Talis Group
Encyclopedia
Talis Group Ltd. is a software company based in Birmingham
, England that develops a Semantic Web
application platform and a suite of applications for the education, research and library sectors. In 2005 Talis was voted one of the top ICT Employers in the United Kingdom.
BLCMP started a co-operative catalogue of bibliographic data at the start of its work, a database that now contains many millions of records. This shared approach to creating metadata is the very forefather of more modern, internet-based, community ventures such as IMDB
, Freebase
and others. But this was back in 1969 when shipping this data around involved printing cards and putting boxes on trucks.
BLCMP moved into using microfiche and later IBM
mainframes with dedicated terminals at libraries in the mid-seventies and was one of the first library automation vendors to provide a GUI
on top of Microsoft Windows
to provide a better interface for end-users. The Integrated Library System
was first called Talis. Talis became the name of the company during re-structuring and the ILS became known as Alto. In 1995 Talis was the first library systems vendor to produce a web enabled public access catalogue.
Much of Talis' work now focuses on the transition of information to the web, specifically the Semantic Web
and Talis have led much of the debate about how Web 2.0
attitudes affect traditional libraries
In March 2011 Talis sold its library management division to Capita Group
. The division was sold for a reported £18.5 million plus a further £2.5 million depending on the company’s profitability in the following financial year. The company moved its headquarters from Solihull
to central Birmingham
.
Talis is majority employee owned.
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England that develops a Semantic Web
Semantic Web
The Semantic Web is a collaborative movement led by the World Wide Web Consortium that promotes common formats for data on the World Wide Web. By encouraging the inclusion of semantic content in web pages, the Semantic Web aims at converting the current web of unstructured documents into a "web of...
application platform and a suite of applications for the education, research and library sectors. In 2005 Talis was voted one of the top ICT Employers in the United Kingdom.
History
In 1969 a number of libraries founded a small co-operative project, based in Birmingham to provide services that would help the libraries become more efficient. The project was known as the Birmingham Libraries Cooperative Mechanisation Project, or BLCMP. At this time the concept of automation was so new that the term mechanisation was often used in its place.BLCMP started a co-operative catalogue of bibliographic data at the start of its work, a database that now contains many millions of records. This shared approach to creating metadata is the very forefather of more modern, internet-based, community ventures such as IMDB
Internet Movie Database
Internet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
, Freebase
Freebase (database)
Freebase is a large collaborative knowledge base consisting of metadata composed mainly by its community members. It is an online collection of structured data harvested from many sources, including individual 'wiki' contributions. Freebase aims to create a global resource which allows people to...
and others. But this was back in 1969 when shipping this data around involved printing cards and putting boxes on trucks.
BLCMP moved into using microfiche and later IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
mainframes with dedicated terminals at libraries in the mid-seventies and was one of the first library automation vendors to provide a GUI
Gui
Gui or guee is a generic term to refer to grilled dishes in Korean cuisine. These most commonly have meat or fish as their primary ingredient, but may in some cases also comprise grilled vegetables or other vegetarian ingredients. The term derives from the verb, "gupda" in Korean, which literally...
on top of Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
to provide a better interface for end-users. The Integrated Library System
Integrated library system
An integrated library system , also known as a library management system ,is an enterprise resource planning system for a library, used to track items owned, orders made, bills paid, and patrons who have borrowed....
was first called Talis. Talis became the name of the company during re-structuring and the ILS became known as Alto. In 1995 Talis was the first library systems vendor to produce a web enabled public access catalogue.
Much of Talis' work now focuses on the transition of information to the web, specifically the Semantic Web
Semantic Web
The Semantic Web is a collaborative movement led by the World Wide Web Consortium that promotes common formats for data on the World Wide Web. By encouraging the inclusion of semantic content in web pages, the Semantic Web aims at converting the current web of unstructured documents into a "web of...
and Talis have led much of the debate about how Web 2.0
Web 2.0
The term Web 2.0 is associated with web applications that facilitate participatory information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design, and collaboration on the World Wide Web...
attitudes affect traditional libraries
In March 2011 Talis sold its library management division to Capita Group
Capita Group
The Capita Group Plc , commonly known as Capita Group or Capita, is a business process outsourcing and recruitment company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the largest business process outsourcing company in the UK, with an overall market share of 27% in 2009, and has clients in...
. The division was sold for a reported £18.5 million plus a further £2.5 million depending on the company’s profitability in the following financial year. The company moved its headquarters from Solihull
Solihull
Solihull is a town in the West Midlands of England with a population of 94,753. It is a part of the West Midlands conurbation and is located 9 miles southeast of Birmingham city centre...
to central Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
.
Talis is majority employee owned.
See also
- Library 2.0Library 2.0Library 2.0 is a loosely defined model for a modernized form of library service that reflects a transition within the library world in the way that services are delivered to users....
- Semantic WebSemantic WebThe Semantic Web is a collaborative movement led by the World Wide Web Consortium that promotes common formats for data on the World Wide Web. By encouraging the inclusion of semantic content in web pages, the Semantic Web aims at converting the current web of unstructured documents into a "web of...
- Stubley, P. (1988). BLCMP: a guide for librarians and systems managers. Aldershot, Hants, England: Gower. ISBN 978-0-566-05512-6
- Birmingham, Buckle, D., & BLCMP. (1974). Birmingham libraries co-operative mechanisation project: research and development programme, January 1969 to March 1975 : a background paper.
- Birmingham Libraries Co-operative Mechanisation Project, & Buckle, D. G. R. (1976). Birmingham Libraries Co-operative Mechanisation Project final report. Birmingham: BLCMP.