Library Technology Guides

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Volume 14 Number 01 (January 1994)

New options for local data communications

The monopoly of local telephone companies is being challenged not only by cable television, but also by electric utilities. While cable television would appear to be the obvious competitor to local telcos, their focus, thus far at least, has been on movies-on-demand and interactive shopping. On the other hand, over 30 power companies, including Entergy Corporation of New Orleans and Baltimore Gas & Electric in Maryland, are targeting more than just consumers and homes; they also hope to provide voice and data communications services to businesses, government agencies, and other organizations.

Most utilities already have a communications link to many neighborhoods. These consist primarily of fiber-optic networks that carry information among power plants and substations. Fiber optic circuits were selected years ago because they can be pulled along with electric cables without having the data transmission affected by the electrical current. Already installed, these fiber optic networks have capacities far in excess of what the utility companies need, therefore, there is interest in selling the excess capacity.

Baltimore Gas & Electric is already approaching businesses. Connecting banks and retail outlets to their processing centers has been their greatest success to date. Next year it may undertake a pilot program to provide online home banking services.

Entergy Corporation is planning to construct a high-speed information network in its three-state region of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas. The plan calls for installing a computer in each of the 440,000 homes and businesses the utility now serves, with the computer able to read the meter remotely and the customer able to make energy decisions based on price and other conditions. The system will make it possible for customers to monitor energy consumption of each appliance, with the system controlling such things as scheduling the automatic defrosting of the refrigerator for off-peak hours. The computers can also be programmed to provide a much wider range of services. For example, Sprint already has signed up to use the Entergy network to connect customers to its long-distance service without going through the local telco.

Spokespersons for both companies expressed interest in talking to libraries, but neither company's current marketing plans include libraries.

DRA installs Z39.50 access to Cambridge Scientific databases

Data Research Associates has announced it has established online Z39.50 access to databases from Cambridge Scientific Abstracts. Fast and user-friendly access is made possible by loading the database products on a Z39.50-compliant server running on Digital Equipment Corporation's 4000 Model 610 Alpha AXP computer. The computer is located at DRA's St. Louis corporate headquarters, and can be accessed by any library (with or without a Data Research system) via Open DRANET, DRA's networking service.

The Alpha's 64-bit addressing allows for significantly increased storage and processing capacity. Additionally, installation of a Z39.50-compliant server on which the databases are housed ensures that users can access information using the screens and commands of their home site with which they are already familiar.

Specific Cambridge Scientific databases available include Environmental Sciences and Pollution Management; Marine Biology; FINDEX; Worldwide Market Research; and Expanded Life Sciences Collection with Bioengineering. In addition to the current year's records, the databases provide ten years' worth of back records.

Price quotations are available on request.

[Contact: Data Research Associates, Inc., 1276 North Warson Road, P.O. Box 8495, St. Louis, MO 63132-1806; (314) 432-4100; or (800) 325-0888; Fax (314) 993-8927.]

Downloading of MARC serials records

MARC records from Ebsco's Serials Directory can now be downloaded into the Dynix system for cataloging and searching purposes. Dynix apparently is the first automated library system to allow such a transfer. Serials titles are searched with Ebsco-CD software, using the CD-ROM version of The Serials Directory. Once MARC records are retrieved using this process, they can be imported into the Dynix system, where they are indexed and fully searchable.

The new link provides easy retrospective conversion of serials bibliographic records. It will be especially attractive to librarians who wish to acquire MARC-format records without paying for online searching or per-record fees.

Ebsco facilitates the export of the records from its Serials Directory; Dynix provides the ability to import the Ebsco bibliographic records into its fully integrated system and makes them available for serials control.

[Contact: Ebsco Publishing, P.O. Box 2250, Peabody, MA 01960-7250; (800) 653-2726 or (508) 535-8500; Fax (508) 535-8545; or Dynix, Inc., 151 East 1700 South, Provo, UT 84606-9911; (801) 375-2770; Fax (801) 373-1889.]

Paris chooses LIBS 100plus

Geac Computer Corporation Limited which purchased CLSI in 1992 has announced the successful closure of a contract to automate the public libraries in Paris with a LIBS 100plus System. The contract is valued at more than $4.5 million (Canadian) over a three-year period.

Currently, the public library system in Paris comprises 15 sites with 220 terminals online, 262,000 title records, and 902,000 copy records, and serves close to 300,000 patrons. In 1992, a total of 8.7 million loans were processed.

At the completion of the contract in 1997, the system will be significantly larger with 620 terminals installed in 61 libraries. In addition, 4 million title records will be added to the database.

[Contact: Geac Computers, Inc., 320 Nevada Street, Newtonville, MA 02160; (617) 965-6310; Fax (617) 969-1928; or Geac Computer Corporation Ltd., Suite 300, 11 Allstate Parkway, Markham, Ontario L3R 9T8 Canada; (416) 475-0525; Fax (416) 475-3847.]

MARCorp announces a new release of Voyager

MARCorp (Multimedia Access and Retrieval Corporation), the automated library system vendor formerly known as Carlyle Systems, has started shipping a new Voyager release, called Release 1.5, to all existing customers. The release provides several enhancements, including improved security in the administrative module; a choice for catalogers between basic and advanced modes; a message bar at the bottom of the window which provides a full description of the MARC tag, indicator or subfield, based on cursor position; a help option which provides access to a list of valid MARC tags with a detailed description of any tag; additional validation checks to ensure the consistency and quality of catalog records; optional use of the ISO Latin Two character set (a character set which combines a letter with a diacritic character and displays the combination as a single character to the user), ability to change the keyboard from English to another language; easier specification and clearance of blocks; establishment of priorities within the hold queue; establishment of purchase order defaults, the ability to drag and drop bibliographic information from the catalog to create a purchase order; and a number of enhancements in the serials control module to improve check-in, routing, and claiming.

Voyager is a graphical user interface (GUI) based, integrated library system that uses the Unix operating system.

[Contact: MARCorp, 2000 Alameda de las Pulgas, San Mateo, CA 94403; (415) 345-2500; Fax (415) 349-3974.]

SUNY implementing muitiLIS

The two and four-year colleges of the State University of New York (SUNY) are currently implementing the MultiLIS automated library system as part of the University's Library Automation Implementation Program (LAIP), a project that will automate the libraries on 45 campuses throughout New York State, serving 250,000 students and staff.

Local library automation will be augmented with networking among the libraries. All SUNY institutions are linked through a state-wide WAN (wide area network) known as SUNYNet. The network links the sites at the physical, data link, and network layers through a T-1 service with 56 Kbs spurs. The network provides multiple protocol support, thus the various campus networks can be interconnected even though they are not all the same.

A staff of four full-time SUNY personnel and one MultiLIS employee have been assembled at the SUNY Library Support Center (SLSC) to oversee the implementation of MultiLIS and the conversion of bibliographic and authority records, and to coordinate training and first line support.

Phase I of the implementation includes cataloging with authority control, OCLC interface, circulation, OPAC, report generator, and st~adent records interface. Phase II of the project may include Z39.50 compliance, acquisitions, and serials control for the libraries that want these modules.

To date, 27 SUNY sites have loaded over 27 million bibliographic records with matched authorities from Blackwell North America. Ultimately over 6 million records will constitute the combined databases of all sites after the remaining 22 campuses load their records.

With the implementation on schedule, all SUNY campuses should be on board with the completion of Phase I of the project by the second quarter of 1995.

Other major multiLIS sites in the U.S. are INFOHIO (a school network in Ohio which may grow to as many as 3,500 schools), the Pioneer Library Consortium (New York), and Baylor University.

[Contact: Carey Hatch, SUNY-LAIP Technical Manager; (518) 443-5577.]

Sobeco Ernst and Young acquires MuitiLIS Europe

multiLlS, a division of Sobeco Ernst and Young (SEY) of Canada, has also announced the acquisitions of multiLlS Europe from its previous owner, Chadwyck-Healey. Since its inception in 1990, multiLIS Europe has built up a significant customer base in Europe, especially in France. One reason is that multiLIS is a multilingual integrated library automation software package. It is currently available in English, French, and Spanish.

multiLlS Europe currently has a team of ten staff members serving a list of clients which includes the European Economic Community (EEC) and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). SEY assumed management of the Paris office's entire operation in November 1993.

[Contact: Sobeco Ernst & Young, 505 Rene Levesque Blvd. West, Montreal, Quebec H2Z 1Y7 Canada; (514) 392-7820.]

Sirsi releases new shadow catalog

SIRSI Corporation has released the new shadow catalog, the ability to create and maintain full catalog records searchable only by library staff. Items are shadowed either by flagging the title, call number, or copy or by assigning the item to a shadowed location. Items which libraries may want to shadow include: professional materials, equipment records, service records, interlibrary loan items loaned to the library, patron purchase requests, items received under approval plans, items on order, items being cataloged, missing items, and withdrawn items.

Once a record is placed in the shadow catalog, it cannot be displayed by users searching at public access workstations. Shadowed records can only be searched and displayed by users at staff workstations. Staff can search and display items in the standard catalog, the shadow catalog, or both catalogs. Like the standard bibliographic and inventory control module catalog, the shadow catalog is a full-text catalog searchable by keyword. Shadowed records can be moved to the standard catalog by changing the flagging or location.

[Contact: SIRSI Corporation, 689 Discovery Drive, Huntsville, AL 35806; (205) 922-9825; Fax (205) 922-9818.1

RLG discontinues AMIS

The Research Libraries Group discontinued its work on AMIS, the Archives and Museums Information System, as of December 31, 1993. AMIS was conceived as a microcomputer-based system to meet the special needs of archives and manuscript repositories. It was to have combined the features of a local automated system controlling text, sound, and images with the shared database and network of RLIN (the Research Libraries Information Network).

The functionality envisioned included accessing, cataloging, online display, exhibit planning, public events calendaring, and donor relations. While a demonstration model had been completed, it would require another $1.4 million and 18 months of work to complete the project. Despite approaches to a number of funding sources, RLG was unable to raise the money necessary to continue development work.

While AMIS staff have been reassigned, RLG will continue to work with interested parties to revive the project. A briefing on AMIS is planned for February to acquaint interested parties, including vendors, with the work already completed on AMIS. Prospective attendees should call to obtain particulars.

[Contact: Research Libraries Group, (415) 962-9951.]

TLC introduces Gold Express

The Library Corporation has introduced Gold Express, a cataloging update service for the LCMARC English database. An improvement to TLC's existing service, Gold Express puts LC data in a cataloger's hands 24 hours after its release by The Library of Congress.

Each Wednesday, The Library of Congress makes the latest week's cataloging work, usually seven to ten thousand new MARC records, available to TLC and other vendors of bibliographic cataloging services. Before Gold Express, subscribers to TLC's weekly LC MARC update received their data within one week. With Gold Express, subscribers wait only one day for their update.

Updates from The Library of Congress are now electronically downloaded to The Library Corporation. TLC processes the file and masters a “gold” compact disc on site. These Update CDs are shipped to libraries the same day. U.S. libraries receive their Gold Express CD the next day via Federal Express. Foreign subscribers receive their update CD via International Small Packet Air Mail.

The cost of Gold Express is bundled into TLC's weekly English 1anguage service—a service which currently is $2,995 per year.

[Contact: The Library Corporation, Research Park, Inwood, WV 2S428; (800) 624-0559; Fax (304) 229-0295.]

Client/server isn't all PCs

It is often assumed that client/server systems are entirely PC-based. In fact, only 43 percent of client/server systems installed in all organizations worldwide use PCs as servers. According to a recent unpublished study by Cowen and Company, a market research firm, the majority of servers are mainframes, minis, or supermicros. The use of PCs as servers is expected to decline to 40 percent in the near future, and the use of supermicros is expected to increase dramatically. Despite the fact that client/server moves some of the workload to the clients, complex systems, among them multi-function library systems with more than 30 or so users, require more processing power at the server than a PC can provide.

Optical storage prospects improving

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the European Computer Manufacturers Association have begun work on the development of a data storage standard for optical storage media, both magneto-optical and write once, read many (WORM). The adoption of a standard—early 1995, it is hoped—is expected to have a dramatic effect on the adoption of optical storage as a peripheral for information systems, including automated library systems.

The principal hoped for benefit of optical storage is low cost. Whereas the magnetic storage now used in most information systems costs approximately $2.00 per Megabyte of storage, the cost of optical media is less than half of that.

It isn't just the prospect of standards that caused the sale of optical drives to increase to 315,000 units in 1992, but also higher capacity (now 1.3 GB for a 5.25-inch disk) and faster access speeds (19 milliseconds—comparable to the access speed of a hard drive on a PC).

Assuming the adoption of standards, a further doubling of capacity, and an expected reduction in price of 50 percent or more in the next year or two, sales will increase to 1.1 million units by 1995 says International Data Corporation, a major market research firm. At that point optical storage will probably become a popular storage medium for full-text and image files—just in time for libraries beginning to look beyond journal citation file.

Curriculum information now added to MARC records

Curriculum Enhanced MARC Records will soon be possible using a new addition to the USMARC standard. The changes were approved by the Library of Congress and the American Library Association in Juhe 1993 and will be published in 1994. When the changes go into effect, it will be possible to provide curriculum-based information about local library materials to teachers, librarians, and others. With Curriculum Enhanced MARC records, it will be possible to locate all available materials relevant to a particular curriculum need.

The new index term-curriculum objective field includes primary curriculum objectives (using terms such as math manipulatives, reading objective 1, drug abuse awareness), subordinate curriculum objectives (handicapped impaired education, peer pressure), curriculum codes, and correlation factors.

The target audience field has been expanded to include special audience characteristics (vision impaired, fine motor skills impaired), and motivation/ interest level. There is now a place in the summary field to quote reviews of curriculum materials. These records can then be retrieved by searching for specific curriculum-based terms and special education terms. Curriculum Enhanced MARC records also help meet the needs of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Current contents on CD-ROM

The Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) has announced the development of a CD-ROM version of Current Contents. Scheduled for shipment in February 1994, Current Contents on CD-ROM will be a one-year rolling file, updated weekly, with searchable abstracts.

Current Contents is ISI's weekly table-of-contents service available in a variety of formats—print, online, diskette, magnetic tape, and now CD-ROM. Each edition includes complete bibliographic data for every item listed on the journal contents page. Additional information from the actual journal pages—author abstracts, author keywords, and reprint authors with complete addresses, are available for most formats.

Initially, ISI will release four editions of Current Contents on CD-ROM: Life Sciences; Clinical Medicine; Agriculture, Biology and Environmental Sciences; and Physical, Chemical and Earth Sciences.

Current Contents on CD-ROM will use OVID, the search software from CD PLUS Technologies, Inc. OVID 3.0 was released in early 1993. It offers a common user interface that accommodates the searcher's operating system of choice—DOS or Windows. In addition, OVID serves all levels of experience, from the novice user to the trained searcher.

Current Contents on CD-ROM with OVID also offers the ability to selectively identify results so that full-text document orders can be easily generated. Orders can then be faxed or mailed to The Genuine Article, 151's full-text document delivery service. A library will be able to tag its holdings directly on the file so that users can first consider ordering documents from their own library.

A new subscription to Current Contents on CD-ROM will include a 1993 archival CD, weekly updates—consisting of a 52-week cumulative rolling file—and the 1994 annual, when published. Multiple-edition discounts will be available.

Prices for a single workstation subscription for all except Current Contents: Life Sciences are $1,995 per edition per year; networked for up to three simultaneous users increases the price to $9,975 per edition per year; and networked for 4 or more concurrent users increases the price to $12,280 per edition per year. The prices for Current Contents: Life Sciences are $2,495, $12,475, and $15,360 per year respectively. There are discounts for multiple edition subscriptions.

[Contact: Institute for Scientific Information, 3501 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104; (800) 334-4474 or (215) 386-0100, ext. 1483; Fax (215) 386-2911.]

CD-ROM best sellers

The most popular CD-ROMs can now legitimately be called “best sellers.” Several products—most of them games—have sold 15,000 or more copies. Two encyclopedias, Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia and Grolier's Electronic Encyclopedia are among the elite.

Pentium not a good investment yet

There is frequently a tendency for libraries purchasing PCs to seek the latest and fastest models. Today that means Pentium-based PCs. However, that may not be a cost effective decision. While the Pentium packs a great deal of power—3.1 million transistors on a chip smaller than a 29 cent stamp—much of the power isn't currently usable. The limitation is not in the utilization of the chip, but utilization of the data bus. The chip is a 32-bit chip, as is that in the 486-, but there is a 64-bit bus for receiving data, as compared with a 32-bit bus in the 486. Unfortunately, neither the MS-DOS nor OS/2 operating system nor most applications software can take advantage of the 64-bit bus. While the Pentium should offer three times the performance of a 486, its actual performance is less than 50 percent more than that of the high-end 486Dx2. Since the Pentium is priced at substantially more than 1.5 times the 486, it isn't currently cost effective. It may be another year or two before applications written specifically for the Pentium chip, thus taking advantage of the 64-bit bus, will become widely available.

HP launches recycling for printer cartridges

Hewlett-Packard has begun collecting used inkjet printer cartridges in a pilot program that aims to reduce the amount of plastic discarded in landfills. The cartridges are used not only in HP's ubiquitous DeskJet printers, but also in inkjet plotters and fax machines. The goal is to divert up to 20 tons of cartridges annually from the U.S. garbage flow. Customers may return their used cartridges to any participating dealer. HP will provide dealers with cartridge collection bins and will retrieve cartridges periodically at no cost to the dealers. After collection, HP will sell the cartridges to processing facilities, where the gold and other metals used in the print heads will be reclaimed. Ore smelters will use the remaining plastic parts as an energy source.

HP has had a recycling program for toner cartridges for its LaserJet printers since 1990.

[Contact: Hewlett-Packard at (800) 752-0900.]

Office automation forecasts

Multi-function office products will shortly begin to enter the market in large quantities predicts BIS Strategic Decisions, an international market research firm. Most offices—including those in libraries—are too small to justify separate computer printers, photocopiers, and fax machines. There is no reason why one device could not handle all of the applications if the right interfaces were built in.

Panasonic and Hewlett-Packard have already started drawing attention to their fax machines' multifunctional capability to copy as well. Many organizations are adding fax printing capabilities to laser printers on hANs. But in general, network printers are computer printers first, lacking the copying and paper-handling features that would make them truly multifunctional.

Canon will shortly be introducing a 30-page-per minute copier which can be interfaced with both a computer system and a fax scanner/receiver to offer true multifunctioniality. BIS predicts that this will launch a new product category which may have over $3 billion per year in sales by 1997. As early as 1994 there will be real cost savings for small offices which bring their copying, computer printing, and fax printing together.

Computers in Libraries ‘94 announced

The ninth Computers in Libraries Conference will be held in Arlington, Virginia from February 28 through March 4, 1994. Among the topics will be online patron access catalogs, CD-ROM, the Internet, local area networks, document delivery, campus-wide information systems, ADA compliance, and international automation. The first day will consist of a number of half-day workshops, and the last day a number of half-day and all-day workshops. Registration for the Conference is $250 before February 16th, and $260 thereafter. The workshops are additional, ranging from,$70 to $250 each. Admission to the exhibits is free. The headquarters hotel is the Hyatt Regency Crystal City.

[Contact: Meckler Media Conference Management; (800) MECKLER or Fax (203) 454-5840.]

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