The library upgrades it’s system – is it a new wave or
some necessity?
Though the libraries are often told to be having
decreasing budget for buying books and newspapers, they spend fairly much money
for subscribing for the new versions of the library automation software, not
because of they want to get the new features, but being enforced by the
changing of the operating systems, the database management systems, the network
protocols, and the hardware environment. The evolution of the hardware is
followed closely by the development of the software. The manufacturers produce
always new versions, so the libraries have to install, test and adapt them year
by year, and it does not matter, if they have needed it or not.
So how library automation software in this brave new
world should look like? It has to fit the librarian and informatical norms and
protocols, the new Internet technology and xml applications. It has to be
independent from the operating systems, the database management systems, the
network tools, and the hardware, and have to solve the problem of the full text
data service from big databases too.