Assists libraries in analysis preceding any decision to automate. Presents a proven planning process, consisting of need analysis, system selection, contracting, installation, & implementation.

Pertains to the consideration, selection, & implementation of automated library systems. Intended to complement 'Choosing an Automated Library System' (ALA, 1980), q.v.

Selecting and Implementing an Integrated Library System: The Most Important Decision You Will Ever Make focuses on the intersection of technology and management in the library information world. As information professionals, many librarians will be involved in automation projects and the management of technological changes that are necessary to best meet patron and organizational needs. As professionals, they will need to develop numerous skills, both technological and managerial, to successfully meet these challenges. This book provides a foundation for this skillset that will develop and acquaint the reader with a broad understanding of the issues involved in library technology systems. Although a major topic of the book is integrated library systems (a fundamental cornerstone of most library technology), the book also explores new library technologies (such as open source systems) that are an increasingly important component in the library technology world. Users will find a resource that is geared to the thinking and planning processes for library technology that emphasizes the development of good project management skills. Embraces both technology and management issues as co-equals in successful library migration projects Based on the experiences of a 20+ year career in libraries, including three major automation project migrations Includes increasingly relevant subject matter as libraries continue to cope with shrinking budgets and expanding library demands for services Contains the direct experiences of the University of Washington system in the Orbis-Cascade Alliance project, a project uniting 37 libraries across two states that combined both technical and public service functions

This book offers everything you need to know about selecting and implementing the best integrated library system (ILS) for your library, whether you purchase and install it yourself or hire a consultant to assist you. This is the book you've been waiting for. Integrated Library Systems: Planning, Selecting, and Implementing is an all-inclusive guide to acquiring a new ILS. Detailed and practical, the book covers every step of the process, from cost-benefit analysis, to evaluating software, writing the request for proposal, and implementation and training. You'll learn about different types of integrated library systems—standalone, turnkey, hosted, software-as-a-service (cloud computing), and open-source—and how to assess your facility and staff to find the best fit. The book also covers evaluation of software and hardware; third-party add-ons, such as RFID; and writing successful budget proposals and justification statements. There is even specific, headache-saving advice on working with sales reps, such as the warning not to ever accept the statement: "The vendor will not be held accountable to the contents of the RFP." Even if you're working with a consultant, this book will help you understand the process and make informed decisions.

This work is a basic, comprehensive guide to the essential components of automation planning in medium-sized and smaller libraries. Revised and anglicized for the non-American market, the book is supported with sample forms and charts and covers the following areas: creating a basic technology plan; assessing needs and setting priorities; a model two-day process for developing a basic strategic plan; selecting and implementing systems; identifying technological options for automation; translating needs and priorities into system specifications; turning your specifications into a request for vendor proposals; evaluating proposals, putting your system into place and training; planning system databases; retrospective conversion; maintaining the bibliographic database; bar coding, machine-readable cataloguing standards; and planning for the future.