LIBER Digital Collections Working Group: Next Generation Library Systems in Europe

The library systems of the next generation of the world‘s largest suppliers Ex Libris and OCLC are cloud-based systems. Furthermore, there are Open Source Systems under construction, e.g. Kuali OLE, KoHa. ALMA (Ex Libris) and WMS (OCLC), which are hosted by computing centres outside the university in a virtualised system environment (cloud), and are run as Software as a Service (SaaS) by these companies themselves. Access to ALMA and WMS is possible for librarians and users over a web interface via a browser on their desktop. In Europe, Austria, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK are planning to move or are moving to these new systems. What is new with these cloud systems? What challenges are connected with these scenarios? What is really exciting? The biggest impact of the new systems is to be found in metadata management which is closely connected with the standardisation of the applications and workflows. Many library networks will have to rethink their roles and tasks, because the new systems are able to provide the national or regional databases that are the current responsibility of library networks. Against this background, the next generation library systems will deeply affect libraries’ core procedures and tasks. A change of paradigm is expected and not just the change of a system.

The workshop aims to discuss the challenges and opportunities of the new library systems. Representatives from Finland, France, Germany and Sweden will give short presentations of 15 minutes each outlining their activities and perspectives in regard to this change. In the style of a hot topic session, the speaker should raise three or four questions for discussion.