal operations, manage collections, fulfill requests, and deliver services

Services Service oriented architecture Exposes Web services and other API’s Facilitates the services libraries offer to their users

Platform General infrastructure for library automation Consistent with the concept of Platform as a Service Library programmers address the APIs of the platform to

extend functionality, create connections with other systems, dynamically interact with data

Library Services Platform Characteristics

Highly Shared data models Knowledgebase architecture Some may take hybrid approach to accommodate local

data stores Delivered through software as a service

Multi-tenant Unified workflows across formats and media Flexible metadata management

MARC – Dublin Core – VRA – MODS – ONIX New Bibliographic Framework New structures not yet invented

Open APIs for extensibility and interoperability

Metadata Management ILS: Encourages local practice

Record customization Many libraries make similar local changes Copy Cataloging model: isolated

bibliographic databases LSP: Global perspective

Single, robust, high-quality record Globally shared knowledge base Options for local data elements in global

context

Library Services PlatformsCategory WorldShare

Management Services

Alma Intota Sierra Services Platform

Kuali OLE

Responsible Organization

OCLC. Ex Libris Serials Solutions

Innovative Interfaces, Inc

Kuali Foundation

Key precepts Global network-level approach to management and discovery.

Consolidate workflows, unified management: print, electronic, digital; Hybrid data model

Knowledgebase driven. Pure multi-tenant SaaS

Service-oriented architectureTechnology uplift for Millennium ILS. More open source components, consolidated modules and workflows

Manage library resources in a format agnostic approach. Integration into the broader academic enterprise infrastructure

Software model

Proprietary Proprietary

Proprietary Proprietary Open Source

Development ScheduleWorldShare Management Services

Alma Intota Sierra Services Platform

Kuali OLE

General Release in July 201138 now in production

Development partners now in Release 5General Release expected mid-2012

Phase I: Late in 2012;Libraries in production by 2014

Phase 1: Mid-2012 with full Millennium functionality; subsequent phases that expand model

 Version 1.0 expected Dec 2012Partners begin migration in 2013

Development ResourcesCompany Dev Sup Sales Admin Other Total

Ex Libris 170 231 54 44 13 512Follett Software Company 87 143 86 49 0 365Innovative Interfaces, Inc. 83 158 43 24 3 311SirsiDynix Corporation 84 166 51 23 56 380Serials Solutions 80 50 46 4 57 237Axiell 57 66 34 35 34 226The Library Corporation 39 91 28 13 28 199Polaris Library Systems 27 42 15 2   86VTLS Inc. 24 48 12 8 18 110KohaByWater Solutions 3 12 3 3 1 13Catalyst IT 3         BibLibre 4 3       Koha Total (estimated) 15PTFS 5 16 8 8   155EvergreenEquinox Software 6 5 2 3 5 21

Development / Deployment perspective

Beginning of a new cycle of transition Over the course of the next decade,

academic libraries will replace their current legacy products with new platforms

Not just a change of technology but a substantial change in the ways that libraries manage their resources and deliver their services