Moving to Distributed Environments for Library Services: Technology and Service Trends

LIS managers are becoming increasingly aware that new forms of systems management are needed to cope with a wide variety of traditional and electronic resources and services which are now available, but unconnected. However, they are unaware of what these systems will look like and how to work towards a more effective structure. Similarly, systems suppliers do not have a clear picture of the overall environment. This volume aims to help readers to form a view of a managed environment by providing blueprints for future service structures (which are based on the requirement identified at the models workshops funded by eLIb and the British Library as part of the eLib programme). They are placed in context by providing concrete examples of how such services might appear.