The systems librarian
Forty years of computers in libraries: technology and progress cycles
by Marshall Greending
| The usual optimistic vision of technology supporting the work and the missions of the libraries was tempered by the dark clouds of recent events. |
THE Conference of computers in librariesWho held this walk in Arlington, in Virginia, covered a wide range of relevant subjects – almost all affected in one way or another by AI. This year’s event also took place under clouds of anxiety and concern about recent threats to financing libraries and growing efforts to censorship. I had the opportunity to attend and participate in the 40 years of the conference, including a couple who was held virtually. This longtime event has experienced many technology cycles and its impact on many aspects of library operations and services.
Evolving with information technologies
This conference was launched in 1986 in Atlanta as small computers in libraries, with Nancy Melin Nelson as president of the conference. The library automation systems of this time operated mainly on mainframe computers and mid -range systems, accessible via display terminals. Some of these products included the data phase, the notes, the dynix, the unicorn, the inlex, the dra and the LS-2000. It was also a time when small computers were in the early phase of the search for use in libraries, to fill many gaps beyond the management functions of the basic library managed by Mainframe systems. Personal computers were gaining ground in educational circles, in business and in houses. Apple II (published in 1977) and the IBM Personal Computer (launched in 1981) both accelerated the movement towards the bringing office computers in the dominant current. In the mid -1980s, many libraries had started to acquire personal computers, employing them for tasks previously accomplished manually or via much more expensive commercial equipment.
Personal computers have enabled libraries to start exploring the means to perform their work and provide services beyond the constraints of mainframe computers and stupid terminals. Meckler Publishing, led by Alan Meckler, took the opportunity to draw into the energy of this new phase of innovation. The conference quickly extended beyond its initial niche, covering all aspects of technology in libraries. In 1989, he took the name of computers in libraries, reflecting this calculation of the library, more and more of all types of categories of equipment, architectures and networks.
The conference also made the chronicle of the evolution of the Internet and the birth of the World Wide Web. When the event started, the first versions of the Internet (like Arpanet and Bitnet) met, allowing communications between universities and other research organizations. Although Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web in 1989, it was not widely used before 1995 with the launch of the Netscape browser.
In the world of the pre-internet library, OCLC has offered its cataloging and loan services between libraries (Ill) via a dedicated telecommunications network which it maintained, traveling on rented and accessible telephone lines via dedicated display terminals. Information access and distribution technologies have progressed beyond these first telecommunications networks. From now on, the global Internet connects all imaginable devices, although fiber optics, satellites and cellular networks with an unimaginable capacity and speed in these first days.
In 1995, Information TODAY, Inc. acquired computers in libraries, including the magazine (now in its 45th year) and the conference, of Mecklermedia. He has just marked the 30th anniversary of the stewardship of the event. The organizational stability of the conference helped him to undergo fluctuations in the economy and through the COVVI-19 pandemic as a place of conversations in progress surrounding the changing field of technologies and societal trends that have an impact on libraries. Its general scope means flexibility for the inclusion of relevant subjects over several decades.
Hopes and fears
Quick advance to the 40th edition of the Conference of Computers in Libraries. The usual optimistic vision of technology supporting the work and the missions of the libraries was tempered by the dark clouds of recent events. These connotations were heard not only podiums of the many Keynotes and presentations, but also widespread in the conversations of the corridor. Much of the value of these conferences in person comes from networking and informal conversations that virtual meetings and events cannot provide effectively.
Libraries are concerned about financing losses, either directly through actions such as the possible closure of IML, or indirectly by massive reductions of national health subsidies (NIH) and reductions in indirect cost rates. Public libraries will in particular feel the pain of the possible loss of initiatives financed by the Library and Services Technology Act (LSTA), by which Imls distributes funds to the libraries of each State and Territory. ALD programs on a state scale, library services for a blind and visually disabled electronic rate discounts for Internet connectivity and open source software projects are some examples of initiatives in danger. Cups in NIH research grants and other federal agencies report difficult moments to come for many university libraries. Universities cannot absorb the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in research financing without major budget impacts throughout the organization.
Many conversations revolve around the overthrow and withdrawal of initiatives related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). These setbacks extend beyond government agencies which are directly subject to decrees to also include non-governmental organizations or educational establishments that receive federal subsidies or funding. The libraries feel the emotional bite on the elimination of DEI initiatives as well as the potential for loss of positions and programs. In addition, they are fighting more and more against censorship. This is often presented in the form of boards of directors and government agencies distance control of libraries concerning the titles which can be held in the collections or how they should be limited to access.
The sense of generalized despair among the participants in the conference seemed to increase the intensity of conversations concerning the advantages of technology for the library community. This era of tremendous challenges arouses the interest of finding the right technologies to support the work of libraries. AI, in particular generative AI (Gen AI), has practically exploded in our daily life. Almost all commercial sectors, social networks and educational establishments have started to integrate certain AI aspects in their products and services. Libraries are no exception. The AI ​​generation now dominates the subjects presented to almost all library conferences. This is a subject with which libraries must count, true or not. It was interesting to hear a wide variety of perspectives on this subject, ranging from the very optimistic to the deeply skeptical.
General AI has increased faster than any other technology I met during my career. The other technological modes that caught the attention of this conference included microcomputers, calculation sheets, databases, optical discs, CD-ROM networks, Internet, Web, QR codes, open source software, web2 and linked data. Most of these technologies that occurred for the first time on the scene with such a media threw have finally settled as a common part of the technological ecosystem; However, some have finally disappeared as unrelevant. Although AI is currently consuming so much attention, it seems that it is ultimately standardized. But a lot of work remains before becoming a routine element of library technology. General AI has so much potential to transform library services – on the right track or in bad – that it will probably be at the center of the debate for a while.
It is important to look beyond current conversation subjects. Even if it is difficult to imagine now, AI will normalize. Although it is likely to undergo a useful approach, other new and promising technologies will take their turn on the central scene for upcoming conference themes. Of course, my crystal ball does not yet reveal the details. In the meantime, there remains a lot of work to assess, develop and integrate current hot technologies. Hopefully the dark clouds will also calm down soon.