Parents of Invention: The Development of Library Automation Systems in the Late 20th Century by Christopher Brown-Syed (review)

By now librarians take automated library systems for granted, but some of us still remember when they were a big deal both inside and outside libraries and library schools. Few of us, however, know the history of development of the integrated library system (ILS) before the 1990’s. There is scarcely any literature written in this area. Parent of Invention: The Development of Library Automation Systems in the Late 20^th Century by Christopher Brown-Syed fills this gap. It covers the time period from the 1970s to 1990s, with a focus on 1980s, an era of major innovation and critical development for library automation systems. The major company discussed is the Canadian company Geac, which was a dominant force in library automation during 1980s and 1990s. However, we also hear the story of an Australian library consortium automating with Unilinc from the late 1970s to mid 1980s, and other companies and initiatives that led the way in library automation. Parent of Invention includes interview material from key players in the early library automation system development. It also describes the working conditions and professional life of the programmers, developers, and salespersons of the early ILS vendors. Brown-Syed, who died unexpectedly in March, was a library professor, editor of the journal Library & Archival Security, and a former employee of Geac, which placed him in a unique position to write this book.

In eight chapters, the author details the challenges and struggles facing early ILS vendors at a time of mini-computer dominance and library automation as a niche market. It was a time when development required close collaboration between ILS vendors and librarians, their customers. In fact, many vendors at that time hired librarians as project managers, systems trainers, and even higher-level executives. “Those representatives, either salespeople or ‘project managers’ and ‘trainers,’ were often selected for their library knowledge because MARC records, circulation practices, and library policies needed to be translated into the system specifications.” (p. 35) Chapter six, Transformation, is an in-depth look at the technology and functions of ILSs in 1980s: the first real turnkey circulation system developed by Plessey (which was later acquired by Geac), the famous Geac System 9000, and the installation and migration process of library automation systems. We also learn that “Sir Timothy Berners-Lee, inventor of World Wide Web, worked on the BCUs while a young programmer at Plessey’s facility in Soper’s Lane, England. He also worked on another essential library program to make sure the barcodes would read properly. It was called SPLAT.” (p. 101)

After three decades of development of library automation systems, we are now ushering in the next generation of automated library systems, which will address new challenges and opportunities. At the same time that we look forward, we also need to look back to learn from our past. One thing that can certainly be drawn from reading this book is that designing a well-functioning library system requires close collaboration between vendors and librarians.