Systems librarians and the client/server environment
| Date | 01 June 2000 |
| Published date | 01 June 2000 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/07378830010333527 |
| Pages | 151-157 |
| Author | Mary Ross,Dan Marmion |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
Systems librarians and
the client/server
environment
Mary Ross and
Dan Marmion
Introduction
The May 1997 issue of College and Research
Libraries contains an excellent article by Merri
Beth Lavagnino in which she traces the evolution
of the academic systems librarian, with a primary
focus on how networking technologies have
affected that evolution (Lavagnino, 1997). She
identifies several stages of growth that mark the
emergence and development of the academic
systems librarian and system department. They
go from Stage One, no automation, to Stage
Four, characterized by the effects of networking
and distributed computing. Then finally, she
identifies a fifth stage that had yet to emerge at the
time of her writing, and for which it was too early
to enumerate trends vis-aÁ-vis the previous stages.
This article begins by presenting ``case
studies'' of two libraries' forays into automation
and compares them to Lavagnino's stages.
Following that, the authors attempt to identify
some trends that seem to be emerging as we
enter the twenty-first century. Most of them are
outgrowths of and reactions to some of the
characteristics of the fourth stage, particularly
client/server developments.
For reference in the pages to come, Table I
reproduces a figure from her article. It presents
in concise format the different stages and their
characteristics (Lavagnino, 1997).
Systems administration at library ``A''
Library A is a relatively large university library.
Prior to the mid-1970s, the automation equipment
available in the library was an electric typewriter.
This was Stage One as described by Lavagnino. In
about 1976 Library A joined the OCLC cataloging
and interlibrary loan subsystems, and thus began
moving into Stage Two. There were a few
centrally located dumb terminals in the Cataloging
and Interlibrary Loan Departments. The
respective department heads were responsible for
the connections. There was no systems librarian.
Also about 1976 Library A installed a turnkey
circulation system from CLSI. The library did
not hire staff specifically to support the system.
A staff member in the Circulation Department
took over responsibility for the CLSI system,
and was the sole library support of the system.
This person was not a librarian.
The authors
Mary Ross is Head of Systems, Western Michigan University
Libraries, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA.
Dan Marmion is an Associate Director for Information
Systems and Access, University of Notre Dame Libraries,
Notre Dame, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
Keywords
Academic libraries, History, Systems management
Abstract
In an article published in the May 1997 issue of
College and
Research Libraries
Merri Beth Lavagnino traced the history of
the systems librarian and systems department in academic
libraries. She identified four evolutionary stages, where
Stage One was no automation and Stage Four was
characterized by the effects of networking and distributed
computing. Lavagnino ended her article by predicting the
emergence of a fifth stage. However, she pointed out it was
too early to describe that stage. This paper examines the
growth of automation at two university libraries, with
particular attention to the four stages described by
Lavagnino. The authors then attempt to provide a more
complete description of Stage Five. It seems to be an
outgrowth of the distributed computing and networking
components of Stage Four. New factors include a growth in
digitized resources, integration of systems, and develop-
ments in client/server technology, especially as they relate to
the World Wide Web. Finally, Stage Five libraries seem to
have made changes in the organizational structure,
reflecting a need for a technical person at the upper
management level.
Electronic access
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is
available at
http://www.emerald-library.com
151
Library Hi Tech
Volume 18 .Number 2 .2000 .pp. 151±157
#MCB University Press .ISSN 0737-8831
To continue reading
Request your trial