An automated method of transmitting article requests
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/eb045486 |
| Published date | 01 April 1996 |
| Pages | 311-315 |
| Date | 01 April 1996 |
| Author | Giovanna Alloro,Donatella Ugolini |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
Focus Article
An automated method of
transmitting article requests
Giovanna Alloro
National Institute for
Cancer
Research,
Genoa,
L.go
R:
Benzi,
no.
10,
16132
Genoa,
Italy
Donatella Ugolini
Department of
Clinical and Experimental
Oncology,
University of Genoa,
L.go
R:
Benzi,
no.
10,16132
Genoa,
Italy
Abstract:
The
rapid retrieval of citations on a demand basis followed by instant
availability of the full documents are high priority procedures for biomedical
researchers. This paper describes the opportunities provided by some LAN
software to automate repetitive tasks in order to manage the document delivery
process
better.
1.
Introduction
The Scientific Information and Docu-
mentation Service (SIDS) and the Li-
brary of the IST — National Cancer
Research Institute of Genoa and the
Clinical and Experimental Oncology
Department, University of Genoa —
were established in 1982 in order to
provide biomedical information serv-
ices to health professionals working in
the field of cancer research.
Services include mediated online
searches, networked workstations for
end-user CDROM searches (Medline,
Cancer-CD, Toxline Plus, Oncodisc
and Cordis), institutional information
(for example listings of publications of
personnel stored in a local database),
Internet resources, and a training pro-
gramme for
staff,
students and exter-
nal clients.
At present, the library holds 213
current serial subscriptions and over
3000 monographs. The two services
are connected through the Novell Net-
ware LAN (local area network), and
three workstations provide end-user
access.
Technological developments have
increasingly enabled and facilitated
the accessibility of bibliographic re-
sources, which in turn has led to a
growing demand for documents and
their
supply.
Copies of articles are cur-
rently obtained from
two
National Un-
ion List Catalogues and from special-
ised document supply centres, such as
the British Library Document Supply
Centre (BLDSC) and UnCover (Bluh
1993;
Braid 1993; Carrigan 1993;
Harrison 1994; Kohl 1995; Learch &
Tribble 1993; Whittaker & Malamud
1994).
Described here is a method for
automated article requests to the
BLDSC, developed to improve the ef-
ficiency of information access.
2.
Materials and methods
2.
1. ARTTel
The Internet and other telecommuni-
cation networks have prompted a
change in traditional practices of re-
questing documents to the BLDSC,
namely the transition from postal re-
quests to automated request transmis-
sion (ART).
Being a registered customer and
holding a BLDSC deposit account
makes it possible to order photocopy
requests via ART using one of the fol-
lowing methods:
• ARTTel (ART by telephone);
• ARTTelex (ART by telex);
• Fax.
ARTTel (Automated Request
Transmission by Telephone) allows
requests to be forwarded using a com-
puter terminal and the national Public
Packet Data Network, or using the In-
ternet gateway to JANET, the British
Joint Academic Network, accessible
from Italy through
a
telnet connection.
With this method, requests are sent
as an ASCII file which is prepared in
advance according to ARTTel guide-
lines (Figure 1).
-) user code
-) 4 blank lines
-) TX line code search (BACKUP, photocopy only, etc.) or service (chaser,
cancellation, etc.) as requested
-) bibliographic
information.
Length max.
11
lines.
-) 4 blank lines
-) next request
-) 4 blank lines
-) end of file code (NNNN)
Figu re
1 :
Rules for editing the ASCII text file.
The Electronic Library, Vol. 14, No. 4, August 1996 311
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