ACRL College & Research Libraries News

College & Research Libraries News

NEW TECHNOLOGY

•Brandeis University Library, Waltham, Massachusetts, is getting ready to process Hebraic characters on RLIN, the Research Libraries Information Network operated by the Research Libraries Group. On March 1 the Brandeis Library staff began converting the romanized portion of its catalog cards into records in the RLIN database, following the standards established by the consortium for retrospective conversion of existing cataloging into machine-readable form. Changes to allow the entry and manipulation of Hebrew characters in RLIN are now being installed, and Brandeis will use these enhancements for records already entered as well as for ongoing record entry.

“Parallel fields” in the vernacular will be added to each record for key values such as the title, author, and imprint. This will make it possible for RLIN users to retrieve such records either through vernacular searches on IBM PCs using an RLIN terminal emulation program, or through romanized searches on a wide variety of terminals. Depending on the type of terminal, users will see both vernacular and romanized data or just the romanized fields. The Brandeis Hebraica recon project will eventually convert about 35,000 Hebraic titles into online catalog cards.

•Indiana State University Library has entered into a joint development project with Applied Computing Devices of Terre Haute, Indiana, to develop an online backup and database access system. Applied Computing Devices has provided the library with a grant of $75,000 for the development. The system will provide online backup to LUIS, the library’s integrated online system purchased from NOTIS. The system will also enable the library to create and access databases on optical digital disks. The system will utilize the WORM (Write Once Read Many) digital disk technology.

•Indiana University Libraries and the university’s Administrative Computing department have executed license agreements with the Western Library Network (WLN) and Software AG of North America (SAGNA). The agreements license the use of the WLN and SAGNA software for library automation projects at five institutions that have formed an informal consortium. Indiana University serves as the license agent for Brown University, Columbia University, the Metropolitan Toronto Library Board, and the University of Cincinnati.

These five institutions are users of the Biblio-Techniques Library and Information System (BLIS), which was developed and supported by Biblio–Techniques, Inc. In late 1986 Biblio- Techniques informed its customers that it was no longer in a position to provide software support. These customers determined that they could continue their respective library automation projects without Biblio-Techniques support through direct licensing agreements with WLN and SAGNA.

•The Western Library Network has issued its first release of LaserCat, a service that puts a major portion of the WLN database on three CD-ROM disks. LaserCat provides subscribers with MARC bibliographic records showing the holdings of 250 libraries throughout the western United States and British Columbia. In addition, LaserCat contains the two most recent years of Library of Congress cataloging without holdings. The CD-ROM database will be updated quarterly, with each three- disk update completely replacing all previous issues of LaserCat. Data can be displayed in a variety of ways—brief listings, holdings, or full MARC records—and can be retrieved by browsing, exact searches, and keyword searches. LaserCat can print bibliographies and download records for use in local systems.

•The H.W. Wilson Company is distributingthe newly introduced IBM Personal System/2 Model 30 as part of its WILSONLINE Workstation hardware package. This powerful unit has replaced the IBM PC XT as the centerpiece of the Workstation, and costs $300 less than the earlier configuration. The WILSONLINE Workstation is designed to support all of Wilson’s retrieval services—WILSONLINE online retrieval, WIL- SEARCH end-user software, and the new WILSONDISC CD-ROM retrieval system.

•The Winsted Corporation has introduced a videotape storage system for 1/2“ Beta cassettes. The “TapeCube” is a durable, injection-molded plastic cube that accommodates five cassettes. It attaches easily to an aluminum extrusion hanger bar that fastens to an open wall space or an existing hanger system. Contact the Winsted Corporation, 9801 James Circle, Minneapolis, MN 55431; (612) 888- 1957. ■ ■