Library Technology Guides

---

Volume 5 Number 02 (February 1985)

DRA adopts SIRE

The vendors of software for integrated automated library systems have long been accustomed to providing libraries with support for the development and searching of local files to accommodate reference card files and local referral records. More sophisticated capabilities are now becoming available from a number of vendors.

The Georgetown University Medical Center Library system's MiniMedline capability allows a library to load abstracts and indexing information for journals from the Medline data base. The information can be accessed through the system's patron access catalog module. Perline, Blackwells serial control system, also supports the creation of files of abstracting and indexing data.

Data Research Associates, the vendor of the ATLAS turnkey library automated system, recently became the first of the major system vendors to provide enhanced capabilities in this area. The company has made an agreement with the Cucumber Information Systems to utilize the SIRE software described in the January 1985 issue of LSN.

Dubbed D-SIRE in the ATLAS system, the module provides keyword access to a range of data bases, from indexes and abstracts to fulltext files.

Associated with the introduction of D-SIRE, DRA and Grolier announced that the full text of the Academic American Encyclopedia is available for libraries to mount on their ATLAS systems, relieving them of the charges associated with accessing the data on a remote data base service. The in-house file will be updated quarterly. Pricing has yet to be established.

[Contact: Data Research Associates, 9270 Olive Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63132-3276 (800) 325-0888.]

OCLC's SC 350 serials system

As presaged in last month's issue of LSN, OCLC has announced the availability of a standalone microcomputer serials system with links to the OCLC Online Union Catalog, the Name-Address Directory, and the utility's union listing subsystem.

The SC 350 accommodates MARC records and provides support for check-in (based on prediction of data relating to the next three expected issues), routing, claiming, bindery control, financial control, and subscription maintenance. The system supports the downloading of bibliographic records from the OCLC Online Union Catalog, and the transfer of holdings data from the local system to the OCLC union listing subsystem.

On the SC 350, the serials data base may be accessed by 12 different search keys, including call number, LCCN, ISSN, personal name, and keywords in titles, subject headings, and corporate or conference names.

SC 350 runs on the OCLC M300 Workstation with a hard disk drive and printer. The system can accommodate collections as large as 15,000 titles, but it can only be configured with a single workstation at present.

[Contact OCLC., 6565 Frantz Rd Dublin, OH 43017-0102, (800) 848-5800.]

Interfacing Faxon and . . .

The Faxon Company, Inc., a major serial subscription agency, is actively pursuing the development of linkages between its in-house automated system and the systems of several turnkey vendors. Faxon and Geac are working to support the tape transfer of Faxon invoice information into the acquisitions module of the Geac system, the tape transfer of serials data from Faxon's Union List and serials check-in systems into the Geac data base maintenance module, and the modification of Geac terminals to enable them to be used to access the Faxon system. Developments are also underway to enable libraries using In-novative Interfaces' INNOVACQ serials control system to receive machine-readable invoicing information from Faxon, and to electronically transmit claims and orders to Faxon.

[Contact: The Faxon Company, 15 Southwest Park, Westwood, MA 02090, (617) 329-3350; Geac, 350 Steelcase Rd. West2 Markham, Ontario L3R 1B3, Canada, (416) 495-0525; Innovative Interfaces, Inc., 2131 University Ave., Suite 334, Berkeley, CA 94704, (415) 540-0880.]

McDonnell Douglas signals entry into library automation market

At a breakfast meeting at last month's Midwinter Meeting of the American Library Association, Microdata Corporation, a computer manufacturer and subsidiary of McDonnell Douglas, announced that it plans to begin marketing an integrated automated library system in the U.S. in the fourth quarter of 1985.

As its product, Microdata has selected URICA, a turnkey multifunction automated library system that has enjoyed considerable success in Australia. The system utilizes Microdata hardware and the Reality data base management system. In addition to the systems installed in Australia, URICA has also been selected by libraries in Wales, England, and Germany. The first installation in the United States will be at the McDonnell Douglas corporate headquarters in St. Louis.

URICA is an integrated, fully developed automated library system capable of providing support for circulation, cataloging with global authority control, acquisitions, serials control, and patron access catalog. The system supports all MARC formats and provides multilibrary capabilities. Reserve book room and materials booking are under development.

URICA will be offered on a variety of hardware ranging from Series 9000 CPUs-the largest of which can support up to 200 terminals-to the Series 1000 unit, which can support up to four terminals or serve as a single-terminal workstation.

During 1985, Microdata will become the McDonnell Douglas Computer Systems Company. This, and other divisions of the Information Systems Group-Timeshare and McDonnell Douglas Automation-will be integrated under a single management structure.

[Contact: Pat Barkalow, Manager, Market Development, Library Systems, Microdata Corporation, P.O. Box 19501, Irvine, CA 92317, (714) 250-1000.]

Boss, Richard W., Copyright hearing at ALA

Bibliographic data base copyright was the topic of a hearing conducted at the 1985 ALA Midwinter Conference by the Task Force on Bibliographic Databases under the chairmanship of W. David Laird. The task force was appointed by the ALA Council in June 1984 to analyze the state of copyright for data bases.

Formal statements were made by representatives of several bibliographic utilities and regional networks. All focused on the lega1 and public relations aspects of the OCLC decision to copyright its data base. The arguments were the same as had been presented at several previous meetings: the records do not really belong to OCLC but rather to the libraries that created them; OCLC has not established a need for protection; and OCLC should have given its members the opportunity to help it solve any problems, rather than taking unilateral action. The major difference between this hearing and previous ones was the absence of heated exchange in this gathering.

WLN has no plans to copyright its data base, according to Washington State Librarian Roderick Swartz. The Research Libraries Group has no plans to copyright its RLIN data base, said James Schmidt, representing RIG. However, he acknowledged that some RLIN data base products are copyrighted and that there might be circumstances in the future under which the copyright posture of RIG might be further modified.

Only Rowland Brown, president of OCLC, spoke in favor of copyright, saying that the concerns of OCLC are attrition of membership and attrition of records. Both could adversely affect the longterm viability of the organization. Specific, but unnamed, examples given were clusters of libraries building data bases without recording the holdings in the OCLC data base, and multiinstitutional tapes going to vendors, who then sell services using those records. In response to a question about the impact of a COM union catalog on the OCLC interlibrary loan subsystem, Brown responded that only machine- readable (not eye-readable) replications were of concern.

The recent sale of UTLAS to a for-profit organization (see last month's LSN) was raised. It will have no direct effect on the copyright question because the UTLAS records are automatically copyrighted under Canadian law, according to Basil Stuart-Stubbs of the University of British Columbia. Several people commented that it could result in far more vigorous competition for U.S. bibliographic utilities and tight create a climate in which copyright protection would become more important.

LSN coeditor Richard W. Boss, of Information Systems Consultants Inc., characterized the concerns of libraries with which he had dealt as a consultant. Librarians generally appear to accept the idea that utility participants collectively have an interest in the data base, that utilities add value to the bibliographic records created by individual libraries, and that it is reasonable to seek to have all subsequent users of a record contribute in some way to the overall cost of the utilities to keep everyone's costs down and to avoid exploitation that is not in the interest of the utilities and the participants.

Librarians do not appear to want the right to resell records to other parties. The problem, said Boss, is the ambiguity in situations that involve reuse, short of outright sales. Many librarians appear uncertain about whether they can:

1. use records in an online system in the library,
2. use records in the library's COM catalog,
3. contribute records to a statewide COM catalog, or
4. share records with other libraries that are using the same automated library system.

The number of librarians who are uncertain grows in order of the questions listed. The area of greatest uncertainty involves libraries that are not participants in a utility: Should they be permitted to attach holdings to records in a shared automated system? The concern is that such libraries may later seek to leave the shared system and take with them a set of tapes containing the bibliographic records to which their holdings are attached. Even with regard to the uses that are not believed to be proscribed, there is concern that a copyright holder might permit something for a time, but later might unilaterally alter what is permitted and invoke the copyright.

Brown responded by saying that options 1 and 2, above, clearly fall under "library use" and are not intended to be proscribed by copyright or by contract. Number 3 is of no concern even though it falls in a gray area. Number 4 is of potential concern. The key is whether the fragile economics of the utility are adversely affected. He said that in February, OCLC's Board will review the language proposed for future network contracts with a view to spelling out membership rights and responsibilities. There will probably be a clause that will state that copyright will not be invoked against members. Copyright would be used only against nonmembers with which there is no contractual relationship.

The task force, which is apparently seriously divided, faces the question of whether to recommend that ALA take a position; and if ALA does, whether that position should be a legal or philosophical one, or one that attempts to address the practical problems faced by libraries seeking to use records in shared local systems.

More Guidelines for OCLC Members

OCLC recently distributed guidelines addressing many of the issues raised at the meeting described above. The text of the flyer is reproduced below in full:

1. May my library's OCLC tapes be used to produce COM catalogs, catalog cards, and other printed products such as collection analyses and management studies, and may these products be sold?

Yes. You may use your OCLC tapes to produce and distribute COM catalogs, catalog cards, and other eye-readable printed products. However, your COM or other vendor must agree to return the tapes when through with the assignment and to make no other use of the records. OCLC will give you an appropriate form of agreement with the vendor.

2. May I load tapes of my OCLC-derived records into my non-OCLC local library system?

Yes. However, if records are processed by a vendor, the vendor must agree to return the tapes to you when through with your assignment, and to make no other use of the records. OCLC will give you an appropriate form of agreement with your vendor.

3. Are there any internal uses of my records or tapes that my library cannot make?

No.

4. Are there any restrictions on the use or sale or transfer of original cataloging records that my library creates and adds to the OCLC Online Union Catalog?

No.

5. May I directly transfer records from the OCLC database to my local system via an OCLC terminal (or dial-access)?

Yes, if you have first used the record for catalog production by either the Produce or Update keys.

6. May I transfer records from the OCLC database into my local acquisitions system?

Yes. You may transfer the record from the printer port on an OCLC terminal before you set your holdings symbol on the record. However, the material ordered must be cataloged online with OCLC reasonably promptly after its receipt.

7. Are there any restrictions on the transfer or sharing of my library's OCLC tapes with other OCW members?

No.

.8. Several libraries in my area want to develop a joint online catalog and make it available to non-OCLC members of our consortium. May we do this?

Yes, but only after prior negotiation of terms and conditions that are satisfactory to your library and to OCLC. OCLC plans to define and publish specific criteria and policies for thIs kind of use in the expectation that much of the need for such negotiations will be eliminated.

9. May my records be part of a statewide circulation and/or online catalog system that would be used by both OCLC and non-member libraries?

OCLC recognizes the desirability of such activity and is working with several state agencies and with representatives of the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies to develop policies and criteria for such use.

10. May I use my OCLC tapes to produce and sell printed union catalogs of the holdings of multiple institutions?

Yes.

11. We have been making our tapes available to a for-profit publisher to produce publications of interest to us and other libraries. May we continue to do so?

This may be done after negotiations of terms and conditions that are satisfactory to you and to OCLC. This appears to be an infrequent practice, and in the cases discussed with us to date, we have been able to arrange royalty-free licenses covering the publisher's uses of the member's tapes for the specific publications.

12. If I tapeload into OCLC, would my records be subject to any OCLC contract or copyright or other restrictions?

No. The records you create or derive from other sources and tapeload into OCLC would not be subject to any restrictions.

13. May I take printed copies of records from the databases for training, work with library science students, and other educational activities?

Yes.

Help! Is support now available for CTI backup unit for CLSI?

Recently, the Editors have had several inquiries from libraries that had purchased microcomputer backup units for their CLSI LIBS 100 systems. CTI, originally of Orem Utah, the company that developed these units, has been sold and is apparently no longer in existence. Libraries with these units have been unable to locate alternate sources of support for them. LSN is interested in learning of any such alternate sources so that it might communicate this infor-mation to other users.

[Contact: ISCI, P.0.Box 30212, Bethesda Maryland 20814 (301) 299-6606.]

Videodisc and CD ROM at ALA

Judging by the number of prototype systems shown at Januarys Midwinter Meeting of the American Library Association, 1985 may well be the year in which digital data publication on videodisc and CD-ROM-compact audio discs encoded with machine-readable data-receives a realistic test in the library and information marketplace.

Carrollton Press, vendor of the REMARC bibliographic data base, again demonstrated its videodisc-based reference support system, first shown at the June 1984 ALA Conference. MARVLS-the MARC and REMARC Videodisc Library System- offers subject access to a file of machine-readable MARC and REMARC records stored on videodisc. The system shown at Midwinter used videodiscs premastered by RTI, an approach that requires the use of RTI's customized videodisc player. The 6 million MARC-formatted records and accompanying indexes are expected to occupy two single-sided videodiscs. The data are accessed using proprietary search software that includes Boolean capabilities. The system is capable of being configured to support up to 12 user stations.

Carrollton also showed two new prototype systems-DisCon and DisCat. Both are designed for cataloging support and utilize CD ROM as the storage medium.

DisCon is aimed at the retrospective conversion market. Some 6 million MARC and REMARC records are stored on eight 4 3/4-inch CD ROM discs. The records are stored in LC Classification Number order, a format chosen to maximize system performance for conversions based on shelf- list files. In addition to being accessible by LC classification number, records can also be retrieved by other keys such as author-title, title, and Library of Congress card number. Qualifiers such as place, date, pagination, and language can be applied to narrow a search.

DisCat is a current cataloging tool that provides access to recent MARC records. The production of card and spine labels will be supported.

Carrollton has not yet finalized its product and marketing plans. The applications software for all products is currently encoded on floppy disks. Hardware configurations are still to be determined, as is pricing. Publicity material suggests that MARVLS might be made available to libraries under a lease arrangement, and DisCon on a lease arrangement plus a separate per-record charge. Possible pricing approaches for DisCat are not clear.

Library Systems and Services, Inc. showed the videodisc-based enhancement for its MiniMARC cataloging support system. MiniMARC was described in detail in the March 1984 LSN. The Library Corporation also displayed its system at ALA.

Whereas Library Systems and Services, Inc. and the Library Corporation initially undertook joint development of a videodisc-based product, the two companies now have different approaches. The Library Corporation has developed a cataloging support system that utilizes MARC records stored on CD ROM.

In The Library Corporation system, known as BiblioFile, LC MARC records for English-language materials are stored on two 4 3/4-inch CD-ROM discs. In addition to the LC MARC English-language data base, the disks also contain the ANYBOOK acquisitions data base of some two million inprint and recently out-of-print English-language books. Price, binding, discount, and availability data are included. A publisher data base of more than 19,000 names, addresses, phone numbers, and SlWs is also published on the discs. This file has been designed to be accessed by publisher number and ISBN prefix. The MARC records for the period through 1974 are stored on one disc, records from 1975 are on the second disc.

The Library Corporation is marketing BiblioFile as a catalog production system using the IBM PC with one floppy disk drive and 256 KB of memory, or the OCLC M300 workstation. It is promoted for both retrospective conversion and current cataloging. In addition to a CD RON drive, the company provides BiblioFile access software and catalog production system software. The software enables a library to retrieve a MARC record by title, author, Library of Congress card number, or ISBN and ISSN. The search may be qualified by date and other parameters such as place and pagination. The retrieved record may be edited online and the resulting record stored on floppy disk for later conversion to tape. The software also allows the printing of catalog cards and spine labels. The system also supports original cataloging and provides for the preparation of orders for MARC or REMARC records from other, external sources. The additional files-information on books in print and publishers- are stored on the second disc. The Library Corporation has not yet developed applications software to utilize the ANYBOOK and publisher data bases.

The Library Corporation's Catalog Production System is available for a one-time purchase price of $2,930. This covers a Hitachi compact laser disc drive, the access software, and the Catalog Production System software. An annual subscription to the LC MARC English-language records on compact laser discs, recompiled and replaced quarterly, is $870. No per-record usage charges are levied. By July 1985, it is expected that the data base will be updated weekly rather than quarterly. The cost of a subscription will then rise to $1,000 per annum. The initial discs were produced by Hitachi (Denon) in Japan. The Library Corporation intends to have the discs produced in the U.S. once production facilities become available.

Information Access Corporation (IAC) demonstrated a prototype of its videodisc-based InfoTrac system, which will be available for purchase in March. InfoTrac combines videodisc storage and microcomputer technology to provide access to an index of the contents of more than 1,000 business, technical, legal, and general interest publications.

The index is arranged by Library of Congress Subject Headings and covers the period 1982 to date. The subject headings, personal and corporate name headings, and authors and titles are arranged in a single alphabetic sequence. Cross references are included.

The machine-readable index is stored on one side of a 12-inch videodisc. LaserData techniques are used in premastering the disc. The index will be updated monthly. This will be achieved by issuing a new, cumulative videodisc each month.

The system can support up to four simultaneous users. The hardware configuration consists of up to four IBM PC microcomputers (one for each user station), each with 225 KB of memory, one videodisc player, one videodisc interface unit, and a printer. All system components are secured to protect against theft. Individual workstations may be located up to 100 feet from the disc player. The retrieval software is distributed on floppy disk.

The retrieval software is designed for ease of use. The searcher responds to menu prompts to define the information required. The user may choose to view either a display of headings, subheadings, and cross references, or the full index with headings and citations. Citations give full bibliographic details and are selfexplanatory; no abbreviations are used. An accession code is included in the citation if the full text of the indexed article is available on one of IACs companion products-the microfilm Magazine Collection and Business Collection.

Movement to and from the index term only and the citation listing is accomplished by a single keystroke. The system allows the user to browse, and printing may also be accomplished with a single keystroke. The system does not utilize either keyword or Boolean searching.

IAC promotional literature indicates that "references can be retrieved in less than 10 seconds." Although no attempt was made to confirm this, the editors' experience in using the prototype system suggests that response time is adequate, even with multiple users.

As currently implemented, InfoTrac does not include the text of the document indexed. Nor has IAC yet configured a companion microform publication that matches the coverage of the index. Libraries wishing to use IAC services to provide access to the indexed documents would need to subscribe to both the Business Collection and the Magazine Collection. Future developments will depend upon users' reactions to the InfoTrac system.

A full InfoTrac system-the hardware for four user stations and a videodisc updated monthly-is priced at $16,000 per annum. Subscribers have the option of configuring systems with fewer than four user terminals, and of including additional printers. After five years of annual payments, the purchaser owns the hardware and needs only to pay the $8,500 subscription for the monthly data base distribution. Institutions with access to IBM PCs may opt to purchase the printer, player, controller, and interface cards and cables only for a one-time charge of $7,000. Such organizations would be provided with the data base for the annual subscription of $8,500.

[Contact: Carrollton Press Inc., 1611 N. Kent St., Arlington, VA 22209, (800) 368-3008; Information Access Corporation, 11 Davis Dr., Belmont, CA 94002, (800) 227-8431; The Library Corporation, P.O. Box 40035, Washington, DC 20016, (800) 624-0559; Library Systems & Services, Inc., 1395 Piccard Dr., Suite 100 Rockville, MID 20850 (301) 258-0200.]

---

Maintained by Marshall Breeding

Copyright 1994-2024