Library, information, and computer scientists, mostly in the US but with a voice from Brazil, sift through those tasks at libraries that can be reduced to algorithms and so assigned to machines, and those that require skills only humans can be expected to acquire over the next generation or so of both humans and machines. Their topics include the inevitability of library automation, a short history with recent trends of automation and collection management, the myth that information and library science has to be stressful, the development of academic library automation in Brazil, maximizing technology to minimize risk, and lending and borrowing library materials.
– Annotation ©2013 Book News Inc. Portland, OR
In summary, the volume helps to lay groundwork for thinking about the present and future of technology in libraries. With no area of the library left unaffected by robots, we are now left to reinvent how we do things and what opportunities we can seize. Librarians and IT professionals will benefit from the volume. Recommended.
– Brian Doherty, Dean of the Jane Bancroft Cook Library, New College of Florida