Librarian: an overview
| Published date | 01 March 1988 |
| Date | 01 March 1988 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/eb040395 |
| Pages | 21-25 |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management |
21
Librarian:
an overview
Introduction
E
urotec is a software and consultancy firm
providing products for markets other than
the library market, notably a system for bar-
risters and an electronic
mail
system.
The library
product, Librarian, has been available since
1983 and accounts for about 50% of the busi-
ness.
Eurotec also provides some bespoke
software, and the library product can be (and
usually is) customised for individual libraries.
The system originated as an indexing system for
a technical library; it was then generalised and
marketed, initially
as
a cataloguing/enquiry
sys-
tem, but circulation control has since been
added. It is used mostly by special and college
libraries.
Hardware
The system runs under either the Digital
Research family of operating systems (CP/M-
80,
MP/M, CP/M-86, Concurrent CP/M-86
etc.),
or under MS-DOS or
PC-DOS.
For multi-
users there are two approaches: there is an MS-
DOS network version, which allows for one
terminal to
be
set
up
for
updating,
with other
ter-
minals used for enquiries only
(a
full multi-user
version for MS-DOS networks is under
development); or a fully multi-user system can
be set up using concurrent DOS, concurrent
CP/M
etc.
A lightpen can be configured with the
system, provided it sits between the keyboard
and
the
system,
i.e.
is
not
an
independent device.
The
Telepen minipen has been used
in
this way.
Back-up is on to floppy disk or
tape,
depending
on the hardware in use. With the standard
software, it
is
necessary to go into
the
operating
system to take back-ups, but where a turnkey
system is supplied, a menu-driven approach is
provided which includes back-up procedures.
Access to the system is via a password, except
for enquiry which is not password protected.
Applications
There are three modules currently available:
cataloguing and enquiry; circulation control;
and acquisitions which has just been released.
Serials control is planned. A brief circulation
record is maintained for transactions, but the
necessary data is read across from the catalogue,
i.e. it is not necessary to re-input any data.
Similarly, the acquisitions module permits ex-
isting catalogue data to be copied to the order
record.
Cataloguing
The system has been developed using a
proprietary database management system and,
as noted
above,
this is tailored
to
suit each user.
The structure and content of records are, there-
fore,
library-defined; fields are variable-length,
and multiple fields may be accommodated.
Fields for indexing are also user-defined. Fields
can be fully indexed, i.e. each word in the field
is
indexed;
there is provision to assign keywords
to a record; and for one designated field, typi-
cally a title or a field containing a synopsis of
the work, words can be selected and marked as
index terms, effectively treating them in the
same way as assigned keywords.
Bibliographic data
is
held only once per
title;
ac-
cession numbers are simply added
as
a string at
the head of the workform.
Records are created on a workform
on
the screen
(there may be several screens if necessary), and
there is full screen editing. There is a standing
data maintenance function which allows for
control over searchable fields, e.g. author,
keyword. Data
can
either be entered dynamical-
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