Integrated Library Systems (ILS)

What is it?

ILS began after various aspects of library tasks had already begun being automated by the 1960s. With the introduction of a machine readable catalog, libraries quickly caught on that this could be used to automate circulation, cataloging and check out. Soon library staff started thinking about ways to make automated library systems able to reference each other, or making them more able to cooperate between one system and another, or in other words, integrated. There are core modules for the library catalog, circulation, acquisitions, serials (unless it’s the version of SIRSE at Cochise College) and additional modules include, but are not limited to: available holdings, bookings, materials booking, binding, interlibrary loans and administration, pretty much any function in a library that doesn’t involved lifting or moving books.

How is it used in libraries?

This seems to be the brains behind the library, enabling patrons and staff members to search titles and their availability or reserve them or put them on hold. On top of a high degree of automation of tasks that library staff might have previously found redundant, ILS is great for recording transactions and generating reports and stats on library transactions. In the words of Chris Kliess, ILS transforms libraries from being a collection of print materials to an organization of intellectual content for purposes of research through acquisition and dissemination. (Source: http://www.slideshare.net/ckiess/introduction-to-the-integrated-library-system-ils-6590943)

ILS provides the advantages of office automation to libraries such as having defaults and templates, reduction of redundancy, errors and labor costs, they give easy access to data that used to take until the end of library hours to tabulate, and most conveniently, they are able to record transactions and generate reports on them.

What is the expected social impact of this technology?

Running a library has been made easier with the automation of tasks formerly done by library staff and also ILS can automatically document library activities in ways that a person cannot do very easily. Furthermore, ILS can generate statistics on all library functions, like circulation (which books get checked out how frequently?) the checking in of new periodicals, which was probably a massive headache to do manually; spontaneous inventory control, and speeding up paperwork considerably.