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2024 Library Systems Report Now Available

2024 Library Systems Report Now Available

May 2024

From Marshall Breeding

Important Technology Distinction

The Difference Between an ILS and a LSP

Note the new vocabulary! There is the integrated library system (ILS) and then there is the library services platform (LSP).

An ILS includes modules for broad areas of operations—such as cataloging, acquisitions, and circulation—and offers online catalog or patron search services. These products are usually based on legacy server architecture, though a single implementation may support dozens or hundreds of libraries, such as a multibranch system or a consortium. 

An LSP is designed to manage complex, multiformat library collections with built-in knowledge bases that can efficiently manage large-scale collections of electronic resources. LSP products are deployed on multitenant, web-native platforms that can serve thousands of library organizations. They have broader functionality than ILSes and use newer software architectures.

More included in Marshall Breeding's piece in the American Libraries publication!