BIDS: the Revolution in Database Access BIDS: the Revolution in Database Access
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Serials - Vol. 5, No I, March 1992 BIDS: The Revolution in Database Access BIDS: The Revolution in Database Access Introduction Although the concept of information technology in libraries and access to Access to Bibliographical information resources from libraries is Databases becoming firmly established particularly in areas like OPACs (Online Public Access The concept of access to databases is well Catalogues), automated management established within library and information systems, stand alone and networked settings. Their original format consisted of CD-ROMs and online searching there is a printed abstracts and indexes which are still current development which is likely to have extremely important. From the mid 1970s a profound effect on the role of libraries the development of computer technology and information centres and their personnel allowed the establishment of computerised and on the status of the end-user. This development is BIDS, the Bath databases which are now extremely diverse (University Computing Services) IS1 and popular. In 1977 there were 15 (Institute for Scientific Information) Data identified online search services available Service, which is a networked data service to including BRS, Lockheed Dialog, OCLC over 50 academic sites, available over and SDC (now ORBIT). The development JANET (The Joint Academic Network) and of these services has grown dramatically comprising a range of IS1 databases leased since to the extent that there are now 4869 on behalf of the academic community by online databases, 2120 database producers, CHEST (Combined Higher Education 718 online services and 99 gateways (I). Software Team). The popularity of locally available This is the first time that virtually databases is a fairly recent development and unlimited end-user access to a nationwide has been due in large part to the dataset has been established anywhere in the introduction of CD-ROM products. These world. Technologically the concept is became a viable and popular medium relatively simple but the breadth of the between 1985 and 1987. The capacity of a development is likely to induce a paradigm CD-ROM disc is currently 550 Mb but shift in the role of the library/information production of higher density discs is being centre and librarian/information pursued vigorously. The portable database professionals and the nature of dataset products include 409 on CD-ROM, 66 on access. diskette and 180 on magnetic tape (2). It re-emphasises the primacy of Although there is still a large gap between information technology within a modern the number of these databases and the library and information service, the efficacy 1 number (cf above) of remotely-located ones of inter-disciplinary cooperaton in effecting (the classic online databases) this gap is the establishment of such services, the narrowing quickly and will continue to do wonderful potential of JANET and the so. The attraction of portable products is emerging primacy of the end-user. that they are physically tangible, easily Serials - Vol. 5, No 1, March 1992 BIDS: The Revolution in Database Access accessible and easy to use although they are preprint/anti-preprint database as well as a limited technologically and quite expensive. citations database. Despite these drawbacks CD-ROM products A mailserver has been developed at the have prompted both information Computer Science Dept. of University of professionals and end-users to look for Saarbruecken in Germany which allows more access to more databases. access to a large database of bibliographical Local area networks (LAN) of CD-ROMs data of articles in the field of artificial are popular but the expense of substantial intelligence. This mailserver is a by-product networking of CD-ROMs is not really worth of the LIDO bibliographical information it. Access to locally mounted large system and allows searching via electronic bibliographical databases on mainframes mail by author@), title and year of (magnetic tape products) has never been publication. popular especially within the academic In America and Canada some universities community in Britain although some have negotiated with commercial hosts and commercial organisations are enthusiastic vendors to allow access to database products advocates of such systems. Certainly this for their students and staff at reduced or form of database access is more popular zero rates for the end-user. Such schemes within the academic community in the US. are operated by Mead Data who made The lack of custom-built menu-driven LEXIS available to law students over ten interfaces is one of the main reasons for years ago, by BRS who offer their 'BRS such lack of interest but this should not after dark' scheme (which is the one with have been the limiting factor. This is also the most appealing name at least) and by true of the online products where cost and DIALOG. The Lippincott Library of the unfriendly interfaces are the main reasons Wharton School, University of for the restriction of access. BRS were one Pennsylvania is one of many campuses of the first commercial vendors to introduce where such schemes operate (3). See a reasonable menu-driven interface Dempsey (4) for further examples. although it is still far from ideal for Others have obtained products on inexperienced end-users. For that reason, in magnetic tape and mounted these locally. the current BIDS project, there was a lot of Rensslear Polytechnic Institute in NY thought and work put into the creation of a mounts the IEEE (The Institute of user interface that would allow a complete Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc) computer-novice end-user to access the IS1 file. Five years of MEDLINE and Current databases and to effect meaningful searches. Contents are accessible to the nine There are a number of bibliographical *Universityof California campuses. The databases in existence in specialised subjects Georgia Institute of Technology mounts such as computer science and artificial INSPEC locally. Carnegie Mellon intelligence which are available to the University has a range of IAC (Information academic community in Britain and these Access Company) databases as well as a are usually maintained by local section of the INSPEC database. professionals as a service to the academic In Europe the commercial host STN has community. BIBLIO (The Birbeck offered free access to Chemical Abstracts to Computer Literature Database) indexes a 14 institutions in Germany. STN also offers range of periodicals in the field of computer access to Chemical Abstracts on very science and related topics and is accessible favourable terms to academic centres in over JANET. The Durham-Rutherford HEP Britain who subscribe to the printed (High Energy Physics) Data Archive Chemical Abstracts. available over JANET includes the SLAC In Illinois there is access to the CARL (Stanford Linear Accelerator Centre) (Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries) Serials - Vol. 5, No 1, March 1992 BIDS: The Revolution In Database Access Uncover database which contains over a the Natural Environment Research Council million articles from 10,000 unique serial (NERC). Its establishment allowed the titles with two or three thousand added coalescing of ten existing networks into one daily. There is access to 38 member libraries joint network. JANET is a private network, and to the headquarters of each of the funded directly from the Computer Board state's 18 regional multitype library systems and is administered by the Network through the ILLINET Online network. Executive from the Rutherford Laboratory There is also access via 11 public dial access (near Oxford). In April this year the nodes that are maintained across Illinois. Computer Board was reconstituted as the Later this year they hope to have ERIC Information Sub-committee of the UFC (Educational Resources Information (Universities Funding Council) with more Centre) databases (over 700,000 records) direct responsibilities for libraries and their available across ILLINET Online network funding. For the purpose of this paper this using BRS Search software. body will be referred to as the Board. The aim of the network is to facilitate Prime Movers Behind the BIDS access to academic computing resources across Britain in the interest of teaching and research. As well as encouraging this by Among library professionals in Britain there technical means it also invokes the were a few notable exceptions to the general philosophy of effective 'free' access for end- inertia in regard to the provision of end-user users. access to large bibliographical databases. The trunk network comprises four central These included Derek Law of King's switches at Rutherford Laboratory, London, College London, Peter Stone of University Manchester, and Daresbury Laboratory of Sussex and John Lambe of the University (near Warrington) and four Packet of Bath. They were inspired for example by Switching Exchanges at Bath, Belfast, the success of access to large datasets over Cambridge and Edinburgh. Each academic LANs in American Universities, as outlined or research site LAN for example is then above, and the realisation that end-user connected to the nearest switch so that access is the next major development in JANET constitutes a network of networks. information resource provision. The fact There are currently 150 sites, representing that the basic electronic framework, over 30 operating systems and supporting JANET, necessary for the effective over 20,000 terminals. implementation of such a service had been Cambridge University Site for example in place for some years was also a major has 850 direct terminal links to the CUDN motivating factor. Recent direct access to (Cambridge University Data Network), the commercial bibliographical database 30-40 connections of a suitable speed for hosts DIMDI and STN (and DATASTAR in PADS (one X.25 port for example has 7 the near future) across JANET is another PADS), 50-60 PADS with up to 16 terminals example of how this network is, and is going per pad and 15 Ethernet PADS with nearly to be, a key element in the future of 200 terminal ports.