[397] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Future of Automation
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Public-Access Computer Systems For)
Tue Jun 2 12:02:17 1992
Date: Tue, 2 Jun 1992 10:52:25 CDT
Reply-To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L%UHUPVM1.BITNET@RICEVM1.RICE.EDU>
From: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <LIBPACS%UHUPVM1.BITNET@RICEVM1.RICE.EDU>
To: Multiple recipients of list PACS-L <PACS-L%UHUPVM1.BITNET@RICEVM1.RICE.EDU>
6 Messages, 165 Lines
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From: MJENSEN@CHARLIE.USD.EDU (Mary Brandt Jensen)
Subject: RE: Future of Automation
I think the budget crunch will delay adding new automation, expanding
existing automation and starting new projects. I don't think we will
see a shift away from maintaining what we already have. We may not
install as many upgrades or buy as many new terminals, but I don't think
we will throw away what we have. In short, we probably won't take much
more away from the book budget to support automation, and any new money
we get will go to books, but we will maintain what automation we have.
Mary Brandt Jensen University of South Dakota
Director of the Law Library School of Law
Associate Professor of Law 414 E. Clark St.
MJENSEN@CHARLIE.USD.EDU Vermillion, SD 57069-2390
(605) 677 6363 Fax (605) 677 5417
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From: LIFSHIN@MAINE
it is very difficult to put the genie back in the bottle and it also very diffi
cult to regress in terms of technology. i feel it is more probable that some li
braries will go foward with increasing technology, some will stay status quo fo
r a few years (loosing ground) and some willmake the decision not to go at all.
this area is demand driven by the library patrons as much as it is librarian dr
iven e.g. CD-ROMs which may be a short term technology.
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From: SMUIR@UA1VM
Subject: Re: Future of Automation
The University of Alabama Libraries, recognizing that we already lack
the funds to purchase the collections we need and with the expectations
that things will only get worse, are prposing to move ahead in the direction
of access. This will inquire additional outlays for automation.
We estinate that for next year we would need an additional $200,000, minimum
to continue to subscribe to the serials we are currently receiving. We
estimate that we will need $200,000 in each succeeeding year to just keep
pace. The state of Alabama is not going to fund us in this manner. We have
to look at alternatives, or we will end up with an ever increasing disparity
in what we are able to provide our patrons.
Quite simply put, if a journal title costs a certain amount, and we can get it
electronically or order articles from it for a fraction of the cost then the
economics are there to not "go back to the basics."
* SCOTT P. MUIR *
* THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA *
* SMUIR@UA1VM *
* SMUIR@UA1VM.UA.EDU *
* (205) 348-2299 *
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From: jaffe@ucscm.UCSC.EDU (Lee Jaffe, McHenry Library, UC Santa Cruz,
408/459-3297)
Subject: Re: Future of Automation
1) Automation has become "basic." We really cannot run the library
without these products anymore. And the public isn't too interested
in a library without these tools. We really cannot go back.
2) The trend during the past few years of budget cuts has been just
the opposite of what Chachra predicts. Part of this has to do with
the fact that materials budgets are separate from operating budgets
and there is therefore no option for shifting funds between the two.
Also, a lot of automation development comes from "opportunity" money
that often cannot be used for other projects. For instance, our
library is going to be wired this summer and the campus is picking
up the $130,000 bill. I don't think we could ask them to let us
spend the money on staff for longer hours or to increase our serial
holdings. I think that declining budgets is going to mean shorter
hours, fewer serial subscriptions, fairly steady state in book
acquisitions and perhaps a slowing in automation development.
"With libraries facing unprecedented budget dilemmas, he feels that
there will be a downsizing of automation and a back-to-basics move
of spending limited funds on books and increased hours".
(Michael Rogers, summarizing a part of VTLS Presi-
dent Vinod Chachra's presentation at the "View
From the Top" program at ALA Midwinter)
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From: pfa@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (PF Anderson)
Subject: Re: Future of Automation
> Do others agree that there will be a shift of funding away from
> automation and back to the "basics"? For years many libraries have
> cannibalized acquisitions budgets, etc., to pay for increasing auto-
> mation costs. Will the pendulum start to swing the other way?
>
> Bernie Sloan
Just for the record, I perceive this question as conceptually related
to the point Hannah King made about computer-aided instruction
programs (or other nonprint media) being as dependent on content
evaluation for value as anything else. Perhaps less a pendulum
swing than a balancing of resources. It was necessary, in order
to build a base for automation, to invest a fair amount in the
beginning, but as the base becomes solid and automation's
reputation is assured of continuance, then it is only fair
to apply the same standards for acquisition, to be a bit more
discriminating.
This is sort of another devil's advocate position, since I
run a multimedia and computer center, but want to see its
collection be a solid and strong collection of desirable
items, rather than a hodge podge of what's on the hit list
this week. In automation, this is perhaps even more
critical since what is bestin a popular topic (like
the neurosciencses) can change so rapidly, even before
the last hot program has been fully integrated into
the courses the next and truly better one is out.
Pat Anderson
Barnes Learning Resources Center
Galter Library
Northwestern University
303 E. Chicago Ave.
Chicago IL 60611
pfa@nwu.edu
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From: Sanjay_Chadha@library.tmc.edu
Subject: Future of Automation
In response to Bernie Sloan's comment about automation:
At our library, the budget for automation is expected to spiral upwards
at least for the next few years, to the extent that it may overshadow
all else. Maybe we are a technology prone library, but I suspect, that
similar trends will be found in other libraries soon.
Once again, it is the very fact that budgets are constrained that will
drive the automation for next few years as people discover that they can
cut costs and improve service with the right type of technology.
Further, there is going to be a significant reallocation of funds from
conventional resources to online resources, and that may show up as
automation in some cases (not the online charges, but acquisition of a
CD-ROM server for example).
Unfortunately, the OPAC vendors are not going to see a lot of this
money, unless they radically change their product line. OPACS are going
the SPELLING CHECKER way. ie. the function is still needed, but no one
wants to buy a stand alone spell checker anymore, it must come as a part
of a word-processor. Similarlily, an OPAC will have to be packaged as a
part of a "LIBRARY INFORMATION SYSTEM" which would include online
databses, OPAC, ILL Services, Management Information System and perhaps
Accounting Systems (in addition to usual OPAC stuff like serials,
acquisions, bindery etc.). So if we measure availability of funds from
the perspective of existing ILS vendors, we will see a definite
downtrend, and some of them may even go out of busines. Others will
adapt, but we should expect to see a new generation of vendors with a
more global view of library garnering most of these new automation
funds. I would also expect the first rounds to be invisible to the
market place as the big libraries will utilize these funds for in-house
development, simply because there are not very many vendors now that can
provide what they will be looking for.
Sanjay R. Chadha
sanjayc@library.tmc.edu
Houston, Texas
