ELAG 2005: Open Access 29th Library Systems Seminar, CERN, Geneva (Switzerland), 1- 3 June 2005
Progress Report
AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHOR INFORMATION Society/Corporate: Institute of Information Science ~V IZUM Adress: Presernova 17 Post Code: 2000 City: Maribor Country: Slovenia Telephone: +38622520331 Fax: +38122524334 Internet: http://www.izum.si Genre: Ms Name: Popovic, Gordana Function: Shared cataloguing development, specialist E-Mail: [email protected]
1. MISSION STATEMENT
1. Organisation
Institute of Information Science - IZUM
1.1 Type of Organisation
Service and software provider
1.2 Mission
IZUM is an information infrastructure service for Slovenian science, culture and education. The activities in which IZUM is mainly engaged are the development and operation of: - COBISS system and services (Co-operative Online Bibliographic System and Services) - SICRIS (Slovenian Current Research Information System) - INFORS (INFOrmation System of Information Resources in Slovenia) - Access to databases of foreign information services (OCLC, ISSN, ISI, ProQuest, SwetScan, etc.) - Educational activities
IZUM operates in three organisational units and in infrastructural R&D groups and services. Infrastructural R&D groups and services are: Shared cataloguing development, Software Development ~V COBISS2, Software Development ~V COBISS3, COBISS System Maintenance, COBISS Users' Service Group, Training Services, Computer Engineering, Documentation and Quality Management. At the end of 2004, the number of employees amounted to 90.
2. COMPUTER NETWORKS AND INTERNET CONNECTIVITY a. In general HW, SW:
2. Software
COBISS2/Cataloguing COBISS3/Acquisitions COBISS2/OPAC COBISS3/Interlibrary Loan COBISS2/Loan COBISS3/Reports COBISS2/Reports COBISS3/Application administration
COBISS3/Serials, COBISS3/Holdings and COBISS3/Loan were in testing stage. b. New HW, SW; connectivity upgrades:
3. LIBRARY AUTOMATION a. In general HW, SW:
3. Partners
COBISS.SI in Slovenia - 280 libraries ~V full members actively participating in online shared cataloguing - 260 libraries ~V associate members
COBISS in Other Countries - 12 libraries from BiH participating in COBISS.BH online shared cataloguing system - 18 libraries from Macedonia participating in COBISS.MK online shared cataloguing system - 8 libraries from SCG/Montenegro participating in COBISS.CG online shared cataloguing system - 34 libraries from SCG/Serbia participating in COBISS.CG online shared cataloguing system
IZUM and the National Library of Serbia - the Virtual Library of Serbia Centre signed the umbrella agreement on the implementation of the COBISS system in Serbia. A similar agreement was signed also between IZUM and the National and University Library "St. Kliment Ohridski" - the Virtual Library of Macedonia Centre in Skopje, FYR Macedonia.
b. New HW, SW, other:
4. UNION CATALOGUE
a. Software used: COBIB.SI
- COBIB shared bibliographic database achieved the number of 2.6 million records, and 7 million records in local databases. - Noted 17.8 million searches via COBISS/OPAC. - 18.9 million displays of bibliographic data made possible. - The creation of 363,780 personal bibliographies of 15,993 researchers was made possible. - Half a million searches in foreign databases far exceeded. - For cataloguing purposes more than 80,000 bibliographic records were downloaded from WorldCat, ISSN and LC Names databases. - Implementation of 100 package software installations for all full member libraries. - Five conversions of local databases. - Conducted training courses (188 days) for 1,666 librarians and other users of the system. - Provided help to users based on 13,683 recorded requests. - 59 consultant visits to libraries. - Automated circulation reinstalled in 9 libraries; reservation and extended loan period (via COBISS/OPAC) in 8 libraries; automated stock taking in 16 libraries; automated deacquisition in 14 libraries and automated loan renewal by telephone in 3 libraries.
Within SICRIS programme the following activities were performed:
- Development of online system of updating research projects and programmes. - Development and implementation of new mechanisms for safe downloading of data from ARRS (Slovenian Research Agency) databases. - Electronic collection and updating of data on concluded and current research projects and programmes. - Participation in the programme committee of the EUROCRIS2004 Conference in Antwerp, Belgium. - Participation in the CERIF task group of EUROCRIS to create a new document for CERIF format.
Computer capacities for the COBISS system were expanded due to the purchase of two HP Alpha DS25 servers (for web COBISS/OPAC) and six HP DL380 servers. b. New features:
5. DIGITAL LIBRARY
a. Based on your own production of digital documents:
b. If so, what is new in your digitalization programmes:
c. Based on external sources:
d. Important commercial web services accessible to your users:
6. NEW IN-HOUSE DATABASE - Any interesting databases?
7. SPECIAL WEB SERVICES - Something nobody else has? Or much better than any other place?
8. ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT DELIVERY - Do you have or plan EDD? How do you fight EU Copyright Directive?
9. RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS - Any other interesting R&D projects?
COBISS Technological Renewal Project
Transition to the COBISS3 software was implemented in 19 libraries. At the end of 2004, 50 libraries used the COBISS3 software. A new ObjectStore 6.1 database version was installed. The implementation of the interface for relational databases in the backbone with TopLink tool was expanded to make it possible to archive all the data ~V as an alternative to an object database. The Pears search engine (OCLC open source) was implemented and tested. The working group of librarians that prepared the specification for COBISS3 V3.0, Serials and Holdings, tested the implementation of the mentioned software in 2004. Prior to testing, a brief training session was carried out. After the tests, the decision was made to realise some of the additional suggestions made by the librarians. Afterwards tests of the loan module, taking the ISO-ILL10160/161 standard with OCLC into consideration, were carried out; testing of individual message formats was concluded. The prototype of COBISS3/Loan was realised, verified with the help of the library working group; in addition, functionalities that will be realised in the first software version were determined. The projects Ordering Items from OPAC and E-informing of Users within the COBISS.SI System were started.
In relation to the transition of COBISS2 to Itanium the existing DMQ (Dec Message Queue) system was successfully replaced with the RTR (Reliable Transaction Router) system, which allows further upgrades within the OpenVMS operating system. The transition to Itanium project will be concluded in 2005. The development of the COBISS2/Cataloguing software module led to the implementation of the following two new versions: V8.0, which reorganises the recording of holdings data and record quality control, and V8.1, which has the ability to download bibliographic data within the COBISS.Net network. Features of the upgraded COBISS2/Reports V4.6 include minor changes in the basic menu of COBISS2 software and some minor design changes. The CIR0xx subsegment of the upgraded software, which records the data on members, now also denotes a special membership type (donatorship). In the CIR3xx, which denotes debt settlement, a selective choice by debt code is also possible. The COBISS2/Loan V4.10 software includes support related to recording special membership (donatorship) and package preparation of labels for membership cards for new members, along with some minor design changes.
COBISS.Net
COBISS.Net is a network linking autonomous national COBISS Co-operative Bibliographic Systems in Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, FYR Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. In September 2004 a new version of COBISS2/Cataloguing V8.1 was developed; among other things it allows downloading of bibliographic records within the COBISS.Net network. This ability was first presented at the COBISS 2004 Conference, which was held in Maribor from 9 to 11 November 2004. The novelty provoked a very favourable reaction among users. The NEW/NET command makes it possible to search for a new bibliographic record and download it from any other national shared database within the COBISS.Net network to another national shared database and to a local database of an individual library.
Online Reference Service in the COBISS.SI System
The year 2004 saw the conclusion of the project on the implementation of the collaborative online reference service within the COBISS.SI system, supported with the QuestionPoint tool, which has been developed by the Library of Congress and Online Computer Library Center (OCLC). Thus, a new form of assistance through the Internet could be offered to users. From various forms of service operation, the concept of common entrance point for all the co-operating libraries and IZUM was selected. Additional four libraries (two public and two academic libraries) joined the six libraries which have been participants in the service from the very beginning. This made it possible to introduce a coverage model that ensures simultaneous coverage by three institutions: one public library, one academic library and IZUM. In autumn 2004 the training of librarians from all the participating libraries began. The training consisted of two parts: a theoretical part that included practical exercises and distance learning. The theoretical part carried out in IZUM included lectures with the presentation of the QuestionPoint tool and with short practical exercises following each session of lectures. Librarians carried out the distance learning at their workplace, to ensure easy implementation of new reference service forms. Each library covered the reference service for one hour, and questions in the chat and via e- mail were asked by IZUM's employees. The Ask a Librarian reference service started operation on 1 January 2005. The service is free of charge for all users and no library membership is required. Three librarians cover the chat from 9:00 to 15:00 every working day, except holidays. From Monday to Friday users can expect answers to their questions sent via e-mail web form within 24 hours.
Implementation of Authority Control
Preparations for the inclusion of the COBISS General List of Subject Headings (SGC) prototype into the COBISS/OPAC had already begun in 2004 with drawing up the specification for the conversion from the OCLC MARC format for authority data (i.e., the format of the original Sears records) into COMARC/A. The editing work on translation, restructuring of Sears headings into facets, and supplementing of the list with new headings primarily based on terms from Free- floating Subdivisions: an Alphabetical Index, USMARC Code List for Geographic Areas and frequently used subject terms from COBISS.SI shared bibliographic database continued. As part of the editing process, linking entries to corresponding LCSH headings was also provided.
E-learning
The first versions of courses on COBISS/OPAC and on the use of full text databases were prepared. E-learning is supported with the WebCT tool (Web Course Tools), which has been developed by WebCT, Inc. (Canada).
Language Codes Implementation for Serbian, Croatian and Bosnian
The implementation of separate codes for Bosnian (bos), Serbian (scc) and Croatian (scr) languages, in compliance with ISO 639-2 standard, requires certain steps to be taken in order to adapt language data in bibliographic records within the COBISS system to the aforementioned standard. In the COBISS system the following codes have so far been used: scr (Serbian or Croatian, Latin script), scc (Serbian or Croatian, Cyrillic script), cro (Croatian) and bos (Bosnian). The simplest solution would be to change the scc and scr codes but all the works in Serbian written in the Latin script would automatically be counted as if written in Croatian. Because of this problem, in 2004, a proposal for a realistic software solution that would require the smallest number of additional corrections was prepared. Codes in the language field of an item will be solved in the following way:
- bos code (Bosnian) remains unchanged, - cro code (Croatian) is substituted with scr code (Croatian), - scc code (Serbian or Croatian; Cyrillic script) is renamed to scc code (Serbian), - scr code (Serbian or Croatian; Latin script) ~V the solution depends on the country or region of publication, as follows: - scr code is replaced with scc code (Serbian) if the work was published in the territories of Serbia and Montenegro or BiH (Republic of Srpska) - scr code remains unchanged, however, with a new designation scr (Croatian) if the work was published in the territory of Croatia - to scr code (Croatian) scc code (Serbian) is added if the work was published in some other country, or if it was realised by publishers from different countries.
After trial conversion, authority lists with names of authors whose works include different language codes will be made. The data on title script in Serbian is to be added in the subfield 1001 (title alphabet/script). Corresponding algorithms are also ready for other fields in which a language code appears. The language code change influences data display in several scripts. As a consequence, the revision of rules for data display control is also planned. In relation to the suggested project Implementation of Separate Codes for Bosnian, Serbian and Croatian, a favourable opinion was expressed by the national libraries of Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, and also by Croatia although the latter one does not participate in the COBISS.Net network.
Library Remuneration Project
Library Remuneration Project is a project of the Slovenian Ministry of Culture, with the goal to provide financial support to authors whose works are on loan in public libraries. It refers exclusively to the loan of items borrowed from public libraries with automated loan within the COBISS.SI system, comprising only bibliographic records of library materials linked with the COBIB.SI shared database and with authority records for authors' personal names in the CONOR.SI database. In view of this project, an algorithm has been developed for drawing up lists of persons, including an additional algorithm for calculating the aforementioned remuneration amount.
Other
- After the publication of the Slovenian translation of "The Concise AACR2" in 2000, at the COBISS 2004 Conference, in the presence of Barbara Tillett, the first Slovenian translation of "Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules", 2nd ed., 2002 revision, was presented. - Implementation of five new Z39.50 servers for libraries, which enables standard access to local bibliographic databases. - Implementation of prototypes for multimedia attachments and for e-manuals. - Installation of E-forum for cataloguing. - Link from COBISS/OPAC to publications of Springerlink and Kluwer Online information services, and download of those records to COBISS/OPAC and E-links database made in the first half of 2004. - Entry of 325,713 bibliographic records, created through retrospective conversion of the National and University Library card catalogue from the period between 1948 and 1987, into the local database of the National and University Library. The records were not entered into the shared database as many of them were incomplete. - Entry of a collection of bibliographic records of Austrian library materials, within the project Equipping of Austrian Libraries, into the COBISS.SR (Serbia) and COBISS.MK (FYR Macedonia) shared databases.
10. OTHER IMPORTANT PROJECTS - Anything else you wish others to know about your library?
Future Plans
Priority development tasks for 2005
- Implementation of COBISS3 V3.0, Serials and Holdings, and organisation of training for librarians to use the above-mentioned software segments. - Pototype of the COBISS General List of Subject Headings (SGC) authority file should be made publicly available on COBISS/OPAC by the middle of the year. The completion of the project is planned for mid-2007. - Final stage of the migration of COBISS2 to Itanium. - Renewal of the SICRIS information system. - Implementation of support tools in the software development process. - Supplementing of the following software: COBISS2/Loan V5.0~VV5.2 and COBISS2/Reports V5.0~VV5.1. - Improvement of record quality in the COBIB.SI database. - Unification of the use of language codes in the COBISS.Net system. - Web bibliographies application V3.0. - Ordering of library materials through COBISS/OPAC. - Revision and supplementing of authorisations in COBISS2/Cataloguing V8.3. - Supplementing COBISS2/Reports V5.3 with reports related to old books