By automation of information institutions, we basically mean the application of computer and communication technology, especially computer technology, in carrying out the day-to-day activities of libraries and information institutions. Socially, we can call the application of these three technologies—computers, telecommunications, and reprography—automation. These daily activities are called housekeeping operations. We can divide the historical trend of automation in information organization into five main phases based on different eras and characteristics.

First generation:

In 1880, Herman Hollerith invented the punch card for tabulating US census data. This punch card serves as one of the pioneers of the world’s automation. Punch cards are successfully applied in various fields, not just the census. In 1936, the University of Texas in the United States was probably the first institution to use punch cards for circulation control in the library. Later in 1940, the same university used punched cards for serial control work. In 1942, the Mont Clair Public Library in New Jersey installed two specially designed book charging machines to automatically record book transactions using punched cards. In 1950, the Library of Congress used the first unit code machine for catalog preparation purposes. Since then, many libraries in the United States have continued to use unit card machines to carry out their information services activities. Until the 1950s, automation mainly referred to the use of these unit card machines. When considering the later period, the speed and capability of the activities performed by automation during this time were very limited.

Second Generation:

The second phase of library automation began in the 1960s with the advent of computers in library operations. This period is preceded by several important incidents:

• In 1963, the Ontario New University Library project was undertaken by the University of Ontario, Canada, with the aim of creating computerized book catalogs for five university libraries.
• A project called the MEDLARS Project was undertaken to automate the library collection at the US National Library of Medicine.
• Extensive work on automatic serial control was undertaken at the Southern Illinois University of the California Arts in San Diego.
• By the end of the 1990s, virtual display terminals (VDTs) began to serve as input-output devices for mainframe computers, paving the way for effective interfacing.
• The Library of Congress undertook the MARC project, which aimed to introduce a format for cataloging data. With the help of which the catalog name can be read on a computer,. Various computer cataloging databases can be used and established as a national standard.

In the mid-1960s, two reports on library automation in the United States were published. These two reports played a major role in the development of library automation. The first report was titled “Automation and the Library of Congress” and was published in 1963. This report highlights the feasibility of automating many functions of the United States National Library, “Library of Congress.”. The other report was a report published at a planning conference on data audits. At this conference, a proposal on the transfer of respectable information was presented called the “Coordinate Information Transfer Experiment,” or INTEX.

Third Generation:

The third era of library automation began in the late 1960s. This era begins with the success of the INTEX and Mark (Machine Readable Catalogue) projects. Online, real-time interactive computer systems entered the world of libraries and information science in this era. Most library automation systems in the ’60s were batch-processing systems. One of the earliest online systems was implemented. Under the Technical Information Project established at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or MIT, in the United States,. The MARC project led to the storage of new book information on magnetic tape in US libraries, eventually leading to the development of online library networks. By the early 1970s, several libraries had online systems in full operation; for example, Bell Telephone Laboratory and Eastern Illinois University had an online serial control system, and Washington State University had an online acquisition system.

Fourth Generation:

The fourth phase started in the 1980s with the automation of information systems and the microprocessor as the catalyst for the computer technology era. Although microcomputers were introduced in 1971, their real use in library automation began in the 1980s. The biggest advantage of microcomputers is that even very small libraries can afford to purchase and maintain these computers. At the same time, due to the great improvement in telecommunication, computers and telecommunication capabilities together brought new speed to library automation. Later, Internet technology ushered in a new era. Libraries are beginning to effectively use library automation in various Internet technologies, including email, the World Wide Web, newsgroups, etc.

Fifth Generation:

The present era has seen remarkable achievements in the field of library automation, including the development of mature and globally competitive open-source learning management systems (LMSs). Additionally, open standards such as SRW, SRU, and MARC-XML (established by the Library of Congress, US) have been implemented, along with the development of standards for different sub-domains of library automation, such as NCIP (NISO Circulation Interchange Protocol). Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) has been applied in the design of LMS, and Web 2.0 tools and techniques have been utilized in automated library systems. Interactive Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) systems have been developed to support user tagging, rating, and comments. Furthermore, improvements in searching and browsing have been made with the introduction of new search operators like fuzzy search and weight-term search. Semantic web technologies have also been integrated into LMS to support the integration of linked open data (LOD) with library operations and services.

Comparison of Five Generations of ILS

This classification is widely used by researchers in the field.

This table provides a comparison of key aspects across the five generations of automation in libraries, including the development era, technology used, level of automation, data storage methods, user access, integration with other library systems, and the role of AI and machine learning.

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