The Research Libraries Group, Inc. has developed an interface that will link its Research Libraries Information Network (RLIN) to local library systems for record transfer. The first implementation of this link between the RLIN II bibliographic data base and a local collection is with the Pennsylvania State University Patee Library.
The link is described as an important first step toward the distributed processing technical environment to which RIG is committed. The RIG/local system link is "considered an interim arrangement prior to the implementation of the computer-to-computer link being developed under a grant from the Council on Library Resources.
The link is supported by the RLG 40 intelligent terminal, connected to the RLIN network. The terminal operator can command the transfer of a displayed record from the RLIN data base to the local system. The record being transferred is reformatted into a string of tagged MARC fields and passed through the RLG 40 terminal into the University library's main computer. The system provides check sum error detection, a limited number of corrective responses, and software developed by Penn State allows the local system to interpret the transferred information for local manipulation.
