bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
retriev: an information retrieval system implemented on top of a relational database
Authors: Smeaton Alan F.
Published: February 2008

Database management systems (DBMS) and information retrieval (IR) systems can both be used as online information systems but they differ in the type of data and the types of retrieval they provide for users. Many previous attempts have been made to couple DBMS and IR systems together, either by integrating the two into a unified framework, or by using a DBMS as an implementation tool for information retrieval functionality. This paper reports on some of these previous attempts and describes a system, retriev, which uses a DBMS to implement an IR system for teaching and research purposes. The implementation of retriev is described in detail and the effects that the current trends in database research will have on the relationship between DBMS and IR systems, are discussed.
A brief look at automation activities in Turkish university libraries
Authors: Tonta Yasar
Published: February 2008

Turkey, one of the cradles of civilisation, is a republic founded by Kemal Ataturk in 1923 after the collapse of the 600‐year‐old Ottoman Empire. Its location in two continents (Europe and Asia) has been a central factor in its history, culture and politics; Turkey has often been called a bridge between East and West. Turkey, Islamic in tradition, is a newly industrialised democratic nation of 55 million people.
Report on the First International Conference on Bibliographic Access in Europe
Authors: Cousins S.A. , Hartley R.J.
Published: February 2008

The First International Conference on Bibliographic Access in Europe attracted delegates from twenty‐seven countries to the University of Bath in September 1989. The conference is the successor to the earlier conferences ‘Online Public Access to Library Files’ which were held at the same location in 1983, 1985 and 1987. The changed focus of the conference reflected Philip Bryant's, (Director of the Centre for Bibliographic Management at Bath) view that a lot had been written about OPACs and that they ought to be viewed in the wider context of bibliographic access, which in turn was now an international issue. The decision to focus on Europe was timely, given moves towards greater integration within the European Community. The international nature of the gathering was emphasised by the provision of simultaneous translation between English, French and German, and papers presented by speakers from more than ten countries. The major themes of the conference were the role of networks and CD‐ROMs in providing bibliographic access, and standards associated with both the contents of records and their transfer.
Potential of DOBIS/LIBIS and MINISIS for automating library functions: a comparative study
Authors: Sattar Chaudhry Abdus , Saleh Ashoor Mohammed
Published: February 2008

This paper reports the results of a comparative study of the suitability of DOBIS/LIBIS and MINISIS for library applications. Evaluation of the systems against locally developed criteria have indicated great potential for handling all major library functions including Arabisation. The study has shown that DOBIS/LIBIS scored higher in circulation and periodical control, while MINISIS scored higher in cataloguing and OPAC functions. Further, DOBIS/LIBIS' support services and MINISIS' documentation require considerable enhancements. The authors conclude that DOBIS/LIBIS seems to be more suitable for large academic libraries, with access to the mainframe computer and adequate data processing staff. MINISIS in the meantime, may be a better choice for special libraries and information centres interested in SDI, indexing services, etc. which want to use mini or microcomputers.
The development of Chinese ideographic processing for a shared cataloguing system
Authors: Cain Jack
Published: February 2008

This article describes the major aspects involved in the development, by Utlas, of a shared cataloguing system capable of handling Chinese ideographic data. Utlas has been involved in the processing of various Asian languages including Japanese and Korean for several years. An outline of the various options available for processing Chinese characters is given. Retrieval mechanisms suitable for the Chinese language are also discussed.
TITAN: an information management system for faster retrieval from massive databases using signatures
Authors: Calderbank Valerie J.
Published: February 2008

TITAN is an information management environment designed for fast retrieval of records from extremely large (several million records) collections of data. It provides unlimited multi‐key retrieval and, unlike most retrieval systems, the more terms specified in the query the faster the query is performed. This paper describes the facilities provided by TITAN, explains the underlying theory of signature files behind it and analyses its strengths and weaknesses relative to other tools on the market.
Library application software packages in Nigeria: A survey
Authors: Ubogu Felix N.
Published: February 2008

Modern information technologies (ITs) are increasingly being applied in the administrative and housekeeping functions of libraries. These ITs are, however, not extensively utilised in Nigerian libraries and the reasons for this have been advanced. Among the reasons identified are:
Managing a large library automation project: observations based on the Surrey County Library experience
Authors: Dickmann Julia
Published: February 2008

All projects, and especially automation projects, fall into the three stages of planning, choosing and implementation. This article charts the progress through these three stages in Surrey County Library, concentrating on the management issues and lessons learned in the process. The requirements of the system are given as will as the reasons for the final choice of McDonnell Douglas URICA. A figure details the costs of the hardware, software and network components. An appendix outlines the time scale of the whole project.
Automation in the Department of Printed Books at the National Library of Wales: Part 2, cataloguing, retrospective conversion, enquiry and circulation
Authors: Jeremiah David
Published: February 2008

This is the second in a series of three articles describing the automation system, based on McDonnell Douglas' URICA package used in the Department of Printed Books at the National Library of Wales. A description of the Cataloguing Module is given, including developments to respond to changing working practices and problems inherent in the original system design. The Retrospective Record Conversion procedures are described and the likely impact of CD‐ROM technology is recognised. Finally the Enquiry/Public Access and Circulation modules are described giving short‐comings of the existing system and suggested ways to improve the facilities in the future.
CLSI's LIBS‐100 at Reading University Library
Authors: Arfield J.A.
Published: February 2008

In the late 1980s changes in the economics of computing led to the move away from computer systems shared between libraries to systems that were intended to provide a full range of integrated facilities at the local level. Reading University was anxious to take advantage of the improvements in service and efficiency that such systems provided. Since 1979 it had been a member of the SWALCAP library co‐operative, which provided shared cataloguing and circulation services. Ageing equipment was becoming increasingly unreliable and was unable to cope with the increasing number of terminals that were required. In 1987 the university made provision for the replacement of the shared systems by a new local system.
A UK market survey of library automation system vendors (January 1989‐January 1990)
Authors: Blunden‐Ellis John
Published: February 2008

This paper updates previous papers which surveyed the large library automation system marketplace in the UK. The present study covers the period January 1989 – January 1990 and considers market growth, vendor share analysis, new acquisitions, small library systems, and an overview of customers in continental Europe. Results are based on responses to questionnaires distributed to the vendors in mid‐1990.
Library system demonstrations in Sandwell
Authors: Wallace Susan M. , Holmes R.D.
Published: February 2008

As part of the selection process for a computer system for Sandwell Libraries, we invited the three suppliers we had shortlisted to demonstrate their systems to staff. The demonstrations were meant to have various purposes:
The implementation of BASIS at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund
Authors: Davies Mary
Published: February 2008

This paper summarises the factors influencing the selection and implementation of BASIS (Release K) and its library application packages (TechLib/STACS/BILL) in the creation of seven end user databases at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund (ICRF). The Science Citation Index source tapes are used to provide a current‐awareness service and an online search service of the latest six months of data. A full‐text database of scientific reports, and details of staff publications and staff laboratories is created. The BILL (British Interlibrary Loans) module of BASIS is used for the large number (12,000 + p.a.) of interlibrary loans and photocopy requests at ICRF. The emphasis is on local requirements and customisation of the program modules for end users rather than a detailed description of their standard features.
Implementing CAIRS‐LMS in a small academic library: experience at Templeton College, Oxford
Authors: Perrow David
Published: February 2008

Templeton College is a management education centre linked to Oxford University. In 1989 the existing micro‐CAIRS system was upgraded to the integrated CAIRS‐LMS system running over a newly installed network linked to a VAX mainframe. This article outlines the reasons for this upgrade and describes how CAIRS‐LMS is operated in the context of a small academic library.
Library automation in Belgium in 1990
Authors: Van Borm Jilien
Published: February 2008

Belgium has a longstanding and rich tradition in library automation from the beginning in the late 1960s to the present day. Unlike, for instance, the Netherlands, it has no national centre for library automation such as PICA. Library automation in Belgium followed more or less the same richly diversed pattern as in Great Britain.
Information technology in Greek libraries: an update
Authors: Hartley R.J. , Trohopoulos I.
Published: February 2008

In an earlier paper we reported on the application of information technology in Greek libraries. In November 1990, the British Library Research and Development Department (BLR&DD) together with the University College of Wales funded a second visit to Greece by the first author. This visit coincided with the 6th Panhellenic congress of Greek librarians meeting in Athens where the theme of the congress was ‘New technology and Greek libraries’. This visit and our attendance at the congress enabled us to report briefly on progress in the application of information technology in Greek libraries. Since this paper is intended to update the earlier paper, we have striven to avoid repetition and it may be necessary to read the earlier paper before this one.
‘Upward still and onward’: where are we going in library automation? A personal view
Authors: Friend F.J.
Published: February 2008

I can still remember the pride with which, just under 20 years ago, we installed a punched‐card ALS system into the Brotherton Library at the University of Leeds. It was the wonder of the age. Admittedly the equipment was temperamental, and the system produced overdue notices consisting of numbers which borrowers could not translate into authors and titles, but this was state‐of‐the‐art library automation. The system was expected to give users of the library a ‘better’ service (I do not remember that being defined), at a lower cost (the costings probably also being uncertain but at least with the potential to save on labour‐intensive manual methods), and we expected automation to give the Brotherton Library a good image, forward‐looking and taking advantage of new developments. My mixture of nostalgia and cynicism has a purpose: if we could feel as we did 20 years ago about a system which would today be regarded as primitive, how will we feel in 20 years' time about today's systems? And if we anticipate the same mix of nostalgia and cynicism in 20 years' time, what does that tell us about planning new systems now? Do we give up, on the basis that in due course what we do now will be regarded as primitive, or do we press on, on the basis that in due course what we do now will be tolerated kindly by our successors as another stage in the development of library automation?
Downloading and reformatting external records for researchers' personal databases
Authors: Tönsing Rolf E.
Published: February 2008

This paper examines the problem many researchers experience of having to spend much time rekeying records obtained from external online and CD‐ROM databases into their own personal databases on personal computers (PC). An overview of the possibilities for electronic transfer of such records is given. For a university library and information centre the need for a multi‐purpose reformatting program, capable of converting record formats of many diverse databases to a multitude of personal database formats, is demonstrated. One such program, HEADFORM, is used to test record conversion from one CD‐ROM and four online databases to three researchers' personal databases on PC, and to determine approximate time savings by transferring such records electronically instead of manually. Results show that, with a few limitations, records from online and CD‐ROM databases can be converted successfully to the formats required by these three personal database systems, and that significant time savings are possible by electronic transfer of converted records, instead of rekeying these records into personal databases.
Searching The Times, The Guardian and The Independent on CD‐ROM
Authors: Ryan Frank
Published: February 2008

The full‐text of the major UK quality newspapers — The Times and Sunday Times, The Guardian and The Independent and The Independent on Sunday — was published in CD‐ROM form in early 1991. The design of the three CD‐ROM products is very different. The differences are explored and illustrated in detail in this article. The Times on CD‐ROM is the simplest product to use and The Independent on CD‐ROM is the most complex. Each product has a number of novel, distinct features as well as features in common with the other two products.
Developments in Intel Processor Based PCs
Authors: Flower Eric
Published: February 2008

During the 1990s the modern library will continue its transformation into a centre for networked information as our current reliance on inhouse collections gives way to access to information from many sites. As costs continue to rise for material acquisition, technical support, and construction, access to information rather than ownership becomes more and more appealing. Simply put, why build, acquire, process, store and retrieve, on the off‐chance that a user may someday ask for the information? Why not forego those costs and pay a premium for delivery only at the time the information is requested?
A microcomputer‐based alternative to a printed KWOC index
Authors: Brock Julian R.
Published: February 2008

This short communication describes how a printed KWOC index generated on a mainframe computer has been replaced with a database which can be distributed on floppy discs and searched on microcomputers.
An expert system for quality control and duplicate detection in bibliographic databases
Authors: Ridley M.J.
Published: February 2008

The QUALCAT project at the University of Bradford attempted to apply automated quality control to databases of bibliographic records. Sets of records, putative duplicates, that appeared to be for the same monograph were grouped together and an expert system used to determine whether they were in fact duplicates, and if so which were the best records. This paper outlines the expert system used and discusses problems and further developments in automated examination of bibliographic records.
Library Technology Fair 1991 : a report
Authors: Tedd Lucy A.
Published: February 2008

The sixth Library Technology Fair was held at Hatfield Polytechnic on 11–12 September 1991. The fair has grown steadily in size since it was first held, in 1985, as a training event for the staff of HERTIS college libraries. HERTIS, which is based at Hatfield Polytechnic, has provided an information and consultancy service to member firms since the 1960s and, since 1979, has co‐operated with Hertfordshire Library Service in providing a commercial information service. A description of its experiences in the development and publication of a business databank of companies was given by Forster and others.
The development of CD‐ROM provision at the Sultan Qaboos University in the Sultanate of Oman
Authors: Johnston Colin S.
Published: February 2008

The Sultan Qaboos University admitted its first students in 1986; this was an impressive achievement considering that very few schools existed in Oman 20 years ago. Since coming to power in 1970 Sultan Qaboos bin Said has led the renaissance in Oman in all aspects of life and this is probably most easily recognised in the area of education.
Character sets: towards a standard solution?
Authors: Peruginelli Susanna , Bergamin Giovanni , Ammendola Pino
Published: February 2008

Character coding systems such as ASCII and EBCDIC are unable to deal with the worldwide range of characters and so possible solutions, such as ISO 10646 and Unicode, involving 16‐bit codes have been suggested. The paper examines how libraries deal with multi‐lingual character sets and describes work being undertaken on the definition of a basic European character set as part of the National Bibliographies on CD‐ROM project being funded as part of the Commission of the European Communities Action Plan for Libraries.
Library automation in Spain: an overview
Authors: Keefer Alice , Jiménez Miguel
Published: February 2008

Spain's libraries have experienced considerable change in the past decade as a result of governmental restructuring and the general economic boom, after many years of neglect. Automation efforts, the first of which date from the late 1960s, have increased in the past five years, coinciding with the introduction of new software packages. The pace of automation and the software solution chosen vary according to the different types of libraries. Some networking and co‐operative ventures have begun recently, especially among university and research libraries. It remains to be seen if the present growth will continue after the major events of 1992 have concluded.
The modernisation of Portuguese libraries — five decisive years
Authors: Luísa Cabral Maria , Inês Lopes Maria
Published: February 2008

Recent developments in Portuguese libraries are described with special attention to the application of new information technologies. The obvious modernisation largely described in the LIB‐2 update study has been mainly due to the automation of the National Library and the creation of the Online Union Catalogue. Main aspects and stages of this process which revolutionised Portuguese libraries are therefore emphasised.
Automation of document handling at Radio‐France
Authors: Leloup Catherine
Published: February 2008

This article describes the automation of a documentation centre which provides services to journalists and news editors at Radio‐France (the major French broadcasting organisation) as well as to other broadcasting and television companies. The system objectives are briefly presented and the comparison of the previous and new systems is used to highlight major issues regarding the technical solution adopted, organisational impact and economic aspects.
A UK market survey of library automation system vendors (1990–1991)
Authors: Blunden‐Ellis John
Published: February 2008

This paper updates previous papers which surveyed the large library system marketplace in the UK. The present study based on the results of questionnaires distributed in 1991 to library automation system vendors considers market growth, vendor share analysis, new installations, small library systems, and an overview of the vendor's activity in continental Europe. Pie charts provide breakdowns by vendor for installations in various sectors of the market.
TINlib: why and how the Arts Council chose this integrated software system to manage its library
Authors: Chappell Stephen , Thackeray Annie
Published: February 2008

The library of the Arts Council of Great Britain holds material on arts management, cultural policy and the arts economy. It is available to staff, clients and researchers doing work on arts policy and funding. There are about 10,000 books and the following services are offered:
Program: notes for contributors
Authors: Tedd Lucy A. , Wilson C.W.J. , Young R.C.
Published: February 2008

In a dummy article, which itself forms a model, the types of contribution (full‐length articles, short communications, news items, letters to the Editor) which are welcomed for Program are described. The scope of the journal, and some details of its publisher, Aslib, are given. The format required for contributed scripts is specified, and the various stages in the publication of a paper are described. Sample references are given.
Shareware database management software: an assessment of its usefulness to information officers in small voluntary sector organisations in the UK
Authors: Harding Jean , Martin Gillian
Published: February 2008

Small voluntary sector organisations with limited budgets often cannot afford expensive commercial software and may not need all the facilities such software provides. A large quantity of cheap software is distributed in the form of shareware but, for a number of reasons, is not widely used in the UK. This article describes the findings of a postgraduate project which aimed to assess the usefulness of shareware to information officers in small, voluntary sector organisations. A specific objective was to identify reliable shareware packages that could be used to manage reading lists, mailing lists, and other inhouse databases. The packages evaluated were 3by5, Business Librarian, File Express, Freefile, Instant Recall and PC‐File 5. The use of four of the packages was tested in two voluntary organisations (the National Self‐Help Support Centre and the Women's Nutritional Advisory Service) and is described.
The Geac ADVANCE system in the House of Lords Library
Authors: Lewis Jones David
Published: February 2008

A brief account of the history of the catalogue in the House of Lords Library is given, followed by a description of progress on catalogue automation 1978–90. An outline of the decision to acquire a multi‐user integrated online library system is provided with an account of the method of selection. The specification and functions of the Geac ADVANCE system, as used in the House of Lords Library, are described in detail, covering the modules for cataloguing, OPAC, acquisitions and serials control.
Introduction to interactive multimedia
Authors: Hoffos Signe
Published: February 2008

‘Interactive multimedia’ was, only a few years ago, just a fuzzy shape on the horizon of new technology. With rapid developments in computing, telecommunications and home entertainment, interactive multimedia now describes a range of products for corporate and consumer markets which — after more than a decade of promise and potential — are setting standards for the decade to come. A handful of products are of particular interest to libraries now; however, a wide range of products and issues, from electronic books and computer games to compression technology and networking, will profoundly influence the future of publishing and communications. This article identifies some of the key issues and platforms including interactive video (IV), multimedia computers, electronic books, and optical discs in the LaserDisc and compact disc (CD) formats.
Selection criteria for a document image processing system for the ELINOR Electronic Library project
Authors: Ramsden Anne , Wu Zimin , Zhao Dianguo
Published: February 2008

The Information Centre at De Montfort University Milton Keynes is carrying out a three year research project known as the ELINOR Electronic Library project, which will work towards the creation of a large, indexed collection of electronic texts and images accessible to the students and staff via desktop workstations. The pilot phase will build on the existing information network and use the latest document image processing (DIP) and text retrieval technologies to set up a central and secure location for the data. At this stage of the project, the recommended course texts are not available in electronic formats, so the priority was to assess the suitability of a DIP system for converting printed works into machine‐readable text and image files. Each electronic document will contain a searchable table of contents, abstract, back‐of‐the‐book index data, and, appended to this information will be a folder of image pages. This paper outlines the investigative stages in evaluating and selecting a DIP system, and finally, covers the shortcomings of using a commercial DIP system for electronic libraries.
The Italian library network: SBN — Servizio Bibliotecario Nazionale
Authors: De Pinedo Isa
Published: February 2008

The aim of this article is to provide a brief introduction and description of SBN (Servizio Bibliotecario Nazionale), the Italian national network which has been working as a full‐scale union catalogue and shared cataloguing system since June 1992 and now connects 104 libraries. The gradual development of SBN over the past 10 years is described as well as its structure and architecture and its future possible developments.
ELAG 93: report of the library systems seminar on the virtual library
Authors: Goossens Paula
Published: February 2008

The 17th ELAG (European Library Automation Group) Library Systems Seminar took place at Graz, Austria from 14 to 16 April 1993. The theme ‘The Virtual Library’ attracted 110 members from more than 20 European countries. Compared with last year 20 per cent more delegates attended, compared with two years ago the growth was 80 per cent. Most of the members, especially the newcomers, were pleased with the amount of information on practical experience and accurate knowledge exchanged during the meeting. The sudden expansion did not at all harm the enthusiasm and activity of the members. The novices quickly adapted to the particularities of ELAG's organisation.
Bi‐lingual bibliographic software for processing library materials in the Arabic language
Authors: SALEH Ashoor M. , Sattar Chaudhry Abdus
Published: February 2008

Bibliographic applications require special software capabilities if they are to provide the flexibility necessary for creating textual databases. Many specialised computer programs have been developed to facilitate bibliographic information processing. Saffady's survey of selected software in 1984 and a more recent survey carried out by Bridge in 1991 list more than 26 bibliographic application packages in use in different information agencies. However, not many programs are suitable for managing bi‐lingual applications, particularly in the processing of data in Arabic. Ashoor, Aman, and Salem have discussed in detail the problems of absence of a unified code, limitations of data input and output, and other problems related to computer terminals which have affected the development of bi‐lingual software.
Talis at Nene: an experience in migration in a college library
Authors: Wilson Maurice
Published: February 2008

Nene College in Northampton was the first of BLCMP's customers to migrate from its existing BLS system to the new UNIX‐based Talis. The article outlines the rationale behind the migration and the on‐site experiences. These highlight some of the hazards, and offer pointers for consideration by libraries intending to migrate.
Multimedia in museums: an overview of its developments
Authors: Huguet Valls Carina
Published: February 2008

The fundamental role that the new optical multimedia information technologies play in the museum context is analysed as a solution to problems in the management of museographic documentation. The advantages that the new technical means can give museums are assessed. The new optical means of information storage are analysed and the problems hindering the hypermedia interactive development in these institutions are exposed; legal, technological, standardisation and resources. Finally, the state of some existing applications is described at three levels; a) projects of collaboration for the growth and spread of information on projects for the development of multimedia databases; b) institutional projects for research into computerised system managers of image documentation; and c) individual projects from different centres belonging to different countries.
Joint Funding Councils' Libraries Review Group (the ‘Follett’) Report — the contribution of the Information Technology Sub‐committee
Authors: Brindley Lynne J.
Published: February 2008

The Funding Councils of England, Scotland and Wales, and the Department of Education for Northern Ireland set up a Review of library provision in higher education in the Autumn of 1992, chaired by Sir Brian Follett, Vice Chancellor of Warwick University. The Review reported late in 1993 and has, perhaps for the first time since the Parry Report of 1967, placed library matters high on the higher education agenda. The Review was set up against a background of perceived problems of libraries in coping with the huge expansion of the undergraduate population, such concerns being pictorially conveyed in the press through crowded libraries, students studying on the floor, and so on: the political agenda for Follett was mass teaching and its required facilities.
The Iconographic Collections Videodisc at the Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, London
Authors: Schupbach William
Published: February 2008

Many libraries, museums, galleries, and heritage centres are thinking of using electronic media to help them to achieve some of their aims, and a much smaller number have started to put these plans into practice. One such project is the Wellcome Institute Library's Iconographic Collections Videodisc, which has been up and running since June 1993, available to the public free of charge and without appointment at the Wellcome Building in London.
Automation and archives: a survey of the systems at the University of Southampton Library
Authors: Woolgar C.M.
Published: February 2008

A suite of databases designed to provide a guide to archive collections, detailed descriptions of some major holdings and surveys of holdings elsewhere, has been developed at the University of Southampton Library since 1983. The databases are mounted using STATUS. Future development paths for archive systems are discussed.
The implementation of a public reservation service in a multi‐site academic library
Authors: Lambert Jill , Andrews Judith , McMullan John
Published: February 2008

The practical issues involved in the implementation of a public reservation service using BLS (BLCMP Library System) in a large multi‐site university library (University of Central England in Birmingham) service are examined. The options enabling the system to be customised are outlined, and the reasoning underlying specific decisions is explained. The effect of the new service on both staff and users is assessed and the benefits evaluated.
Arabisation of library and information systems
Authors: Al‐Anzi Khalid , Collier Mel
Published: February 2008

This paper analyses the current state of Arabisation of automated library systems. Problems of Arabic language handling and limitations of Romanisation are described. The areas of character encoding, standards for coding and bibliographic records, character recognition and lexical analysis are synthesised. The current state of Arabisation in commercial library systems is reviewed and areas for further research identified.
IR_Framework: An object oriented framework for developing information retrieval systems
Authors: Wade Steve , Baekevelt Patrick
Published: February 2008

This paper discusses progress on the development of IR_Framework an extensible object oriented framework for information retrieval currently under development at the University of Huddersfield. When completed, IR_Framework will include the data structures and algorithms required to support the development of any information retrieval system in which it is necessary to store, automatically index and retrieve objects on the basis of their text content. A priMary objective of the research is to make the framework as extensible as possible so that the information retrieval functionality can be extended to the specific requirements of a wide range of applications. We are therefore fully exploiting the benefits of working in an object oriented development environment. The paper includes a brief review of earlier information retrieval research on which the current work is based; describes the object oriented design of IR_Framework; discusses the way in which IR_Framework has been used in the development of a reference management system called Papers; and discusses the way in which IR_Framework will be further developed to support both teaching and further research.
BIDS — the growth of a networked end‐user bibliographic database service
Authors: Morrow Terry
Published: February 2008

BIDS (Bath Information & Data Services) has been running end‐user bibliographic database services since February 1991. Since then, the service has seen steady growth in the number of users, the number of sites subscribing, the range of databases and the facilities provided for users. There is evidence of a widespread awareness of BIDS services, both within the UK academic community, and elsewhere, in industry and overseas. This paper outlines the development of the BIDS service, and the facilities it currently offers. It reviews the growth of the service and looks at the lessons learned. In particular it will look at how user feedback is being taken into account in re‐implementing the service on a new platform. It will also review the way in which different support strategies have worked in practice, and consider how the use of network tools such as the World Wide Web could help provide effective end‐user support to this and other similar services.
Surrey Record Office information technology developments: the use of industry standard software
Authors: Simonson R.D.
Published: February 2008

Surrey Record Office locates and acquires records relating to the history of the county of Surrey, preserves them from loss or damage to ensure their survival as part of the heritage of the county and makes them available to all those who wish to use them for a wide range of research. High among the Record Office's priorities is increasing the ease with which the public are able to discover what information is available which is relevant to the subject of their enquiry.
Experiences with SilverPlatter Electronic Reference Library at Imperial College
Authors: Yeadon Janice
Published: February 2008

Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine is a major science and engineering college with approximately 7,320 students and 1,915 academic and research staff which is part of the University of London. It has a very dispersed computing environment which parallels its general organisation in which departments enjoy a great deal of independence and autonomy, both financial and otherwise.
Frederick G. Kilgour participates in 1994 University of Alabama School of Library and Information Studies Alumni Day activities
Authors: May Beddow Lucinda , Malinconico S. Michael
Published: February 2008

Frederick G. Kilgour, founder and architect of the On‐line Computerized Library Center (OCLC), and his wife Eleanor were special guests of the University of Alabama School of Library and Information Studies at its 1994 Alumni Day, 21 October 1994. The Kilgours toured the Library School, including its typesetting, bindery and computer laboratories, and electronic classrooms. Dr Kilgour spoke at the School's annual alumni day luncheon and made another formal presentation that evening. The evening lecture originated from the Tuscaloosa campus of the University of Alabama and was broadcast by the University's two‐way, interactive television system to audiences at sites in Auburn, Birmingham and Huntsville (points lying approximately at the vertices and centre of a triangle with sides 250, 265 and 330 kilometres long). Because of the interactive nature of the television system, Kilgour and his audience were able to see each other and to speak to each other.
Development of an interactive library guide at the British Film Institute
Authors: Sharp David , Dean Peter , Hockley Luke
Published: February 2008

The British Film Institute was founded in 1933 and is based at various sites in central London, the South Bank of the Thames (at the National Film Theatre and the Museum of the Moving Image) and at Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire. The library, in central London, comprises the largest collection in the world of information about film and television. The 33.5 full time staff in the library and information service serve the 476 employees of the BFI as well as members of the public. The BFI library also acts as a national and international resource. It contains about 35,000 books, 15,000 unpublished scripts, 350 current serials (from 45 countries), newspaper cuttings, donated papers, souvenir programmes, press books and so on. A database (known as SIFT — sumMary of information on film and television) has been developed inhouse and a CD‐ROM, Film Index International, based on this is available from Chadwyck‐Healey.
A program for checking duplicates and data entry consistency in Micro CDS/ISIS databases
Authors: Sreelatha G.
Published: February 2008

The easy availability and adaptability of Micro CDS/ISIS has made it a widely used software for database management. Database management is an important computer application. In a large database, maintaining standardization of data entered and avoiding duplication of records poses a problem. The quality of information products and services generated from an information system depends on the quality of the input and on the management of the resources.
Report on a seminar on global information networking for library applications, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, December 1994
Authors: Tedd Lucy A.
Published: February 2008

The seminar on global information networking for library applications was organised by the Continuing Professional Education Programme of the International Islamic University (IIU) Malaysia in co‐operation with MIMOS (the Malaysian Institute of Microelectronics) and Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia (the National Library of Malaysia).
MARC formats and their use: An overview
Authors: Campos Fernanda M. , Inês Lopes M. , Galvão Rosa M.
Published: February 2008

As a preliminary part of the feasibility study of UseMARCON this paper introduces the history of MARC formats, identifying subsets or families among them, and provides information about their current application by different national bibliographic agencies, networks and library systems, especially in Europe. The application of MARC formats is reviewed either as internal/cataloguing formats or as exchange formats available in tape services. Special attention is paid to the actual use and trends of UNIMARC, since UNIMARC itself represents a new stage in the evolution of MARC formats, devised to improve and facilitate the exchange of bibliographic information between different systems.
Short communications
Authors: Wijetunge Pradeepa
Published: February 2008

CDS/ASIS is a software package designed for storage and retrieval of structured textual information. CDS/ISIS was produced by Unesco and there are users in almost all countries. Although CDS/SIS, which is officially known as Mini Micro CDS/SIS, possesses a number of excellent features, there are a few drawbacks too. The inability to automatic spell check and edit errors is one such drawback. This becomes a handicap especially because CDS/SIS does not provide near matches at the information retrieval stage. This paper discusses an experiment carried out to find out possibilities of online editing with the aid of FANGORN, a utility available from the national distributors of CDS/SIS.
An automatic index generation and information retrieval system for bibliographic databases developed at the Indian National Scientific Documentation Centre
Authors: Kulkarn M. , Gupta V.K. , Viswanathan T.
Published: February 2008

Information processing is concerned with the representation, storage, organisation and access of data. In the case of online databases, one expects that the information should be retrieved as fast as possible. The query time depends upon how the information has been stored in the database, that is the record structure and associated indexes, as well as the file organisation. Based on these concepts an ‘Information retrieval software’ has been developed at the Indian National Scientific Documentation Centre (INSDOC) for the bibliographic databases. The salient features of this software are described. An entity relationship model for the bibliographic database as implemented is shown in Figure 1.
The CATRIONA project: feasibility study and outcomes
Authors: Fletcher Mary
Published: February 2008

The CATRIONA (Cataloguing and Retrieval of Information over Networks Applications) Feasibility Study, funded by the British Library Research and Development Department and run at Strathclyde University, was a six‐month study which ended in January 1995. The feasibility study had two main aims: to investigate the technical, organisational and financial requirements for the development of applications programs and procedures to enable the cataloguing, classification, and retrieval of documents and other resources over networks; and to explore the feasibility of a library system supplier led collaborative project to develop such applications and procedures and integrate them with one or more existing library housekeeping systems and associated OPAC interfaces. The original proposal can be found at: This article outlines the context in which the feasibility study arose, the specific aims of the study, the main results of the study and possible future developments.
Short communications
Authors: Feijen Martin
Published: February 2008

In 1993 the Koninklijke Bibliotheek in Den Haag (KB) decided to start the preparations for a depository of electronic publications produced in The Netherlands as an extension to the already existing depository of printed publications.
ELAG 95: Report of the library systems seminar on organising the electronic library
Authors: Goossens Paula
Published: February 2008

The 19th ELAG (European Library Automation Group) Library Systems Seminar: ‘Organising the electronic library’, took place at Trondheim, Norway on June 14–16, 1995. The meeting was remarkable in different ways: the great number of attendants, the feeling ‘at home’ of the colleagues from Central and Eastern Europe, the high quality of the programme, the optimal technical infrastructure and support, and last but not least the nice and positive overall ambience during the whole meeting.
Gabriel: Gateway to Europe's National Libraries
Authors: Jefcoate Graham
Published: February 2008

Gabriel is the World Wide Web server for those European national libraries represented in the Conference of European National Librarians (CENL), providing a single point of access on the Internet for the retrieval of information about their functions, services and collections. Above all, it serves as a gateway to their online services. The service has been developed through an international project involving the national libraries of the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Finland and Germany. Gabriel has the potential of becoming a model for collaboration in the networking field across a wide geographical area and among diverse institutions.
Short communications
Authors: Banun Jaafar Shahar
Published: February 2008

Libraries in Malaysia have a history of co‐operation for interlibrary lending, referral services and so on. The MALMARC project, set up in the late 1970s, enabled co‐operative cataloguing to take place and MARC records to be transmitted from the National Library of Malaysia to relevant libraries. By the early 1990s e‐mail had replaced earlier telecommunications technologies for the transmitting of messages between libraries. In 1994 the National Library of Malaysia signed a Memorandum of Understanding with MIMOS (Malaysian Institute of Microelectronic Systems) to set up a national library network known as JARINGAN ILMU. This paper describes the background to this project and the developments that have occurred.
Implementing UNICORN at the UK Department of Health
Authors: Cree John Scott
Published: February 2008

Department of Health (DH) Library and Information Services (LIS) exist to meet the operational and strategic information needs including training, education and material which promotes awareness of work‐related matters of approximately 5,500 Department of Health staff, including the National Health Service Executive staff in multiple sites across the country. Four libraries in London and Leeds are stocked with approximately 200,000 books and pamphlets and 2,000 current periodicals on key areas of Departmental interest covering health service management, public health and the personal social services. There are 28 staff in these libraries. Frequently‐used online search services include Justis Parliament, Knight‐Ridder DataStar, Dialog and Medline services, HMSO and FT Profile. These remote search services are supported by locally held CD‐ROMs including Parliamentary Database, Medline, Eurolaw, UKOP, HMSO and Global Bookbank. Departmental staff are linked by a mature Office Information System (OIS) which runs on a server platform of 90 or so Netware 3.11 servers. As well as Windows‐based, location‐independent access to standard Wordperfect, Route400 e‐mail and a bespoke Staff Location Database, individual users or groups of users have network access to a variety of products including spreadsheets, desktop publishing and statistical/financial modelling packages. Concurrently with the UNICORN implementation, work was in progress elsewhere in DH to put up a Press Index Service, a Hansard SumMary Service, and Electronic Directory of Business as well as ongoing efforts to network successfully CD‐ROMs.
Retro‐conversion exercise in an online thesaurus environment: A post card‐catalogue conversion experience at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in Ibadan
Authors: Adeniran O.R. , Adigun A.T.
Published: February 2008

Faced with the need to undertake the retrospective conversion of the library catalogue, we searched the literature for advice and experiences which might prove useful for our situation. However, apart from Crowe and Matthews reporting on OCLC and Dartmouth respectively, there seemed to be little of value to us.
Electronic journal formats
Authors: Wustman Judith
Published: February 2008

On the heels of the rapid growth of the World Wide Web have come advances in multimedia document formats and the hardware and software to support them. As a result of this combination of factors, the electronic journal is, at last, economically and aesthetically viable.