tial risk, many companies are moving their services into the cloud. OCLC is among them. In fact, it is looking to be the cloud, and a big, heavy cumulous one at that. I’m referring, of course, to OCLC’s recent announcement (AL, June/July, p. 38) that it is moving its library management services to “web scale” (a techie term for “the cloud”). As Roy Tennant, senior program officer at OCLC, pointed out at the Top Tech Trends panel, computing started in the mainframe, evolved out to the personal computer, and is now returning to the mainframe in a better, faster, and infinitely larger home. So, the cloud can eliminate our server rooms; materials handling can do our sorting; Ingram, Baker and Taylor, and Midwest Tape can do our processing; OCLC can do our cataloging; PC reservation systems and payment kiosks can promote self-service; and Summon can be the “Google of databases.” Where does that leave the librarian? There is little doubt that these new elements are changing the face of libraries. In fact, a great deal of visible change is being driven by back-office transformation. As the economy pushes more libraries to embrace these efficiencies, the resulting shift in the fundamentals of library management will alter the ecology and culture of our institutions forever. The question then becomes: Will your library respond to that change or resist it? Bad economic times are tough on us all, but they’re also an opportunity to build relationships, reflect, recalibrate, and prepare for the building to come. z john blyberg, guest columnist for this issue, is assistant director for innovation and user experience at Darien (Conn.) Library and blogs at www.blyberg.net. Regular “In Practice” columnist Meredith Farkas will return in the October issue.
Photo: Curtis Compton, Cognotes
the way we do cataloging. Ferraro explained that libraries could approach cataloging “in much the same way software developers approach version control.” Catalogers can “commit” records back up to biblios.net, and any library in the world can leaf through the different versions of a single record, looking for the right one, or modify an exConference-goer Michael Nolen (right) and friend take a isting record to meet break in the exhibit hall to have a meeting of the minds. their needs. stallations through next spring. LibIf that sounds suspiciously like Lime makes a similar claim. cloud computing, that’s because it is. “The pragmatists are coming on In fact, Ferraro pointed out that Libboard now,” said Schneider, explain- Lime has fully embraced the cloud. ing that library workers who didn’t The vast majority of LibLime’s cuscatch open source fever initially are tomers are virtually hosted and take now looking at open source systems advantage of Amazon’s Elastic Comlike Koha and Evergreen. In turn, the pute Cloud (EC2), a service that alcloser scrutiny of those recent OSS lows users to purchase computer adherents is winning over the next processor time. “It provides an inphase of purchasers who need still credible economy of scale,” said Fermore convincing. Schneider went on raro. “It’s much cheaper than buying server hardware.” to say that libraries are “much more aware of resources and where they go. Open source offers much greater Toward the clouds ROI, more accountability, and secuDuring the LITA (Library and Inforrity.” With the imminent release of mation Technology Association) Top Evergreen 1.6, Equinox is gearing up Tech Trends panel, however, Coalifor even more business. Its website tion for Networked Information Exis currently advertising several job ecutive Director Clifford Lynch openings “and those are all growth expressed concerns about reliance jobs, not spec,” added Schneider. on the cloud, stating that data-loss, LibLime CEO Josh Ferraro offered failure, and downtime are signifian additional, more altruistic appeal— cant risks. By eliminating our own contributing source code to the library individual data centers, are we givcommunity. Both LibLime and Equiing up control, redundancy, and nox contribute work back to their reflexibility? spective open source projects. That is a complex question that LibLime has extended that concept to cannot be easily answered, because cataloging with its free biblios.net the nature of what “cloud computing” platform. As I mentioned after Midis varies significantly depending winter (AL, Mar., p. 30), biblios.net upon its application. One thing is has the potential to profoundly change certain, however: Despite any poten-
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