Library Technology Guides

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Volume 14 Number 11 (November 1994)

Protecting systems on the Internet

At least four "break-ins" to computer systems on the Internet occur each day according to the Computer Emergency Response Team at Carnegie-Mellon University. The actual number probably is much greater because it is feared that publicity about a specific system's vulnerability might invite other incidents. While automated library systems may not be popular targets, managers of library systems accessible over the Internet should examine the security issue. However, as more and more libraries provide access to their automated library system from the Internet, the issue of security becomes more important.

The most notorious type of break-in, corporate or government espionage, the intent of which is the theft of proprietary information, is probably of lesser interest to libraries. On the other hand, the most common type of break-in, vandalism by a hacker, the result of which is usually the damaging or alteration of files, has serious implications for libraries. A number of libraries already have been affected by this type of break-in.

The popular computerese term for a system security solution that deals with the problem of break-ins is a "firewall." The term is merely evocative and does not refer to a specific technology. The firewall is a connection or gateway between the host or internal network and the Internet that restricts the flow between them. The most common "firewalls" usually are categorized by one of the following labels: "packet-filtering," "circuit-level" (or host-based) and "application-level."

The first type, packet-filtering, usually consists of a router which filters the coming and going of "packets" of data.

Most automated library systems, which serve more than one site, already include one or more routers. A programmer can configure the filtering protocols of the router to allow only specific types of transmissions through the router. This approach is easy and relatively inexpensive to implement.

If the only access over the Internet is to an online catalog, packet-filtering is a good approach. However, if libraries in a consortium, or staff in remote branches, or staff working at home use Internet access for production use of the system-including the creation, editing, and deletion of acquisitions records; serials control, cataloging; and circulation-the programming of the router becomes very complex and subject to errors. The next level of firewall, circuit-level, should be considered.

Circuit-level firewalls involve the insertion of a computer between the host or internal network and external networks. This computer performs the packet-filtering duties of a router, but can be enhanced with advanced forms of authentication. This approach may be appropriate when a number of different applications are being accessed from the Internet by a variety of users.

If certain applications are particularly important to protect, the highest level of protection is an application-level firewall. This solution involves not only hardware, but extensive programming. Codes must be written to specify each application to be allowed through, and under what conditions. If a firewall vendor is used, the cost of this approach would be $30,000 and up. For further information: Cheswich, William R. and Steven Bellovin. Firewalls and Internet Security-Repelling the Wily Hacker. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1994.

To be added to an e-mail mailing list dedicated to firewalls, send the message "subscribe firewalls [your e-mail address]" to majordomo@greatcircle.com.

DRA lands three major accounts

DRA has announced that the Free Library of Philadelphia, a group of Nassau County Libraries, and the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library have chosen its system.

Established in 1891, the Free Library, of Philadelphia has a collection totaling more than 10 million items, including very extensive and unique special collections; its Rare Book Department is one of the largest in the United States. The Free Library's main and branch facilities are visited by more than 4.2 million people each year.

Founded in 1959, the Nassau Library System headquarters in Uniondale, New York, will serve as host site for a new system serving 45 of Nassau Library System's 54 totally autonomous public library members.

Founded in 1970, Toledo-Lucas County Public Library represents the merging of three former library systems-Toledo Public, Lucas County, and Sylvania Public. Today, with 18 branches plus a main library, the system serves as the sole provider of library services for the entire county.

The three sales replace existing sys-tems; the first two CLSI (now Geac) and the third a CoBIT system. [Contact: Data Research Associates, Inc., 1276 North Warson Road, P.O. Box 8495, St. Louis, MO 63132-1806; (314) 432-1100 or (800) 325-0888; Fax (314) 993-8927.]

DRA completes purchase of muItiLIS

Data Research Associates, Inc. (DRA) has completed its purchase of the multiLIS library automation system from Sobeco Ernst & Young. This acquisition was first mentioned in the June issue of LSN.

As part of the purchase, more than 300 multiLIS customers in the United States, Canada, South America, and Europe will now be supported by DRA and its new subsidiary, DRA Information, based in Montreal. The acquisition provides DRA additional product offerings for school (K-12) libraries and for customers who desire an automation product based on the UNIX platform.

Madeleine Balcer, former Director of the multiLIS division of Sobeco Ernst & Young, has been appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of DRA Information, which is staffed by former multiLIS employees.

[Contact: Data Research Associates, Inc., 1276 North Warson Road, P.O. Box 8495, St. Louis, MO 63132-1806; (314) 432-1100 or (800) 325-0888; FAX (314) 993-8927; or DRA Information, 505 Rene-Levesque Blvd. West, Montreal, Quebec H2Z 1Y7 Canada.]

DRA adds subject and keyword searching to its LC MARC database

Data Research Associates (DRA) has announced that it has increased the flexibility and accessibility of its LC MARC database by adding subject and keyword searching. These search options are in addition to past search capabilities, which include author, title, and various identification numbers. Keyword searching provides, among other functions, the ability to search for current popular topics for which LC subject headings might not yet have been established.

The database is mounted on a Z39.50 compliant server, therefore, it can be accessed from any Z39.50-compliant client, whether or not that client is a DRA product. The server supports all Z39.50 Version 2 facilities, allowing for a wide range of search capabilities, including: 1) search qualifiers-such as author, title, subject, call number, LCCN, ISBN, etc.; 2) truncation in search terms; and 3) named result sets, thus 'enabling the combination of previous search result sets with new search terms.

DRA'S LC MARC database consists of more than four million records representing bibliographic, serial, map, and other items cataloged by the Library of Congress. Hundreds of libraries access the database daily-via Internet or Open DRANET-to serve as a reference tool. If they are using the DRA cataloging module, they can use the database to import bibliographic records to their own system. Recent use has averaged more than 5,200 connections per day, with more than 1,200 records copied.

Data Trek, Inc., announces version 2.1 of the Professional Series

Data Trek, Inc., has announced the impending release of Professional Series Version 2.1, a major upgrade to its full-MARC library automation product. Planned for release in the fourth quarter of 1994, 2.1 will be provided to Professional Series clients with active Software Support Subscriptions.

Professional Series, first released in 1991, is a microcomputer-based automation software package which adheres to full-MARC standards (importing, storing, and retaining full-MARC records) , as will as X12, SISAC, and BISAC standards.

Over 150 enhancements have been added to the Professional Series Version 2.1, many of them based on suggestions from Data Trek clients. Enhancements have been made to the cataloging, circulation, serials, acquisitions, OPAC (Online Patron Access Catalog), and GoPAC (Graphical OPAC) modules. Major new global features include library-specified system management of call number spacing, European or other data format options, additional user authorization levels, multi-copy picklists for multiple items connected to the bibliographic records, automatic deletion approval control in the bibliographic file, laser printing of all cataloging labels, and improved label printing capability.

[Contact: Data Trek, Inc., 5838 Edison Place, Carlsbad, CA 92008-6596; (619) 431-8400 or (800) 876-5484; FAX (619) 431-8448.]

P.S.S. Tapestry announces headquarters move

P.S.S. Tapestry, Inc., has announced that the company has relocated its headquarters from Warrendale, Pennsylvania, to a larger office building in Pittsburgh.

The mainframe version of Tapestry was first introduced in November 1993, and the UNIX version was demonstrated at ALA in Miami Beach.

[Contact: P.S.S. Tapestry, Inc., 8623 Old Perry Highway, Pittsburgh, PA 15237; (412) 366-0100.]

Multiprocessor Unicorn installed at Emory University

SIRSI has announced that its UNICORN system has been installed at the Emory University Libraries. The unique feature of the installation is that it is con-figured on two host computers: the UNICORN library catalog system on an IBM RISC System/6000 Model 990 and the UNICORN reference database manager system on an IBM RISC System/6000 Model 570. The systems are seamlessly integrated using SIRSI's networking facilities.

SIRSI's indexing capabilities allowed Emory to build full-text indexes for all libraries and a Union index for its 2.2 million volumes in approximately 36 hours.

In addition to Emory's General Li-braries, UNICORN is available to the university's Oxford College Library, Law Library, Health Sciences Library, and Pitts Theology Library through campus network, which is accessible via modem and Internet. Founded in 1836, Emory University has an enrollment of about 10,000 students.

[Contact: SIRSI Corporation, 689 Discovery Drive, Huntsville, AL 35806; (205) 922- 9825; FAX (205) 922-9818.]

LC's National Digital Library project

In a press briefing on October 13, the Library of Congress (LC) unveiled its multi-million dollar National Digital Library Project. By the end of the century, LC hopes to have captured images of five million photographs, maps, recordings, and other items which are in the public domain. The focus is on the imaging of materials not protected by copyright because the impact of technology on copyright is currently under review by the Working Group on Intellectual Property Rights of the White House Information Infostructure Task Force. Under the chairmanship of Patents and Trademarks Commissioner Bruce A. Lehman, the Working Group is studying the implications of technology on copyright law, and will be submitting a report in 1995. In its meetings to date, protection of intellectual property rights has been the focus, and there is widespread concern among librarians who have met with the Working Group that "fair use" will be further restricted when applied in a technological environment. A draft paper from the parent Task Force recommends defining digitizing as a form of publishing to be controlled by the copyright owner.

Half of the $20+ million needed to fund the undertaking has already been pledged. High-tech corporations are among the leading contributors.

LC is already quite experienced in digitizing images and text. Over the last five years, it has scanned over 210,000 items, including Civil War photos by Mathew Brady and hundreds of African American political pamphlets.

Many of the images are expected to be made available on the Internet. They will also be available to electronic publishers for inclusion in their publications.

LC is not the only library working on the digitization of library materials. At least six universities have launched projects, including Cornella project which involves scanning monographs in mathematics and New York State history. The National Science Foundation has made over $24 million available to Cornell and other institutions.

There are similar projects underway in museums. The National Gallery of Art is pursuing the images of art objects, and the Getty Art History Information Program is spearheading an effort to develop and test a model for the licensing of images of works of art.

The major contribution of all of these projects over the next few years will primarily be the advancement of knowledge and skills in managing large, complex imaging projects. Even the five million items LC plans to scan is a modest undertaking when compared with the 105 million items in LC's collections-especially when one considers that 35 million of LC's items are monographs, and not included in the project. However, by the year 2000 there will be some subject areas, including the U.S. Civil War, in which electronic research will not only be possible, but essential.

EBSCO invoices available through Internet FTP

EBSCO customers who receive electronic invoices on diskette or magnetic tape can now retrieve invoice data from EBSCO via the Internet. The new service allows customers to retrieve their invoice and the EBSCO invoice conversation program through Internet FTP (file transfer protocol). Once the invoice data and conversation program are loaded onto a PC, customers can select desired invoice files to load into automated library software or spreadsheet and database programs such as dBase, Lotus 1-2-3, or Advanced Revelation for further manipulation.

In order to access the invoice data, customers must have Internet FTP client software and an e-mail address. This service is compatible with many automated library systems. A list of these systems can be obtained from any EBSCO Regional Office.

[Contact: User Services Department, EBSCO International Headquarters, (205) 991-1161; or via e-mail to USRSVC@EBSCO.COM; or EBSCO Publishing, P.O. Box 2250, Peabody, MA 01960; (508) 535-8500 or (800) 653-2726; FAX (508) 535-8545; or any EBSCO Regional Office.]

Illinois State Library to provide FirstSearch statewide

The Illinois State Library has provided grant funds to the Chicago Library System (CLS), a consortium of 433 academic, public, school, and special libraries, for a two month pilot project to test FirstSearch in order to determine which FirstSearch data-bases are important to Illinois libraries and how many ports will be needed to pro-vide broad access to the most-used data-bases. The project will conclude at the end of November.

The Illinois State Library grant has provided as many as 99 ports to access FirstSearch, including WorldCat, Article-First, ContentsFirst, ERIC, GPO, MEDLINE, ProceedingsFirst, and PapersFirst; a link to Illinois holdings; OCLC's PRISM interlibrary loan service; document suppliers; and online full text. OCLC will work with the individual libraries to see what additional FirstSearch products and ser-vices would be useful.

OCLC is working with a number of other states and regional consortia in setting up pilot group First Search projects, and expects to announce some group purchase contracts soon.

[Contact: OCLC Regional Networks; or OCLC, Inc., 6565 Frantz Road, Dublin, OH 43017- 3395; (614) 764-6000; FAX (614) 764-6096.]

Catalog of Internet resources

OCLC has launched a program to "create, implement, test, and evaluate" a database of USMARC format bibliographic records for materials accessible over the Internet. OCLC will work with a number of libraries in an 18-month effort. The project is funded, in part, by a $62,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

The records created will be available through the OCLC PRISM service and the FirstSearch Cataloging WorldCat database.

[Contact: OCLC Regional Networks; or OCLC, Inc., 6565 Frantz Road, Dublin, OH 43017-3395; (614) 764-6000; FAX (614) 764-6096.]

UnCover S.O.S. launched

UnCover S.O.S., the new Single Order Source service from the UnCover Company, was launched on October 1, 1994. The new service will allow anyone to order articles from UnCover's more than 160,000 periodical titles by the method of choice: fax, phone, electronic mail, or post.

UnCover S.O.S. will require no pre-order verification of citations and is not limited to any year. Users of the service simply send UnCover S.O.S. the requests, and UnCover S.O.S. staff will return confirmation or a non-availability report (including UnCover order numbers) within 2 hours. Delivery is normally made by fax within 24 hours of receipt of order. Articles ordered through the UnCover S.O.S. service will cost $10 each plus applicable copyright charges and fax surcharges.

First time users of UnCover S.O.S. will be asked for their UnCover profile numbers and passwords. For users without profiles, UnCover S.O.S. staff will create them. Profile information includes receiving fax number, cover sheet routing message, cost center reporting data, and payment information (credit card or UnCover account).

The second stage of UnCover S.O.S., slated for release in the spring of 1995, will make UnCover a full service information delivery source. UnCover S.O.S. customers will be able to send UnCover all their requests and have them filled from a variety of sources. UnCover S.O.S. will fill requests either from its own database or through strategic partnerships with other information brokers. UnCover has several such agreements in process.

[Contact: Brenda Bailey, UnCover Marketing and Client Liaison, The UnCover Company, 3801 E. Florida Avenue, Bldg. D, Suite 200, Denver, CO 80210; (303) 758-3030; FAX (303) 758-5946.]

E-mail costs dropping

E-mail over telco circuits can be expensive, especially for long messages. While a majority of messages require only a few Kbytes, files of 1 MByte sent over a national service such as AT&T's EasyLink have cost $50 or more; for 10 MBytes, the maximum file size restriction imposed by most E-mail providers, the cost has been $500 or more. That's why for long E-Mail messages, the Internet is preferred by most organizations.

AT&T has recently announced cuts of up to 67 percent for files of 1 MByte or more. The new price for 1 MByte is now $22.80. While prices are still high, the move is likely to kick off price competition and a general lowering of rates.

IBM releases new OS/2

IBM has just released OS/2 Warp, the latest version of its operating system for Intel platforms. One version is designed to work with DOS and Windows, the other is a standalone version.

There is a great deal of speculation that this will be the last release of OS/2. IBM has sold five million copies--fewer than one-tenth the number of Microsoft Windows sales. If Windows95 sells as well as expected, it may well displace OS/2 in the organizations that have adopted OS/2 as a way of avoiding the limitations of MS-DOS. Microsoft is tuning Windows95 to make the operating system particularly efficient with Pentium processors-the platform favored by many who have recently purchased OS/2.

Novell is planning to push UNIX as an alternative to OS/2 and Windows95 for PCs.

The reaction of the library automation industry, which is now vigorously pursuing client/server development, is to develop clients for all three operating systems.

Cast aside is MS-DOS. The majority of software developers contacted in a recent survey expect MS-DOS to die a slow death over the next five years, with the home market continuing to use the installed base of MS-DOS for a decade or more.

Multi-layered optical disk demonstrated

IBM's Almaden Research Center in San Jose, California, has demonstrated two-, four-, and six-layer optical disks. Thy layering information on a disk and adjusting the focal length of the lens to access different layers, it is possible to store several times as much information at virtually no increase in cost.

The technology can be used with any optical disk medium, including CD-ROM. At least two more years of testing is envisioned before products become available.

ISI releases proceedings literature on CD-ROM

The Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) has announced the release of two new CD-ROM products: The Index to Scientific & Technical Proceedings (ISPP) and the Index to Social Sciences & Humanities Proceedings (ISSHP). These multidisciplinary products provide electronic access to complete bibliographic data from the world's science, social science, and arts and humanities conference literature.

The products have been available in print for many years. With the electronic version, a user can search in one search statement-by conference locations, dates, and titles, easily and quickly retrieving the information needed.

The 15Th on CD-ROM five-year rolling file includes approximately 840,000 full papers from 21,000 recent conferences, with an estimated 45,000 papers and 1,100 conferences to be added with each quarterly update. The ISSHP on CD-ROM initial five-year file includes 115,000 papers from 18,000 conferences, with 6,000 papers and 800 conferences to be added with each quarterly update. Based on customer input regarding the use of conference data, the 1551W on CD-ROM file will cumulate in the future to hold as much as ten years of data.

Document delivery for both products is available through 151's document delivery service, The Genuine Article. This service offers 24-hour processing and varied ordering and delivery options, and guarantees full copyright clearance.

[Contact: Institute for Scientific Information, 3501 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3389; (800) 386-4474 or (215) 386- 0100 ext. 1483; FAX (215) 386-2911; telex 84-5305.]

Video CD agreement reached

Four major electronics companies have recently reached agreement with a new compact disk format that will allow 74 minutes of high-quality video and audio to be published on a single disk.

Matsushita, Philips, Sony, and Victor have established basic specifications for "Video CD" so that the products will be usable on a wide variety of players, including existing CD players with an add-on Video CD adapter, Phillips CD-l players, special Video CD players each plans to begin manufacturing, and computer CD-ROM drives with video decoders. The first Video CD products to reach the market are 16 James Bond films, including six which are not available in VHS. The price is $24.95 per two-disk set.

The long-term goal is to displace videotape for home, rental, and educational sales. The same four companies promoted videodisc, now renamed laserdisc. The shift to CD-ROM recognizes the need to build on existing, familiar technology.

Encyclopedia Americana on CD-ROM

Grolier has announced that it will release the Encyclopedia Americana on CD-ROM in early 1995. The disk will contain the full text of the 30 print volumes, plus more than a thousand specially prepared tables, charts, and diagrams. A wide variety of search options will be offered. The list price will be $495, plus $199 per year for optional annual updated editions.

[Contact: Grolier Educational Corporation, Sherman Turnpike, Danbury, CT 06816; (203) 797-3500.]

National Online and IOLS scheduled

The 16th National Online Meeting and IOLS '95 will be held in New York City on May 2-4, 1995. The headquarters hotel will be the New York Hilton.

Topics for the National Online Meeting will include CD-ROM versus online; multimedia and image databases, electronic publishing, and a number of other technologies. The IOLS '95 topics will include the Internet, UNIX-based systems, and Z39.50.

[Contact: National Online Meeting, Learned Information, Inc., 143 Old Marlton Pike, Medford, NJ 08055; (609) 654-6266; FAX (609) 654-4309.]

SLA schedules winter education conference

The Special Libraries Association (SLA) has scheduled its 1995 Winter Education Conference for January 29-31, 1995, in Raleigh, North Carolina. There will be a series of workshops and courses on Internet interfaces and connectivity options, U.S. copyright law in the age of technology, networking CD-ROM, and a number of other technology-related issues. The North Raleigh Hilton will be the conference headquarters hotel. Registration for the full conference is $375 for SLA 'members and $415 for others until December 31, 1994. After that date, the fees rise by $30.00.

[Contact: Special Libraries Association, 1700 Eighteenth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009; (202) 234-4700 ext. 649; FAX (202) 265-9317.]

Video scan converters

We have been asked to identify a device which will convert a display on an SVGA color monitor or a PC or automated library system to a high resolution large-screen monitor suitable for group viewing.

We recommend the RGB/Videolink 1500 series. While expensive--over $9,500--these units offer extraordinary quality, can support multiple monitors, and are suitable for use with projection and broadcasting equipment.

If a less expensive unit is desired, contact any major audio-visual supply house.

[Contact: RGB Spectrum, 950 Marina Village Parkway, Alameda, CA 94501; (510) 814-7000 FAX (510) 814-7026.]

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