This is article is a past and present critique of ILS. The author feels that ILS technology did not keep up with the times -compared specifically to the web- and that it is now struggling to keep up with new media. Further, the author points out that the lack integration in the available solutions creates an unfriendly user experience.
The blame is pointed to the procurement process in how these systems are chosen. The author believes that libraries are too stringent and should allow the companies that provide solutions to be innovative. Without a certain degree of creativity, libraries will essentially will never get a handle on potential future problems.
I disagree. I feel that the problem is using a proprietary model for an open sourced problem. Proprietary solutions will not be able to give libraries that flexibility needed to tackle the problems rapidly. When every needed functionality comes with a price tag, it makes it difficult to keep up. Moreover, open source would be a way to help integrate the system as a whole. If the parts of the entire system can be easily manipulated to accomodate the other functions, a single system can be easily achieved.
Given this, my question is why not open source?
M. Breeding (2005). "Re-Integrating the integrated library system" Computers in Libraries: 25(25).
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