Wordcloud. SPARC. Jobs, News and Views for All of Higher Education. As card catalogs once gave way to computers, it might be time for another paradigm shift at libraries.
Last month, a survey by Marshall Breeding, director for innovative technologies and research at Vanderbilt University's library, revealed a measure of discord over the options available to librarians for automating their electronic catalogs and databases, software called integrated library systems. Most libraries use solutions from third-party commercial vendors, paying up-front fees and yearly maintenance charges.
"Dissatisfaction and concern prevail," Breeding wrote, "yet some companies maintain exceptional levels of satisfaction from the libraries that use their products. " So librarians aren't exactly reaching for their torches and pitchforks. VuFind: Home.