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Moving forward through tech cycles: many aspects of automation need to be re-examined in light of current library realities.

Article Excerpt
It's a given that technology changes continually. I've been working with automation in libraries long enough to have experienced a number of major changes in technology. I started in the days of mainframe computers, which gave way to midrange systems, which were later replaced by client/server systems. Today, the preferred technology platforms involve web-based systems, service-oriented architecture, and cloud computing. These preferences in technology shall also pass and will be replaced by new approaches to computing not yet invented.

Changes in the larger technology arena have driven library automation products in and out of favor. Each generation of technology forces some products into legacy status and offers the opportunity to develop new flagship systems designed for current hardware and software architectures. I'm concerned that in the rotation through multiple generations of technology, library automation products need to transform conceptually as well as architecturally.

Legacy vs. Flagship Products

I consider a legacy product to be any library automation system that is no longer receiving ongoing enhancement and development. In many cases, these systems are casualties of these technology shifts. It's often not feasible to continue to develop a system once the operating system or hardware platform on which it runs has become obsolete. In some cases, the functionality of the system can be ported to the next generation of technology. We've seen examples of some systems that have evolved through these transitions, but others have not survived. Once a company makes...

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