Softlink Information Centres hosts many of their Liberty and illumin Library and Research Management System customers in the cloud. Is your library software in the cloud? If not, why not? It should come as no surprise - companies, academic institutions, non-profits, and government agencies at all levels have moved to host their systems in the cloud. It has proven itself as a secure option for sensitive data.
In an age where the future of libraries, and librarians, often feels uncertain, it’s always useful to get a little inspiration. We at Softlink Information Centres have noticed that there’s a surprising number of TED Talks out there that focus on libraries and their future. If you’ve missed any of these three, they are really worth viewing.
Many library system vendors like Softlink Information Centres offer the option of hosting their customers’ systems in “the cloud”. It takes the stress out of managing the technical “stuff”. Libraries and knowledge centers benefit greatly from this option. We have whittled the advantages down to twelve, grouped into three categories. They explain why most of our Liberty and illumin customers are in the cloud.
Librarians and knowledge managers get that information comes in all types of formats. They understand that information has been shared using the technology of the time, be it orally, handwritten or printed. While older ways of recording knowledge are still utilized and undergoing preservation, the bulk of current information is now created in digital format. Being digital does not mean that data is automatically preserved. Librarians and Knowledge Managers get that as well!
Did you know that reading choices can tell a lot about someone? They can reveal religion, sexual preference, and political beliefs. It is precisely this type of information that has been used to target people in the past. It still is today, and no doubt will be in the future. That doesn’t mean librarians will stop fighting the battle to protect user privacy from the invasion of surveillance.
Early May saw Softlink Information Centres Customer Services Manager, Maida Rubin, deliver another of her highly regarded free, face-to-face Liberty training sessions.
We know pointing is a bit rude, even if we aren’t asking you to recruit for military service. We are asking: do you know what illumin Softlink IC’s knowledge and reference management system can do for you? If using spreadsheets or a help desk tool never designed to manage research requests is painful, illumin is the cure!
As the world migrates online, resource collections in archives, museums, and libraries also need to have a presence there. Digitizing at least the most significant parts of their collections ensures that presence.
Digitization involves the conversion of resources, currently in a physical format, into a digital one. The conversion process can extend to all existing media, including books, journals, documents, and artefacts. Managing the digitization process has become a key concern for resource managers around the world. Education, government, and corporate entities need to meet many challenges as they commit to this vital process.
