THE IMPACT OF COMPUTERS ON THE IU LIBRARIES: A PROGRESS REPORT by Gary Wiggins Head, Chemistry Library Much the which

of the planning for future computing applications in

IU Libraries system is directed toward allowing is accessible in or through the library to

information be fully in onto

transportable traditional site and

to the user's workstation.

Information

found

printed library materials (as well as data from remote databases) should in the future be as easy

take with you in computer-readable form as a photocopy is today. It is with electronic formats of information that the on

Libraries will have the greatest and most far-reaching impact research at IU over the next decade. should access have All library service

points to form

user workstations which provide the

capability a

remote or on-site databases and download data in

which allows the researcher to easily incorporate the information into of a research or teaching project. equipment includes a The minimum dedicated configuration microcomputer,

telecommunications device, software, optical scanner with optical character recognition capabilities, a printer, and other hardware as needed. numbers Such library user workstations will soon be needed in photocopy machines

roughly equivalent to the number of

currently in the libraries. A. The Libraries Automation Project. Within two years the fruits of the massive Libraries

automation project, based on the Northwestern University software NOTIS, will begin to be seen. The automation project is a multi-

million dollar endeavor to provide five computer-based components

which are not currently available in the libraries system.

These a a

are an online public access catalog, a serials control system, circulation control system, a book acquisitions system, and

non-public catalog (including authority files).

The contract has $1.12 special Education Information

recently been signed for the NOTIS system, and the initial million to initiate the project has been received from a appropriation Commission. administered by the Indiana Higher

The system is being implemented on the

Services' IBM computer. The Indiana access 1976, ultimate goal of the library automation projects in

is to link all academic libraries and to provide to the the materials to all citizens of IU Libraries system has cataloged the state.

better Since an OCLC the that saving OCLC

books

through

online bibliographic utility called OCLC.

IU also uses the

interlibrary loan subsystem to identify libraries throughout nation we from which to borrow materials. It is through OCLC thus The of

share

cataloging records with other libraries, numbers tapes of man-hours to catalog materials. for IU also provide the database

enormous archival including NOTIS

records, into NOTIS the is

holdings

of journals, which will be loaded successful implementation of

system.

Thus,

dependent to a large extent on the continued use of OCLC. Libraries and departments should be equipped to take maximum advantage have of the NOTIS system. Information Services to and dial BACS in

established

a bridge which will permit users

through For

remote terminals or microcomputers using BACS use direct linkages

accounts. the

library

will be provided through

twisted

pair telephone jacks to be installed next summer.

B. Databases Offered Through BACS/Other Database Searching. Plans types of are underway to lease large bibliographic databases and mount them for searching on and the other BACS

computer system. funding search anyone

The Libraries are responsible for selecting and the database to be It the used

the databases; BACS is to select and fund software. through While these databases will be

accessible also

the campus Ethernet network, they will

available through public-use microcomputers in the Libraries. is possible that the software which has been leased for be

Libraries for this

automation project (the NOTIS software) will service. BACS will support at least one PC

database of

search software package such as AskSam for local manipulation downloaded records. There being systems software complicated are other avenues to database These include the use Express and the need Grateful for the of searching front-end Such to which

are

explored. like STN

software front-end

Med. user

eliminates

learn

the

logon sequences and command-driven search

languages

of the database vendors. C. CD-ROM Databases There are many databases in the Libraries in CD-ROM These include databases corresponding to Books in format. Print,

Dissertation etc. CD-ROM As

Abstracts, Index Medicus, Psychological databases generally come with their a

Abstracts, own search

software.

presently configured, they and CD-ROM player.

require

dedicated databases in

microcomputer have hefty

All of the

CD-ROM

price tags, but they can be very cost retrieval. multiple It sites is possible to CD-ROM to

effective

information access from

provide

networked are

files.

Products

beginning to appear which serve this purpose. CD

One is them is the CD Server is

Net/CD Server product line from Meridian Data.

available in an Ethernet model and will handle from one to CD ROM drives. D. Document Delivery Services The document Libraries delivery are which moving toward encompasses a the broad use

seven

definition of

of

appropriate

technology to deliver information in any format from the location in which it is held to the user. plus several All science libraries on campus are equipped boards with for

units at the Main Library now machines. the

telefacsimile their PCs,

As more users purchase FAX for can document delivery a

options

increase PC FAX at the

dramatically. library and

Information

be scanned into

transmitted into the user's PC via the

board. scanners

The Libraries should have high quality flatbed graphics with software which allows them to serve as optical

character a

recognition

(OCR) systems.

Printing a scanned image requires

laser printer. is too

(A dot matrix printer, even at 150 dots per inch, To work 286 or with 386

sparse to give a good finished product.) in this manner really demands a larger

graphics

computer; smaller machines are just too slow. Scanned programs OS/2's like images can easily be imported into presentation As the the

Show Partner or the IBM PC Manager penetrates

Storyboard. the

Presentation

market,

incorporation

of scanned images into word

processing

documents

and database records will become more routine.

For the immediate

future, the desktop scanner offers an attractive alternative. E. Toward Broader Uses of the Materials Budget.

Scholars realistically

must expect

now the

ask themselves how books, journals,

often or

they other

should printed

materials needed for their research or teaching to be housed within the IU Libraries can no system. longer It be is

physically clear at that IU. level the that IU no for to

comprehensive Therefore, of research

collections

built

clear guidelines need to be formulated for the materials which will be provided within

Libraries

system be

collections.

Then, it is

essential or

differentiation access to

made among departments

disciplines avenue

materials not locally owned.

The primary

such materials for some time to come will be document delivery of printed books, copies of journal articles, and other printed system.

materials obtained from sources outside the IU libraries Increasingly, however, this will involve the use of

electronic over

sources of information. the next

To cover the cost of these options must

decade, the Libraries materials budgets

reserve This loan,

significant funds for other forms of information delivery. would cover most of the costs of traditional interlibrary

the use of commercial document suppliers, and electronic forms of information. The Libraries must see that scholars have the resources with which Indiana computer, funds to continue to do high-quality research and University. By utilizing the teaching of of to at the the the

capabilities

we can be sure to make the most effective use to support the Libraries' contribution In that

available

research the

and teaching efforts of the faculty.

manner,

computer promises to solidify the long-standing

partnership

between faculty and librarians.