Library Technology Guides
Document Repository
Volume 5 Number 06 (June 1985)
NISO standards focus on the futureCost data from telefacsimile pilot projects in librariesNinety-five people attended a one-day National Information Standards Organization (NISO) invitational conference at the Library of Congress on April 30. NISO is an accredited Standards Committee of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The purpose of the meeting was to identify critical issues facing NISO in the next 5 to 10 years, to acquaint people with the work of NISO, and to involve top people in industry in the standards making process. The attendees included representatives of academic, special, public and school libraries; publishers and jobbers; utility and network representatives; consultants; and information service executives.
Through a process of group discussion and reportage, the participants identified some 65 issues of concern. There was no detailed discussion of the issues so identified but participants did have the opportunity to rank them in order of importance. An informal count of these rankings showed the highest priority given to the linking of systems. The standard setting process itself was considered to be the second most significant issue. (Many participants felt that the process should be faster and more broadly based.) The third ranked issue was the development of standards for the encoding and retrieval of information from optical mass memories, and virtually tied with it, was the development of a common command language for automated library systems. Increasing awareness and acceptance of standards appeared to be ranked fifth. Other issues receiving large numbers of votes were copyright and the use of technology for preservation. A detailed report will be available in late June and will be presented as part of the background materials for a NISO committee meeting.
Directory of libraries with facsimile capabilitiesSeveral brief (two to six months) pilot telefacsimile projects have been undertaken in the past year, primarily by academic and special libraries. The data from these projects indicate that costs per page were generally higher than the average $.30 to $.50 per page incurred in business applications. This is to be expected because the density of information on typeset pages is more than double that of the average business letter so transmission takes longer. What is notable, is the wide range of costs reported. A group of special libraries using equipment shared with other departments of the organization achieved a cost of $.54 per page. One academic library achieved costs of $.68 per page and another $.73 per page, but similar academic libraries incurred costs as high as $1.40 per page. A consortium of different types of libraries reported a staggering cost of $7.12 per page.
Lower costs were associated with higher volume of usage and vice versa. The special libraries reporting the lowest costs transmitted more than 1,500 pages per month per machine. The academic library reporting the lowest cost averaged 1,297 pages per month on its machine and the consortium reporting $7.12 per page averaged only 56 pages per month per machine.
One of the most significant components factored into the calculations was cost of telecommunications. The time of transmission, distances and carrier varied considerably among the 12 institutions for which costs became available. The special libraries achieving the lowest cost made all transmissions between 11:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m.; the academic library reporting the lowest cost used a discount telephone service. Those libraries incurring the highest costs had made a number of transmissions over regular telephone lines during the daytime. An interesting illustration of the importance of controlling telecommunications costs was furnished by the experiences of two similar libraries participating in one of the pilot projects. One of these libraries transmitted 50 percent more pages than the other yet incurred a telecommunications bill substantially less than half that of the library with the lower volume--a difference which could only partly explained the differences in destinations of the materials sent. Telecommunications costs as a percentage of the total cost ranged from under 25 percent to over 70 percent.
Labor costs also varied dramatically, reflecting both care in record keeping and reluctance on the part of some libraries to leave equipment unattended. If the institutions reporting virtually no labor costs are ignored, the remainder incurred labor costs as low as $.03 per copy and as high as $.27 per copy. Is it necessary to attend the equipment? Many librarians think so. In the case of some institutions the number of pages requiring retransmission exceeded 10 percent, but on average, the percentage was closer to 5 percent and some institutions experienced much lower rates.
There is not yet sufficient experience with a well managed, fully operational system to determine whether libraries can bring their costs down to a level near $.50 per page. It is clear that costs can quickly get out of hand if the use of the technology is not carefully controlled.
Keeping up with the M300 and other uses of the IBM PCLibrary and Information Resources for the Northwest, a program of the Fred Meyer Charitable Trust, has published a preliminary edition of a Directory of Telefacsimile Sites in Libraries in the United States. The directory lists some 180 libraries thought to have telefacsimile equipment on their premises. Information on the type of facsimile equipment and the telephone numbers for the fax machines is included where known.
A second edition of the directory is planned for later this year, and libraries are encouraged to report additions and changes for inclusion.
[Contact: Library and Information Resources for the Northwest, Fred Meyer Charitable Trust, 2125 Southwest Fourth Ave., Suite 202, Portland, OR 97201, (503) 241-8242.]
OCLC developing micro-based acquisitions systemTwo serial publications have emerged to assist libraries in their use of the OCLC M300 terminal (a custom modified IBM PC) and other IBM PC applications. OCLC Micro is a bimonthly journal designed to assist libraries using the M300 workstation or other microcomputer to access the OCLC System. Each issue will include articles, tips, small programs, solutions to problems, software and hardware reviews and literature abstracts. In addition to hardcopy listings, programs will also be published on diskette. A charter subscription for six issues plus two diskettes costs $30.00. Airmail postage outside of North America costs an additional $8.50. OCLC members may send their orders to: OCLC Documentation Department, 6565 Frantz Road, Dublin, Ohio 43017-0702. Prepaid orders should be directed to Department 630, P.O. Box ONB, Columbus, OH 43265.
The M300 and PC Report is a monthly publication that provides information on the use of the OCLC M300 workstation and IBM PC in technical processing, library management, collection analysis applications. An annual subscription costs $29.00 from: Meckler Publishing, 11 Ferry Lane West, Westport, CT 06880, (203) 226-6967.
Subject access to OCLC via BRSFollowing final field testing of its SC350 microbased serials control system, OCLC is now working on the development of a microcomputer-based acquisition system, designated ACQ35O. The ACQ35O software, tailored for use on OCLC's M300 workstation, will support funds accounting, file maintenance, and offline report production with links to the OCLC Online System for bibliographic verification and name-address information. Users will be able to download this information from the central system and upload orders to the Direct Transmission service for the electronic ordering of items from vendors.
Scheduled for release in early 1986, ACQ35O will be designed to interact with SC3SO, the microbased serials control system and with LS/2000, OCLC's local automated library system. Other planned features include: automatic claims and cancellations, hierarchical funding structures, use of default records for constant data, accommodation of all MARC formats, and multiuser, multitasking capabilities. The software is being developed by Meta Micro Library Systems of San Antonio, Texas, the same company that developed the SC350software.
[Contact: OCLC, 6565 Frantz Road, Dublin, OH 43017-0702.]
The electronic medical library turnkey optionA degree of assistance is on the way for librarians who feel that the usefulness of the OCLC Online Union Catalog is limited by the OCLC system's inability to provide subject access to the records. BRS Information Technologies and OCLC have signed an agreement whereby a subset of approximately one million records from the Online Union Catalog will be available for subject searching on BRS in Fall 1985. The records will include books, serials, sound recordings, scores, audiovisual materials, maps, manuscripts and software with imprint dates within the last four years. The file will be updated regularly.
Dubbed the OCLC EASI (Electronic Access to Subject Information) Reference Service, the product will provide access to modified records formatted into the public access/reference display used by BRS. Library holdings data will not be available online, but the records will contain the OCLC number to facilitate retrieval by OCLC members of the full bibliographic record from the OCLC Online Union Catalog.
Access will be through numeric and title searches, keywords, and Library of Congress and National Library of Medicine Subject Headings. OCLC members will be able to use their M300 workstations in dial-up mode to access the OCLC EASI Reference Service. All BRS subscribers, including both OCLC members and non-member libraries, can use the service. OCLC members will be granted a substantially discounted rate from BRS for use of OCLC EASI Reference.
[Contact: OCLC, 6565 Frantz Road, Dublin, OH 43017-0702.]
Dawson Group shows serials management systemOnline Research Systems demonstrated its integrated automated library system designed to meet the needs of medical libraries at the National Online Meeting in New York in early May. The Electronic Medical Library system utilizes the Unix operating system and is based on the BPS Search software. It offers support for acquisitions, cataloging, patron access catalog, circulation, serials control, interlibrary loan, electronic mail, and statistics. EML includes a program-Eliminator-which automatically reformats search results from remote databases into the format used in the local system. Eliminator uses separate modules to process different databases from different vendors; a library selects the modules for those remote files it searches most often.
Online Research intends to configure turnkey Electronic Medical Library systems using the NCR Tower supermicrocomputer which can support up to 16 simultaneous users. The company also plans to configure systems on DEC VAX equipment. Detailed functional descriptions and pricing information are expected to be made available in summer.
Meanwhile, libraries interested in accessing an online demonstration of the system's capabilities can do so by dialing (212) 249-4324, entering EML at the log-in command, and responding with a73m to the password prompt.
[Contact: Online Research Systems, 627 West 113th Street, Suite 4F, New York, NY 10025, (212) 408-3311.]
Automated serials control updateThe Dawson Group, a UK serials subscription agency, demonstrated its standalone IBM PC-based Serials Management System at the National Online Meeting in New York in May. At the time this report went to press, the company had not announced whether it intended to market the system in North America, but it was obviously testing interest in the product.
The system supports ordering and cost analysis, renewals, check-in, claiming, and routing-with a temporary deletion facility to assist rapid circulation by ignoring recipients who are on vacation-prioritization and global change of routing recipients. The system can report orders, claims, and renewals electronically using standard ASCII communications protocols.
The minimum recommended configuration is an IBM PC MT with 512KB of memory and l0MB of disk storage, plus a printer and communications facilities as required. This configuration is judged to be capable of supporting 1,250 serial titles.
In Britain, the SMS software is priced £1,500 for Dawson clients and £2,000 for libraries which do not use Dawson' s subscription services. [Contact: The Dawson Group Serials Management Services Ltd., Cannon House, Folkestone, Kent CT19 SEE, England 0303-57421.]
CLSI's SunriseThe Editors recently completed an update of the survey of automated serials control systems that was published as Vol. 20, No. 2 of Library Technology Reports (March/April 1984). The update will be published in LTR later this summer.
More than 60 vendors of turnkey systems, software, and serials subscription service were surveyed. Of these, 27 vendors offered support for the automation of serials control, or were planning to offer such support during 1985. Some vendors offer multiple systems and some systems are marketed by more than one vendor. As all of the systems and vendors have been mentioned in LSN during the past twelve months, only a listing of the available approaches to the automation of serials control is presented in this issue of LSN. The following coding is used on the list:
* also available as a single function system to support only serials control[] system, serials capability or significant enhancement to serials module due to be released during 1985
+ system or service includes union listing capability
- Integrated multifunction systems with serials control
Advanced Library Concepts [enhancements]
ATLAS [enhancements] +
BASIS (STACS) *
Bibliographic Access & Control System (PHILSOM) *
Bibliotech *+
[CL Systems Inc.]
[DATALIB] *+
[Data Phase]
DOBIS
Easy Data *
[Electronic Medical Library]
Geac
Georgetown Univ. Med. Center Library Information System
INNOVACQ *
LS/2000
Sedna *
Sirsi *
Minisis (CARDEX)
NOTIS
(URICA]
VTLS [enhancements]
- Standalone Serials Control systems
- Single User Systems
Book Trak Card Catalog
Checkmate/GS600
[Dawson Group 2]
Librarian
[LSSI 2]
[Microlinx]
[Perline]
PHILSOM
Professional Software
Read More
SC 350- Multiuser Systems
[Card Datalog]
Checkmate
INNOVACQ
LIBRARIAN
[Microlinx 2]
Perline
PHILSOM
[SC350 2]
[Professional Software]- Remote Systems
EBSCO +
Faxon +
Inforonics
OCLC +
PHILSOM +
Southwest Business Publications
- Single Function Systems to Support Routing
EBSCO's Route
Library Computer Services
North American Serials Interest GroupCL Systems Inc. has announced the availability of a new automated library system configuration designed to provide an affordable automation alternative for smaller libraries. Denoted "Sunrise," the system is designed for libraries with between 30,000 and 150,000 titles and up to 750,000 annual circulations. The system operates on a DEC LSI 11/7 3 CPU with Winchester disk drives. The configuration will support up to 16 terminals.
Three basic hardware packages are offered, comprising the CPU with 1MB of memory, 16 ports, a Winchester disk drive of 160, 300 or 600 MB, a streaming tape drive, a console printer, a printer, and an autoanswer device. Hardware prices for the three packages are $35,000, $45,000 and $55,000 respectively, with monthly hardware maintenance of ten percent of the purchase price. A standard installation fee of $2,000 applies to all three Sunrise systems. Terminals are supplied at extra cost. Standard CLSI terminal prices range from less than $1,000 to $5,000.
The LSI 11/73 will operate in a clean office environment with temperatures between 70 and 80 degrees. If these conditions are maintained, no extra environmental controls are required.
The system is expandable to four disk drives and a multiprocessor configuration is also possible. A system may not be able to support 16 terminals, however, because a single OPAC terminal requires computer resources equal to 3 to 4 circulation terminals.
The system will support all existing CLSI software-public Access Catalog II, circulation control, book acquisitions, materials booking and reserve room functions-and will accept standard software enhancements in future releases. The software is provided on an annual license fee basis, calculated on the number of terminals attached to the system. The license fee payment can be made annually, or in advance for periods of from three to five years. Discounts are offered for advance payments of the software license fee.
[Contact: CL Systems Inc., 1220 Washington Street, West Newton, MA 02165, (617) 965-6310.]
IBM expected to adopt custom chips for the PCThe North American Serials Interest Group (NASIG), formed during the midwinter meeting of ALA, has issued a news release proclaiming its purpose as "discussing, resolving, and communicating contemporary issues relating to all phases of serials management." The Group is seeking members from among all persons working with information in serials form: educators, librarians, serials publishers, subscription agents, bibliographers, binders, etc.
The Group proposes to avoid formal governing ties with existing related organizations and to rely on informal liaison with bodies such as the American Library Association and Special Library Association. It is intended that NASIG will refer to such organizations draft codes of ethics, statements of principle, and suggestions for new serials standards. Plans call for a two or three day annual conference to be held in different regional locations each year.
An open meeting of NASIG has been scheduled for the ALA 1985 Chicago conference. It will take place on July 9 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at DePaul University, Downtown Campus, Lewis Center, 25 E. Jackson, Room 1001 (one block from the Palmer House).
[Contact: Rebecca Lenzini, Co-Chair, NASIG, The Faxon Company, Inc., 15 Southwest Park, Westwood, MA 02090 or John F. Riddick, Co-Chair, NASIG, Park Library, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859.]
Long distance rate comparisonsIBM, having established its PC as the de facto standard for personal computers, now appears to be moving away from the use of standard microprocessor chips toward the use of Kustom Integrated Logic/ARay Chips (KIL/AR Chips). The new proprietary chips will enable future IBM machines to operate faster and will make it almost impossible for competitors to produce IBM-PC clones. Software developers will, therefore, have to write separate software for machines which use standard chips; presumably after they have written the software for IBM machines.
International Resource Development, a major research firm and publisher of Electronic Mail and Micro Systems (EMMS), predicts that the move to custom chips will occur in 1986 when IBM's share of the personal computer market is expected to reach 70 percent. It is currently 50 percent. Other companies expected to introduce their own custom chips are AT&T and Apple. These companies are expected to become the big three in PCs.
The effect of these developments would be a major shake-out in the personal computer market with only the large computer companies which manufacture several sizes of machines expected to survive.
BRS BRKTHRURecent comparisons of long distance rates confirm that AT&T service continues to be the most expensive available, but the gap between it and its competitors is narrowing. MCI is no longer the lowest cost option. SBS and TDX generally offer the lowest rates.
A three minute daytime call from New York to San Francisco is $1.61 with AT&T, $1.50 with Sprint, $1.45 with MCI, $1.36 with Allnet, $1.29 with SBS and $1.24 with TDX. A five minute daytime call from Anaheim to Denver is $2.18 with AT&T, $2.06 with Sprint, $1.97 with MCI or Allnet, $1.85 with SBS, and $1.78 with TDX.
Gaylord acquires LSSIBRS has introduced a new service, BRKTHRU, which provides a user-friendly, menu-based approach for new or casual users. The software is mounted on BRS. (It is not a micro-based package.)
On entering BRKTHRU, the user selects from a menu of 7 broad subject categories. The system displays a list of the files in the chosen categories and the user selects the file to be searched. The user may view a description of the file or proceed directly to a search. The system provides search prompts, if required. Multiword search terms are interpreted as being in an adjacency relationship; Boolean operators and field restrictions are also available. The system indicates the number of documents retrieved and provides a choice of action-printing, reviewing, purging, etc.
BRKTHRU costs $35 per connect hour, including telecommunication charges ($17.50 at night), plus database royalty and print charges.
[Contact: BRS Information Technologies, 1200 Route 7, Latham, New York, 12110, (518) 783-1161 or (800) 345-4BRS.]
UTLAS purchases ALIS IIIRegular readers of LSN will be familiar with MiniMARC, the standalone cataloging support system marketed by Library Systems & Services, Inc., of Rockville, Maryland. In the past year or so LSSI has received particular attention because of its pioneering efforts in the use of videodisc technology for the storage of machine-readable MARC records. Gaylord recently announced that it has agreed in principle to acquire LSSI, which will continue to pursue its areas of interest as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Gaylord.
[Contact: Library Systems & Services, Inc., 1395 Piccard Drive, Suite 100, Rockville, MD 20850, (800) 638-8725.]
UTLAS, the Canadian bibliographic utility, has purchased the Tandem-based ALIS III library system from DataPhase Systems, Inc. UTLAS has also acquired DataPhase's Eastwind microcomputer software and its Datashare networking facilities. No details were available at press time as to how UTLAS plans to manage its new acquisitions, nor on DataPhase's strategies for the support of its other systems--ALIS I and ALIS II.
[Contact: UTLAS, Inc., Library Automation Systems, 80 Bloor Street West, 2nd Floor, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 2Vl (416) 923-0890 or UTLAS Corp., 701 Westchester Avenue, Suite 308W, White r Plains, NY 10604, (914) 997-1495.]
Publication Information
| Publisher | Library Systems Newsletter was published by the American Library Association. |
|---|---|
| Editor-in-Chief: | Howard S. White |
| Contributing Editor: | Richard W. Boss |
| ISSN: | 0277-0288 |
| Publication Period | 1981-2000 |
| Business model | Available on Library Technology Guides with permission of the American Library Association. |
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