The use of new technologies to improve library and information services at CINTI
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/eb045094 |
| Pages | 325-327 |
| Date | 01 June 1991 |
| Published date | 01 June 1991 |
| Author | Stefka Kaloyanova |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
Article
The use of
new
technologies
to improve library and
information services at
CINTI
Stefka Kaloyanova
Room
111,
Automated Information
Centre,
CINTI,
bul.
G.
A.
Nasser 52
A,
Sofia,
Bulgaria
1.
Introduction
The basic objectives of
the
Central Institute for Scientific and
Technical Information (CINTI) are to supply and handle do-
cuments and to promote their efficient use by members of the
STI community in Bulgaria. To achieve these objectives,
CINTI has recourse to source and reference documents,
which are maintained, in the case of source material, at the
Central Scientific and Technical Library (CSTL) as either
hardcopy or microfiche, and for reference documents in ma-
chine-readable form in databases.
The databases available to CINTI fall into two main ca-
tegories: internal databases, which are entered locally using
CINTI facilities, and include detailed descriptions of docu-
ments gathered or received from abroad on magnetic media;
and external databases, which are available through interna-
tional hosts and telecommunications or data networks.
This article is mainly concerned with internal databases,
such as the bibliographic database which forms part of the
CSTL online catalogue, and discusses some trends and possi-
bilities for their use both within CINTI and
at
other library and
information centres in Bulgaria.
2.
Status of bibliographic databases within the CSTL
online catalogue
Library catalogue automation is fundamental to the auto-
mation of all other library processes. The UNESCO CDS/
ISIS package was chosen as the vehicle for library automa-
tion at CSTL and is also used at most of
the
other libraries in
Bulgaria.
The CSTL catalogue currently contains over
231
000 bib-
liographic descriptions covering all types of literature, except
patents documents, that are held at CINTI and breaks down
into three main database groups:
1.
periodicals, from 1980 onwards;
2.
newly-acquired CSTL documents, which include
bibliographic data on books, reference manuals,
dictionaries, scientific reports, dissertations, deposit
papers, scientific & technical translations for the period
since 1984 and comprises 84.8% of
the
whole; and
3.
NTIS, which includes data on NTIS American scientific
research, held on microfiche at CINTI since 1984 and
represents 9.8% of the overall CSTL holding.
The data elements used to describe the documents are
mainly bibliographic (title, authors, indexes etc.), but may
additionally include elements such as keywords, subject
codes,
annotations
etc.
The use of logical operators to allows
more complex subject searches to be performed, either in an
interactive mode or using an SDL A further advantage for
readers and
Users
is the ability to access the source documents
that are identified in a search.
The online catalogue is available during normal working
hours,
in batch and online modes. It is used with the help of a
trained intermediary, which at this stage is seen as time-sav-
ing and allows for more accurate searching. Dialogue is the
preferred way of using the catalogue. In addition, a printed
version of the catalogue and indexes is available to all users.
Other significant internal databases describing sources ac-
quired at CINTI are:
1.
a database of Bulgarian scientific and technological
research registered at CINTI (about
63
000 items);
2.
a database of reports from business trips abroad; and
3.
a database of analytical information and product des-
criptions (translations, reviews, abstracts, analytical
studies, information surveys and analyses (about 2700
items)).
There are currently five terminals available in the cata-
logue hall, which is presently sufficient for CINTI users.
However, no more than two concurrent
users
(excluding local
and remote terminal users) are able to access the library cata-
logue through the Bulgarian network (BULPACK).
Statistics on the level of catalogue use showed that during
the first nine months of 1990, 5.3% of the 39 400 visitors to
CSTL had accessed the online library catalogue. Despite the
fact that some visitors had used the printed
version,
especially
for simple searches, this percentage is not regarded as satis-
factory.
The Electronic Library, Vol. 9, No. 6, December
1991
325
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