Developing custom software and merging with an existing retrieval system: a case study
| Pages | 101-113 |
| Date | 01 February 1984 |
| Published date | 01 February 1984 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/eb044616 |
| Author | Cynthia W. Shockley,Timothy H. Hinds |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
THE ELECTRONIC LIBRARY
Developing custom software
and merging with an
existing retrieval system:
a case study
Cynthia W. Shockley and Timothy
H.
Hinds
Abstract: The stages of effort undertaken by the National Epilepsy Library and Resource
Center of the Epilepsy Foundation of America to dovetail an off-the-shelf database retrieval
package with a custom correspondence response package are presented. In a Wang VS-80
minicomputer environment, a concept for a package to streamline the process of answering
25,000 queries from the general public, using an in-place resources database for referral re-
quirements, was developed. A methodical and thorough system design phase emphasizing
operator friendliness and top-down design coupled with appropriate experience with the
Wang operating system was essential for success. Involving staff who possessed different
operational perspectives in the system testing stage
is
recommended. Suggestions on how to
avoid oversights in all these critical stages are presented. The original flexibility designed
into the software has produced a package that can be enhanced
in
order
to
remain responsive
to the Foundation's needs in the years to come.
1.
Introduction
Staying abreast of developments in library automation and the resultant prolifera-
tion of available hardware and software has become an overwhelming task for
many librarians and information professionals. Trying to decide what equipment
to choose based on what tasks a facility is to undertake over a given period of time
can thwart even the best-intentioned manager when faced with the magnitude of
the decision. The Epilepsy Foundation of America and its National Epilepsy
Library and Resource Center (NELRC), located in the Washington DC area,
began an intensive automation program in early 1982 with an overriding objective
to integrate, whenever possible, off-the-shelf packages with custom-designed
software. This article describes the process by which two operational components
Cynthia W. Shockley is Assistant Director at the National Epilepsy Library and Resource Center,
Epilepsy Foundation of America, 4351 Garden City Drive, Suite 406, Landover, Maryland 20785,
USA.
Timothy H. Hinds is a Systems Analyst/Programmer at G.C. Computer Systems, Inc., 627 Sligo
Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910, USA.
Vol. 2, No. 2, April 1984 101
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