Library Technology Guides: Search the collection

Volume 6 Number 07 (July 1986)

Many libraries, especially academic and special libraries, are participating in the planning and implementation of a local area network (LAN) in their organizations. Some organizations are contemplating LANs with as many as several thousand terminals. The potential impact of this many users dialing into the library system is unsettling. However, the experience of libraries which have provided dial-in access for several years is reassuring.

The library at the University of Guelph, which has been offering dial-in access for more than six years, had for more than four of those six years supported 1,500 terminals with only four ports. It has been only in the last two years that the number of dial-in ports has been increased to eight. And, when 2,000 personal computers used in dormitories, offices and homes are offered access in the next year or so, eight more ports will be made available for dial-in access. While the existing eight ports have been fully utilized on a consistent basis, few queuing problems have been encountered, according to Larry Porter, Associate Librarian for Systems and Technical Processing. Porter reports that when all ports have been busy, more often than not, it has been at a time when local public libraries have been dialing in to capture bibliographic records for cataloging.

A recent study undertaken by the Association of Research Libraries revealed that the average number of dial-in ports on systems in ARTS libraries is only 4.6. While demand may increase substantially in coming years after more users become accustomed to using a patron access catalog in the library, it seems realistic for a library to designate a small number of ports for dial-in access and risk occasional busy signals during peak periods.

How another nation's bibliographic utility charges for services

Have you ever wondered how libraries in other nations pay for their cataloging derived from a bibliographic utility? The following summary of an article from a recent issue of ABN News provides a look at the pricing structure for cataloging charges at the Australian Bibliographic Network (ABN). ABN announced in March that all charges for addition of holdings to the National Bibliographic Database (NED) will be abolished effective July 1 of this year. From the time such services became available from PaN in 1981, charging has been based upon the "first time use" (FTU) principle, whereby libraries are assessed a charge for adding holdings to the NBD. This FTU charge is in use by networks in several countries as one means of charging for copy cataloging, the major use of a shared cataloging system. It has been noted, however, that benefit actually accrues to the participant only after the record appears in the participant's local catalog. The FTU charge, therefore, has been seen by many as a barrier to the addition of holdings data to the shared data base. It has also led to cumbersome monitoring and billing procedures. ABN has concluded that for these and other reasons it will: abolish all FTU charges for current, supplementary and retrospective cataloging; increase the inquiry charge for participants (the rate for dial-up customers will remain unchanged); increase sharply the credit for original cataloging on ABN; and increase product charges between 50 percent-70 percent. It is believed that the net effect of these changes will be to encourage greater contribution to the data base of holdings data and of original cataloging. ABN expects that its revenue will remain constant. However, the impact on individual libraries will vary depending upon their reference inquiry use of ABN, their original contributed cataloging, and their level and frequency of use of ABN products. It is predicted that some libraries will encounter increases of up to 25 percent, while others will experience decreases of as much as 50 percent, with the same activity levels as last year.

PALINET offers new cataloging services

MicroCat, a microcomputer-based cataloging system, and two complimentary services, Print Record and Final Record, are now available from PALINET. MicroCat uses LC MARC and GPO data bases as a source for cataloging records, supports full MARC tagging for copy cataloging and original input, provides access to English and foreign language records in all formats, provides custom printed car sets and labels, and provides machine-readable tapes of the library's records in MARC format. Ownership of MicroCat records remains in the hands of the operating library.

MicroCat operates on an IBM PC or compatible, and offers a 2.5 million record data base for cataloging, retrospective conversion or reclassification. Matched records may be edited to conform to the library's own standards. PRINT RECORD provides customized printouts of MARC bibliographic records. Using a library's individual MARC tapes or tape extracts from the PALINET data base, PRINT RECORD can produce printouts of bibliographic records for edit lists prior to COM or online catalog preparation, accessions lists, check lists for inventory and weeding, departmental or special collections catalogs, collection analysis and suplicate detection. FINAL RECORD is PALINET's archival tape service by which libraries can perform on-site record editing, consolidation of holdings, data barcoding, and elimination of duplicate records.

[Contact: James C. Schoenung, Executive Director, PALINET, 3401 Market St., Suite 262, Philadelphia, PA 19104.]

Mcdonnell Douglas reports

McDonnell Douglas Computer Systems Company responded to our annual survey of library system vendors too late to be included, but we would like to publish their response.

Two systems had been installed by the end of 1985; both were awaiting acceptance. Gross sales were under $1 million, and the library automation division did not realize a profit. A total of seven staff members were committed to software maintenance and development.

Both of the installed sites were using local cataloging, authority control, circulation, information retrieval, and report generation at the end of 1985. Acquisitions and serials control are scheduled to be installed in 1986. No bibliographic utility interfaces are available. Word processing is available, but not used by either site.

The Urica product is installed at 53 sites in other areas of the world.

[Contact: Pat Barkalow, Library Systems, McDonnell Douglas Computer Systems Company, P.O. Box 19501, Irvine, CA 92713. (714) 250-1000.]

Libraries and computer centers--a future together?

The question of whether or not academic computer centers or libraries should rule the information management kingdom on a campus has been a source of much disagreement in both camps lately. Perspectives on each side of the issue abound. Of all the articles and papers sent to the editors over the past few months, the paper presented at EDUCOM by Raymond K. Neff, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Information Systems and Technology at the University of California at Berkeley, is the most thought provoking. Its title is "Merging Libraries and Computer Centers: Manifest Destiny or Manifestly Deranged?" In it, Neff identifies eight trends related to the question. Listed in order of presentation in the article, the trends include:

Libraries are taking on computers to provide a higher level of information service, one that adds information manipulation to the other services;

Libraries are providing access to computerized data bases and are offering new services to users to assist them in customizing the output of the data base retrieval, regardless of whether the data are textual, numerical, or graphical;

Computer center usage for manipulating information will become a no-charge item very soon, as rationing of computer time becomes counter-productive, following the library's own model. The library and computer center will charge [only] for extraordinary services;

Information access, as well as information itself, will be placed closer to the user; this will accelerate as the electronic library
in its various forms is connected to high performance communications networks;
Information sharing among institutions and organizations will increase as intercampus networking is developed;

Libraries and computer centers will tend to have the same types of devices for archival storage; it will not matter too much which organization actually controls a particular device; a union catalog of all institutional information, including data and software, will exist;

All information will be storable in a standardized digital form no matter how it was created; it will be retrievable in an infinite variety of formats, as well as being transmittable anywhere within an institution and among institutions and even to society at large;

Electronic information packages and bit-mapped displays will be used when browsing through library collections and for reference; paper information packages (aka books) will be used for study. Customized textbooks will be economically viable.

The article concludes with a summary of what is being done at the University of California, Berkeley, and Neff's opinions of what the future holds.

Using your IBM-PC with CLSI

CLSI currently supports only Apple II personal computers, yet through Telios, an asynchronous communications package available from Genasys Corp., IBM and IBM compatibles can now access both CLSI and external data bases. LSN editors learned of this software package through the National Institutes of Health Library which is using Telios on their IBM PC XT in conjunction with a Hayes modem. NIH reports that the software is easy to use as it has a menu mechanism whereby a variety of dial-up information can be pre-programmed for later use. Command as well as menu driven option is available. The result is a system which provides smart-terminal capabilities similar to those available through Crosstalk, though with the addition of an error-checking file transfer, the capability of online viewing of disk files, a session manager, input queuing and transaction processing. Telios provides terminal emulation for ADM-l, TI91O, VT-52 and VT-100 terminals, claims to support every smart modem or acoustic coupler available, including the higher speed 2400 baud modems, and offers extensive online help in changing operations. It also offers user-defined unction keys, a screen buffer limited by the amount of your computer's available memory, an exit to DOS while still connected to the host, file transfers using XMODEM, Kermit, Xon/Xoff and standard ASCII transfer methodologies, and an automatic file backup system which will not destroy a file if you inadvertently create a file which already exists. Telios is not copy protected so it can be loaded onto a hard disk. Telios is available for $149.95 ($119.95 before September 1, 1986)

[Contact: Genasys Corp., 11820 Parklawn Dr., Rockville, MD 20852.]

Modem shopping? speed, reliability and price are the keys

According to the results of the second annual study of modem buyers and users conducted by Telecommunication Products Plus Technology, price, reliability and higher speeds are the main concerns of the 281 survey respondents. Presently, 46 percent of the modems in use are operating at 1200 bps with only 25.9 percent at 9600 bps. According to the survey, however, modem manufacturers should expect an increase in demand for faster modem speeds as respondents indicated their usage of 1200 bps modems would drop. Fifty-one percent of the respondents indicated that they planned to use 9600 bps or higher speeds in the future. The survey results support the notion that demand for modems representsa commodity market as respondents named 44 manufacturers as suppliers. Of the present installed base, the leading vendor is Hayes with 16 percent, with others in rank order being: AT&T, Racal-Vadic, Racal-Milgo, Codex, Universal Data Systems, and General DataComm.

Though the respondents of the survey represent modem users in business and industry, the trend toward faster modem speeds is beginning to establish itself in the library market. The 300 bps modem has generally been displaced by 1200 and 2400 modems. There are an increasing number of 4800 bps modems in use. Libraries should consider specifying faster modems even at somewhat higher cost, but should be aware that terminals and terminal controllers will also have to be upgraded at additional cost. They should also be aware that some vendors' software restricts data transmission speed. Further, some vendors will not assume responsibility for performance at the higher transmission rates.

Bargain terminals

An increasing number of libraries are purchasing terminals from sources other than the vendor of their turnkey systems. It is not surprising because the savings can be considerable, especially if equipment is ordered by mail from a reliable supply house. For example, the Wyse 50 terminal, which can be used on many turnkey library systems because it emulates Televideo 910/919/925, ADDS Viewpoint, and Hazeltine 1500 terminals, costs only $510 when purchased in quantities of three or more. The Wyse 85 terminal, which emulates the Digital VT 220, is available for approximately $550. The Tatung TVT 7220, a Digital VT 220 look-alike, is priced at less than $500. The prices quoted are for 14-inch, non-glare, dark-tinted screens. The increasingly popular amber display versions cost approximately five percent more.

The best source for ads are the computer magazines which focus on specific manufacturers such as Data General, Digital, etc. Purchasers should confirm that the equipment is new and covered by the manufacturer's warranty.

Keeping your PC clean

Falcon Safety Products has packaged a number of its most popular personal computer maintenance supplies in a single kit. The $39.95 kit comes in a Plexiglas case and contains Falcon's Print Element Cleaner, Platen Conditioner & Cleaner, an anti-static spray Computer Cleaner, ScreenSafe disposable wipes, and a four-ounce can of Dust-Off. The print element cleaner is also recommended for thimbles, dot-matrix printer heads, and printer-ribbon guides.

The platen cleaner improves the printer's grip on the paper, while the anti-static spray cleans terminal surfaces and reduces static build-up. The ScreenSafe wipes will not scratch glass or plastic surfaces and are designed to help clean terminal screens. Dust-off removes dust from machines by blowing it away, thus avoiding contact with the machine.

[Contact: Falcon Safety Products, Inc., Mountainside, NJ 07092.]

Outline processor available for IBM PC users

The Software Resource Group's Brown Bag Software line now includes Outline!, an outline processor for IBM PCs and clones. The price is $89.95. The processor helps users organize random notes into an outline. The program is RAM resident using 85 KB. Outline! can help PC users structure documents in a logical sequence. Users can also list information at random, while the program shuffles the list and sorts into an outline. The program also features pull-down menus, zoom windows, and various print fonts. In addition, users can transfer information between outlines, move blocks of copy, and manipulate margins.

[Contact: The Software Resource Group, Campbell, CA 95008.]

A new electronic mail link developed

MCI Communications Corp. and CompuServe, Inc. have signed an agreement to connect their formerly incompatible electronic mail services under which a half million subscribers will have access to both MCI Mail and CompuServe's Info-Plex and EasyPlex facilities. MCI Mail's LINK protocol lets subscribers to either service create and send messages without having to learn new access methods or commands. This agreement is the first domestic link between competing electronic mail services. It is hoped that more such links will follow.

DEC's electronic mail to conform to standard

Digital Equipment Corp. (DEC) announced that it will become the first major computer vendor to have its electronic mail conform to emerging international communications standards at the application level. In July, DEC users will be able to send and receive electronic mail from other vendors' equipment that supports the X.400 message handling standard of the International Telegraph and Telephone Consultative Committee. The product will be called the Message Router X.400 Gateway and will run on any VAX computer which uses DEC's DECnet network. The package will be priced from $2,400 for the MicroVAX II to $12,000 for the high-end VAX 8800.

Telefacsimile continued -- accessing materials from other libraries

The editors have devoted a fair amount of space in recent issues to telefacsimile and the opportunities available to libraries through telefax transmis-sion. We will continue to devote energy to the topic because we believe it has real potential for libraries. In that vein, we are pleased to inform our read-ers of two new directories of telefax users. The Official Facsimile Users' Directory published in 1986 by FDP Associates in New York includes approximately 400 libraries both in alphabetical listings and in an index under "Educational, Cultural, and Social Services." The price is $55, and orders may be telephoned to (800) 223-0507, extension 993. The mailing address is 461 Park Avenue, Suite 202, Portland, OR 97201. A free Directory of Telefacsimile Sites in Libraries lists only 175 libraries, but is conveniently arranged by state. It is available from the LIRN Office at the Fred Meyer Charitable Trust, 2125 Southwest Fourth Avenue, Suite 202, Portland, OR 97201.

UMI Artifax and ZapMail operational
The UMI Article Clearinghouse has given libraries another reason to investigate fax. Artifax and ZapMail services were introduced in the past few months to augment UMI's traditional journal article delivery service and are now fully operational. Artifax is UMI's own service, and ZapMail is the service offered by Federal Express. Sue Kennedy, Manager of the Clearinghouse, reports that while the services are too new to assess market acceptance, the company believes that Artifax and ZapMail use will take hold late in the year.

Many libraries in the past have attempted to use fax for speedy document delivery, but found that the experience was less than satisfying due to the limitations of Group II equipment. With the availability of Group III equipment at under $3,000, fax is proving to be a viable alternative to traditional methods. UMI's Artifax requires Group III equipment, and ZapMail uses special equipment manufactured for Federal Express by NEC.

Both Artifax and ZapMail systems require that customers prepay all orders. Orders may be placed either electronically through Dialog, BRS, OCLC, or UMInet, UMI's own direct dial online ordering network (UMInet use is free), or by mail, telephone or fax. There is no surcharge when orders are placed electronically; however, there is a $5.00 surcharge for orders placed by mail, phone, or fax. The cost of the articles themselves is a function of a number of variables. For customers who establish a $200 deposit account, post 1978 articles cost $7.00, while pre-1978 articles cost $10.00. For libraries which establish a $2,000 deposit account, the cost is $5.00 and $9.00, respectively. These charges apply regardless of the length of the article. The basic service provided by UMI guarantees a 48-hour turnaround time (weekends and holidays excluded) or the article is available at no cost. Pre-1978 materials are excluded from the guarantee. Four rush delivery options are available, including overnight courier, first class, Artifax, and ZapMail. Each delivery option provides for 24-hour processing by UMI. The overnight option has the document traveling by courier service. There is a $5.00 surcharge per article and an $11.00 per pound courier fee. The first class option is available for a $5.00 surcharge. The Artif ax option is available for a $9.00 surcharge for the first 20 pages and an additional $.30 per page thereafter. For libraries without fax equipment, the service is available through Federal Express's ZapMail for a $15.00 surcharge and the same $.30 extra per page after the first 20. Materials under this arrangement would be faxed to the Federal Express office nearest the library and delivered by Federal Express as it would any other package.

[Contact: Sue Kennedy, UMI Article Clearinghouse, 300 N. Zeeb Road, Box 11, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. (800) 732-0616.]
Readers' responses
A reader has written to criticize our recent comparison (LSN, March 1986, pp. 17-18) of the computers on the basis of MIPS (millions of instructions per second). The point made is that the comparison is simplistic and fails to take into consideration that library systems are more concerned with moving data from disk drives to terminals than in "number-crunching." We agree and would not advise anyone to purchase hardware on the basis of the number of MIPS. However, that was not the point of our article. We were specifically calling attention to the fact that the distinction between mainframes and minis is getting fuzzy. A large library need no longer rule out minis. One indicator of the increased performance of minis is the MIPS rating. In an actual procurement evaluation there would be additional factors considered.

The editors have also been taken to task for their article on OCLC's CJK workstation (LSN, February 1986, pp. 13- 14). The reader pointed out that LC's CJK records probably won't be available until Fall, an apparent slippage in the date quoted to the editors in January.

We were also informed that half of the RLIN data base's CJK records represent the contributions of its numbers, rather than the 10 percent quoted by the editors. This is an important correction. We have since learned that our source intended to say that the data base would be 10 percent contributed records after the loading of LC records. The reader also did not like the characterization of RLG's CJK terminals as more expensive than OCLC's. The contention was made that if several terminals were installed, the costs would be comparable. We accept that correction with thanks, but suggest that single terminal CJK installations will be far more common than multiple terminal ones. However, terminal price is not really much of an issue because virtually no library will make a choice between RLIN and OCLC participation on that basis.

The importance of the story for the editors lies in the fact that non-Roman terminals are beginning to become available on bibliographic utility systems, thus overcoming a long-standing constraint faced by many research and special libraries. We hope the availability of such terminals on bibliographic utility systems presages their availability on local library systems.

Finally, let us express our disappointment that the agreement in principle to exchange CJK records between OCLC and RLIN is denied by an RLIN spokesperson.
PC clones fall in price
The introduction by IBM of a faster and less expensive PC AT has brought responses from competing manufacturers. Price reductions are being matched by some PC AT-compatible manufacturers, while others are responding with the introduction of new, lower cost and higher function models. Among the new PC AT clones is the Telecat 286 from Televideo Systems Inc. of San Jose, California. A model with 512 KB of RAM, a 1.2-Mbyte floppy drive, a 20-Mbyte hard disk, and a 14-inch monochrome monitor is available for $2,995, $2,200 less than the IBM PC AT without a monitor. Other new PC AT-compatible models include the NEC Advanced Personal Computer IV from NEC Information Systems, Inc., Boxborough, Mass. Equipped with 640 Kbytes of RAM, a 1.2-Mbyte floppy drive, and a 40-Mbyte hard disk, the IV is available for $5,045, not including monitor. ITT Information Systems has introduced a new ITT Xtra XL Series line. The new machines are designed to be used as either local-area network file servers or as 16-user systems. Two models, priced from $5,300- $7,200, run under an enhanced MS-DOS which permits users to create single hard-disk files larger than 32 Mbytes, a limit imposed by the standard MS-DOS operating system. Forty-seventy Mbytes of hard disk storage are available, along with a tape backup system. ITT also responded by reducing the prices of its ITT Xtra to $3,365. At the same time, Hewlett-Packard reduced the cost of its Vectra PC to $4,893, and Compaq reduced the price of its Deskpro 286 to $5,700.

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.

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.