Library Technology Guides

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Volume 2 Number 11 (November 1982)

Security/privacy

In some specialized applications librarians have expressed frustration when turnkey vendors refuse to provide certain statistical capabilities because of "security and privacy" concerns. Computer security and privacy are not the sane thing. Security is the protection of data from unauthorized access; the protection of parts of a file system from authorized users who do not have the appropriate level of clearance is privacy. Another way of differentiating the two concepts is to say that security is the prevention of access to the system and that privacy is authorization to access parts of the system.

Security has not generally been emphasized in RPPs prepared by libraries; privacy has been. Because of the limited value of library data bases, the relatively small number of terminals on library systems and their restricted distribution as staff terminals in library work areas, security-the prevention of unauthorized access to the system as a whole--has not been regarded as a serious problem. Security and privacy will become more important as libraries add patron access catalog terminals and provide remote access to personal computer users.

Securing a system may be necessary for reasons other than those normally considered as part of "security" to limit access to authorized users to that computer resources are not taxed as well as to prevent access by persons or organizations not served by the library. Privacy will have to be insured for those parts of the files which contain information which should not be seen by those who do not have access authorization. Clearly, patron records should be protected. Nevertheless, the information may have to be retained in the system to meet library needs.

In the past, privacy has too often been achieved by purging information from files. For example, patron histories are paged in most turnkey vendors' software as soon as materials are returned and any fines incurred are cleared. This approach has posed problems for libraries that want information for specific purposes such as avoiding the booking of a film to a user who has recently had it or not sending the same item twice to a remote reader who requests books or recordings on a subject without specifying particular titles.

In order to ensure privacy, the appropriate restriction is to prohibit the structuring of screen displays or print-outs of a patron's use history or of specific item records with the identification of all past users. In this broader sense, privacy also encompasses the protection of bibliographic records against alteration by any but authorized technical services staff. In a properly designed online environment it should be possible to lock-out the "mad dater" who entered death dates on one research library's catalog cards. Finally, statistical files should be controlled so that the staff of a library department cannot enhance" the statistics, as has occurred in at least one library.

Easy Data for Exxon

Easy Data Systems, Ltd., a Canadian automated system vendor relatively unknown in the United States, has come to prominence on being awarded the contract for an online automated library system for the Exxon Corporation libraries. The company is offering an enhanced version of the minicomputer-based system it has installed in a number of western Canadian libraries.

The online modules offered by the Easy Data system include ordering, cataloging and circulation. While "capable of accommodating all the data within the MARC international standard record format' the system does not store records within that format. A patron access catalog is planned as are serial capabilities. The software operates on Datapoint minicomputers.

[Contact: Easy Data Systems, Ltd., 1234 Marine Dr., North Vancouver, BC, Canada V7P lT2; 604-986-8261.]

NCLIS / IBM Partnership

The National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS) has initiated a unique partnership with the private sector. Personnel from IBM's T. J. Watson Research Center will assist NCLIS in examining the anticipated information environment of 1985 and the impact of information technology on various segments of the population. They will also help identify those qualities that make technology more useful and acceptable and will participate in the development of better and more effective mechanisms of communication with major libraries and information centers as well as with key library and information associations.

In another cooperative project, IBM and NCLIS are working with the Drexel University's School of Library and Information Science to develop a program that will encourage students entering the information field by providing an opportunity for work experience in the industry.

[Contact: National Commission on Libraries and Information Science, Suite 601, 1717 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20035; 202-653-6252.]

Data General Increases MV/6000 memory

The memory capacity of the Data General MV/6000 computer has been increased to a new maximum of 4 Mbytes from 2 Mbytes. In addition the price of memory has been reduced by up to 68 percent. This means that libraries which are interested in DataPhase Systems Inc.'s ALIS software can opt to use a large DC mini rather than the more expensive Tandem system. A single MV/6000 can handle up to 125 terminals -- depending on the activity mix more than twice the number which can be accommodated on a single Tandem CPU. It is not currently possible to use a dual MV/6000 configuration because of limitations in the MIIS operating system.

Future of the data base industry

Over 100 data base producers, vendors and users gathered at the fall meeting of the Association of Information and Dissemination Centers (ASIDIC) in Boston in late September to discuss the future of the data base in industry. Three interrelated and complementary trends were the focus of most of the discussion: a change in the pattern of data base distribution services; increasing concern with targeting and meeting the needs of end users; and the impact of technology an pricing data base services.

The keynote speaker, Ted West, of the Cambridge Research Institute discussed the changing dynamics of the industry. At present, the large data base vendors are the focus of power and control. They provide most of the marketing and training support for individual data bases and pricing and royalty structures favor the collection of revenues through the vendors. Efforts by data base producers have concentrated more on fitting their files to the requirements of the vendors' systems than on meeting the special needs of end users of the files. However, the dynamics of the industry are changing. The focus of activity and power is moving from the interface with the data base vendor to that with the end user. This shift is occurring for a number of reasons. Some data base producers are becoming dissatisfied with the services of data base vendors. The following factors were cited by producers as contributing to their growing dissatisfaction with the services currently being provided by data base vendors: delays in updating files; lack of control over priorities; the limited feedback available on the use of the files; and the fact that often when such feedback is given, there are restrictions placed upon the use that the data base producer may make of the information.

In response to these and similar forces, West remarked that a variety of patterns can be expected to emerge. For example, some data base producers will concentrate on marketing their products to end users while leaving the distribution of the data base to the vendors. In turn, the vendors can then concentrate on improving delivery mechanisms by developing better software and implementing technological advances to provide better communications capabilities. Other data base producers will not only redesign their products to more closely accord to the needs of users, but will also develop alternate networks through which to distribute their products. Data base producers who regard their online data bases as only one of the many resources required to meet an information need are now developing integrated services to address the full range of needs -- generally in very specialized markets.

User requirements are expected to drive vendor developments. These developments will include the creation of user friendly interfaces and simpler search strategies, the provision of broader access to the full range of available files, and the development of less expensive, faster access terminals and communications. The marketing strategies of data base producers will also focus on the user: the problem being how to get a user to choose to access a particular data base once having signed-on to a vendors' network.

Detailing the factors influencing congestion at the end user interface, West cited the proliferation of data bases and the fact that most of the description of available data bases is provided by the vendors as being the major reasons for confusion among users-confusion which inhibits the use of individual data bases.

The themes established by West were reiterated by other speakers throughout the meeting. Technological change is also impacting the shape of the industry, contributing to further movement away from the historic pattern of a small number of large data base vendors. The popularity of microcomputers is facilitating direct access to data bases by end-users. This rapidly increasing end user base needs training, but training which is decentralized, accessible and less expensive than the traditional face to face "How to use data base X" seminars common in the past. Not that the need for intermediaries is diminishing, the proliferation of data bases-bibliographic, numeric and full text-and the variety of sources on which they are mounted has given rise to a new industry sector of intermediaries and consultants.

Looking to the longer term future, the consensus was that there will be continued growth with more data base producers mounting their own files and providing services directly rather than through data base vendors; a continuing role for information retailers; and increasing diversity as more specialized data bases and services targeted at specific end user markets develop. Many of these specialist markets will be served by integrated services.

Technology is also impacting the data base producers and vendors with significant implications for pricing policies. For instance, a year and a half ago 90 percent of BRS users accessed the system on 300 baud lines while the remaining 10 percent used 1200 baud lines.

The current mix is about 50 percent. Despite the fact that the number of accesses per password is increasing, the effect of faster access modes has been to totally skew the use of the connect hour as either a usage or revenue measure. The impact is felt equally by data base vendors and data base producers as most use some form of connect time in their charging algorithms. Not only is technology contributing to the reduced connect times, but the skill of the searcher also has an effect as does the increasing use of microcomputers to formulate and refine search strategies off-line.

Continuance of the current usage measures for pricing would not only work to the disadvantage of producers and vendors but would eventually affect users since vendors would have little inclination to develop or implement more efficient or faster access techniques and software. [Indeed, some vendors and producers could set up blocks to pace the speed at which the system can be used- limiting the number of simultaneous users or affecting access speed.]

High speed modems, the proliferation of inexpensive terminals and the increasing availability of microcomputers and low priced storage has given rise to another issue assuming importance in thinking and revenues in the data base industry: downloading, the practice whereby a user signs on to a data base, conducts a search and then transfers the results of the search into a microcomputer for later manipulation or retention. Despite the fact that some commentators see downloading as a threat to data base usage--users not needing to access the central data base because they have already downloaded all the relevant data into their personal files--participants at ASIDIC did not exhibit undue concern over this aspect of the practice. Most were of the opinion that their data bases were sufficiently dynamic and changing to require that users would have to continue using them to keep up to date. Discussion centered rather on methods for facilitating the monitoring of downloading and the development of schema for charging for data transferred in this way.

R. R. Bowker Online services business sector

The R. R. Bowker Company has announced the establishment of a new business sector, Online Services. Online Services will be responsible for identifying and implementing Bowker databases and services for commercial online dissemination, managing the distribution of Bowker databases through appropriate online vendor services, and establishing and maintaining relations with Bowker database users.

Three major Bowker databases are currently available online: Books in Print which may be accessed through either BRS or Dialog and American Men and Women of Science and Ulrich's International Periodicals Directory, both of which are currently available through BRS with planned availability via Dialog later this year.

Andrew H. Uszak, Vice President of the Data Services Division, will be responsible for overall management of the Online Services business sector. [Contact: Iris L. Rugoff, R. R. Bowker Company, 1180 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036; 212-764-5107.]

National Journal goes on-line

The trend to fulltext data bases is continuing. Mead Data and Government Research Corporation, publishers of the weekly National Journal, have announced that it is now available on-line in the NEXIS data base service.

The National Journal provides reports and analyses on government affairs and politics. Last year, it won the National Magazine Award for Reporting. Newsweek has called the National Journal "the nation's most respected nonpartisan source of information about how Washington's policy-making machinery really works."

Used by corporate planners and communications departments, government agencies, advertising and public relations agencies, journalists in print and electronic media, banks, investment and law firms, the NEXIS data base includes the full text of over 50 newspapers, wire services, magazines, newsletters, and government publications.

[Contact: Mead Data Central, Inc., 200 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10166; 212-883-8560.]

Data base access software

Data Resources Inc. (DRI) and Visi Corp., the San Jose software manufacturers that developed Visi Calc, are developing a program that will facilitate access to and manipulation of DRI's on-line data bases. By the end of 1982 a microcomputer user reportedly will be able to buy a $250 floppy disk containing a program designed to structure searches, retrieve data, and perform local statistical analysis.

[Contact: Data Resources, Inc., 29 Hartwell Road, Lexington, MA 02173; 617-861-0165; 617-863-5100.]

And now--the erasable videodisk

A videodisk that can be erased and rerecorded has been announced by the Japan Broadcasting Corp. (Tokyo), thus overcoming a major limitation of current videodisk systems. The Japanese prototype uses a helium-neon laser to write data on a disk coated with a magnetic film of amorphous gadolinium and cobalt. Data is recorded when the heat from the laser beam causes local reversals of the film's magnetic field. New data can be written over old data, or the entire disk can be erased by bathing it in a strong magnetic field. In contrast, conventional systems do now allow rerecording or erasure because the laser in these systems punches holes--representing data--in the disk coating. The erasable system, which also uses a laser to read data via an optomagnetic effect, needs further development to overcome a low signal-to-noise ratio and disk coating imperfections that cause data loss.

Special report: CRT Terminals

Audrey N. Grosch, professor at the University of Minnesota, consultant, and past president of ASIS, surveys cathode-ray tube terminals for a variety of uses in libraries, addressing both new and more experienced users. She evaluates general-purpose CRT terminals for under $1,695 and higher-costing editing terminals for over $1,800. She has examined personally all models described. With listings of manufacturers, jobbers, distributors, and new and used equipment brokers.

May/June 1982 $40.00

Library Technology Reports
American Library Association
50 East Huron St., Chicago IL 60611

ABI/Inform by fax

Full-text articles of items in the ABI/INFORM data base are now available by telefacsimile from Data Courier Inc. Most transmissions are made within four hours of the order to any Group 2 or 3 telefacsimile machine. Group 1 service is also available, but is not recommended because of the high telecommunications cost.

The prices are still high: approximately $10 a page in the United States and more to foreign countries. A high volume could bring the prices down considerably-or conversely, in our opinion, lower prices could increase volume. [Contact: Data Courier Inc., 620 S. Fifth St., Louisville, KY 40202; telephone: 800-626-2823.]

Technology and the professional

In his keynote address at the recent ASIS meeting in Columbus, George White, formerly Vice President for Research, Development and Engineering at Xerox Corp., challenged the audience to explore the effect technological revolutions of the '80s will have on the workplace. As the labor emphasis continues to shift to the professional and technical workforce, creative solutions to increasing productivity in the sector must be addressed. Since technological investment per employee in the technical/professional realm is currently far less than that in agriculture or industry, there is room for considerable investment in the office innovations that promise to improve productivity.

The significance of automated information systems lies in their ability to accept, process, communicate, store, and retrieve information--all the typical functions of the technical/professional environment. Advances are occurring simultaneously in all these functions.

Developments in input technology-key-boarding, optical character recognition, and voice-input-will directly improve professional productivity. There will also be dramatic penetration into the personal environment in the form of flexible software and personal micros.

The major communications industries are competing on the leading edge of communication developments: local area networks, long distance data transmission capabilities, and switching flexibility. Optical disk technology still in its infancy, will affect the filing function as technologies mature for short and long-term storage of information in the forms of images or speech.

Output technology is relatively mature; printers are receiving further development with only limited payoff. The cathode ray tube awaits a more human-compatible replacement.

White reports that certain "development dynamics" require some attention to speed utilization of these technological innovations. Our hardware development is tracking with dynamic needs while necessary software improvements lag. The software development problem must be solved if the technology is to meet the market needs.

Micro program generators proliferate

Personal Pearl, Programmer's Apprentice and TLO (The Last One) are among the latest entrants in the microcomputer software field. They are program generators which lead nonprogrammers through a series of all-English prompts and queries in the course of building their own custom applications programs. The program generator turns the English-language instructions into a computer code.

Tasks difficult to accomplish with BASIC are relatively easy with a program generator. Productivity is usually double that which can be achieved using BASIC. Nevertheless, it takes most people about one month of regular use to master a program generator and even then, programming is still slow enough to warrant the purchase of off-the-shelf software packages when available. A program generator allows the user to modify software packages to fit the individual situation.

While vendors of program generators claim that no previous programming experience is necessary, it does help considerably to know BASIC or some other micro programming language because this gives an understanding of how a program is structured and how data flows through it. The vocabulary in the manuals for users of the program generators might also be unfamiliar to a complete novice.

All program generators have different physical limitations: most can create only a limited number of files, as well as a maximum number of characters per line; some offer graphics capability while others don't; and all run on only certain hardware and operating systems.

Prices for program generators range from $295 to $800. They are generally available at computer stores.

Cable TV for data transmission

Hughes Aircraft Company, a diversified high technology company, is aggressively marketing data transmission capability to cable television system franchise holders. In a series of full page ads in trade journals Hughes is advising "How to find gold your cable can't reach." The ads go on to explain that most cable systems can be turned into modern telecommunications systems by installing a Hughes AML device at a data source and adding interfaces and modems.

Despite the fact that many cable companies have bid data transmission capability, most are choosing to defer its installation because there is a widely held perception in the industry that data transmission is currently far less profitable than video and audio entertainment.

Nevertheless, many cable companies are keenly interested in data transmission. American Express' participation in the Warner Amex cable venture is believed to be motivated by a desire to deliver interactive financial services from its Shearson Loeb Rhoades subsidiary via two-way cable. This can more effectively be done by transmitting digitized data rather than analog images.

Hotel room terminals

The business traveler will have enhanced access to data base searching as a result of a program launched by Travelhost Communications Inc. The company is establishing a terminal and network system to serve 500,000 hotel rooms.

By pressing just a few keys on the computer terminal, a hotel guest will be able to access an electronic mail system and send and receive messages to and from clients, the office, and home. Other functions provide access to airline schedules, closing stock market quotations, restaurant guides, local jot opportunities, and computer games. Numerous other services ale also available, including the ability to dial into and access other computers and data bases throughout the nation.

The implications for libraries may include the availability of lower cost terminals as the result of mass production and a rapidly growing number of computer-literate library users.

Bubble memory for Apple II

MPC Peripherals Corporation has announced the availability of the AP-BUB Bubble Memory Module for the Apple II. The module has a capacity of 128 K which makes it suitable for storing programs, but not records. Some of the advantages of bubble memory are:

• Nonvolatile memory; data reliabiity is over 1000 times that of tapes and disks because the data is not lost if the power is cut off.
• Quiet; unaffected by environmental hazards such as heat, dust, pollution, and vibration to which other mass storage devices are susceptible.
• Executes read or write commands 3 times faster than standard flóppy disk.

Utility pseudo-disk software is supplied with the MPC AP-BUB to facilitate interfacing the device with the Apple processing unit.

Bubble memories have not yet become commonplace for data storage because they are costly to manufacture in the larger capacities. In the past year three U. S. manufacturers have dropped bubble memory development for that reason. Small units, many manufactured in Japan, are expected to become widely available. [Contact: MPC Peripherals Corporation, 9242 Chesapeake Drive, San Diego, CA 92123; 714-278-0630.]

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