Historical Development of a Library Information System

An information system is a collection of interacting parts whose purpose is to allow a user or group of users to locate and interpret information. It performs a set of information processes requiring participants, data/information and information technology. The 7 information proceses it performs are; collecting, organising, analysing, storing & retrieving, processing, transmitting & receiving and displaying. Information systems can be represented in the format of an Information System Diagram (ISD). An example of an information system is an integrated library system (ILS) otherwise known as a library management system (LMS).

The information system of a library includes the environment- location, authors/illustrators, book publishers/editors/suppliers, electricity supply and the council; the purpose- to organise and keep track of books/CD's/DVD's that are available to loan to the public and that have already been loaned to someone; the 7 information processes; participants- employees, managers, council staff, customers if they're searching for an item on a computer; data information- images(barcodes), numbers, text, member details, book/author/illustrator details, loan history, over-due notices and loan receipts and the information technology- computer hardware(keyboard, monitor, mouse, printer etc.), barcode scanner, wifi, database software and operating system.

Throughout history the information system of a library has been developed due to the use of electricity and modern technologies. Prior to this, each part of the system was done manually and independently. Managers ordered the books with ordering slips, cataloguers manually catalogued items and sorted them accordingly using the card catalog system (all bibliographic data was kept on a single index card), customers signed books out by signing their name on cue cards kept at the circulation desk. In 1936 a punch card system was created, which didn't have any impact on the other parts of the information system of a library.

In the 1960s due to the invention of computer technologies – library automation was created. From this point onwards libraries started to experiment with computers, continuing onto the 1970s when bibliographic services utilising new online technology and the shared MARC vocabulary entered the market.

In the 1970s the integrated library system was created due to the improvements in computer storage and telecommunications. This system supplied necessary hard and software that allowed connecting major circulation tasks, including circulation control and overdue notices. Through the development of technology, other library tasks could be achieved because of ILS, including acquisition, cataloguing, reserving titles and monitoring serials.

The introduction of the internet in throughout the 1990s and into the early 2000s, the information system of a library changed, due to customers having the ability to be more engaged with their libraries through OPACs and internet book search websites. Library members could log into their accounts while at home on the internet and put books on hold or renew books they've already borrowed.