ALA TechSource Blog

By Patrick Hogan | ALA TechSource is happy to introduce Caitlin A. Bagley, who will write a series of posts on libraries and makerspaces. Associate professor and instruction librarian at Gonzaga University, Caitlin is writing a LITA Guide with the working title "Makers in the Library: Fostering Creativity and Innovation." As she researches for the book, learning about library projects, she'll post here. Caitlin is planning to interview a leader in the maker movement for an outside perspective on where libraries fit in.

Read more | 12/18/2012 - 16:56

By Patrick Hogan | O'Reilly's Tools of Change for Publishing (TOC) Conference is February 12-14, 2013 in New York City. As the publishing and tech industries converge, the conference is an opportunity for librarians to get the perspective of publishers and learn about new technology-based tools that might be applied in libraries. Early registration pricing ends Thursday, December 20. O’Reilly offers abundant discount options, including 30 percent off for full-time librarians. If you don’t qualify for this or another discount, you can still save 15  30 percent wth the discount code ALATechSource. Learn more about programs and pricing on the TOC 2013 website.

Read more | 12/17/2012 - 11:59

By Patrick Hogan | Library Technology Reports is at the cusp of its 49th year, but not at all feeling old. Here's the start of the 2013 lineup. In January, Marshall Breeding opens the Volume 49 with Resource Sharing in Libraries: Concepts, Products, Technologies. Considering relevant technology trends as well as review major products that support interlibrary loan and resource sharing , the report explores emerging and evolving strategies to provide more resources to your patrons.

Read more | 12/14/2012 - 13:31

By Daniel A. Freeman | Untitled Document We just wrapped up the first part of our new webinar series Makerspaces: A New Wave of Library Service. Today, we heard from Steve Teeri, Linda Curvey-Brown and Jeff Sturges from the Detroit Public Library, who gave us a fantastic presentation.

Read more | 12/03/2012 - 10:41

By Daniel A. Freeman | In case you missed out, the archive of Episode 1, Library 2017, Tech At Warp Speed, the archive is now available. Host Jason Griffey led a fantastic discussion with panelists Rebecca Miller, Marshall Breeding and Nina McHale. We want to extend a special thanks to our live audience, our panel and the staff at the Northwestern University Library. Check out the video below!

Read more | 11/26/2012 - 09:31

By Daniel A. Freeman | Untitled Document We just wrapped up the first part of our new webinar series Makerspaces: A New Wave of Library Service. Today, we heard from Felton Thomas, CJ Lynce, and Olivia Hoge from the Cleveland Public Library, who gave us a fantastic presentation.

Read more | 11/19/2012 - 10:27

By Marshall Breeding | Ex Libris will soon change ownership from one private equity firm to another. The company is to be acquired by Golden Gate Capital (http://goldengatecap.com/), a major private equity firm managing funds representing over $12 billion in capital. Golden Gate Capital invests in the software and information technology sector in addition to many other industries. According to Matti Shem Tov, Chief Executive Officer of Ex Libris, this transition should not be considered a major event for library customers and employees. The new owners will retain the current management, workforce, and operating locations. Yet, with new ownership comes a new Board of Directors that will oversee the company and set its high-level business plan. Ex Libris Group’s strategic products focus on the academic and research library arena and include Aleph and Voyager integrated library systems, the Primo discovery product and its Central Index, the Rosetta digital preservation platform, the SFX link resolver, the Verde electronic resource management system, the MetaLib federated search, as well as Alma, the company’s newest offering, a library services platform based on the concepts of unified resource management and cloud computing.

Read more | 11/16/2012 - 10:03

By Patrick Hogan | We just wrapped up the ALA TechSource Workshop Cloud Computing for Librarians: An Introduction with Krista Godfrey. Krista gave an excellent introduction to an often confusing concept. Whether you attended or not, check out her slides below.

Read more | 11/07/2012 - 15:20

By Jason Griffey | We thought that September was a big month for technology announcements, well... then October happened. I would bet that there hasn’t been a busier month for new tech hitting the streets in a long, long time. Here’s the rough summary of what came out this month.

Read more | 10/31/2012 - 10:53

By Daniel A. Freeman | We're really excited about the upcoming premier episode of AL Live, Library 2017: Tech at Warp Speed. Jason Griffey is set to moderate the discussion with a panel of librarians and library industry experts. I had a chance to chat a bit with Jason about AL Live in general and the upcoming episode specifically. Check it out:

Read more | 10/31/2012 - 08:36