M. Breeding (2005). "Re-Integrating the 'Integrated' Library System." Computers in Libraries, 25:1. 28-30.

Summary

This article is more what I was expecting from the previous article. Breeding provides the briefest description possible of the history of the ILS and then goes on to enumerate the number of issues we currently have with the systems available along with some hopes and realistic expectations for the future. The main problem with the ILS, according to Breeding, is it's lack of actual integration now that library's are growing their digital collections at such an impressive rate. The ILS as it currently exists seems to still be geared more toward print collections. While new add-ons to the ILS system allow for greater functionality and integration, those add-ons don't really integrate with each other.

What I learned

ILS have a long way to go. As Breeding points out, thus far they are not keeping pace with users' search habits or with other non-library technologies now available. He says they are "evolutionary" not "revolutionary" which is what has caused them to fall so far behind in terms of integration.

What I am taking away

I think this was the most important part of the difficulties found among ILS: "On the front end, it's enormously difficult to craft an environment for the library user that functions seamlessly. an you imagine a searcher easily navigating through the library Web site, into and out of the Web OPAC through the metasearch interface, and linking among a set of e-journals without giving up in frustration? The Google escape hatch awaits any user who finds a library interface too complex and frustrating." This is the currently state of the library integration environment. There is stiff competition among other non-library products and ILS just isn't keeping pace.

Discussion question

Do you see a positive future for ILS? Do you imagine that they will now begin to evolve more quickly because the need is evolving more quickly?