AI in Libraries: Revolution or Risk? The Pros and Pitfalls Explained
In a world driven by technology, artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing industries, including libraries, information centers, and research teams. While AI streamlines processes, enhances accuracy, and delivers analytics, it also introduces challenges such as data privacy concerns, bias, and the risk of over-reliance on technology. Remember before using AI in your library, information or research center, check your organization’s policies and guidelines, especially when working with sensitive data.
2024 Wrap-Up: Milestones and Moments at Softlink Information Centers
As 2024 ends, we reflect on a year filled with innovation, connection, and success. This year, we expanded our product offerings, engaged with library and information professionals around the world, and continued to strengthen our commitment to support the needs of library and knowledge centers.
Discovering Your Ideal ILMS: Key Factors to Consider
In today’s digital age, libraries are constantly looking for ways to enhance their efficiency and productivity. One solution that is a proven winner is the adoption of an Integrated Library Management System (ILMS).
Demystifying Digital Collections
In today’s digital age, digital collections have become more essential than ever. They allow us to preserve, store, and access different types of digital objects. Our recent webinar highlighted there are many types of digital collections that serve different purposes. These include digital archives, digital libraries, databases, digital publications, text corpora, and digital repositories. The focus of our webinar was on digital repositories.
4 Ways to Secure and Protect Your ILMS – Part 2
In part 1 of our last blog post we looked at how Softlink IC protects our products. Part 2 of this blog will show you how you can secure and protect sensitive data, documents and resources or modules in Liberty.
2021 in Review
Thanks for another great year!
It’s the beginning of 2022 and a perfect time for Softlink IC to look back at 2021 and marvel at the achievements, the fun, and the wonderful interactions we have had with our Liberty and illumin customers. Here’s looking forward to a great year ahead!
Marshall Breeding Kicks Off Successful User Group Meeting
The Liberty Virtual User Group Meeting (VUGM) 2021 “season” kicked off on May 13. An enthusiastic group of users registered and attended an informative and fun afternoon. All Liberty users who registered for the VUGM will be sent a recording shortly so those who could not attend due to unexpected events will not miss out entirely!
Top 3 Tools Libraries Use for Patrons with Visual Impairment
Whether your library uses Liberty or illumin, you may have one or more users with some degree of visual impairment.
Our Top 5 Blogs for 2020
Throughout the year, Softlink IC has regularly posted blogs on a variety of topics we believe are of interest to our customers, and knowledge center staff everywhere. The topics have been varied, from the advantages of recent technology, to how to get the best out of their Liberty library management system.
Market Your Library with Liberty
Increase the library’s presence in your organization! Market it. It is a great way to promote your library’s resources and services. Your Liberty library management system can help. With Liberty, it is easy to design an attention-grabbing Home page. You can also send Interests emails to your borrowers. Ones that include cover images and look professional.
Legal Librarians – Always a Law Firm’s Valued Asset!
Technology has and continues to impact all business sectors. It is presenting challenges within the legal industry. Has technology provided a boon for legal library staff in strengthening their position as a valuable asset within their firms? Softlink believes so.
10 Years From Now – Will Your LMS be Fit for Purpose?
In this era of rapid technological change and increasing expectations, are you confident your current LMS will be fit for purpose?
3 Major Challenges for Legal Librarians
According to the 2019 report produced by the American Association of Law Libraries, the role of legal librarians is changing.
Tips for Attending a Conference
For many in the library sector, the opportunity to attend a conference, like a Liberty User Group Meeting, will occur at some point. This is especially true for those working in medical, legal, academic, and government libraries. We all love an informative conference where networking opportunities are valuable. If you’re due to attend a conference soon, having a few tips on hand will help.
5 Reasons Why Businesses Need Knowledge Professionals
It’s fair to say that Softlink Information Centres is biased about libraries and knowledge professionals. Perhaps that’s too simplistic. The truth is that we chose to develop library tools, and why? Because we fundamentally believe that libraries and their knowledge staff play a vital role in a business’s success.
Think Your Organization has a Security Policy Against Cloud Hosting Your ILS? Think Again!
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.
TED Talks for Libraries. Have you Viewed These 3? They’re Worth it!
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.
The Challenge of Digitizing Collections
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.
3 Reasons to Embed Librarians in Clinical Teams
When creating clinical teams, including medical and paramedical staff in these teams is an obvious step. What may not seem quite so obvious is including a librarian. We often think of librarians as… well… stuck in libraries. But, with advanced mobile connectivity, librarians literally carry their library with them. Embedding a librarian into a clinical team provides a huge advantage. Librarians ensure relevant information for rounds is available, and can access research and information efficiently. That is the skill set they bring to a clinical team.
Top 3 Tools Libraries Use for Patrons With Visual Impairment
It is easy for most of us to walk into a library and search for a resource, use a computer, or read a journal. However, doing so is not always easy for those with a visual impairment. How accessible is the library’s information to those users?
Outsourcing. Is It the Future of Law Libraries and Legal Librarians?
Law libraries and legal librarians and the era of outsourcing. Many law firms have recently outsourced their libraries and library staff. Many more are considering the option.
It’s a Wrap – Another Successful Liberty User Group Conference
Almost 50 librarians from education, legal, university colleges, industry and government libraries took part in our Melbourne National Liberty User Group Conference and Masterclass in late August with some taking the opportunity to visit the MCC library. They all had a great time and we would again like to thank David Studham and library staff.
Will 2018 be the Year for Affordable Library Digitisation?
Library digitisation is common place. New content comes in to the library in digital formats. Older materials get a second life through digitisation. And for many libraries under pressure to reduce floor space, it is a way of maintaining services.
Do Innovative Libraries Need to be Radical for Success?
Without delving into the challenges faced by 21st century libraries too much, I’m sure we can all pinpoint a time when we read something about innovative libraries and thought to ourselves, “Wow, how on earth did they manage to pull that together? I rarely get time to finish my coffee before it goes cold!”