________ | ______ | || AALL || ## ||______|| # # |________| # # # # ____|__|____ ##### # # ### ### ##### /## ### ### ##### ### | . | # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #_ | ====| # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # |____________| # # ### # ### # # # #### # ### # # # ### _________________________________________________________________________ Winter Automatome Vol. 11 1992 no. 1 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 How to Go After a Library Automation System Without an RFP Carol Ebbinghouse Table of Automated Library Systems Reviewed REVIEWS OF 5 AUTOMATED LIBRARY SYSTEMS Dynix Library System Lucinda Harrison-Cox Intelligent Catalog by Library Corporation Richard C. Amelung Marquis Library Automation Software Pamela R. Soreide Total Library Computerization (TLC) [see askSam] John H. Harbison VTLS Integrated Library System Rosalie Sherwin REVIEWS OF 3 DATABASE SOFTWARE PACKAGES askSam John H. Harbison Paradox Linda Clough Q&A Version 4.0 Alison Perry COLUMNS From the Editor In Review........................Mary Hemmings What's What......................Carl Christenson Back to the Basics...............Mitch Fontenot Letters to the Editor Financial Report.................Jo Ann Humphreys _________________________________________________________________________ FROM THE CHAIR by Nuchine Nobari The Business Meeting Here is my report... It won't dramatically increase the attendance at the AALL conference, but I am certainly banking on it to motivate a greater number of you to attend the meetings. I have always observed a very impressive turnout at our SIS programs, but I'd like to see a similar support for the business meeting as well. Receiving your feedback and comments helps the officers understand what kind of programs will best provide you with the knowledge you'd like to take back with you. Just to remind you again, the business meeting is scheduled for Sunday, from 3:00 to 4:00. Programs in San Francisco... We have two programs scheduled for the 1992 conference. Our goal is to make these meetings thought-provoking, emphasizing trends in electronic publishing and networking. Law librarians are at the forefront of using information electronically, supporting a $1.5 billion dollar market (Westlaw and Lexis). These programs will show you how to spend it wisely. The topic of the first program is: "Beyond Artwork: Using Desktop Publishing to Make the 'Connection' Between You and the Printing Plant." The meeting is a 90-minute program scheduled for Monday, July 20, 1992, at 8:30 a.m., and moderated by Anna Belle Leiserson. [Editor's note: the coordinator is Nuchine.] Our speakers will be Judith A. Booth, President of Courier Connection, Inc., Craig Jilk, Production Manager, West Publishing Company, and William E. Shackelford, computer consultant and the person responsible for the AALL Directory. The program will describe how to create the electronic link between various databases and printing plants, using a wide array of desktop publishing technologies, including electronic page-makeup, output of digital files into color film, and conversion of film into datafiles. The program will discuss the technical issues involved in a variety of applications, such as printing a book catalog, manipulating the files of an online catalog, and printing downloaded files from online databases, including Lexis and Westlaw, in a typeset form. The second program to watch for is scheduled for Wednesday, 1:30-3:30 p.m. The program title is "E-mail isn't Just a Substitute for Snailmail: A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Nets." Mary Jensen will be the coordinator, as well as a speaker at this meeting. The other speakers she has rounded up are Michael Hart and Carol Ebbinghouse. The program is on linking networks, such as ABANet, Bitnet, Internet, Janet, MCI Mail, SprintMail, Compuserve, to each other. In this program, e-mail will be explored as a vehicle for transferring and exchanging files electronically, searching databases, searching catalogues, and even running programs using remote computers. The speakers will point out resources available through networks, future developments in law librarianship, and how to teach our patrons how to use them. 1992/1993 Election Mitch Fontenot has graciously agreed to chair the Nominations Committee for electing the officers for 1992/93. Send him or Ruth Armstrong, Chair-elect, your list of candidates. More than that, open the ballots and vote. Last year, we only had approximately 30% of our SIS membership voting. Moreover, there was a noticeable under-representation of the private firm voters. Send us names of your favorite librarian, and cast your vote to get him or her into the office. _________________________________________________________________________ FROM THE EDITOR Automated Library Systems: Five More Reviews This issue is the second of a two part series reviewing automated library systems used in law libraries. While the first issue covered ten systems selected on the basis of responses to a survey done last summer (The Assistant, BiblioTech, Carlyle, Data Trek, INMAGIC, INNOPAC, Information Navigator, NOTIS, PALS and Sydney Library System), this issue concentrates on systems that readers have subsequently let us know they were interested in. As a result, none of these packages are found in large numbers of law libraries. The majority, in fact, are new to the marketplace, while others are either newer to law libraries or only partially implemented in law libraries. Response to the first issue has been quite remarkable. We have had two letters to the editor (yes -- that's a lot), plus a flurry of requests for copies from those who have heard about it through the grapevine or wish to distribute it at a program. We also had several suggestions for systems to review, all of which have resulted in an article in this issue. Credit for the idea of tackling automated library systems goes to past ASD/SIS chair, Carol Ebbinghouse. Current Chair Nuchine Nobari also deserves much credit, for her hard work on the advertising for the previous issue and her many hours of thoughtful advice about the various problems which have cropped up in the course of publishing these reviews. As a result of some of these difficulties, we feel compelled to offer one caveat to readers. While every effort has been made by both the authors and the editor of these two issues to be as accurate as possible, it is inevitable that there will be some disagreements about these systems. Readers are therefore advised to simply take these reviews as they are intended, i.e. as merely an introduction to the systems that are available as well as their potential advantages and pitfalls. Database Software: It Has Potential Too In addition, this issue includes database software that law librarians have adapted to serve many of the same functions as an automated library system. It's a growing area of interest. In fact, it even has its own acronym: CALM (Custom Applications for Library Microcomputers). The advantages are lower costs (including hardware requirements) and greater flexibility. The disadvantages are the need to have at least a modicum of programmer-like skills and the time involved in learning the software and developing an implementation, though these distinctions begin to blur as database software becomes increasingly easy to master and at the same time increasingly powerful. Then there is one system that bridges the gap between prepackaged automated library systems and customized database software. TLC is actually a librarian's application of askSam. Are there other systems or database programs we should review? We still have some obvious omissions (Right On Programs and that database patriarch, dBase, leap to mind), but we need to know if there is an interest. For those interested in more information about library automation systems, we would encourage you to attend AALL's annual convention this year in San Francisco. Our sister SIS, Online Bibliographic Services, will be presenting an automation "fair" ("Online Subsystems : Revisiting the Experts") that requires not one, but two time slots. It runs from 10:15 to 11:45 and 1:15 to 2:45 on Tuesday, July 21st. Nine systems are included (all 9 of which have been reviewed in _Automatome_.) Also, ALA's _Library_Technology_Reports_ is a wonderful resource for those on the verge of automating or upgrading. Their Sept./Oct., 1990, issue includes a model RFP (Request For Proposal), and they have begun to offer workshops. Their next workshop is on Friday, April 24, in Chicago. For more information, call Howard White at 312-280-4271. Odds and Ends New to this issue is a column on basic computing skills and know-how, written by Mitch Fontenot of the University of Nebraska. This time Mitch covers modems, the bete noire of many a computerphile, not to mention a phobe. (He claims to love them!) Again, we ask for your input. What basic information would you like to have spelled out in black and white? How to easily back up your data? The art of extracting information from a software vendor without producing a phone bill comparable to the national debt? A list of core computer publications? More on modems -- e.g. the ins and outs of all this "V dot" terminology surrounding the 9600 bps variety? Or what about his thoughts on Windows, and whether it really matters to a law librarian? The more input you give us, the better off we all are. To repeat (ad nauseam?), let us know! Speaking of Mitch, Computer Librarians, please could you respond (if you haven't already) to his survey that was in the last issue? If you need a copy of it, feel free to ask either Mitch or the editor. Finally, our more observant readers may note that the advertising which bloomed in the last issue is back down to its typical level. The explanation is simple: it took a great deal of time (Nuchine's time) and we have not had a volunteer to take on this duty. For those who feel the urge to volunteer -- please do. For potential advertisers, if you are interested simply call the editor. _________________________________________________________________________ HOW TO GO AFTER A LIBRARY AUTOMATION SYSTEM WITHOUT AN RFP Carol Ebbinghouse Western State University College of Law Library Orange County INTRODUCTION Why reject a long-established practice like the Request for Proposal? As someone who has participated in the months of RFP specification development, the vendor demonstrations, and RFP response evaluations, (oh, the forests that were felled in the RFP responses) like that of the Ohio academic libraries project -- I don't want to do it again. Sure, with a state-wide project, communication and coordination among disparate campuses and various libraries at the 17 colleges were facilitated by the RFP process. However, most law libraries are not involved in such large-scale projects. At Western State University we have three campuses within one hundred miles. The Fullerton campus is the original site and the largest, with over 1200 students. San Diego is second with about 650 students. Irvine is the newest and fastest growing. In only its second year, Irvine has almost 400 students. When we began, the university was installing a network to connect all administrative offices at all three campuses. In anticipation of automation, the libraries requested funds for retrospective conversion of the last parts of the Fullerton and San Diego collections that were not yet on OCLC. Irvine's new 50,000 volume collection would also have to be linked to our holdings, as well as cataloging the non-duplicate titles. The board approved the retrocon project for the 1991/92 fiscal year. Preceding and during the retrospective conversion, both San Diego and Fullerton were weeding their collections of those items not worthy of the time and effort. There is a lot of support among library staffers for an integrated library automation system that will speed them from drudge work for more interesting professional tasks. LETTERS OF INQUIRY By avoiding the RFP, did we avoid felling a forest? Probably, but we did begin by sacrificing at least one tree. "Letters of Inquiry" were sent to every library automation vendor that was listed in the _Library Journal_'s annual buyer's guide, that had exhibited at the American Association of Law Libraries' annual meeting, that had been mentioned in any of a number of survey articles on library automation systems, and that we had located through word-of-mouth. Large and small, near and far (basically anywhere in the Americas), we contacted vendors of mainframe systems, and little personal computer programs. The letters of inquiry specified the geographic location of each campus, the number of students, faculty and library staff, plus growth projections. We described the collections, the significant amount of duplication, and the retrospective conversion plans and progress. Finally we invited them to express their interest in meeting our automation needs, and gave them a phone number in case they had any questions. The response was staggering. Brochures, fliers, letters, documentation, and diagrams came in large envelopes, and even boxes. Three library staffers, those with the most key positions but the least automation experience, were volunteered for the automation committee. Articles on library automation criteria, evaluation, and use were located and routed. I met with them several times to review the functions most critical for our law libraries: serials check-in (especially for erratic sets and those that send special mailings), claiming, and expense tracking were most important; a sophisticated yet easy-to-use online public access catalog; acquisitions, collection development and inventory were also at the top of the list; clear management reports were something that I wanted; and a Reserve Desk system along with room and equipment reservations were considered a bonus, if available. With these criteria in mind, the committee began to sift through the vendor literature with a vengeance, and in the process completed a basic education in library automation. There were no other criteria. I told them not to consider price, operating system, hardware requirements, or anything else. Most vendors self-selected themselves, for those that were too small to meet our needs, and those that felt they could not be networked successfully did not respond. I say most, because the first weeding knocked at least 32 vendors out of the running. There were twenty survivors. OUR ANGEL The committee then was blessed with an intern from the San Jose State University Library School program at Cal-State Fullerton (right across the street). Marge Cargo began a telephone survey of the surviving companies. She ferreted out the operating system, the hardware, the level of integration of the various systems; she obtained lists of users, and located academic law library users (if there were any). She obtained internet addresses of libraries using the systems, and dialed in to see how simple they were to use. She called libraries that were using the systems and found out what they liked most and least--not just talking to the "systems person," but to people in serials and reference. Most importantly, she ascertained the name and phone number of the official representative of the company responsible for our library (done by type of library or geographical region). Finally she elicited the additional information each company would need from us to most effectively recommend the best configuration. We created one document that answered all of the questions, and mailed or faxed it to each surviving vendor. By the time Marge had finished her project, we had narrowed our line-up to ten vendors. She made arrangements for us to visit a local library using each vendor's system over a three day visit. Up until now, the Library Automation Committee had been composed of librarians from the Fullerton campus exclusively. Now was the time to bring the other two campus libraries into the process. HAPPY TRAILS A "Library Retreat" was planned. We rented a fifteen-person van and the Fullerton library staff drove south, picking up the Irvine library staff on the way. We got to the San Diego campus by 9:30 am (the author is now known as "Leadfoot"), and visited seven libraries in the next three days, from San Diego to Los Angeles. We also ate well. This was the first time that the three library staffs had met each other. One of the best side-effects of our rolling retreat was the networking that took place. Finally people could match the voice on the phone at each campus with a face and personality. Notes were compared on how different tasks were accomplished at each library, nifty solutions to mutual problems were shared, and new teams were formed--not by library, but by job function--and more clearly focused priorities for the automation system emerged. The acquisitions clerks teamed together to make sure that a particular system would REALLY make their life easier. What happened when we returned to our libraries three days later? Sure, the fact that virtually all librarians and clerks (everyone who worked full time went on the trip) had disappeared created mountains of mail and filled the telephone answering machine tapes. But classes were not in session, the faculty weren't back yet for the Fall semester, and the student workers had risen to the task, developing a new sense of assertiveness in assisting patrons. Upon our return and reflection, each campus library developed a set of questions for each vendor. The automation committee collected, collated and topically arranged these questions, and sent all of the questions to all ten surviving vendors. About this time, we got a call from a vendor that had surprised me by not responding initially. We gave them our statistics and questions, and invited them out to demonstrate their system. The other campus libraries were also represented. THE FINALS The unanimous consensus was that one system that we had visited, plus the "Johnnie-come-lately" company were the two top contenders. For new staff that had not been with us for the first "retreat" we arranged a tour of another local library that used the system that retreat participants had fallen in love with. Then we made arrangements for our "final retreat." This consisted of a vendor presentation on the system we had visited, and a visit to a site using the system that had come to demonstrate at the last minute. This time the San Diego campus library staff drove to Irvine for the demonstration. Then we all climbed into the fifteen-person van for a drive to the library using the other system. And we ate well. One system was a clear winner. We will begin negotiations in the near future, to get a proposal to take to the board. The university administration has not just been aware of what we were doing, but is firmly supportive. I hope to be able to report soon that we have received funding. WOULD WE DO IT AGAIN? You bet we would. Rather than toil for months on a long RFP, we decided early on what was really important to us. Our collections do not circulate, so that aspect of a system, while mildly interesting, did not appear on our list of key criteria. The time and money spent visiting different libraries was well invested. Not only did we get to know each other better, we got to talk with librarian-users of the systems, found out what they liked best (and least) about their systems. Finally, our staff found out that they were not alone in facing erratic serials, cranky law students, people who smuggle food into the library, space shortages, and a myriad of other daily issues in library work. That is surprisingly comforting to people who thought theirs was the only library with these problems. We also verified my belief that library retreats can be fun as well as informative and library workers like to eat well. Most critical to the process was keeping everyone informed of the progress, and keeping people involved to the extent that they wanted, or had time to be. Some volunteered, others were volunteered, but everyone worked hard, learned a lot about libraries in general, and automation in particular. We all want an automation system so much we can taste it--even though, in our travels to automated libraries, we learned of the work to come in setting up a system, entering data, predicting the unpredictable in serials, interfacing with existing networks and computer-based budget systems, and the myriad other hurdles on the way to implementation. Yes, even the horror stories of the librarians we talked with were illuminating, especially the warnings, "if I had to do it over again, I wouldn't ..... and I would be sure to ...." I want to commend Cindy Parkhurst for heading up our Automation Committee that sifted through mountains of literature, supervised our library school intern, and carried through on vendor contacts. Kathy Rucker, our library secretary, coordinated our retreats--not just the hotels and van rental paperwork, but down to who will carpool with whom, and where the car should be left to get home easiest. With three campus libraries to coordinate, she did a fantastic job. Karla Castetter of the San Diego campus library was the shoulder that I cried on, and did all of the library visit arrangements in San Diego county. Patricia Hart and Bob Giblin of the Irvine campus graciously gave of their time by participating with their entire staff, in spite of two library moves in less than one year. Rachel Huang, the cataloger for all three libraries was the toughest sell for all of the vendors--she knows what she wants and needs, and wasn't afraid to tell them when they didn't measure up. Strength like Rachel's emboldened the rest of the staff members to believe that their questions mattered, and they also learned to insist on getting answers. Each of us grew from the experience, the interaction, and the great food. I am appending the final list of questions that vendors like to have answered before recommending a configuration. Also available, to those who call, is a rambling review of the various restaurants we visited, including which had the best guacamole, pasta, lobster, clam chowder, caesar salad, etc. Funny, but fifteen tasters are better than one, and we are considering having our next retreat underwritten by _Gourmet_ magazine. ---------- Questions that vendors ask: 1. The number of terminals each library will need, and the function for which each will be used. Example: 1 in acquisitions 2 in reference 2. The number of bibliographic records for each campus (titles), and the number of volumes. Be sure to note the amount of duplication between the collections. 3. The number of titles in retrospective conversion. 4. The number of books ordered each year. 5. The number of serials in each library. 6. The number of patrons (faculty, students, staff) at each site. 7. Geographic information on the various sites: a. Distance from each other b. Whether a network exists 8. The anticipated growth of the collections and/or number of sites or users. 9. The anticipated time line for implementation. _________________________________________________________________________ TABLE OF SYSTEMS REVIEWED 11. Dynix 12. Intelligent Catalog/BiblioFile 13. Marquis 14. TLC 15. VTLS 11 12 13 14 15 APPLICATIONS OFFERED OPAC Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Circulation Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes ILL No No No Yes No Cataloging Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes MARC exchange Yes Yes Yes InDevt Yes Authorities Yes Yes* Yes Yes Yes Serials Yes Planned Alpha Yes Yes Routing Yes No Alpha Yes Yes Acquisitions Yes Yes Alpha Yes Yes Accounting Yes No Alpha Yes Yes CD-ROM interface No Yes No No Yes TRAINING 11 12 13 14 15 Easy for patrons to learn? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Online help Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Easy for staff to learn? No Yes Yes Yes Yes Documentation Uneven Some Some Good Good SYSTEM SUPPORT 11 12 13 14 15 Telephone support Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Assigned or local representative Yes No Yes No No General users group Yes No No No Yes Law users group No No No No No Newsletter Yes No No No Yes SEARCH CAPABILITIES Keyword/Boolean Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Truncation Yes Yes Yes Yes No Global changing Yes No Yes Yes Yes OPERATING SYSTEM/INTERFACE Works on DOS equipment Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes* Works on Mac equipment No No Planned No No Menu driven interface Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes HARDWARE 11 12 13 14 15 Proprietary hardware? No No No No No* Integrates with other networks Yes Yes Yes Yes* Yes OTHER 11 12 13 14 15 Demo or dial-up available? Dial Both No Disk Both Back-up system for downtime Yes Yes Planned Yes Yes Security Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Stable vendor? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes * With qualifications Alpha = In alpha test Disk = Demo disk available _________________________________________________________________________ DYNIX LIBRARY SYSTEM Lucinda Harrison-Cox University of Richmond School of Law Library The University of Richmond started installing the Dynix Library System over two years ago. The system is shared by all the libraries on campus. The University is running Dynix on a Hewlett Packard platform using the Unix operating system. Through a combination of personnel changes and availability I became the Law Library's "system administrator" and have seen it through the entire period of installation, reinstallation, updates, crashes, and learning. If my descriptions seem lacking in technical detail, it is because my role is not as a technician. My role is to attempt to make the system perform as well as it can within its design limitations and to provide assistance to other members of the staff. Dynix is currently one of the fastest growing library systems. The system is available for operation on a wide variety of hardware platforms and operating systems. My first comment about Dynix must be a warning to be extremely careful to get everything in writing with excruciatingly detailed definitions of every word. A basic misunderstanding over the difference between separate accounts and separate libraries has caused countless hours of frustration and has resulted in not having many expected features. For instance, the different libraries on campus cannot have separate policies for the same patron or make separate use of the OPAC bulletin board even though each library has separate circulation and OPAC accounts. Actions by one library frequently impact directly on the others. Many of the problems encountered stem from lack of communication. The system is primarily a public library system that expanded into the academic market. Dynix has a users' group and newsletters, but they do not adequately address the needs of law libraries. The Dynix telephone operators who answer the 800 line are invariably polite as they connect the caller with the "team" to which the library is assigned, but the teams seldom have answers and show none of the persistent desire to make the system work that law libraries are used to seeing in dealings with Lexis and Westlaw customer service. The communications problems are magnified by Dynix's official policy of talking only with one person per installation site.[1] The University's official "system administrator" is one of the librarians at the undergraduate library. She is the person Dynix recognizes as their only contact on campus. Unfortunately for everyone, the separate nature of the Law Library, with its own distinctive problems and needs, combined with the University's Administrative Computing department handling all the hardware and software loading/maintenance made Dynix's "one contact" policy unmanageable. The "one contact" policy, at least for the last year and a half, has been honored by the Law Library mainly in the breach because of seemingly constant problems. Progress has been made; in the last six months Dynix has finally been copying the Law Library in on the "answers" to the Law Library's questions. The communications problem was and is augmented by Dynix's remarkably obtuse documentation and manuals. Dynix is in the process of changing the format of the manuals for the various modules and the new format is better for finding information. Unfortunately, the information once found is frequently still lacking in sufficient detail. Often, the only way to be certain how a process will work is to experiment. Despite the communications problems, the system is not all bad. When it works as advertised, it is a wonderfully integrated system. The cataloging module is acceptable. It allows use of MARC records and permits transfer of OCLC records. The online catalog is menu driven and easy for patrons to use at a basic level, including keyword searching, while offering some more advanced search options. On the downside, there have been occasions when keyword searching was completely unreliable despite re-indexing all the access points. Dial Access is also available as a separate module. The University has acquired the Dial Access module, but limited port availability has prevented opening it to general use. The Circulation module is flexible and the system even accepts the year 2020 as a valid due date (our method of dealing with faculty office copies that technically belong to the library and which must be kept track of for updating). Items requiring special treatment can easily be handled in-house by creating item codes unique to that type item. Increased flexibility in what is and is not passworded would be helpful. With students providing much of the desk coverage, the system does not always both allow the students to perform the necessary tasks and prevent them from having access to features the students should not be using. Compromises have had to be made. The calendar feature could also use work. It is cumbersome and obviously not intended for the academic environment. There is a separate Reserve module that is designed to work with the Circulation module. It allows temporary placement of items (library owned and personal copies) on reserve by faculty name and course name with tracking and report mechanisms. The Acquisitions module fits nicely into the general system, but suffers from more problems than many of the other modules. When the module was first loaded, the accounting records were not sufficient for the Law Library's needs. That assessment has not yet been changed. Standard workforms do not include all the information needed to easily identify an item; for instance, the title entry is too short. Moreover, the automatic claiming feature has never worked properly. According to their representative, many of these problems are scheduled to be improved by the next release which is designed as a "bug" fix release. The Serials module was only installed this fall. The Law Library is still very much in the learning phase and it is taking a fair amount of time to enter all the information needed to bring titles into this module. That was expected given the large number of supplemented items the Law Library receives. The Law Library was using the SC350 system from OCLC. That equipment is dying and the memory available is insufficient for our current needs. Consequently, bringing up this module has taken on a significant degree of urgency. The verdict on the module's functionality is still out. There is also a Media Scheduling module. The Law Library has this module, but because of the pressing need to implement the serials module, we have not started using it. The fact that the Dynix system is truly integrated is a boon. From any module it is possible to check on the status of items. As items are checked in and out the status change is promptly and automatically reflected in the database. "On order" and "just received" items appear as they are processed through the Acquisitions module. Similarly, the Serials module allows for easy answers to questions on what was last received without having to consult other sources. What the system needs is: increased sensitivity to the needs of its specialized customers; prompt, consistent responses to customer problems; and, an increased effort to fix software problems as the problem is discovered, not by waiting until the next release or charging for "customized" work. -- Footnote -- 1. If specified in the original contract, there can be more than one contact for an installation, with an extra charge per contact. --------------------------------------------------------------- As this article goes to press, Ameritech (the RBOC that recently bought NOTIS) is in the process of purchasing Dynix. The letter of intent has been signed, and final papers are due to be signed within the next several weeks. Plans at this point are to move LS/2000 users to Dynix. --------------------------------------------------------------- Dynix Automated Library System Dynix, Inc. 151 East 1700 South Provo, UT 84606 Telephone: 801-375-2770 Fax: 801-373-1889 Contact Person: Arthur Brady, Vice President, Sales & Marketing Number of Sales to Law Libraries Academic......4 Court.........2 Firm..........0 Government....4 Other.........0 Hardware Required: The Dynix system runs on the following hardware platforms: Sequoia, Prime, Ultimate, Hewlett Packard 9000, IBM RS/6000, DEC 5000, Sequent Symmetry S81, S71, S61, MIPS (All UNIX), Data General Avion, Wyse 6000, 7000 (x86) Software Required: UNIX or PICK operating system. UNIX systems also require V-Mark. _________________________________________________________________________ INTELLIGENT CATALOG by LIBRARY CORPORATION Richard C. Amelung St. Louis University Law Library The Intelligent Catalog (I.C.), produced and marketed by Library Corporation, is a CD-ROM based product which began as a public access catalog. Subsequently, the company has developed and made available both a circulation and an acquisitions module which work with the I.C. Saint Louis University Law Library installed the I.C. in 1988 both as a cost-saving measure and a bridge to a fully integrated library system. The library has not acquired the circulation or acquisitions modules. However, it was felt that the many attractive features of the public access module merited a review on its own. The feature which strikes the first time user almost immediately is the system's powerful searching capacity. One may access the catalog by the following search strategies: 1) view catalog: This method allows the patron to search the catalog in alphabetical order by traditional cataloging entries (e.g., author, subject, title, and series) as in a dictionary catalog. 2) find anything: When an exact heading or title is not known, the patron may use this keyword approach. The system indexes virtually every text field of the MARC record. One is thus able to retrieve information from contents note fields as well as subtitles and subordinate units of corporate bodies. 3) number: The catalog also indexes a wide variety of standard numbers. Those most significant to law libraries include ISSN, ISBN, utility control numbers, call numbers, and SuDoc number. Others are available as well. The searcher can, at any time, engage a variety of limiters to refine expected results of a search. First of all, the full range of Boolean operators is available. These may be used multiply and is conjunction with other limiting elements such as date, for example. One must use some caution, however. The order in which Boolean operators are stacked will change the results. Furthermore, the terms requested will be searched only within the same field. Cross field searching (i.e., true author (1xx)/title (24X or 740)) is not available at this time. One may also limit a search by type of material (e.g., book, A/V, etc.), by year or range of years, and by field or combination of fields. If an institution has initially profiled separated collections within the library, these too may be used as qualifiers in limiting search results. Probably one of the most intriguing features of the I.C. is the "get advice" function. As the patron searches the catalog, the system tracts the records retrieved. If the patron is not satisfied with the results, he/she may depress the "get advice" key. The system will then display a list of authors and subjects which the patron did not necessarily search, but which either appeared on the records retrieved or are cross references in the subject authority structure. One may then go directly from the "get advice" display to the suggested entries by merely selecting one of the lines posted on the screen. Each compact disk will store roughly 500,000 bibliographic records with related indexes. Additionally, each time the database is remastered, headings are run against LC name and subject authorities. If a match occurs with a 1XX on the authority record, the entire cross-reference structure is collected and integrated into the database. One should note that no flips will be made, however. Consequently, old headings may reside next to cross references. Other aspects of the system which facilitates its use include functions which may be exploited to their full advantage by the sophisticated searcher or totally by-passed by the casual user. For example, although a library sets default displays and printing results, anyone may override these settings during a given session. At the end of a session, all defaults are reset. The system allows for five display formats (including labelled, card, and MARC) and four print styles (including shelf-finder which is adequate for most purposes). In two different labelled displays, the library may choose which fields should be displayed in what order. Other aspects of the system which, although of lesser importance, nonetheless add value to its effectiveness include the ability to save search results of the session for printing at the end. The records may be organized in several different ways including by call number or title and printed in different forms (e.g., bibliography, labelled, etc.). Although the system is designed to support the downloading of information to floppy, the initial trials of this feature were unsatisfactory and the company has withdrawn it temporarily for further refinement. Other functions include the ability to make notes to oneself during a session, leave notes to library personnel, review a log of the current session's activity and view an event and announcement calendar. The company will also load a floor plan of the library so that patrons may locate materials on a map at the terminal. Help screens are available at any time and are reasonably context sensitive. Such help is also available over a phone handset or speaker from standard recorded messages on the terminal if so desired. The I.C. will accept MARC records so long as they do not vary widely from standard. Library Corporation is generally willing to check sample records to see if they will be acceptable. Certainly, the system accommodates the company's Bibliofile cataloging product. Those institutions which do not use Bibliofile and wish to maintain their holdings will find it necessary either to acquire Library Corporation's Cataloging Maintenance System (CMS) or re-edit the record in the utility of its origin so that a corrected record will replace the original. Price is one of the principal attractions of this system. One may either acquire the I.C. with Library Corporation hardware at $2,970 and $595/yr./terminal maintenance, or, if the institution has IBM compatible equipment available, at a cost of $250 for initial mastering, $500 for the software and $395/yr./copy of the CD. If one acquires Library Corporation hardware, the maintenance covers not only software and the monthly updates to the database, but also the maintenance on the hardware - CPU, monitor, keyboard and secure housing. A printer is available for an extra charge. The Intelligent Catalog for all its power and glitz is not, however, without its faults. In addition to no cross-field Boolean searching mentioned above, some elements are most unexpectedly not indexed at all (e.g. 246 fields)! Furthermore, the system provides absolutely no report generation. For a unit which is able to tract types of searches during a given session and their success, it would certainly be a useful public service education device for the library staff to know how the patrons are using the database and if such use has been effective. Since each terminal is independent, not networked (although that too is now available) and requires no more than a standard electrical outlet, the system is the ultimate answer to database redundancy. If one terminal goes down, all the others are still in service. However, there is no method of obtaining a report of whether a terminal was ever used on a given day or during a specific time period. Customer support is available via an 800 number. The company has an ingrained marketing and support policy, however, which precludes the assignment of a particular employees as a library's liaison. This situation may require a library to re-explain existing problems and, on occasion, has meant that information was not passed from one Library Corporation employee to another. In all, however, the Intelligent Catalog is certainly a viable product that should be considered if one is looking for a low cost public access catalog. --------------------------------------------------------------- BiblioFile (including Intelligent Catalog) The Library Corporation Research Park Inwood, WV 25428 Telephone: 800-624-0559 Fax: 304-229-0295 Contact Person: Bob Asleson or Peggy Fulton Number of Sales to Law Libraries Academic.....24 Court.........0 Firm..........2 Government....4 Other.........0 Hardware Required: IBM-PC compatible microcomputer with Hitachi CD-ROM drive, 40 mb hard disk, floppy drive, keyboard, and monitor. Also requires 640 K RAM. Software Required: MS-DOS Comments: Complete hardware and software support are offered. All BiblioFile tools are available on no-risk, no-obligation free trial. _________________________________________________________________________ MARQUIS LIBRARY AUTOMATION SOFTWARE Pamela R. Soreide Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Los Angeles Marquis, an affiliate of library automation systems supplier Dynix Inc, offers a line of integrated software tools, including Catalog Maintenance, Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) and Circulation, with Serials and Acquisitions to follow in early 1992. The application is unique in that it uses SQL Server as the database manager, and is capable of running in an OS/2 environment. This allows it to be compatible with our Microsoft Windows-based LAN, though other network environments are possible. Our Marquis installation is less than two months old at this writing. Although we have not had the system installed long enough to form strong opinions about specific operational aspects of the software, we are impressed with its overall design and execution. We are particularly happy with the forward-looking reliance on the SQL standard, and the way the library will be able to use that design to contribute to the automation efforts going on throughout Gibson Dunn & Crutcher. The paramount objective of this project was to bring the resources of the library to the desktop of lawyers and paralegals. Secondarily, we hoped to maximize staff productivity and improve collection control. To fully realize these goals, it was critical that the library automation software integrate well with LAN Manager, the network operating system, and that it be able to share data with other applications on the network with minimal intervention. For these reasons, a SQL-based database manager was considered optimal. SQL is the industry-standard query language for relational databases, and SQL Server is one of the database managers utilizing that language. It is the SQL-controlled access to data in the client/server environment which will eventually allow us to share resources between many applications on the network. For example, it is our intention to batch data gathered about invoices at the time of original input, then port that information into the accounting software where it will serve as an electronic check request. The system will also allow us to update our vendor files from accounting, or vice versa, and our patron file from information contained in the human resources database. Another advantage implied by the use of a SQL-based system is in hardware flexibility. The Marquis application is loaded on the local library PC workstations, and requests information from the server downstairs which is running SQL Server. SQL Server is available for most popular network platforms, including UNIX, and VAX/VMS in addition to OS/2, and Marquis will run on a variety of PCs. In our case, the server is an AST 486 tower. All library PC workstations are set up for dual boot to OS/2 and DOS 5.0, and require 8 MB RAM. Workstations in Gibson Dunn libraries in different cities will be connected to the server through T-1 lines (a T-1 line being a series of associated high capacity phone connections representing the equivalent of 32 phone lines). All attorneys and paralegals on the LAN will be able to access the application through a Windows version of the OPAC software accessible via an icon on their PC. To date we have installed the catalog maintenance and OPAC modules on the library server, with the Beta version of the serials package due in the first quarter of 1992. Prior to installation, we had completed the conversion of our existing machine-readable records for our Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and New York offices accounting for some 9,000 titles (roughly 125,000 volumes) among the three collections. The Marquis cataloging module is based on a full US/MARC record format. Records can be easily edited by highlighting the desired text and typing in the changes, very much like using a word processing program. Virtually all editing is reflected immediately. Some specialized deletions are performed only in the day-end program. Importing OCLC Prism records is a simple menu function, or original cataloging can be done on a basic template containing user-defined tags and subfields. Authority lists can be viewed online, and each entry includes the number of records attached to it. Titles can then be displayed in list format, or one by one in full format. While the ability to add, change, merge or delete authority records is easy to do, access to those functions, among other sensitive functions, is restricted to authorized catalogers. Other functions such as adding item records, merging bibliographic records, and performing global changes to authority records, are equally uncomplicated. Separate password control of bibliographic and authority editing is planned for a future release. The OPAC module will be most often seen by users. It was imperative, therefore, to have a Windows-based user interface which was consistent with other applications on the network to reduce the need for training. Currently, all OPAC searches are performed against the entire database, with the results displayed in a list. Double click on any title in that list, and you retrieve the full record, consisting of selected information in an easy-to-read format, with the local call number, circulation status, etc., at the top of the screen. If the user's local library does not contain the title, he or she can check all other holding libraries; any lawyer in the firm has access to the whole collection, but can distinguish between titles accessible locally, and those held in other cities. We are currently working with Marquis to allow searches of the database restricted by office location, providing a method for our lawyers to produce a smaller, more focused set of results. Records retrieved by searches can be sorted by title, author and date of publication. Selected bibliographic records can be saved to a file, imported into a word processing package and printed out as a bibliography. We are working to be able to include holding library codes in the basic record exported to the word processor so we can prepare global bibliographies displaying holding library information. Many of Marquis' indices include both a keyword search and an alphabetical search, which allow broader and narrower access to the data. The software supports boolean logic connectors and truncation characters. You can use the "search limit" function to retrieve an exact string of characters, though the search software does not accept proximity connectors. The software is designed in such a way it can be used almost immediately at a basic level. Due to unforeseen complications in the installation phase, we had only one day to train our Cataloger on the new software using an unfamiliar PC. Despite this brief introduction to Marquis, she has been able to work effectively in the new environment for the past two months with very little confusion, or need for support. We have also installed a new workstation at the reference desk, and although the reference librarians received only a short demonstration, they are independently using the OPAC search module, and have been exploring some of the more advanced functions on their own. We knew at the outset that we were only the second installed site for Marquis, and therefore we accepted the fact that some of the modules are not yet available, that there is no established user group, and that the documentation is on the sketchy side. However, we felt it was critical to choose a technically advanced application built on computing principles that do not isolate the library from interaction with other resources within the firm. Added comfort comes from Marquis' corporate relationship with Dynix, their exceedingly accessible and knowledgeable technical support staff, and the fact that we have found the company to be receptive to our suggestions and responsive to our needs. --------------------------------------------------------------- Marquis Automated Library System Dynix Marquis, Inc. 151 East 1700 South Provo, UT 84606 Telephone: 801-226-5508 Fax: 801-225-8377 Contact Person: Rob Metcalf Number of Sales to Law Libraries Academic......0 Court.........0 Firm..........1 Government....0 Other.........0 Hardware Required: Server Hardware: Micros: 80386- and 80486-based machines Minis: Sun Microsystems' SPARC, Hewlett-Packard, and any UNIX, Vax, or Stratus platform running SOL Server Client Hardware: 80286-, 80386-, and 80486-based machines running OS/2 with Presentation Manager. PAC available in Windows environment also in Spring 1992. Software Required: SQL Server, OS/2 with Presentation Manager, Windows (if desired), and local area network with named pipe protocol (e.g. LAN Manager, LM/X, or Novell are among LANs on which Marquis can operate. Comments: Color screens, easy-to-use windows, and distributed processing make this integrated library automation system unique. Based on Client-Server Architecture and a relational database, Marquis is fast, powerful, and flexible. Marquis eliminates dedicated library equipment by using PC work-stations to run both the library system and other applications. _________________________________________________________________________ VTLS INTEGRATED LIBRARY SYSTEM Rosalie Sherwin Supreme Court of the United States Library The VTLS Integrated Library System is installed in 93 sites in the United States and in 50 foreign sites including Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Republic of Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, USSR **[Russia?], and the West Indies, It is available in non-English languages. It is an integrated system based upon MARC format and other national standards. In addition to the basic OPAC, Serials, Circulation, and Acquisitions subsystems, it offers document delivery, journal indexing, online access to microcomputer applications **(including CD-ROMs and OCLC), dial access to other computer systems, mounting of local databases, an intelligent workstation, networking and resource sharing. **VTLS runs on Hewlett-Packard 3000 Series RISC architecture computers using the MPE/XL operating system, and on IBM 370 Series mainframes and the new IBM ES/9000 computers using the VM operating system. The system is extremely reliable. We have not experienced any downtime in the 5 years it has been operational. There is also a Micro-VTLS on MS-DOS based microcomputers for smaller collections. **VTLS is both menu and command driven. There are general and specific help screens. It can be learned very quickly. The OPAC supports full MARC records that can be tape-loaded, downloaded from a utility, or input directly, and an authority file based on MARC format. Prompts, help screens and bibliographic screens can be customized. All of the basic searches are available as well as keyword and boolean. There is a limit to the number of possible system hits to keyword and boolean searches, but it is large enough that only a few generic terms fall into the abyss. All new records or edits to existing records are stored in a buffer that runs after hours -- thus making efficient use of system time, and providing access to records within 24 hours. All indexing occurs in the buffer. If a record is needed more quickly, an online Process command indexes a record in real-time. The OPAC does not automatically search plurals, nor does it support proximity searching. Sophisticated database searchers find this annoying. The MARC bibliographic record in the OPAC is the basis for all records in the other subsystems. Various fields default to the circulation, serials, and acquisitions records. All subsystems are linked and available with a single command. Capabilities and default screens within subsystems are determined by log-ons and parameters set by each site. Circulation supports charges, discharges, holds, recalls, renewals**, overdues, fines,**and reserve room. Some of the statistics and reports generated by the system for this module are cumbersome and not on target, but VTLS is currently developing a new statistics/reports capability. The system supports standard bar code types, and will accommodate both smart and dumb bar codes. There isn't any clean procedure to circulate temporarily bar coded items such as unbound issues of journals. Overdue and fine notices are batch generated. A PC-based backup system is available in the event of system failure. The serials subsystem is based on USMARC Format for Holdings Data. Creation of the records does require an investment of time even though some fields default from the bibliographic record. It does accommodate the various types of legal publications quite well but not necessarily on the same record if automatic check-in for each type of publication in a title is desired. Some irregular titles require manual check-in and increase the receiving time. It does have a routing function which we don't use at this time. The software for the acquisitions subsystem resides on a PC. It interfaces with the mini system as the bibliographic record for an item to be ordered is tagged and downloaded from a utility. This record is then uploaded into the PC where the acquisitions process actually occurs. It runs the gamut from order record to voucher preparation. The actual paper order form is less than one would desire after using the OCLC Acquisitions System, and there isn't electronic transmission of orders at this time. Many reports are available, but their formats can be awkward. In future releases, sites will be able to develop their own order forms and reports. However, it does capture the many steps in the acquisitions process quite well. VTLS provides well-written, extensive documentation for all subsystems that is updated on a regular basis. The documentation is geared toward the Library System Manager and System Manager and requires selective reorganization for the staff and user. Alerts are disseminated, but not often enough. A toll-free support line is available 8 AM - 8 PM Monday through Friday. A 24 hour emergency support plan is in effect for after hours and weekends. Customer Services staff includes librarians, system analysts, and programmers. Phone calls are received or returned promptly. Initial on-site training is usually part of the contract. Further training for new staff or new releases is provided through extensive, in-depth training courses held at VTLS. There is a very active Users' Group that meets annually and publishes a semiannual newsletter. A VTLS staff member sits on its Board and VTLS is very responsive to this group. The VTLS Integrated Library System is developed by VTLS, Inc., whose home is at 1800 Kraft Drive, Blacksburg, Virginia 24060. It also has offices in Helsinki, Finland, and Barcelona, Spain. --------------------------------------------------------------- VTLS (Release 1992) VTLS Inc. 1800 Kraft Drive Blacksbury, VA 24060 Telephone: 703-231-3605 Fax: 703-231-3648 Contact Person: Bruce Heterick Number of Sales to Law Libraries Academic......4 Court.........0 Firm..........0 Government....2 Other.........0 Hardware Required: VTLS on HP: HP3000 RISC-architecture minicomputers VTLS on IBM: IBM 370-architecture or ES/9000 mainframes Micro-VTLS: MS-DOS compatible workstations Software Required: VTLS on HP: MPE/XL, IMAGE database mgmt. system VTLS on IBM: VM or VM/ESA, SQL/OS database mgmt. system Micro-VTLS: DOS 3.1 or later Comments: Both VTLS and Micro-VTLS support multimedia retrieval _________________________________________________________________________ ASKSAM and TLC John H. Harbison Kutak Rock, Washington, DC In 1985, the market for library oriented software primarily consisted of InMagic, Data-Trek, The Library Assistant, ZyIndex, IZE, Agenda, dBase III, and other PC "data-based management" packages. I was looking for software that could be easily learned and allowed flexibility in design, yet provided powerful search, retrieval, and reporting functions. askSam, by askSam Systems, provided me with the ticket to heaven. It is increasingly being used by local Washington, DC, law librarians as the automation package of choice. Today, askSam 5.0 is even more powerful and functional than ever before, thanks to its new (with this version) relational capability, as well as its new "free mode", which allows scrolling the same way a word processor scrolls a letter. No more fixed fields or structured records to deal with! Both fielded and free-form data can be entered, searched, and output. You can use forms (templates) for data entry or not. You can organize files formally or casually. You match the technique you choose to the data you have, without diminishing your ability to manage your files. (See "Highlights" below.) The Kutak Rock & Campbell library in Washington, DC, is totally automated using askSam. From serials control, ILL, online catalog, and litigation support for a major brokerage house client, to memos and opinions, central files control, and general reference "look-up" files, the applications possibilities are endless! All labels and ALA approved ILL forms can be custom printed. Reports can be generated to meet the need. All the above applications were designed by me, satisfying the needs of the law firm; that is what purchasing a powerful data-based management program will provide. We are not locked into a "turnkey" package where someone else, typically a non-librarian, programmed the application. Many of you may have heard me speak at the 83rd Annual AALL convention several years ago in Minneapolis ("Automation of Library Functions in Law Firm Libraries"). The response to my presentation was overwhelming. More and more law librarians are designing their own "law-firm-specific" applications. askSam should be on the top of your list! This does not mean that askSam is the end all and be all. To be honest, askSam's programming language can be a bit daunting to master, but so was learning to ride a bicycle! STRENGTHS: askSam is the only major off-the-shelf DOS textbase package to combine structured data fields with free-form text. Hypertext capabilities enable front-end "menuing" for ease of navigation among the various files, in addition to the data itself. Searching speed is lightning fast. Boolean search capabilities, as well as proximity commands, are easy to understand and use, keeping in mind they are considered askSam "commands" and must me included in "braces". Lastly, there is its cost. WEAKNESSES: Advanced features introduced in version 5.0 (28 new commands) are difficult to master. However, many are not needed to design a complete application. Also, it does not provide specific printer drivers. Documentation, while completely updated in version 5, is satisfactory. My recommendation is to rely on local users groups (if you have any in your area), askSam customer support (not an 800 number!), or give me a call anytime! HIGHLIGHTS OF ASKSAM: ENTERING DATA Enter data free-form, without predefinition. Setup controlled entry screens, if desired. Import ASCII data from other systems. Automatically load time, date and day of week. Use scrolling features for word processing. Field names may be Explicit (NAME[), Implied ($ in $500) or Contextual ("Judge" in Judge Smith). Variable and/or limited length fields. Add, change or delete field names with no redefinition. Reference fields by their name, rather than location. Fields do not have to reside in the same location in all records. Duplicate fields allowed. Wild cards may be used in field or data referencing. INFORMATION RETRIEVAL Full text retrieval or field designated retrieval. Boolean operations. Proximity searching within records or full text. GENERATING REPORTS Reformat text and design your own reports, forms and labels. Nine level of subtotals. User defined fonts for printing in reports. Output up to 160 columns. Right justify text or numeric data. Headings can include page numbers, user input, date, and time. MISCELLANEOUS File password(s) for read-only and/or update access. Color code and encrypt files. Works with DESQview or Windows. Shell to DOS, and return to askSam directly. Swap between files with a single keystroke. PRODUCT SUMMARY: askSam Systems P.O. Box 1428 Perry, Fl 32347 (800) 800-1997. LIST PRICE: $395.00 - V. 5.0 REQUIRES: IBM PC AT, PS/2, or compatible, 384K of RAM; DOS 2.0 or later; hard drive recommended. Network version available - $895.00 for 20 users, with each additional user costing $25.00. Data storage limited only by capacity of your storage device. CUSTOMER SUPPORT: Extremely knowledgeable and courteous staff will gladly assist the novice or advanced user. -------------------- USER SPECIFIC APPLICATIONS: TOTAL LIBRARY COMPUTERIZATION (TLC) Many of us have been to restaurants like Bob's Big Boy or Sizzler - you know, the ones with the all-you-can-eat buffets. The selection is abundant, albeit not always healthy, but everything is there to satisfy the hungry appetite. ON POINT, Inc.'s Total Library Computerization (TLC) is like a visit to a buffet table - offering a smorgasbord of library functions in one application. Designed by a librarian with over 15 years of experience, TLC successfully satisfies my appetite for total control over library functions. From cataloging, borrowing, and ILL, to serials control, ordering, and even memos and notes, TLC provides it all. Those who know me know my affinity for the askSam database language for designing library applications. TLC, developed using askSam, makes use of this quick and powerful language to produce the ultimate in affordable library software. TLC is an integrated library management computer software package with "modules" for cataloging, circulation/borrowing, interlibrary loan, serials control, orders/acquisitions, and retrieval of internal memoranda. Each module is menu driven and is extremely easy to navigate using askSam's hypertext facility (a point and shoot highlight bar). Features range from tallying/counting various items and transactions, totalling monetary fields, to searching globally across modules. But that is not all. HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TLC MODULES: CATALOG Print labels or label sets Produce new acquisitions list Sort shelflist accurately Locate items kept outside library Prepare instant bibliographies BORROWING Produce due and overdue lists See circulation history per item Identify items for weeding Produce charge out list per user Encourage user self charge out Sort charge-outs on any field INTERLIBRARY LOAN Compile daily status reports Print customized forms Produce due and overdue lists Verify messenger charges Count ins and outs per library Assign library symbols SERIALS CONTROL Display renewal information Maintain bindery records Identify missing issues Print library's holdings list Produce customized claim forms List current subscriptions Print routing slips and reading lists Automatically route to library filer ORDERS/ACQUISITIONS Review unreceived items on order List newly received items See department and client charges Monitor library billing accounts Use vendor codes Organize vendor information MEMORANDA Identify relevant work products Search using Boolean logic Create master list of keywords The above list ONLY highlights each module. After visiting TLC's buffet table, you will not go away hungry! PRICING: First module is $550 Each additional is $500 Complete TLC is $2,050 For more information about TLC or to order, call or write ON POINT, INC., 2606 36TH Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20007. (202-338-8914) --------------------------------------------------------------- TLC Total Library Computerization ON POINT, INC. 2606 36th St., NW Washington, DC 20007 Telephone: 202-338-8914 Contact Person: Sue Judith Boley Number of Sales to Law Libraries Figures not available. New product Hardware Required: IBM PC and compatibles; 640K hard disk Software Required: DOS 2.1 or later Comments: TLC is fully integrated library management software. Modules may be used together or purchased separately. Reports in full or abbreviated formats; prepares forms and labels; does statistical recordkeeping. Imports/exports in ASCII. Designed for small to mid-size libraries. Network version available. _________________________________________________________________________ PARADOX Linda Clough Murtha, Cullina, Richter & Pinney, Hartford, CT Paradox is a relational database management program which is not designed solely for library use, but is particularly suited to library applications because of its 1) file capacity, 2) its flexible manipulation of data and 3) its attractive and informative output modes. I have used Paradox tables to record data and generate reports for bibliographic records, expense accounts, routing lists, serial control, renewal lists, new acquisitions alerts and circulation statistics. Paradox is available directly from the publisher or from any retail or mail-order business selling commonly used software packages. Borland International 1800 Greenhills Road P.O.Box 660001 Scotts Valley, CA 95066-0001 (408) 438-5300 List price runs about $800 for a single user, $1000 for a five user pack. Retail or mail-order prices run about $525 for a single user and $700 for a five user pack. There is a technical support hotline between 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time). Training is generally available at local business schools, institutes or colleges. Paradox runs easily on a network and the purchase of additional nodes allows as many users to access the system at the same time as necessary. The stand-alone version requires the following hardware: -- an IBM Personal System/2 Model 30, 50, 60 or 80; an IBM PC, PC XT, XT 286, or PC AT; or other 100% compatible computer -- one hard disk and at least one floppy disk drive -- at least 512K bytes of internal (RAM) memory -- DOS 2.0 or higher -- a compatible monochrome, or color monitor with adapter; to display graphics you need a CGA, EGA, VGA or Hercules card -- a compatible printer, with adapter; to print graphics you need a graphics printer A single table on Paradox can handle up to two billion records, with up to 4,000 characters and 255 fields with up to 255 characters each. This is very valuable for library work which is often word intensive. Paradox can be used by operators with little or no computer experience as well as the sophisticated programmer. Its programming features do not appear on the basic menu of operations. Each choice on the menu is explained in English and each function comes equipped with "help" screens. Some of the "help" screens are overly complex, not allowing the complete novice to locate the answer to a problem immediately. Data entry is simple to teach and learn. Through use of a multi-entry form, information that is common to many tables need only be entered once. The advanced user is capable of devising "scripts," or programs. By utilizing a script, a person without knowledge of the more complex aspects of the software can perform sophisticated functions with only a few key strokes. Possibly the major drawback to using Paradox in a library setting is the difficulty in replacing a librarian who has all the library records in Paradox tables with a librarian who knows nothing about the software. The new librarian cannot easily step into the sophisticated processing of library material and create systems to his/her liking without first being fully trained on the software. This situation is partially ameliorated by the former librarian composing a procedure manual with complete instructions, including Paradox commands, for all library applications. Paradox tables are searchable by "queries." Within a single table, the searcher checks off the field(s) to be searched and types in a term within a field that may occur anywhere in that field in any record. The searcher may also formulate Boolean-type queries by placing another term in another field on the same line for "and" searches or placing another term in another field on a different line for "or" searches. The real beauty of Paradox is the ability to take pieces of information from one table, combine it with information from another table and formulate yet a third database of information from which reports or labels or spreadsheets can be made. This allows static sets of information to be endlessly combined for purposes not imagined when the original information was stored -- without needless reentry of data. The "query by example" technique allows this to be done. For example, if you wanted to know the upkeep costs for four-volume sets in your library, you could combine the volume information from your bibliographic record (electronic version of a catalog card) and the expense information from you accounts table. The most sophisticated library application I have created involves an agenda for library acquisitions meetings. When each renewal comes across my desk, I record its title, publisher, cost, invoice, date and practice area. Once a month, this renewal list is combined with the past five years expense records for the title as well as its past circulation statistics for three years, so that the library committee representative can evaluate the item on a cost/benefit basis. The ability to produce labels, spreadsheets, charts, graphs and lists with Paradox greatly impresses non-library attorneys and administrators and certainly simplifies the annual budgeting nightmare. Using Paradox, unlike "canned" automated systems, the librarian remains completely free to code appropriate records (i.e., by expense fund, media format, practice area) and sort or group these record in reports for informative display. The query procedure is awkward enough that teaching an entire law firm would be unworkable. For this reason, in a library without a manual card catalogue, the librarian should develop user screens, whereby an attorney simply fills in a word in the author, title or subject fields and the query is automatically formulated by a pre-programmed script. Devising this system does require advanced knowledge of Paradox and its programming application language (PAL). I have found the documentation to be very helpful, but, as with the "help" screens, to the novice, it could be confusing. In summary, Paradox may be too demanding for patrons to use without pre-programmed screens facilitating their access. Also, without a detailed procedure manual produced by the previous librarian knowledgeable in Paradox, a new librarian will have difficulty in immediately taking over library procedures. But, all in all, Paradox is a very versatile piece of software that lends itself well to library applications due to its file capacity, query formulation and report functions. _________________________________________________________________________ Q&A VERSION 4.0 Alison Perry Elam, Burke & Boyd Q&A Version 4.0 is an extremely versatile flat-file database software program from which you can design and program a variety of databases to suit your needs. In our small library, we have the library's catalog, budget, brief bank and expert witness indices set up on it, as well as a closed file management database. Although Symantec doesn't have figures available for the number of law firms using the software, I have learned over time that many law firms have adapted it for numerous purposes -- conflict-of-interest checks, accounting and billing, litigation support, as well as library cataloging and budgeting. Version 4.0 comes with a general tutorial and some business-oriented templates already designed and programmed (Employee records, inventory control, client tracking, sales orders, personal finance, and mail list databases). The pre-designed and programmed databases are useful in illustrating how to set up programing statements, and can serve as bases from which to design your own databases. Accompanying documentation is very thorough and includes the User's Manual, Application Programing Tools Manual, a Quick Reference Guide, a Template Guide (describing the ready to use databases included with the package) and the Getting Started Guide, which includes the tutorial. Some additional sources outside of the documentation and the quarterly magazine provided automatically with registration by Symantec deserve mention. Pinnacle Publishing produces a very useful monthly newsletter called _The_Quick_Answer_ which contains tips and techniques on database design and programing statements from Q&A users in a variety of professions. Most recently one of their regular contributors included a description of a litigation support database she helped design for a law firm. The editor of the newsletter has also recently published _PC_World_Q&A_Bible:_Expert_Instruction,_Tips_&_ Applications_ (Marcellus, Tom J. San Mateo, CA: IDG Books Worldwide. 1991). I mention these additional references because once you begin using Q&A regularly for a few databases, you'll be eager to expand your use of it and these can assist you. Q&A does have numerous retrieval restrictions available -- exact match retrievals, text and character retrieval, keyword retrieval, and "sounds similar" retrieval. The Query Guide's "canned" statements are set to permit statements to use "and", "or" and a variety of other commands. To date I generally recommend that my patrons perform two separate searches when looking for material in our library catalog -- one in the subject field, then a separate one in the title field, keeping their searches as simple as possible by using only one or two words preceded and followed by two dots (e.g., "..civil rights.." will look up any title which has civil rights somewhere in it; "civil rights.." will only search for titles which begin with civil rights). When searching databases, the speed of the searches will depend upon the number of fields programmed as search fields, the number of records in your database, and the kind of PC in use. One of my databases has 3000+ records and while my 386 does have a lengthy delay processing commands to print reports with all of the records in the database, there is only a slight delay in processing simple searches in specific subject areas. Database fields can be almost any length you choose. Something to keep in mind, however, is that you probably don't want to have the screen you are viewing cluttered up with too much information and you also don't want patrons to have to view multiple screens for one record. When you limit the size of a field in the database design, you can always use the field editor while inputting data to expand the size of the field requiring additional information. However, users who have search-only rights to your database will not be able to see the field's expanded information. Q&A file limits, given by Marcellus in _PC_World_Q&A_Bible_ (p.4) are: Screen pages per form (record) 10 Fields per record 2045 Fields per screen page 248 Characters per record 64512 Number of records per file 16 million File size 1024 megabytes Databases can also be programmed to perform calculations for budgeting purposes. Presently mine are pretty simple addition and multiplication calculations for publisher's invoices, but they were very handy in my 1992 budgeting. Q&A can also post information from one database to another, performing any necessary arithmetic on the data. Databases can be programmed to perform internal (within the database) or external (from another database) lookup commands for data entry. The Report function of Q&A is a major plus. In addition to allowing you to design your own reports, Q&A has two "assistants" which can help you create reports. The Intelligent Assistant is a natural language interface which allows the user to type in requests as though you were speaking to it. You "teach" your Intelligent Assistant the necessary information (fields, synonyms, etc.) from your database(s) and ask it to run different kinds of reports. Alternatively, the Query Guide has "canned" statements which can be used to guide you through steps in setting up a report -- this is especially useful if you don't have time to write up elaborate programing statements for quick-and-dirty reports. My most frequent use of this is to monitor requests we receive for closed files from our warehouse, although I've also used it to calculate library expenditures in given subject areas for quick reference. Before printing reports, you can request a "page preview" to see how the report will actually appear on paper. With "page preview" you can back-track through report and print commands to improve the appearance of reports as necessary. Numerous files can be imported into Q&A. In some cases you must have already prepared a Q&A database for the files. Q&A will not perform any calculations during the process of importing. Files for import include: PFS/Professional File; IBM Filing Assistant; 1-2-3/Symphony; Fixes ASCII (SDF); Standard ASCII; dBase II, III, IV; and Paradox 2.0/3.0/3.5. Q&A's word processor also allows you to import documents from ASCII, Special ASCII, Macintosh ASCII, DCA, WordStar, WordPerfect, Microsoft Word, MultiMate, Professional Write. Q&A's word processor is equipped with a dictionary (to run spell checks) and thesaurus, and it's possible to merge information from databases into word processing documents and vice versa. Some of the editing commands in the write module can be used in the database module under the expanded editor command. Version 4.0 has really improved upon Q&A version 3.0's best features. Among those improvements are the ability to: edit from the table view expand the field editor to include up to 16 pages (32K) for long data values save frequently used or complex specs post data to external databases customize menu screens assign different security levels to preserve the integrity of your files and use page preview to view a graphical representation of text and page layout prior to printing documents and reports. Q&A Version 4.0 also has an easy to use database backup and recover file. The backup command compresses large files so they can fit onto floppy disks. Being able to program statements between different databases has given Q&A some near relational database capabilities, although it remains primarily a flat file software (see Marcellus, p.2). Thus far, I have found Q&A easy to use, in both its word processing and database formats. The only difficulties encountered occur in setting up some of the more advanced programing statements. While I have not often been successful in contacting Symantec's Q&A customer service (I usually call in the afternoon and am either put on hold, or can't get a clear line quickly enough), technical support has provided prompt response to my questions when I do get through the lines. Questions can also be faxed to technical support. Other sources I've contacted for assistance include local software vendors and other Q&A users. In addition to this, the previously mentioned _Quick_Answer_ newsletter and _The_PC_World_Q&A_ Bible_ by Marcellus provide extremely useful supplementation to the documentation which comes with the software. Recently a Q&A Users Group (initiated by an attorney) was set up on Prodigy for those of you who may access that service. Symantec also has a BBS available for their numerous products, including Q&A. I recommend that anyone purchasing this software consider the following: 1.) make sure there is a local software vendor or Q&A consultant (check with Symantec for a list of Q&A consultants) who has a good basic knowledge of Q&A and can provide immediate assistance or initial training when first using the software, 2.) have an understanding of basic DOS commands and their functions, 3.) consider purchasing additional published material to further advance use of the product, and 4.) network (share ideas and techniques) with other Q&A users in the area. Following these suggestions will ensure that you have a head start in using Q&A to its fullest potential. --------------------------------------------------------------- Q&A 4.0 Symantec Corporation 10201 Torre Avenue Cupertino, CA 95014 Telephone: (408) 253-9600 (800) 441-7234 Suggested retail: $399 ($499 network version) -- prices subject to change (contact your local software vendors for best available price). Free sample disk available. Hardware Required: IBM PC/XT/AT, PS/2 or 100% compatible 512K RAM, 640K recommended (640K required for DOS 4.0 & network use, EMS required for linking to SQL) a hard disk 80 column color or monochrome monitor Software Required: DOS 2.0 or higher (DOS.31 required for network use, DOS 3.3 required for PS/2 models) Networking Adaptability: Compatible with, but not limited to, Netware, 3+ Share, 3+ Open, 3Com, IBM Lan Server, IBM PCLan, Banyon Vines, TOPS. If network is DOS 3.1 compatible Q&A 4.0 will probably support it. Comments: Adaptable to library functions such as accounting, acquisitions, cataloging, circulation, public catalog, routing, serials: If you can design the database, it can do the work! _________________________________________________________________________ IN REVIEW Mary Hemmings University of Calagary Law Library ---------- Connections: New Ways of Working in the Networked Organization, Lee Sproull and Sara Kiesler. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press, 1991. LC 90-476. ISBN 0-262-19306-X. 212 p. $19.95. ---------- Computerized communication has been a growing phenomenon in the last decade. Yet few of us have had an opportunity to reflect on its impact on our own style of communication. As an academic librarian, I constantly monitor eight discussion forums which link librarians across North America, South Americas and Europe. Occasionally, I contribute, mindful of Thumper's adage: "If you can't say something nice (worthwhile), don't say nothing at all". The less formal connections are sometimes more fulfilling as well as dangerous. I constantly chatter with a former colleague at McGill, exchanging recipes, notes on the kids, and observations on systems development: a humanizing blend of business and pleasure. Once, in a fit of pique, I quit. Thundering down the hall with a hasty "Ha, ha ... I was JOKING", I had an opportunity for a momentary reflection on the seductive nature of electronic communication. Sproull and Kiesler take a close look at computer-based communications and its effect on organizations and the people in them. They identify four goals for this book. First, to introduce managers and executives to the pitfalls and potential of these new communications. Second, to outline to systems developers how this medium is being used. Third, to outline to current users its full potential. Finally, to provide a little fodder for social scientists interested in organizational dynamics. They succeed on all counts. The authors firmly believe this is a powerful medium: better than fax and as influential as the railroad, typewriter and telephone have been in organizational development. Unlike "snail mail" and the telephone, electronic communications are more effective. And managers have been quick to capitalize on it. Yet, with new innovations, come new expectations and norms. Phosphorescent text has every appearance of being ephemeral, but it isn't. It has a wider, more diverse audience. It is both anonymous, yet more public. It can be archived, searched and retrieved. A "sender" could be a CEO, an accountant, or an irate janitor. The screen invites frankness, openness and some pretty stupid remarks. Studies have shown that users tend to be more honest when faced with a pulsating screen, precluding a need for a new etiquette. For example, "flaming" is the fine art of escalating tempers in an electronic format. An individual, wittingly or unwittingly, provides an inflammatory statement. A second will respond, a third will take further issues, and so on until a self-appointed moderator attempts a cool-down, which sometimes backfires. Of particular interest to social scientists is the impact of these connections on the traditional status hierarchies within organizations. People who would have traditionally dominated face-to-face meetings because of their organizational position rarely enjoy the same status in an electronic meeting. Group members submit motions more frequently, and with greater conviction than they would have in a more formal setting. Within organizations, a directive from a manager rarely invited response. Posted on an electronic bulletin board, however, managers are suddenly faced with unsolicited remarks and observations. In some organizations, such interest is tolerated and encouraged, within reasonable limits. In others, this medium has become another object of regulation and control. Electronic communications were originally seen as a way to centralize control. Instead it has allowed employees a greater latitude to solicit advice both within the organization, and among colleagues in other institutions. For some white-collar workers, an eight hour work day is often less productive at the office than at a "connected" home. It is recognized that the financial benefits to both the organization and the employee in a telework situation are great. Yet Sproull and Kiesler are not optimistic about the telework option. Managers prefer to see employees appearing to work. This illusionary control of the work environment is an essential cornerstone of control. Furthermore, the office environment offers informal social contact essential to the organizational persona. Institutions and some employees are loathe to sacrifice the organizational identity. Sproull is a professor of management at Boston University and Kiesler is a Professor of social and decision sciences at Carnegie Mellon University. Together, they have formulated a thoughtful and thorough overview of electronic communication today. _________________________________________________________________________ WHAT'S WHAT Computer World News Carl Christenson University of Wisconsin Law Library This article will focus on Knowbot Information Services in a Digital Library System. Whadda ya know 'bout Knowbots? Imagine sitting at a workstation, writing an article for the Automatome on Knowbots. Clicking on a window a graphic image about Knowbots appears on the screen and integrates into the document. This formerly unknown picture is retrieved from some database miles away. How? Knowbots. Dr. Robert E. Kahn coined the term Knowbots with his vision for the information marketplace consisting of Knowbot Information Services in a Digital Library System. The Digital Library System is a wide area network, WAN, in which multiple parties, multiple databases, and multiple interactions take place. Knowbots are purposeful packets that know exactly what the user wants. They are analogous to a librarian looking through the stacks to find what the user is looking for. There are thousand of databases on a myriad of computers scattered throughout the world. It is impossible for most people to be able to navigate through this sea of databases, select the best ones, know how to use each database, know the correct language for a query, find the right data, and retrieve it in a useful format and timely manner. A Digital Library System contains multiple databases on a network that can be brought to the library or a user's desk. Minimal knowledge is needed by the user as simple specifications effect powerful retrievals. A Digital Library System incorporates some sort of a user registration feature, a catalogue and index, import/export capabilities, persistent system storage, a transformation server to manipulate the data, and billing and accounting. Users need not know anything about the various databases or where to locate the information. Fast retrieval is a must along with a consolidation of transactions, that is a regulation of inputs and outputs. There can be no critical bandwidth dependencies in a Digital Library System so that all networks can use the system. Data can be transferred at different rates which effects data retrieval. At kilabits per second small documents can be transferred and browsed. These documents however are text only. At megabits per second large documents can be browsed and transferred as well as graphic images. At gigabits per second movies, simulations, multimedia, and multiple views can be browsed or transferred. Multiple views enable users to overlay or display more than one set of data at the same time. In engineering, temperature and stress profiles can be analyzed on one screen. Or consider the Super Bowl (Go Buffalo), users can become their own director and produce their own video of the football game by manipulating various camera shots and angles. Individuals and organizations want to get information, especially librarians, broadcasters, governments, researchers, universities, nd publishers. By attaching to a Digital Library System information sources become readily available. Problem specialist programs or "Agents" help to formulate queries, and broker or domain specialists create entities or "Knowbots", that take a query and devise a research strategy. A Knowbot has two distinct features. First it is context dependent or navigational, that is it knows where to go to find the data needed and how long to wait for the data. Secondly a Knowbot is content dependent and is able to handle complex interlingua and different languages. So how does this work? A user at a workstation sends a request to the communications network where the agents and knowbots take over creating queries for whatever databases they select from a database server. The information comes from the databases and returns to the user in a form that they need. Suppose an undergraduate student is writing an article on medical malpractice. Not knowing anything about the subject the student goes to the law library and asks the reference librarian where to begin. The librarian sits the student down at a workstation here he/she fills in a form on the computer. Artificial intelligence helps the student narrow down the search to look for the three most recent malpractice suits involving New York surgeons leaving foreign articles in patients. The form is then submitted electronically to the Digital Library System where queries are formulated for LEXIS and Westlaw. The three most recent cases are retrieved and displayed on the screen to be browsed, downloaded, or printed. In conclusion, a Digital Library System enables users to easily reproduce and manipulate data. However this leads to intellectual property issues. In a computer network environment there is a lack of control by rights holders of the data. Whose data is it? Some network copyright management system may have to be implemented. Furthermore, once the data is retrieved how does the user know that it is authentic? Or that the citations are accurate? Or that there are not errors or omissions in the data? Invariably someone will be injured due to something wrong about the data. Some interesting questions arise such as what role hould the library play in a Digital Library System, common carrier or supplier of information, and what liabilities are there for libraries? For an interesting case see Feist v Rural Telephone, Supreme Court.[1] Knowbot Information Services in a Digital Information Library is an exciting concept for the future. Though there are various legal and political details to work out the technology is currently available. Note: The bulk of this material is from my notes on a presentation entitled "Knowbots" given by Dr. Robert E. Kahn on Thursday, October 10, 1991 at the Industrial Liaison Program Massachusetts Institute of Technology Symposium: "Building the Information Marketplace." Dr. Robert E. Kahn is the president of the Corporation for National Research Initiatives. ---------- NEWS BRIEFS A quiet dot matrix printer? Panasonic's new KX-P2624 24-pin wide arriage printer is noiselessly making noise. The redesigned print head and extra cushioning makes this printer even quieter than most laser printers. The $699 price tag however may prove that silence is golden. (800-742-8086) A Floppie Librarian. No it's not the punch line to a joke, it's a software package from the Stuart Matlock Corporation (609-866- 7699). For $89.95 librarians can organize their disks on this database enabling them to quickly retrieve files, and print disk labels and reports. Out of Space, here comes Stacker. Stacker 2.0 is a software package that can double hard drive space by compressing data. For $149.00 it's much cheaper than adding a new hard drive. The best feature, besides the cost, is that when Stacker squeezes files and retrieves them quickly it is transparent to the user. No special commands are needed. From Stac Electronics (800-522- 7822). eady for a Jolt? Dataproducts Jolt, a new solid ink color printer, produces high quality documents for less than $5,000. Jolt uses regular 8-1/2" x 11" paper which takes about a minute per page to print. (818-887-8000). A database that does windows. PC-File Plus 6.0 has a new and improved Windows interface. PC-File is a simple-to-use database from ButtonWare, (800-528-8866). Create a bibliography from a word processing document using Pro- Cite 2.0. This database can store up to 100,000 records and supports subscript and superscript characters. Pro-Cite lists for $395 from Personal Bibliography Software. (313-996-1580) Want to know how to print correctly? Use the CorrectPrint 300 by RasterOps. This photo-realistic color printer is a boon for graphic artists and desktop publishers as it allows calibration between the color monitor and printer. What is visible on the screen closely matches what is printed. The CorrectPrint 300 omes with 35 resident fonts and has ports for Appletalk, EtherTalk, SCSI and serial connections. A RISC chip is used in it's postscript controller providing faster processing. Ready for another jolt? Cost is $10,999! (408-562-4200) Blaze your own trail with QBlazer. The QBlazer modem at $745 transfers data at an amazing 38,400 bps. Four times as fast as a 9600 baud modem, the QBlazer from Telbit (408-734-4333) is portable, measuring less than 2.5" square and weighing in at 8 ounces. The QBlazer is Hayes compatible and can run for two hours at full load on a 9 volt alkaline battery. VCR Macgic. The Vdeck Hi8 is an 8mm VCR controllable by a Macintosh computer to provide full motion video. The Vdeck Hi8 produced by Sony reads and writes in RC Time Code for frame accurate searching and faster, more accurate editing. The Macintosh can control three video and three audio sources and allows digital overlay of the audio. The Vdeck comes with VISCA (Video System Control Architecture) which enables the Mac to ontrol up to seven compatible video devices! The cost is approximately $2500. (201-930-6432) How about a Mac Notebook? PI Systems Corporation (503-293-9585) recently released a pen based clipboard that can exchange information with Macs. The "Infolio" is not a power PC, but is useful for specific applications such as filling out forms. The Infolio weighs less than 3 pounds and measures 9" x 10" x 1.2". Data is entered onto the LCD screen via a wire stylus. Cost is less than $2000. Portable Macs at last! Apple has finally delivered portable Macs that perform like their desktop counterparts but weigh less than 6.8 lbs. The model 140 and 170 with their 68030 CPUs measure 11.3" x 9.3" x 2.3". The model 100 is more compact at 11" x 8.6" x 1.8" but has only a 68000 CPU. The PowerBook 170 at $4600 comes complete with 4MB RAM, 40MB hard drive, and an internal SuperDrive. An internal fax/modem is also available for $349. The PowerBook 140 at $2900 contains only a 20MB hard drive and MB of RAM with an internal SuperDrive. The PowerBook 100 lacks a floppy drive, but has an internal 20MB hard drive and 2MB of RAM and costs only $2500. All of the PowerBooks use a built in trackball as a pointing device. These notebook computers run System 7.01 software and are bundled with Appletalk Remote Access software that allow users to easily transfer data to and from a network or desktop Mac. Apple's PowerBooks are a great relief to diehard Mac users who have been lugging their desktops around the country. ---------- Footnotes 1. Feist Publications Inc v. Rural Telephone Service Company Inc, 111 S.Ct. 1282. _________________________________________________________________________ BACK TO THE BASICS: MODEMS Mitch Fontenot University of Nebraska College of Law Library The purpose of this column will be to give _Automatome_'s readers both refreshers on those topics which we have dealt with for years as well as acquaint new readers with some of the basics in computer technology. If there is any particular topic that the readers have a strong interest in, please feel free to contact me or the editor of _Automatome_. The topic for this issue will be modems. The idea for this topic came from the notion that while the computer generation (ten years in the making) is now entering law schools around the country, there is still a great lack of knowledge of the purpose as well as the power of a modem in one's computer. Students and faculty are shifting from using the computer solely as a word processor to using it to access an immense number of remote databases. This is compounded by the recent availability of Lexis and Westlaw (free of charge) for home use, dialing into the law library's online catalog, and especially the recent advances in major networks such as Internet and Bitnet -- which can provide almost unlimited access to other library collections, communication to other users, and ever expanding access to other databases. All of this use and power is sometimes overlooked because of computer phobia, ignorance or even lassitude when it comes to purchasing, installing, and using a modem in one's computer. The 1990's will see a shift from using a computer as merely an expensive typewriter to tapping its abilities as a much more powerful tool in education and research. The nature of computer labs may dramatically change over the next decade as users strive for more access and portability through notebooks, modems and networks. In a small way, this article hopes to help users overcome the various obstacles and use their computers to their fullest potential. Purchasing a Modem When our first year students arrived and discovered that they had free home access to our online catalog, Lexis and Westlaw, many of them, although computer literate, still shied away -- thinking of a modem as something too expensive to purchase, and if purchased, impossible to install. Likewise, they were blown away when you tried to describe communications software, not to mention com (communication) ports. The librarians devised a one page guide sheet about modems in general which helped to allay many of their fears. We covered topics such as internal versus external modems, how much they should pay, what is 2400 baud rate, and installation procedures. For ease of use and for those students who had only one computer, we recommended that they purchase a 2400 baud Hayes compatible internal modem. Since the bulk of our students have IBM compatible computers (although the Macintosh contingent is growing exponentially each year), we told them that "Hayes is to modems what IBM is to computers," i.e. that they did not have to buy an expensive Hayes modem as long as it was Hayes compatible. We also explained that baud rate (technically called bits-per-second or bps) was the speed of data transmission over phone lines and that 2400 was a reasonable standard. Finally, on the modem guide sheet we recommended that they pay no more than sixty to seventy dollars ($60-$70) for such a modem. Macintosh modems (external) we found to be in the one to two hundred dollar ($100-$200) range. We also noted that the purchase of a modem often includes communications software such as PC-Talk, Bitcom, or Procomm, which we will discuss later in this article. Installing a Modem "Now that I've bought it, what do I do with it?" was the question then most frequently asked when they opened the box and found something resembling a computer card. We instructed the students that installation only required opening the CPU (central processing unit) and inserting the card into an available slot. For those students with older computers we advised them to check and make sure there was an available slot. The students were also instructed to be very careful in handling a modem card because of its fragility. We then showed them the difference between the phone lines and wall (or jack) lines, and why they could not use the phone and access an online service at the same time (although they could use the phone wired through the computer). We then moved on to communications software and the dreaded com (communication) ports. Communications Software and Com Ports While installation of communications software is usually very simple, learning how to use it and tailor it to one's own personal computer (especially with respect to com ports) is oftentimes not. There are many excellent brands of communication software on the market such as PC-Talk, Bitcom, and Procomm, each with their own degree of ease of use. They may be used to access remote databases and library catalogs. The software for Lexis and Westlaw, however, has its own communication software built in, and with the latest versions they have dramatically increased the ease of installation. Whether one is using one of the brands of communication software mentioned above or has the communication software already built in to a particular application, setting and determining the correct com (communication) port can be somewhat difficult if not frustrating. Determining the correct com port can be done in many ways. Procomm communications software has a program entitled cinstall which reads all four com ports and tells the user which one is currently in use by the modem. The setting switches for com ports on the modem can be dip switches, actual com port switches, or worst of all, a chip on the modem itself. Before tailoring any software to work on a computer always find out what com port the modem is working out of in order to save yourself and the user a great deal of work. Customer Service, Guide Sheets, and Conclusion Finally, extol to users the virtues of using customer service numbers, especially toll free ones. This is probably the most overlooked method of coordinating the modem with communication and/or application software. We have found that the guide sheets have reduced the number of questions considerably, and with a concentrated plan of effort these can assist immensely in the computer duties of a law library and librarian . _________________________________________________________________________ TO THE EDITOR: Response to Christopher Noe's review of the PALS Library System [v.10:no.3/4 (Summer/Fall, 1991), p.16-17.]. Several of Noe's assertions require clarification: "..PALS... is usually run on Unisys PC's and terminals." The implication that the PC software component of PALS usually runs on Unisys PCs might give the impression the Unisys PC is required. It is not; while we do not qualify the software on every platform, in general it will run on any MS-DOS compatible. "The system does not operate on any of the standard LAN networks... The current version of the PC software uses the Pecan operating system, rather than MS-DOS." The Pecan operating environment works under MS-DOS, not, as Noe asserts, separate from it. One of the limitations of Pecan is its orientation toward the serial communication port, rather than network interface cards. This is one of the main reasons why the software is being re-written. However, virtually every network can work in a serial environment if desired. Unisys PALS uses a distributed environment where a PC manages pop-up help screens, workforms, etc. This is an advantage in efficient operation since it allows library staff to use a single terminal for their local needs. OPAC module Other features omitted by Noe include: consortia libraries may perform local or system-wide searching, or logical grouping of library catalogs as, for example, all law libraries in a consortia. search qualification by shelf list, language, type of material, and date or date ranges. PALS-to-PALS gateway. Full record keyword indexing, with implicit Boolean searching and post-search Boolean qualification. Circulation module. "Provisions for backup operation during main frame down times are rather limited, however." It is difficult to envision what Noe has in mind here. PALS circulation back up is performed within the circulation function on the same PC that serves as the circulation workstation. Back-up operations begin seamlessly with the entering of a single command. Charge and discharge transactions and patron registration are recorded on the PC's disk drive. Following the surfacing of the host system, the transactions are downloaded with a printed report accompanying each download. Any problem conditions are alerted. PALS users have not reported any problems or requests for enhancement to this aspect of the product. Serials & Acquisitions "...lack of integration between them and the OPAC and circulation modules. These modules are also rather difficult for staff people to learn. The serials module does not handle the myriad types of continuations received by most libraries very well. It needs more flexibility and better integration with the acquisitions module..." The definition of "integration" in terms of a library system is vague. PALS can fairly call itself an integrated system since there is a design effort to avoid redundancy of data and an ability to access information across modules. Serial check-in data is available from the OPAC. This means that as soon as an item is processed (or not processed) the information is available to the OPAC user. Similarly, acquisitions information is available to the OPAC user. In order to permit libraries to implement modules to meet their requirements, PALS has made each module capable of being operated in a stand-alone fashion. Serials and acquisitions are complex, especially in the preparations for system implementation. Perhaps this accounts for Noe's assertion of difficulty. The acquisitions and serials modules work in the same manner as circulation and inter-library loan so it is hard to see that the software is at fault. PALS was not designed especially for law libraries. It was, however, designed for flexibility. Law libraries such as Georgia State University which have implemented the PALS acquisitions and serial check-in system (unlike the Thermodsgard Law Library) have found it to be workable with some special treatment for pocket parts and other special needs for legal literature. Inter-Library Loan and MARC Editor Noe perfunctorily addressed these modules despite being full-function components of PALS. Inter-Library Loan allows a patron to track inter-library loan requests, monitors and tracks usage for copyright purposes, and provides online statistical information on net borrowing and lending activity. The MARC Editor allows full screen editing of MARC data with windowing, MARC syntax validation, local record creation, interfaces with major utilities, label production, and much more. Documentation and Training. "The documentation is uneven. While there are lengthy manuals for each of the modules, they are separately priced and rather expensive." Unisys charges a per-page fee for its documentation which reflects the cost of production. As far as being separately priced, this is a common practice for all copies of documentation beyond the initial purchase. "There are a number of important features which are not documented properly or at all, which can be very frustrating for the administrator and library staff." This type of vague assertion is most unfair. Undoubtedly, errors may occur. Certainly, ambiguities may cause mis-interpretation. When they are reported to Unisys, the document is corrected. The impression from Noe is that the product is slipshod, yet to use a PALS document with detailed contents, indexes, screen displays, and sample reports is to view a professional product produced by professional technical writers. "Most training must be paid for separately and the cost for this can be rather high, since several days of training are required for the more complex modules." PALS on-site training charges are comparable or cheaper to those in the industry. The following days of training are standard: MARC Editor 2 Serials Control 2 Circulation 3 Acquisitions 4 Circulation and acquisitions include two site visits; one for conversion and file preparation and one close to production or "live" date. Hardware Reliability "The reliability of the Unisys PCs and printers has not been as good, and Unisys charges for repairs are very high, with lengthy turnaround times." This comment is based on anecdotal experience and is not a professional evaluation based on any actual sampling of mean-time-between-failure rate nor was any true cost comparison undertaken. Noe does not mention that his institution, not Unisys, maintains his equipment. PALS Software "One problem which is probably unique to PALS is caused by the existence of two separate development centers - Unisys and Mankato State University. On occasion, some features have been developed differently or not at all by one of the two entities." It is debatable that this is a problem or is unique to PALS. Unisys uses MSUS software and adds certain features to it which are not needed or wanted by MSUS. These are such things as communications protocols not used at MSUS and certain fields which are specific to MSUS which are changed or removed. Summary "Overall, the PALS system works reasonably well as an online catalog and circulation system but it does not work well with serials control and acquisitions." Noe is welcome to his opinion on capabilities of serials and acquisitions but it is not universally shared by all PALS users. "It is interesting to note that virtually all of the law libraries using PALS are using it because their university or library consortium chose it." This does not seen unreasonable since it was the intention of the product to work in a consortium environment. It would be apropos to add that these libraries did so to share resources, gain economies of scale, and provide a cost-effective solution to their automation requirements. Unisys is interested in the special problems of law libraries. The latest release of PALS software (beginning field test this month) introduces the Reference Database module which will support journal citation files as well as other traditional information retrieval databases. Law libraries may investigate this module as a way of reducing their high online searching expenses. Michel Ridgeway Unisys Corporation Blue Bell, PA _______________________________________________________________ TO THE EDITOR: Thank you for including Data Trek among the reviews of automation software in your recent edition of Automatome. Data Trek has a long history of working with law libraries, as evidenced by large number of law libraries we've automated, and so we appreciate the coverage. I am always especially interested in candid perspectives from actual end-users, and am grateful to Ms. Linda Register of Baker & McKenzie, Chicago for contributing her thoughtful review. I would like to offer your readers some additional information that might further develop the observations made and perhaps answer some concerns. I have written to Ms. Register to let her know that Data Trek is committed to correcting any problems with the Support Department. To that end, I have given copies of her review to everyone in Sales and Support, as well as to both the President and CEO of DTI so that we can all renew our efforts to provide consistent, accurate, and prompt service to all of our clients. I have also inquired about the problems Ms. Register identified regarding unwanted overdues and routing slips. There are controls within the Serials Module which normally prevent such things from happening (e.g, a Yes/No prompt which enables/disables claiming). However, if Ms. Register -- or any client of ours -- is experiencing problems with these or other areas of our products, I'd like to state publicly that DTI is committed to solving those problems. Your readers might be interested in knowing that we originally developed the "re-booting" requirement in our OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog) as built-in security to prevent accidental or intentional patron access to the computer's operating system. However, in response to our special library clients, we have since released a version of the OPAC which will allow a library the option of by-passing the security system and simply "quit" the program. Your readers might also wish to know that, with version 6.0 (now shipping), we have added an option to lengthen fields (such as the added entry field) to more commodious proportions. We have also completely revised the user documentation in Version 6.0, making special efforts to create indexes that are both more useful and comprehensive. If I understood correctly what Ms. Register said regarding validation table in Acquisitions, I'd like to say that in addition to the vendor file, the fund accounts and shipping addresses also have validation control. The validation prompts allow for correcting an entry, viewing similar existing data, or adding new data on the spot. This helps insure accuracy of data entry. Lastly, Data Trek has information on software that enables clients to toggle quickly and easily among multiple modules without a time delay. Though it requires at a minimum a 80286 and adequate RAM (determined by the application), users have found the ability to move effortlessly from one module to another makes this option very worthwhile. I hope the above information is useful to your readers. I am available to answer any questions about the above 7:30am - 5:30pm (PST) at 1-800-876-5484. Thanks again to Linda Register and to Automatome for the review. Best regards, Mark D. Patterson Director of Sales and Marketing Data Trek Inc. Carlsbad, CA _________________________________________________________________________ MEA CULPA To our embarrassment, in the previous issue of Automatome (vol.10:no.3/4) we omitted the name of one of the two authors of the review of Sydney Library System. Authorship of the article was shared by Jane Reynolds and Anne Billings of Johnson & Gibbs in Dallas. Our most sincere apologies go to Ms. Billings, as well as our best wishes for her in her new job as Librarian at Johnson, Bromberg and Leeds of Dallas. _________________________________________________________________________ AUTOMATION AND SCIENTIFIC DEVELOPMENT SIS FINANCIAL REPORT As of November 30, 1991 *Beginning Balance $7,506.43 Income: Income to 11/30/91 +$00.00 Subtotal $7,506.43 Expenses: Office Supplies $52.00 Postage $263.94 Printing $89.40 Expenses to 11/30/91 -$405.34 Balance on November, 30, 1991 $7,101.09 *Beginning balance equals balance on September 30, 1991 ($2,901.48) plus one half of the dues collected for the 1991-92 dues year. Respectfully Submitted, Jo Ann Humphreys Secretary/Treasurer ASD-SIS ________________________________________________________________