Library Technology Guides

In preparation for my upcoming trip to Taiwan and South Korea, I’ve been working in gathering information on the library automation scene in Asia. Libraries in most parts of Asia have generally implemented sophisticated approaches to automating their libraries. Most all academic and public libraries have integrated library systems and have implemented digital library systems, content management systems, or other portals to handle their Web sites.

I will be speaking at the Annual Meeting of University Librarians in Taiwan. and for the Graduate Institute of Library and Information Science at the National Chung Hsing University. The trip will include a quick trip to Seoul, South Korea to talk about next generation library interfaces.

As part of my background research in library automation in Asia, I have been working on adding libraries from this region to lib-web-cats and trying to determine the automation systems they use. Here are some graphs based on data from lib-web-cats:

• Academic Libraries in Taiwan
• Academic Libraries in China
• Public Libraries in Taiwan (Not very complete)
• Academic Libraries in South Korea
• Academic Libraries in Hong Kong

As seen in these charts, a number of companies that provide automation software to libraries in the United States have found a market in Asia, including: Innovative Interfaces, Ex Libris, SirsiDynix, and Civica.

Some of the companies involved in providing automation systems in Asia that might not be familiar to those of us in the United States include:

• Top Information Technologies. A distributor for Civica for Spydus to public libraries in Taiwan. The company is a distributor for Ex Libris with many deployments of ALEPH 500, SFX, MetaLib in many academic libraries in Taiwan.
• Transtech Computer Company, offers the TOTALS II, a major automation system used in Taiwan. The company also distributes the MuseSearch federated search product from MuseGlobal.
• Jiangsu Huiwen Software created LibSys, the most prevelant automation system among academic libraries in China with 383 installations to date.
• Futurenuri provides the XMLAS and TG-Vintage-LAS automation systems to libraries in South Korea.
• INEK provides the Solars automatoin system to libraries in South Korea.

Many libraries in China use the ILAS system developed by the Shenzhen Library.

Over time, I'm trying to ensure that Library Technology Guides represents a more international perspective. This information on a few of the countries in Asia is just a small step toward that goal. Despite the internationalization of the library automation industry, I'm becoming aware that every region and country has its own distinct dynamic of companies and products.

Marshall Breeding Apr 27, 2008 10:42:17 Link to this thread