The SARDIUS experience
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/eb045389 |
| Pages | 359-362 |
| Published date | 01 April 1995 |
| Date | 01 April 1995 |
| Author | Elna Schoeman |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
Article
The SARDIUS experience
Elna Schoeman
Librarian, The
South
African Institute of International Affairs,
PO Box
31596,
Braamfontein, 2017
South
Africa
Abstract: SARDIUS
is
an acronym for Southern African Research
Documentation Information
User
Service.
After compiling several bibliographies
at Jan Smuts House Library and publishing a bibliographical journal for some
years, a database on CDROM seemed the next logical
step.
Several factors were
favourable towards such a move, for instance a sound stock of bibliographical
material on Southern Africa, uniformity in style of already published hardcopy
bibliographies and a
thesaurus,
tailormade for our
requirements.
However,
constraints such as lack of money and technical expertise were delaying progress.
When
the necessary funds were obtained through a grant from the European
Union,
the publication of SARDIUS became a reality.
The first edition of
SARDIUS,
published
in
May
1994
and updated in March
1995,
comprises approximately 50 000 records on both the Southern African
region as a whole and the eleven individual countries — Angola, Botswana,
Losotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa,
Swaziland,
Tanzania,
Zambia and Zimbabwe. The focus is on
economic,
political and social
issues,
and
the database is intended for
academics,
researchers, students,
librarians,
policy
makers and all those requiring information on the
region.
Information
is
derived
from the SAIIA's Bibliographical Series, of which 28 volumes have been
published;
the SA
Update,
a Bibliographical
Journal,
now in its eleventh
year;
and an ongoing indexing service at Jan Smuts House Library.
SARDIUS has been compiled with the aim of providing instant
information
to
references on
the
Southern African
region.
Searches are conducted on either
authors, keywords from the thesaurus; date or
text,
singly or in combination.
Teething problems do occur but are being
eliminated.
However, these problems
are overshadowed by
SARDIUS'
considerable advantages: obtaining accurate
information
instantly,
its
dynamism and ease of use.
1.
Introduction
After compiling several bibliog-
raphies at Jan Smuts House Library
and publishing a bibliographical jour-
nal for some years, a database on
CDROM seemed the next logical step.
Computer technology, which didn't
exist when the first bibliography was
reproduced on a Gestetner machine,
had greatly advanced; we felt that we
were in an advantageous position to
progress from printed bibliographies
to a database.
Several aspects of the Bibliog-
raphical Series could be regarded as
favourable:
• a sound basic stock of
bibliographical material was
available on disk;
• the material pertained
exclusively to Southern Africa,
making it possible to draw it
together under one heading;
• the bibliographies were
compiled in a uniform style,
based on a manual which was
drawn up at an early stage of
publishing these works;
• keywords were standardised in a
Thesaurus and added to the
existing bibliographies.
But there were also numerous con-
straints which delayed the publication
of SARDIUS considerably, such as:
• our lack of technical knowledge
concerning CDROMs, software
and computers often confused
and exasperated us;
• we realised that such a venture
would cost a considerable
amount of money, and we had
none;
• bibliographical work on
CDROM is relatively new to
South Africa and we did not
have access to the right channels.
Whilst continuing the scheduled
publication of hard copy bibliog-
raphies, the idea of a database was not
forgotten. Jacqueline Kalley tirelessly
investigated
all
avenues.
She found Ju-
tastat, who already published law re-
ports and statutes on CDROM using
Ghostbase as software. They seemed
interested but nothing could be done
before the necessary funds were avail-
able.
Again the project was shelved.
Months later, the European Commu-
nity (now Union) came to the rescue
and donated a substantial sum which,
for the first time, made the publication
of SARDIUS feasible.
I will spare you
the
endless negotia-
tions with the publishers, the efforts to
breach the communication gap be-
tween the computer-minded and the li-
brary-orientated, and the frustration of
time-consuming meetings. All parties
had to be patient, compromise and
adapt to new circumstances.
Rather, I would like to give you a
brief overview of SARDIUS:
• what it comprises;
• what it can do for both librarians
and their customers.
The Electronic Library,
Vol.
13,
No.
4,
August 1995 359
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