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Summer/Fall Automatome Vol. 10
1991 no. 3/4
Automation and Scientific Development SIS
American Association of Law Libraries
_________________________________________________________________________
ASD SIS Chairperson: Secretary/Treasurer
Nuchine Nobari Jo Ann Humphreys
Library Alliance University of Missouri
New York, NY Columbia Law Library
Vice-Chairperson/ Automatome Editor:
Chairperson-Elect Anna Belle Leiserson
Ruth Armstrong Alyne Queener Massey Law Library
Social Law Library, Boston Vanderbilt University
_________________________________________________________________________
TABLE OF CONTENTS
From the Chair
Nuchine Nobari
Table of Automated Library Systems Reviewed
REVIEWS OF 10 AUTOMATED LIBRARY SYSTEMS
The Assistant
Jacqueline S. Wright and Timothy N. Holthoff
BiblioTech Software
Betty Howell
Carlyle Systems
Steve Hunt
Data Trek Library Software
Linda Register
INMAGIC
Robert E. Riger
INNOPAC
Jane Walsh
Information Navigator
Sandy Gold
NOTIS: An Overview
Diane I. Hillman
PALS Integrated Library System
Christopher Noe
Sydney Library System
Jane Reynolds
COLUMNS
From the Editor
What's What......................Carl Christenson
Minutes..........................Jo Ann Humphreys
Financial Report.................Jo Ann Humphreys
Survey of Computer Librarians....Mitch Fontenot
_________________________________________________________________________
FROM THE CHAIR
by Nuchine Nobari
Welcome to the first issue of Automatome of the 1991-92 year. I find it
challenging to chair an SIS that is so much at the forefront of
technology. Our mission is to be innovative and to review technologies
at their "developmental" stages. This year's AALL President's theme,
"Pass the Word," is an appropriate call to answer. Via our 1992 programs
and our continuous efforts throughout the year, we plan to respond to
this challenge.
"Sharing" our experience will be the focus of our efforts this year.
This economy will also have more of us focus on sharing technologies we
already have, rather than going on a shopping spree for yet another new
toy. Even the exhibitors at the AALL Conference seemed to offer few
truly new technologies; rather, the vendors as a group focused on new
applications of basic technology, new functionality, and enhanced
performance.
I see this emphasis on improving what we already have taking place in the
library computer industry as a whole. We saw more CD-ROM titles, and
will probably see more imaging technologies by next year. It seems that
the issues that confronted us with respect to online electronic files a
decade ago are being raised again with respect to CD-ROMs -- networking,
standardization, etc. You will notice that vendors are stressing
connectivity of their systems with other systems. For example, OCLC is
working with some producers to insure that its new system, PRISM, can
export records to local systems, and some producers are making tapes of
their databases available to local area systems. CD-ROM vendors seem to
be working on improving the shortcomings of their systems with respect to
networking and systems requirements. Many vendors see standardization as
a necessity and not a luxury. As Anna Belle points out in her editorial,
we will see a more open systems environment capable of electronic mail,
networks, catalogs, and online databases. And hey, if IBM and Apple
could collaborate, why not the vendors in our special world of
librarianship? We just have to keep on addressing these issues, and
pressing the vendors. ASD's agenda for 1991/1992 proposes to do just
that.
1992 PROGRAMS
I know it may appear too early to talk about 1992 now, but we will soon
be planning our programs and I am certainly intent on getting many of you
psyched up for them. I am sure, like any previous year, there will be
too many interesting meetings and not enough time. Moreover, your
feedback on these programs could enable us to plan them with a focus on
your specific needs.
Our proposed programs represent the diverse interest groups in our
membership, and were based on the discussions that took place at our SIS
Business Meeting in New Orleans. The ideas came from librarians who had
been challenged by a task not tried before, and who agreed to share their
experience with the rest of us. The topics proposed include: scanners
and digital technologies, computer peripherals and networking them,
transferring text and images from computers to a printing plant using
database publishing technologies, networking CD-ROM's, "e" mail and other
electronic resources, and reference services subsystems. Ruth Armstrong,
the Chair-Elect has submitted them and we are now waiting for a decision
from the Education Committee. Since technological interests of this
section overlap with those of a few others, we have tried to include
programs that could benefit a wider audience while offering two that our
"techies" could appreciate. Anna Belle's efforts in pulling this special
issue on library systems attest to that.
_________________________________________________________________________
FROM THE EDITOR
This issue of _Automatome_ focuses on the difficult-to-assess yet
critical topic of automated library systems. Variously called library
automation software, library management systems, and so on, the first
difficulty is simply the terminology used to describe this family of
products. By "automated library systems" we do not mean online services
such as OCLC's union catalog and Lexis nor plain vanilla database
software such as unvarnished dBase, but rather software and sometimes
hardware designed to computerize and integrate basic library functions --
acquisitions, cataloging, circulation, serials and the public catalog.
The topic is timely. While it may seem as though most of us have
integrated systems, in fact most of us do not. An estimated 80% of
libraries in the United States have only limited forms of automation or
none at all -- particularly public school and SPECIAL libraries. In
addition, "downsizing," i.e. moving from larger proprietary to smaller
open hardware and software, is the trend -- meaning costs are falling and
hardware requirements are more likely to match what we already have. Put
these facts together, and it is clear that law libraries are a hot
marketplace.
Ten systems are reviewed, based on your responses to the survey
distributed in the last issue of _Automatome_. With one exception, we
have included all systems that you told us you used. The exception is
LS/2000 (formerly owned by OCLC and now by Ameritech, the new owner of
NOTIS). According to the one respondent using LS/2000, this system is in
too great a state of flux to be worth reviewing at present.
We know that we have missed a number of important packages, and therefore
call on readers once again to let us know what you are using.
Intelligent Catalog users -- come out of the closet. Dynix users --
speak up. Both of these systems exhibited at AALL this year, and the
latter is the largest installed library automation vendor in the world,
with the fastest growth in the U.S. -- but not one user responded. We
know you are out there.
We plan to do similar analyses of these missing packages in the next
issue of _Automatome_. Our goal is in two issues to have broad coverage
of automated library systems being used in law libraries of all kinds.
However in order to do this we must hear from those of you whose systems
we have not included. Please write the editor as soon as possible if you
think we should evaluate your system.
In addition, we plan for the next issue to review non-library specific
software (for example, dBase, Paradox, askSam and Q&A) that many of you
have cleverly tailored to meet your needs. Some of you can be identified
from your responses to the survey. If others of you would care to
volunteer to share your techniques, please feel free. The current
officers of this SIS cannot stress enough how important it is to have
active participation from a variety of members. Moreover, we are
particularly seeking hands-on information to share with each other.
In reading the individual system reviews that follow , it should be
obvious (if it wasn't already) that there is no such thing as a perfect
automated library system. From survey responses, written analyses and
informal conversations, one finds both happy and unhappy users, though
generally more of the former. Ultimately the picture is painted in
shades of light gray, and the message is clear that we must look
carefully and respect our individual needs in assessing what is best for
our own library.
For those of you considering a new system or system migration, one of the
most basic but important recommendations is to get referrals and talk to
other users as much as time and your telephone bill permit. We need to
become if not expert, at least comfortable with a wide variety of
subjects, and it's not easy. Operating systems, for example, go far
beyond DOS and Mac into the more mysterious world of proprietary
mainframe and minicomputer hardware -- and they can be important to know
about since a number of major library automation vendors, including
Innovative Interfaces, Carlyle and Comstow Information Services, have
changed or are currently changing their operating systems.
Issues peculiar to law libraries that must be kept in mind when analyzing
a system are serials and search strategies. These systems are designed
for libraries -- not necessarily law libraries -- and our heavy
preponderance of irregular and generally odd serials' holdings is a
severe test of any serials module. Also, since our patrons typically
look to Westlaw and Lexis as models for search strategy, searching
capabilities of a system must be analyzed accordingly. Many systems, for
example, do not have proximity-based searching, though most do offer
keyword and Boolean.
For more information covering a broad spectrum of systems, _Library
technology reports_ is an excellent resource. Volume 27, no.3 (May/June,
1991) is an update to two 1990 issues covering microcomputer-based
library systems; and volume 26, no.4 (July/August, 1990) surveys "The
library automation marketplace" in the broadest sense.
The table that follows represents our effort to have some consistency in
our analysis of the systems. While we have made every effort to be as
accurate as possible, it is inevitable that there will be some
disagreements with our findings. Certainly, the table is useful as a
window into the trends in automated library systems. For assessments
that touch on the quality of a package's offerings, the ten hands-on
reviews in this issue offer practical insights into these systems.
_____________________________________________________________________________
TABLE OF SYSTEMS REVIEWED
1. Assistant 6. INNOPAC
2. BiblioTech 7. Information Navigator
3. Carlyle 8. NOTIS
4. Data Trek 9. PALS
5. INMAGIC 10. Sydney
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
APPLICATIONS OFFERED
OPAC Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes** Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Circulation Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
ILL No Yes No InDevt Yes** Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Cataloging Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
MARC exchange Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Authorities Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Serials Yes Yes Alpha Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Routing Yes Yes Alpha Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes
Acquisitions Yes Yes Alpha Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Accounting Yes Yes Alpha No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
CD-ROM interface No Yes No No Yes No Yes No No No
TRAINING 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Easy for patrons
to learn? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Online help No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Easy for staff
to learn? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes* Yes Yes No No No
Documentation Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Uneven Good
SYSTEM SUPPORT 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Telephone
support Yes Yes 800# 800# Yes Yes Yes Yes 800# Yes
Assigned or local
representative Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes* N/A N/A No
General users
group Yes Yes Yes Yes* Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Law users group Yes No No No Yes Yes No Yes No No
Newsletter Soon Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes
SEARCH CAPABILITIES
Keyword/Boolean Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes*
Truncation Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Global changing No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes* Yes* Yes*
OPERATING SYSTEM/INTERFACE
Works on DOS
equipment Yes No No Yes Yes Yes* Yes Yes* Yes* Yes
Works on Mac
equipment Yes* No No Yes No Yes* No Yes* Yes* No
Menu driven
interface Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes
HARDWARE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Proprietary
hardware? No Yes Yes No No Yes No Yes Yes No
Integrates with
other networks No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes
OTHER 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Demo or dial-up
available? Disk Dial Dial Disk Disk Dial Demo Dial Dial Demo
Back-up system
for downtime No Yes* No No Yes Yes* Yes Yes* Yes* Yes
Security Yes Yes* Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Stable vendor? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes* Yes
* With qualifications
** Can be designed relatively easily by staff
Alpha = In alpha test
Beta = In beta test
Disk = Demo disk available
_____________________________________________________________________________
THE ASSISTANT In a Law Library
Jacqueline S. Wright, Timothy N. Holthoff
Arkansas Supreme Court Library
In 1988 the Arkansas Supreme Court Library purchased THE ASSISTANT, a
microcomputer based integrated online library system. We sought a
software package with an online catalog, acquisitions, fund accounting,
and serials. Because our library materials do not circulate, we did not
investigate a circulation system. THE ASSISTANT, by Library Automation
Products (LAP) is a modular software package. Circulation, serials,
cataloging, and acquisitions modules may each be purchased separately.[1]
A MARC Exchange facility is available to import MARC records. Our
library uses Bibliofile, a CD-ROM MARC cataloging product.
One of the main criteria in selecting an automated system for our small
library was ease of use. The system had to be easy for unsophisticated
computer users to master quickly. THE ASSISTANT was, and continues to
be, very easily learned and operated. The system uses a series of
windows and menus that allow graceful navigation between the various
functions and modules.
CATALOG (version 4.35a)
The cataloging module contains the online catalog, catalog maintenance,
authority control, and a variety of reports. The online catalog is very
simple to learn and use. The OPAC has both browse and keyword searching.
The call number, author, title, subject and series fields may be browsed.
Except for the call number, the aforementioned fields as well as the
notes field may be searched for keywords. Boolean keyword searches are
performed either by using the menu to select and combine search terms and
fields, or by using a command line search. Although the catalog records
are not stored in MARC format, the display in the OPAC may be toggled
from a full record with item information, to card catalog format with the
call number of the first item, to MARC record format.
SEE and SEE ALSO references are available in the subject, author, and
series browse searches. SEE references allow the user to go directly to
the referenced area of the index rather than having to re-key the search.
SEE references are indicated in the Browse index by an asterisk. SEE
ALSO references are available in the catalog, unfortunately they merely
combine all of the headings referenced under a single heading. These
references would be more useful if one were able to select from broader
terms, narrower terms or related terms or even the specific SEE ALSO
references of interest. While it is sometimes useful to combine closely
related terms under one heading while retaining separate headings, the
cataloger must be very careful when using SEE ALSO references in
authority control.
For the most part, any deficiencies in authority control are made up by
the other features. For example, there is global change of authority
headings. This means that the subject, series, or author of all records
attached to a specific authority record will be changed when the
authorized heading is changed. This is the stuff that makes cataloger's
mouths water. Furthermore, one is able to merge authority headings. If
after loading a few thousand MARC records one realizes that an author,
subject or series is listed in several different ways, one may merge the
desired headings into a single heading thus changing not only the index,
but also the headings as they appear in the bibliographic records.
Catalog maintenance provides a quick and easy means of adding, updating
and deleting catalog records. Again making use of the menus, both novice
and experienced user can work quickly and efficiently. One of the nicest
features is the ability to select authors, series, and subjects from a
list of items already cataloged. While not as helpful when importing
MARC records, this feature increases the cataloger's control over browse
index entries.
An important feature at the item level is the use of location codes.
These codes are used to indicate a location that may not be evident from
the call number. Each code is matched with a description appearing in
the online catalog that may point out a special collection or location
within the library. The location codes also play an important role in
report printing.
Shelf-lists and acquisitions lists may be compiled by location. This
provides item-specific information for inventory or collection analysis.
Other reports in the cataloging module include card/label printing,
bibliographies, limited statistics, and a book catalog.
SERIALS (version 4.01)
The serials module is also effortless to learn and use. One has the
option of creating short or long serial records. Soon however, serial
records may be imported into the serial system through the MARC facility.
Once the records are created check-in and claiming could not be easier.
Check-in records for serials may be found by title browse, title keyword,
or ISSN. The check-in system uses frequency, starting date, and number
of issues/volume from the serial record to project check-in dates and
issues, so for our regular periodicals checking in is as simple as
selecting the title, pressing the enter key several times, and pressing
the F10 key to save the information. The check-in record also contains a
note field we use to indicate the cost of new and replacement volumes for
continuations.
The new version of the serials control system provides limited
integration with the online catalog through the option of displaying
serial records in the catalog. When this option became available, we had
already cataloged our serials, so we seldom use this ability. The
display in the catalog includes only bibliographic information, no check-
in records, so it is of limited use in our library.
Another nice feature of the serials module is in selecting frequencies of
periodicals. The system allows us to choose among several common pre-
defined frequencies, or we may build our own frequency including the
number of issues per year and the expected month and day of receipt.
This provides outstanding flexibility wherein we may define a frequency
specific to a particular title.
SECURITY
Both the serials control and cataloging modules include adequate
passwording capabilities for security. Each menu option may be assigned
one of three levels of security or no security. Each system password is
also assigned one of three security levels, so menu options at, or below,
the level of the active password are accessible. Even if the active
password is at a lower level than a desired menu option, by pressing
Control-Z and typing a password with higher authorization, the function
may be executed.
ACQUISITIONS AND ACCOUNTING (versions 3.01 and 2.11)
The Acquisitions and Accounting systems, currently under revision, are in
a single module but accessed as if they were separate. The Acquisitions
module automates purchases by allowing the user to access vendor files
and to do preorder searches. The system generates a number of reports
about purchases and standing orders. It also automates the payment of
invoices.
Fund accounts may be defined by the user by code numbers. The vendor
files are then linked to the funds so that accounts are automatically
credited when invoices are paid. At the time of payment the user has the
option of accepting the fund or choosing another. This is convenient for
such vendors as Shepard's, which publishes monographs and citators, two
items that the user may choose to pay from different funds.
The user also has the option to program a number of special reports, such
as financial statements, balance sheets, or operating statements.
OTHER INFORMATION
The documentation is adequate, but almost unnecessary because of system
design. However, telephone support is available when problems occur.
LAP recently added a new Client Services Representative who will be
especially helpful for law librarians. Donna Rosinski is a former
Technical Services Librarian at the Shea & Gould Law Firm in New York
City. Donna received her M.L.S from the University of Pittsburgh and was
responsible for automating the law firm library.
The price is affordable to many small libraries, and the hardware
requirements are minimal. The price for the four modules is $2,300 per
module for stand alone systems and $2,800 for the network version. The
MARC Exchange utility is only $1,000. Maintenance is $350/year/module
for stand alone and $400/year/module for a network. The hardware
required is an IBM PC or compatible with 640K RAM running DOS 3.0 or
higher, a hard disk is required with size determined by number of modules
purchased and size of database. The software runs on a variety of
networks including Novell, 3Com, Banyan, PC-LAN, and Star-LAN. A demo
supporting up to 200 records is available. For more information about
THE ASSISTANT, contact Kerry B. Hanna, Director of Client Services,
Library Automation Products, 352 7th Ave., Suite 1001, New York, NY 10001
(212)967-5418.
We have yet to see a perfect automated system. Every library is
different, and every automation system will meet diverse needs in special
ways. For the Supreme Court Library, THE ASSISTANT has proved to be an
excellent choice and continues to help us increase services to our
patrons.
----- Footnotes -----
1. A "Test Report" on THE ASSISTANT is available in the March-April 1990
issue (v. 26, no. 2) of _Library Technology Reports_, pp. 157-170.
The report is accurate and contains several examples of display screens.
---------------------------------------------------------------
The Assistant
Library Automation Products, Inc.
352 Seventh Avenue, Suite 1001
New York, NY 10001
Telephone: 212-967-5418
Fax: 212-967-5457
Contact Person: Kerry Hanna
Number of Sales to Law Libraries
Academic......1
Court.........6
Firm.........28
Government....1
Other.........7
Hardware Required:
IBM PC-AT, PS/2 or compatible computer with 640K RAM and a hard disk
Software Required:
DOS version 3.0 or later. System will also run on a various loacl
area networks including Novell, Banyan, 3COM, AT&T Starlan, and IBM
PC LAN
_________________________________________________________________________
This is the end of Part 1 of a 4-part file.
_________________________________________________________________________
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