LSC 555 INFORMATION SYSTEMS Webliography: Library Information Systems
by
Jason R. Moore

 

| Papers and Journals | Associations | Skills/Education | General Resources | Vendors | Organizations
| Funding | Implementation Guidelines |

 

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• Papers and Journals
  • Application of Expert Agents/Assistants in Library and Information Systems
    A paper on expert agents in areas of library and information centers.
    Pro: Good coverage of topic.
    Con: Lack of hypertext links to references or key concepts
  • Austrian Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence
    Database of 79,231 books, papers and articles on various subjects related to artificial intelligence
    Pro:Clear instructions on how to query database.
    Cons: Limited number of queries available; title searches retrieve all words regardless of order.
  • Evaluation Strategies for Library/Information Systems
    A paper by T.D. Wilson on the evaluation of information retrieval systems.
    Pros: Outlines why, what and how to effectively evaluate information retrieval systems.
    Con: Article was written in the mid-1980’s, making it somewhat dated.
  • Information Research: An International Electronic Journal
    Plain-text layout with links to each issue all available on the homepage.
    Pros: Links to publisher T.D. Wilson and his supporters indicate a high degree of credibility.
    Con: Difficult to browse.
  • Informing Science
    Homepage for this self-described “international journal of an emerging discipline”.
    Pros: Easy to navigate the available issues; covers many aspects of ‘informing clientele”.
    Cons: Poorly defined as a discipline; may lack recognition.
  • Journal of Digital Information
    Homepage for a peer-reviewed journal for “papers on management, presentation, and users of information”; features links to current issue with links for other issues and other journal information.
    Pro: Easy to see what articles are in the current issue.
    Con: Color use could make it hard to read for some.
  • Planning Information Systems at the University at Albany
    A paper that uses the development of information system technology at the University of Albany as a case study of how libraries and computing centers plan for and implement change.
    Pros: Provides a thumbnail sketch of the change in library information systems over time.
    Cons: Inconsistant use of hypertext for a web-published paper.

   

• Associations
  • Association for Information Systems
    Content is directed towards organization members with information regarding conferences, publications, awards, affiliates and member services.
    Pro: An abundance of current information.
    Con: Too many undefined acronyms

   

• Skills/ Education
  • Library Information Systems Manager
    The City of Philadelphia Personnel Department’s definition and work examples for a library information systems manager.
    Pro: Provides examples of the necessary skills for working with a library information system.
    Con: No description of a specific library information system is provided.
  • University of Wisconsin, SLIS – Library Information Systems
    Description of a course of study for a MLS student wishing to follow a library information systems track.
    Pro: Provides an outline of the course of study for prospective students.
    Con: Course names aren’t liked to course descriptions.

   

• General Resources
  • BUBL Information Service
    Homepage features a simple layout of briefly described links to the websites’ various internet offerings.
    Pros: Easy to read; links are clearly explained.
    Con: Lack of links to specific subject headings.
  • CLIS706 – Library Information Systems
    Listing of library information system related links from a MLS course at the University of South Carolina.
    Pros:Offers a wide range of information system related websites: vendors, journals, articles, etc.; listing provided by faculty member.
    Cons:Listing is intended for students taking the course; some links require access to subscription-based services (e.g. Emerald).
  • Electronic Library: Information Systems
    List of 40 links to information system resources provided by the London School of Economics and Political Science.
    Pro: Wide range of resources.
    Con:Resource descriptors have their own links to follow, rather than a brief tag on the initial webpage.
  • Information Systems
    Bibliographic guide for information systems provided by the Golden Gate University Library.
    Pros:Outlines nine areas of information system resources; language is geared towards novice library users.
    Cons:The content is somewhat dated; inconsistent use of hypertext links.
  • Library Topic: Information Systems
    Listing of information system guides and journals provided by Rutgers’ School of Business.
    Pro: Reputable source.
    Con: Not all links are active.
  • World-Wide Web Subject Catalog
    Web listing of online library systems (including vendors) provided by the University of Kentucky.
    Pro: Webpage includes a wide range of library resources beyond library information systems.
    Cons: Lacks a subject index; not all links have descriptions.

   

• Vendors
  • Ebsco Information Services
    Homepage for the large “information access and management solutions” provider.
    Pros: Dropdown menus and links to their various services make navigation easy.
    Con: Such a large website could use a search feature.
  • Library Information Systems
    Listing of major library automation vendors with links to other related websites: cataloging, digital libraries, etc.
    Pro:Clean, easy to read page.
    Cons: Some links have vague descriptions; others are not germane to library information systems or automation.
  • Information Systems: Adding Value to Information
    Home page for the LSG Group, a U.K.-based provider of ILS programs.
    Pros: Colorful drop-down menus with links to company and product information.
    Con: Too many colorful drop-down menus.
  • Library Automation Systems and Vendors on the WWW
    List of library system and software vendor links.
    Pro:Short, accurate description of the web-links.
    Con: Not all links are active.
  • Library Systems and Services, LLC
    Highly animated homepage for this library systems provider.
    Pro: Visually stimulating.
    Con: Pages may require long load times for dial-up users; inconsistent use of hypertext.
  • Integrated Library System Reports
    Listing of library information system providers by country, company name and the Integrated Library System Reports survey results.
    Pro: Wide selection of links to related materials.
    Cons:No vendor search capabilities other than country and company name; not updated since 1999.
  • Vubris Smart - A New Approach
    Product overview for Geac’s Vubis Smart library information system.
    Pro: Succinct description of product.
    Con: Could use a different hyperlink system for additional information.

   

• Organizations
  • Frances Loeb Library – Library Information Systems
    Webpage for the library information system for the Harvard Design School
    Pros: Provides links to both library and IT department links.
    Con: Provides more links than content.
  • Library and Information Systems
    Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council’s library and information systems website.
    Pro: Links to a wide range of material.
    Con: Blue and aqua color scheme is difficult to read.
  • Library Information Systems at the European Space Agency
    Overview of the ESA’s web-based library information system’s features and architecture.
    Pro: Provides a good overview of the current system and plans for the future.
    Cons: Lack of models or Screenshots.
  • National Library and Information System Authority
    Port of Spain’s portal for its library information systems.
    Pros: Clear listing of governmental and community-based information resources.
    Con: Too broad in scope.
  • Prospects: A Strategy for Action
    Library and Information Commission Research Committee’s proposal’s for library and information systems research and innovation in the U.K.
    Pro: Discussion of developing a proposal for developing library information systems at a national level.
    Con: Material is from November, 1997.

   

• Funding
  • National Library of Medicine – Fact Sheet on Integrated Advanced Information Management Systems
    General outline of IAIMS grant program with links to the individual websites for each grant mentioned.
    Pros: Links references and FAQ’s.
    Con: No search feature.

   

• Implementation Guidelines
  • Interoperability Testing
    OCLC's guidelines for libraries planning on having a library system that is OCLC ILL compliant.
    Pro: Outlines the procedures for either in-house or third party systems.
    Con: Limited list of third-party vendors.

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  website selection and commentary © Jason Moore 2004