Library Information System II: Progress Report and Technical Plan

Date

1990

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

The Public-Access Computer Systems Review

Abstract

This article describes the work at Carnegie Mellon University in library automation and information retrieval systems. Specific projects include: broadening the range of electronic bibliographic resources by adding databases and expanding the range of stand-alone CD-ROM databases; deepening access to book resources by enhancing catalog records, and adding contents information for scientific and technical proceedings and book reviews to the online catalog; designing a new library information system (LIS II) on a hardware and software platform that demonstrates the feasibility of distributed library systems running on UNIX workstations; and building image databases for the delivery of full-text documents. The Library Information System II provides for retrieval from several DEC VAX servers using Z39.50 layered on TCP/IP, a search engine from OCLC called Newton, a pilot user interface in OSF X.11 Motif, and an authentication system based on Kerberos and Hesiod developed at MIT. The system is being built to existing and proposed standards, and it is designed to be machine independent. A system which distributes databases over a number of file servers will thus be affordable to a wide range of libraries. This article address a number of technical and design issues and concludes with an outline of the research and development agenda for the coming year.

Description

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Citation

Troll, Denise A. "Library Information System II: Progress Report and Technical Plan." The Public-Access Computer Systems Review 1, No. 3 (1990): 4-29.