Parents of Invention: The Development of Library Automation Systems in the Late 20th Century (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781591587927)

This fascinating tale of the rise and fall of mini-computer-based integrated library systems (ILS) offers both an explanation of the technical workings--still being used daily--and a historical investigation.

Parents of Invention: The Development of Library Automation Systems in the Late 20th Century traces the rise and fall of mini-computer-based ILS. In doing so, it offers an insider's view of the process of creation, the technical challenges, and the lasting contributions of librarians and programmers at a time when librarians and their automation needs forced computer companies to innovate.

Organized around a series of interviews with computer programmers, librarians, and salespeople, the book discusses developments from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s, focusing on the 1980s when both ILS and the mini-computer were dominant. It documents the time when a small group of computing vendors joined with large libraries around the world to perfect systems that automated functions such as circulation, acquisitions, cataloging, and online public access catalogs. A concluding chapter, contributed by Louise O'Neill, brings the story up to date with a discussion of current developments in library automation, including the adoption of open-source systems, open-access principles, and the Semantic Web.

Author: Christopher Brown-Syed
ISBN-10: 1591587921
ISBN-13: 9781591587927
Publisher: Libraries Unlimited
Language: English
Published: 06/07/2011
Pages: 172
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.82lbs
Size: 10.02h x 7.00w x 0.45d

Review Citation(s):
Reference and Research Bk News 08/01/2011 pg. 301