MAGGIE III: The Prototypical Library System
| Published date | 01 April 1986 |
| Date | 01 April 1986 |
| Pages | 7-21 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/eb047661 |
| Author | Kenneth E. Dowlin |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
MAGGIE III:
The Prototypical Library System
Kenneth E. Dowlin
Maggie III is an integrated system
that supports a public access catalog,
cataloging interface, bibliographic
maintenance, circulation, electronic mail,
and community information databases.
Acquisitions and serials modules
are under development. The system,
available from the Eyring Research Institute,
is based on software created for the
Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries (CARL).
Sidebars describe 1) the structure
of the community information databases,
2) the planned use of the CARL software
by other libraries in Colorado,
and 3) the mounting and use of the non-
bibliographic database, "A Matter of Fact",
on the CARL system.
Maggie's Place, the automated library system
designed by the Pikes Peak Library District, is
entering its second cycle of development. A new
generation of Maggie's Place--Maggie III--is current-
ly being implemented through a partnership between
the library; Eyring Research institute, Inc.; Tandem
Computers; and the Colorado Alliance of Research
Libraries. The synthesis of institutional commitment,
resources, and technical expertise has produced
a powerful, sophisticated, unique library system.
HISTORY
In 1976, the Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD)
acquired its first minicomputer, a Digital Equipment
Corporation (DEC) PDP 11/70. Over the next six
years,
the library's staff and system programmers
designed and implemented Maggie II--the automated
library environment created for PPLD and named
after the long-time head of Technical Services,
Margaret O'Rourke. The first operational programs
were those for book inventory, circulation, user
registration, and reserves. The first four community
information databases: AGENCIES (formerly known
as CALL), CLUBS, CALENDAR, and COURSES
were developed in 1978 and 1979, as were the ac-
quisitions, cataloging support, serials, electronic
mail, and word processing functions. The DAYCARE
and CARPOOL databases were implemented in the
1980s. When complete, Maggie II was recognized
as one of the most comprehensive, extensive auto-
mated library systems available. However, the system
was so well utilized (with ninety-seven terminals
and 1.8 billion bytes of storage) that it had grown
Dowlin is the Director of the Pikes Peak Li-
brary District.
ISSUE 16 7
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