WORLD 1 CONNECTIONS
all the news about WORLD 1, ABN and Ozline
Issue no. 2
March/April 1996
ISSN 1325-958X
WORLD 1 Connections is edited and designed by Leora Kirwan using desktop publishing software. The publication is issued bimonthly by the Services to Libraries Division of the National Library of Australia. Single subscriptions will be available gratis on application to:
Editor, WORLD 1 Connections
Network Services Marketing
National Library of Australia
CANBERRA ACT 2600
Unless otherwise specified, for further information contact the Help Desk on 1800 026 155 or the Editor on (02) 6262 1580
As promised, we have compiled answers to the most frequently asked questions from the WORLD 1 roadshows earlier this year.
With more than 3,000 people in attendance throughout Australia, the questions asked were wide ranging. The answers below are the first in a three-part series which will hold interest for managers, reference librarians, cataloguers and document delivery professionals.
The differences between the Client and the WWW browser fall into two main categories:
a) Access method
The Client is custom-made software that you load onto your PC. You will require at least a 486PC with 8Mb memory.
Web browsers, such as Netscape and Mosaic, give you access to sites on the World Wide Web. It is possible to use a Web browser on lower-powered terminals such as a 286 PC, a Mac or a VT100 dumb terminal, to access WORLD 1.
b) Functionality
The Client is the priority development for WORLD 1. It will provide you with access to all functionality, including special features such as saved searching, back referencing and customer profiles.
Access via the Web browser will be very convenient and will enable efficient and effective searches. Although the Web browser will not support saved searching, back referencing and customer profiles initially, we will be evaluating the need for these features in the future.
Which external databases will be accessible via WORLD 1?
During Phase I, some external databases will be accessible using the Telnet option; however, these will be not be searchable using the WORLD 1 search interface.
During Phase 2, when the Z39.50 gateway becomes available, you will have access to an extensive range of Australian and overseas external databases. Using the WORLD 1 search interface, you won't need to remember multiple logons and passwords, and all your transactions on these external databases will be handled centrally by WORLD 1.
What full-text databases will be available online in Phase I and will I be able to search between them and citation databases?
It is planned that the first full text databases available on WORLD 1 will be FAMILY Full Text and a pilot data-base of Australian electronic journals. This selection will later be extended in response to customers' needs.
It will be possible to conduct a search across all the databases hosted on WORLD 1. So a search could deliver a result set which includes citations and full text items.
What's the difference between hypertext navigation and the WORLD 1 Links feature?
The WORLD 1 Client has a powerful 'Links' feature which will allow you to move easily from a selected item to related works across one or more hosted databases. A comprehensive range of Links options are available, including links to 'more works by the same author', 'the NBD citation' and 'more works on the same subject'.
If you access WORLD 1 with a Web browser, you will have access to hypertext navigation, instead of 'Links'. This is a useful feature to help you find related works using the point and click features of Windows. You could, at the click of a mouse button, use hypertext navigation to go to 'more works by the same author' or 'more works on the same subject' within the same database.
For users of the National Library of Medicine's databases, will the WORLD 1 search interface be useable on day one of WORLD 1?
The most recent three years of NLM's Medline database will be loaded onto WORLD 1 and will be made available as part of the WORLD 1 database suite from the first half of 1997. The remainder of the NLM databases will be searchable using the WORLD 1 interface once the Z39.50 gateway is implemented, also in 1997.
In the meantime, you can continue to access the NLM databases as you do now, through the NLA's gateway.
Will users of the easy search form be able to find something even if the search term isn't spelt correctly?
During Phase I, the easy search form algorithm will support searching on terms that aren't correct thesaurus terms, but will not support searching on incorrect spelling.
Can I activate more than one WORLD 1 search at once ?
No, but the response times on searches should make this unnecessary.
Will holdings information be available on day one of WORLD 1?
Yes. Migration of the data from the existing ABN system has already begun. Serials with holdings data will be available with the first release of WORLD 1. The remainder of the records with holdings will be migrated to WORLD 1 within three months of the first release.
Will there be the ability to limit holdings searches by State or region?
This function will not be available in Phase I and is currently under investigation. A key point being considered is whether or not the most useful limit might not be by State or region, but rather by library, or group of libraries.
During Phase I, a holdings search can be limited to the holdings of the searcher's affiliated library, or to all holdings.
Will the NLA continue to produce paper products or microfiche for libraries that are manual?
With more and more libraries implementing on-line catalogues, the NLA has experienced a decrease in demand for paper products. This trend is expected to continue, so catalogue cards will no longer be supported. As an alternative to on-line access, the NLA will produce some products on CD-ROM, and microfiche will continue to be produced.
Will there be an interlibrary resource sharing directory available from WORLD 1?
The Interlibrary Resource Sharing Directory will be loaded onto WORLD 1 as a hosted database. It will therefore be accessible from both the WORLD 1 Client and the Web browser.
Is Java being considered for use in the future?
The project is constantly monitoring the progress of a range of development tools, including Java.
Will the WORLD 1 system allow me to purchase books or journals online?
This facility is not scheduled as part of the development project.
Apart from English, what other languages will WORLD 1 support?
English is the only language to be supported by WORLD 1 during the development project. However, WORLD 1 is being built with the ability to support multi-lingual interfaces if a need arises in the future.
Will it be possible to link local CD-ROMs to WORLD 1?
Although CD-ROMs will not be linked to WORLD 1, if both operate in a Windows environment on the same terminal, it may be possible to have both a WORLD 1 session and a CD-ROM session open at the same time.
Is the National Library aware that some government departments have security concerns about their libraries implementing Internet access?
The NLA has been corresponding with the Federation of Library and Information Networks (FLIN) to address these concerns, highlighting the fact that technology is available now to provide a high level of Internet security.
The alternative to Internet access would be for the NLA to establish a private network, similar to the ABN leased line network. However, this alternative does not really provide any higher level of security than Internet access. A private network would require each institution to implement almost the same security safeguards as an Internet connection.
Will the NLA be making arrangements with Internet service providers (ISP)?
It was initially thought that the NLA would nominate a preferred ISP. However, with the rapid progress made in many states and library sectors to develop individual arrangements with ISPs, it has been decided that the National Library of Australia will not be nominating a preferred ISP. An introductory article in this issue, Internet service providers, by Chris Ballantyne, the National Library's Communications Manager, provides you with information that may help you finalise your institution's arrangements.
How will the Internet and WORLD 1 handle large numbers of simultaneous enquiries?
In promoting Internet access for WORLD 1, it is projected that availability and performance levels will be similar to those for the current ABN network.
The market for Internet service providers is becoming increasingly competitive and so improvements in performance and level of support are expected. Telstra has built impressive service levels into their agreement for connection to their Internet service. With such guarantees in place, it is believed that Internet access to WORLD 1 will meet the need for a highly available and efficient service.
Telstra's improvements, however, address only one component of your Internet connection to WORLD 1. Customers own LANs and links to the Internet are often a cause of performance and reliability problems. Managing these will be the responsibility of each site. Link utilisation monitoring and reporting at each site should be implemented and the NLA will provide some assistance in doing this.
The WORLD 1 system itself runs on an IBM SP2 computer which supports massively parallel technology-meaning that it is specifically designed to support large numbers of simultaneous requests.
What security will there be?
On registration, all customers will be issued with a user identification number and password. Access for anyone without registration will be limited to sample databases only. Also, the project is using auditors to ensure that the system meets the security standards for an electronic service.
As I write, our preparations for the launch of WORLD 1 are accelerating rapidly, and are involving an ever-wider number of staff at the National Library. These preparations include setting and announcing charges, organising data loading and network transition, coordinating training and beginning user migration.
After intensive discussions with the ABN Network Committee in March and
early April, charges for the new service have been determined. These are
explained in a supplement to this issue of WORLD 1 Connections.
Testing of the WORLD 1 system is now gathering pace. Ozline and NBD data has been loaded to test files, and the first phases of system testing are underway.
We made it clear at the roadshows that data migration was the area of greatest challenge for the Project. We not only need to load large volumes of data from a range of sources, but we also must achieve fast response times in searching these large databases. It has become clear that to achieve these goals we will need to delay the migration of the largest Phase I database - the UnCover database. We now aim to provide access to the UnCover database on WORLD 1, three months after WORLD 1 is launched. This delay will ensure that when users access the complete suite of Phase 1 databases they will experience the best possible quality and performance.
We also announced at the roadshows that we would be deferring the migration of the Australian Medical Index (AMI) until a thesaurus 'explode' facility was available. This is now likely to occur early in 1997. Otherwise, we expect to see the full suite of Ozline databases, and the NBD serials with holdings, available on WORLD 1 from its first day of service.
The Library has received several messages in recent weeks from users concerned about the timeframe in which the existing ABN leased line network will be decommissioned. In response to these concerns, we have moved the leased line shutdown date back from February to April 1997. We have also recognised the special circumstances faced by those libraries which use real time interactive downline loading based on the existing SNA network. To ensure that these libraries have to make only one change in their local systems, they will be permitted to use the existing SNA network up until the time that Phase II of WORLD 1 is implemented.
Staff of the Training and Documentation Section are currently working hard on the content of WORLD 1 help screens, training courses and user documentation. The timeframe for training of Designated Training Agents has been revised to July.
As it will be necessary for all existing ABN users to make a formal application to use WORLD 1, application forms and, where applicable, user contracts are currently being prepared. Users can expect to receive these in May.
The National Library is planning to select about six libraries who will be offered the opportunity of being 'advance implementors' of WORLD 1. These libraries would assist us and their fellow WORLD 1 users by ensuring that no major issues are overlooked in the rollout process.
The next few months will be an exciting but very hectic period for the WORLD 1 team. We will be striving to ensure that nothing has been overlooked, so as to ensure a smooth introduction of WORLD 1 services.
by Anna Booth, a member of the NDIS Project team in Phase 1
WORLD 1's three different ways of formulating a search, comple-mented by the options to save a search and schedule a search to run automatically, will meet the needs of a wide range of users and suit many situations.
The Easy search interface enables you to give the system simple words or phrases - no other information is needed. This will be useful to many customers and will cater for those situations when they have little information to work with, when the search terms are unusual and they can reasonably expect a small hit list, and when a very fast response to a query dictates a 'raider' approach.
The Precise search will enable you to specify information (such as the field you wish WORLD 1 to search), to select search options (such as proximity and truncation) and to nominate restrictions (such as date of publication and language of text).
The Command search caters for those (the lovers of the brief, the cryptic, the esoteric!) who do not like to select options and type in boxes, preferring to take control and express a search precisely using WORLD commands.
The formulation of a search can involve considerable intellectual effort and may involve several search statements which link together to produce both intermediate results and a final result. Often this search keeps you or your clients informed about the latest develop-ments in a particular field so you run that search-and expect to run that search-many times. Or the search forms the basis for many of your other searches and you re-use it, with minor amendments, a number of times. How often are you in the middle of refining a search when tasks with a higher priority demand immediate attention? In such situations wouldn't it be great to consider the search 'finished', but still have the opportunity to return to it later for further work?
WORLD 1 offers you the ability to save your search, to edit your search, to copy it, to rename it, to run it, to schedule it to run auto-matically, and, of course, to delete a saved search or indeed all your saved searches with one key stroke.
You will be able to save your current search (warts and all) simply by opening a window and assigning a unique name to the search. And if those warts offend, you can elect to save your search history which will give you the opportunity to remove those search statements with the silly typographical errors and (almost as embarrassing) inappropriate Boolean operators. When choosing to save the search history you are able to decide whether to save all the search statements, the last statement (that masterpiece, that seemingly endless sentence comprising an intricate but regular pattern of words, truncations symbols and Boolean operators), or even a selection of the statements.
Indeed, warts can be pursued relentlessly because once a search is saved, WORLD 1 offers you the opportunity to edit it. At this stage you can perform numerous surgical operations, correcting errors or completely rewriting search statements, as well as inserting new statements, and deleting those no longer required. You will be able to run the edited search to check the results of your revised tactics or you will be able simply to save it in its new guise.
Experienced reference librarians have learned-often dearly-the financial dangers of the scheduled search. A usually modest search, for example Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, can unexpectedly produce a plethora of hits; the search charges for a database can rise; the composition of databases can change, leading to a list of irrelevant items. How can one ensure that the advantages of scheduling a search to run automatically are not outweighed by the disadvantages? WORLD 1 will help you by providing you with options to 'control' the search and the ability to monitor the cost. WORLD 1 will also allow you to limit access to the scheduling facility; 'unauthorised' users need not be aware that it is available.
When you schedule a search to run, you will be able to set a commencement date and impose an expiry date; you will be able to choose the frequency and even the day of the week when the search will be run; you will be able to decide whether it should run only if the databases being searched have been updated; you will be able to select a delivery method for receiving the results of the search and choose how the results will be presented; you will be able to 'label' a search with a client's name. Most importantly, you will be able to view the scheduled search at any time and see the accumulating cost.
WORLD 1's search interfaces and 'saved search' options will meet the needs of both the experienced and the inexperienced searcher. Please enjoy them!
by Chris Ballantyne, NLA Communications Manager
With the Internet rapidly becoming available to all Australians, access to the WORLD 1 Search Service will be via the Internet. This will provide options for fast, reliable and cost effective access for libraries of all sizes.
One of the first steps in obtaining and managing Internet access is the choice of Internet Service Provider (ISP). An ISP provides the connection between your site and the Internet, and offers some support services.
Due to increasing competition in the ISP market, WORLD 1 will not be forming an alliance with any single ISP. This decision was made to ensure that libraries were free to negotiate the best possible arrangements for their individual site.
Metropolitan and larger regional areas have a good choice of ISPs, but the situation in regional areas varies from State to State. For example, while in Victoria the State Library's Vicnet initiative offers wide coverage across the State, there is no clear picture of coverage in the regional areas of other States. ISPs are, however, beginning to target regional areas, mostly through partnership arrangements with associations or umbrella groups representing a broad section of the regional community. For example, Councilnet and Regionlink, which cater for country areas in Queensland and northern New South Wales, are partner networks of the ISP, Pegasus.
Choosing an ISP is no different to purchasing any other commodity. The best starting point is a reference from colleagues in similar institutions to your own, preferably within the same city or region. The main considerations when choosing an ISP are price, its ability to provide pre- and post-connection support and the performance of the network.
In the past 12 months, prices have dropped from an average of $8 per hour to $2.50 per hour with subscription rates below $1.00 an hour. The fall in prices is an indication of how quickly the market is changing and it is a good time to take advantage of the competition.
Written documentation should be provided by the ISP. Also, a Help Desk phone number is essential to provide immediate backup. In your evaluation of an ISP, it is worth ringing its Help Desk to gauge the level of support offered.
The speed of dial-up access supported by the ISP should be checked. Many ISPs still only offer 14.4Kbps access, as against 28.8Kbps services available from others.
Many ISPs package solutions that are easy to install, provided your PC or Mac meets specified requirements. It is, therefore, possible to set up the connection yourself. If you are unsure or need help, ISPs will usually provide or recommend someone to carry out on-site installation for a reasonable fee. Another alternative offered by some ISPs is tutorial sessions which cover basic installation and usage.
The packages offered by most ISPs include a range of Internet software products, which might include access to file transfer protocol (ftp), Telnet , the World Wide Web, email and news services. While WORLD 1 will work with a range of Web browsers, Netscape Navigator is the preferred browser as its password encryption capability is supported by WORLD 1.
There are three options available for connecting to the Internet:
a) dial-up to shared modems with timed based charging
b) dial-up to
a dedicated modem with a fixed charge
c) a permanent connection using ISDN.
The most appropriate option for your site will depend on the level of Internet use and on the number of concurrent users.
For sites with single user access to the Internet, a dial-up solution will be more than adequate. The choice is then to either pay by time (hourly or for a fixed, prepayed number of hours), or a fixed yearly charge, with no time limits, for a dedicated modem. For both options, it is recommended that your ISP supports access at 28.8Kbps.
For sites requiring multiple users accessing the Internet at the same time, the choice lies between a dedicated modem (operating at 28.8Kbps) or a permanent connection using ISDN (operating at 64Kbps or multiples of 64Kbps). Deciding on which of these is the most appropriate will require an understanding of the likely total use of the Internet connection. The dedicated modem option will support at least 10 concurrent users with reasonable performance if they are accessing text-based services such as ABN/Ozline, but fewer (two to five) if they are accessing image-based services or retrieving large documents from Web servers. The number of WORLD 1 search users that can be supported on a 28Kbps connection is being investigated.
If there is some doubt about the need for a 64Kbps connection, a dial-up connection to a dedicated modem could be implemented first. This will cost less than $500. Then, provided you remain with the same ISP, the upgrade cost for a permanent connection will usually take into account payments already made for the dedicated modem (this should be verified in advance with your ISP).
The ISP industry has been one of the more active and fast moving sectors of the telecommunications industry in recent times. So, it is worth monitoring the market to identify the ISP that offers the optimum arrange-ment for your site. The better ISPs offer some free time to evaluate their service so, if there is any doubt, 'try before you buy'.
Further reading: 'Which way to the World?', Australian Personal Computer, November 1995, p116-59.
For more information, contact:
Chris Ballantyne, tel: (02) 6262 1549
or the Help Desk 1800 026 155
The NDIS project continues to move ahead strongly as the WORLD 1 Phase 1 application software is completed and the project team's activities focus on data migration, integration and testing. Bridging tasks are also underway, to permit the implementation of the Phase 1 functionality, and to move into Phase 2.
All customer data has been successfully migrated from ABN and Ozline to the WORLD 1 customer registration system. Full migration of Ozline databases commenced in February. The migration of National Bibliographic Data with holdings commenced in April. It is anticipated that updates will be applied to the registration information, ABN and Ozline databases just prior to 'going live'.
One of the Phase 1 to Phase 2 bridging tasks is the specification of a matching and merging algorithm to support the addition of unique data and removal of duplicate records from the National Bibliographic Database. A small team has been set up, and is working with the ABN Standards Committee, to investigate the best approach for resolution of data quality issues in the area of de-duplication. The team is currently collating its findings.
Integration and implementation require key activities to be completed, including the provision of user-friendly help text, error messages, user guides, an online tutorial facility and training courses. Several library staff are dedicated to the finalisation of these activities. The The Expert Advisory Group on Training and Documentation will be involved in reviewing the WORLD 1 user guides.
The IBM SP2 hardware platform and third party software were quickly and successfully installed in New Zealand during January and February.
All functionality for Phase 1 has been agreed and finalised. The final set of application development, which encompassed document and item delivery functions, copyright management, image viewing and client billing, proceeded extremely well and was completed on schedule within two weeks of the original planned date of February 29th.
Testing of the Phase 1 functionality will be divided into two stages: integration testing, and acceptance testing. Integration testing commenced in March and extended into April. It will be rigorously conducted by the Systems Integrator, CSC Australia. Test scripts have been written to simulate users' workflows and business processes.
The acceptance testing stage commenced in late April and will be conducted by a dedicated libraries' acceptance testing team. A substantial amount of effort has already been contributed to planning test scripts and identifying key performance indicators and acceptance criteria for all parts of the system.
The development of the Web-based interface has proceeded parallel to the Graphical User Interface Client, and the two are expected to be launched simultaneously. Access to WORLD 1 via the Web interface has raised some interesting questions which the project team is in the process of addressing. These include the level of training needed, the amount of security to be provided, and the identification of the most appropriate tool to convert WINHELP-based help text into html-based help text.
As the Phase 1 application development was completed in March, some staff left the NDIS Project team to return to their respective libraries. These hard-working contributors were: Anna Booth (NLA), Leanne McKay (NLA), Jenny Rutledge (NLNZ), Derak Govind (NLNZ), and Andrew Prout (NLNZ).
It is anticipated that many library staff who participated in Phase 1 will continue with Phase 2. In addition, consultancies will be let to research complex areas such as the Z39.50 Client, and cataloguing interfaces for local library systems.
The Project Manager position was permanently filled in April, and the first task for the appointee is to finalise the workplan for Phase 2 of the NDIS Project. Phase 2 commences in May 1996, and will encompass two major streams of development. It will enhance Phase 1 services in the search, browse and document-ordering functionality for both the Graphical User Interface and the Web-based interface. New client services such as credit card access and online registration will also be implemented to augment the Phase 1 billing services.
However, the key area of focus in Phase 2 will be the addition of the cataloguing and indexing functionality, which is to include support for upline and downline loading in both batch and real time modes.
The two Phase 1 expert advisory groups, Cataloguing and NBD Data Migration & Standards, both of which were activated to look at Phase 1 data definition issues, will continue in Phase 2. The NBD Data Migration & Standards Expert Advisory Group is currently looking at match and merge issues. A new expert advisory group for documentation & training has also been activated, to conduct a quality assurance review of the WORLD 1 user guides.
Setting the charges for WORLD 1 and ABN services during 1996/97 was one of the chief matters before the Network Committee when it met in March. The charging structure that has been determined is simple and has been designed to meet the needs of all customers, from individuals to small, medium and large libraries.
The charging structure adopted by the Network Committee is described below. These charges will apply from the introduction of WORLD 1 until approximately June 1997 when the WORLD 1 Collection Management service will be introduced.
The WORLD 1 charging structure has two key options:
Pay as You Go - this option will suit less frequent users of WORLD 1
WORLD 1 Search Licence - this option will suit high volume users of WORLD 1
1a. Pay As You Go
Search and View
In order to fully exploit the powerful new search features of WORLD 1, including the ability for cross-database searching, customers will be able to search one or more databases simultaneously for a single search fee of $0.14. This fee includes a hitlist display which gives a brief description of the documents found.
Customers will have the choice to see more detailed search results on screen, or to output them. Viewing and output formats can be selected that best meets customers' needs. The viewing fees are outlined in the table below. There will be no additional charge for delivery of search results to a local printer or email address. Fax charges will vary depending on whether the delivery is within Australia or international.
Users of the UnCover service will recall that the UnCover database will be hosted on WORLD 1. This means that customers will be able to search UnCover as part of the WORLD 1 suite of databases, using the powerful WORLD 1 search interface. There will be no fee for viewing UnCover search results, with users only paying a search fee.
Saved Search
Saved Search is another exciting feature to be offered by WORLD 1. It allows customers to set up a search once, and easily run it or manipulate it at any time in the future. There is no charge for the Saved Search function or scheduling a Saved Search. The standard searching, viewing and delivery charges will apply each time a Saved Search is run.
Document Requests
WORLD 1 customers will be able to choose to order their documents from the ABN ILL system or through UnCover AUSTRALIA. Requests will be forwarded automatically by WORLD 1 to the chosen supply source at no charge.
All document supply charges incurred, such as UnCover service and copyright charges, ABN ILL request charges and charges made by ILL supplying libraries, will be conveniently included on a single account from WORLD 1.
Summary
WORLD 1 Charges - 1996/97
Item Description Charge
Searching across any number of $ 0.14
databases includes hit list display
Viewing Records other than per record without $ 0.10
UnCover - includes Brief, holdings statement
Medium or Long Displays
per record with holdings $ 0.15
statement
Viewing UnCover database per record nil
records
Viewing Full Text Databases per document $10.00*
Viewing Image Databases per document $10.00*
Storing Saved Searches nil
Delivery of Search Results local printer or email nil
fax within Australia $ 3.00
fax internationally $ 6.00
Create Document Delivery nil**
Request
* plus, the Australian copyright fee
** plus, the relevant charges levied by the chosen document supply service
1b. WORLD 1 Search Licence
Many larger libraries and institutions will welcome the WORLD 1 Search Licence option. By providing unlimited search and viewing of all WORLD 1 databases, the Search Licence will enable customers to familiarise themselves with the system and fully exploit it at a fixed charge for their institution. By determining the desired level of expenditure up front and a suitable number of concurrent sessions, a Search Licence also provides the opportunity for institutions to extend the use of WORLD 1 to their clients (eg. academics in a university).
Institutions which purchase a Search Licence may use it to offer WORLD 1 to their staff and customers. Owners of Search Licences may not onsell WORLD 1 services.
A number of Search Licences, which apply for one year from the date of purchase, have been developed to suit the needs of small to large institutions. Full payment is required at the time of purchasing the Search Licence. Any institution that is a legal entity is eligible to apply for a WORLD 1 Search Licence.
WORLD 1 Search Licences - 1996/97
Number of concurrent sessions Charge $*
1 4,000
2 8,000
3 11,600
4 15,200
5 18,400
6 21,600
7 24,600
additional sessions 3,000 each
* The Search Licence does not cover viewing of Full Text or Image documents; or fax delivery charges.
An additional option, the Partner Plan, which offers unlimited access to both WORLD 1 and ABN, is described later.
Until WORLD 1 is fully implemented in 1997, ABN will continue to provide cataloguing and interlibrary loan services. The Network Committee has recommended the following changes to the ABN charging structure for 1996/97.
2a. Online services
Reflecting the increased cost associated with running WORLD 1 and ABN in parallel, the ABN Inquiry charge will increase 0.5 cents to $0.32 per inquiry.
For the first time since the ILL service was introduced in 1989, the ILL request charge will be increased. Customers will continue to benefit from the many advantages of the ABN ILL system, including the eight free usage management reports. The ILL request charge will increase $0.20 to $1.00.
The UnCover AUSTRALIA Standard document charge will also increase by $0.50 to $11.00. The UnCover AUSTRALIA Reveal document charge will be decreased by $1.50 to $12.00.
2b. Products
With the introduction of the new MARC*LINK down line loading service, in which records will be delivered by file transfer across the Internet, the DLL registration fee will be reduced to $50.
The base charge for MARC records will be increased by 4 cents to $0.36 and all other charges for MARC records and for off-screen use of records will be increased by 12.5%. Job submission charges for the Holdings File, Products Only and Supersearch Output services will be set at $10.00 per run for FTP delivery and $20.00 per run for tape / diskette delivery.
2c. Partner Plan
In order to assist larger libraries to manage their budgets and their transition to the new WORLD 1 service, a package has been prepared that gives unlimited use of both WORLD 1 and ABN services, called the Partner Plan. Libraries which have spent more than $40,000 on ABN Inquiry commands in the 1995/96 financial year will be eligible for the Partner Plan. These libraries will be contacted by the National Library.
For your convenience, all WORLD 1 and ABN charges will appear on a single account.
Any questions on the WORLD 1 or ABN charging structures should be directed to the Help Desk on 1800 026 155 or fax 06 273 1180
ABN Online Charges - 1996/97
Inquiry per search $ 0.32 ILL Request per request $ 1.00* UnCover Australia Standard per document $11.00** document UnCover Australia Reveal per document $12.00**
* plus any charge made by the supplying library
** plus the US
copyright fee
The following cost comparisons are based on the WORLD 1, ABN and Ozline search charges applicable from 1 July 1996.
WORLD 1 costs are based on the Pay as You Go option and include :
ABN and Ozline costs were calculated in a number of ways:
Examples 1 - 3
The ABN and Ozline costs are approximate and are based on the cost of the SOFI connect time ($1.00/minute) needed to:
Example 4
The ABN cost includes the
WORLD 1 charges for outputs, not the time involved in achieving those outputs. This example illustrates how a fairly complex search is cheaper to perform on WORLD 1 than on SOFI which charges by connect time.
Topic: Articles on the control of pollution on Australia's
coastline
Found: 107 items on STREAMLINE
47 items on REEF
Cost: $16.70 on Ozline
$15.54 on WORLD 1 (without holdings)
WORLD 1 saves time by enabling customers to search a single database, a selection of up to 20 databases, or the entire database suite simultaneously for a single search fee. Compare this with the cost of searching on SOFI which can only search one database at a time.
Topic: Articles on tobacco industry sponsorship of sport
Found: 17 items on AUSPORT
15 items on DRUG
15 items on
APAIS
Cost: $7.45 on Ozline
$4.84 on WORLD 1 (without holdings)
WORLD 1 has been designed to be easy to use and to reduce the number of steps involved in conducting a successful search. Those familiar with SOFI will know that this example would require a number of steps - all of which take valuable seconds.
Topic: Journals with the title 'Water'
Found: 10 items
on ABN
Cost: $2.00 on ABN (with holdings)
$1.64 on WORLD 1 (with
holdings)
$1.14 on WORLD 1 (without holdings)
WORLD 1's charges for searching and full display of records are cheaper than on ABN.
Topic: Materials about the treatment of AIDS in Australia
Found: 14 items on ABN
Cost: $4.80 on ABN (without holdings)
$1.54 on WORLD 1 (without holdings)
It is worth remembering that WORLD 1 search results can be delivered by email at the same cost as shown in the examples above. However, offline hard copy prints from ABN and Ozline would be much more expensive than the above costs, and slower to deliver. For example, offline prints of the output from the search in Example 1 would be $40.50.
Ted Vellacott retired as the Services to Libraries Division Director of Financial and Administrative Support in April. His final significant task was to draw up the WORLD 1 charges and changes to the ABN Charging Schedule which appear as a special supplement to this issue.
Ted had a career in the National Library of Australia which spanned more than 31 years. At various times he managed the Film Section, was secretary to the National Library Council, was the head of the Policy Secretariat, and acted as the ABN Executive Officer during 1988-89, until that position was abolished.
Described by Assistant Director-General Warwick Cathro as 'an irrepressible formulator of ideas' Ted took an intense interest in the library's on-line and document supply services.
He was quick to identify key client groups and to
suggest the economies of scale and practicalities involved in developing new
services for them.
The Network Committee commenced its meeting of 11-12 March by electing its chairperson and deputy chairperson for 1996. Neil McLean was re-elected unopposed, and Linda Luther was re-elected as the deputy chairperson. mage
Following the precedent for the first meeting of the year, the main task for this meeting was the setting of ABN/Ozline charges for the next financial year. This year, charges for WORLD 1 were also determined. Some ABN charges will increase slightly, but this is offset largely by reduction in some other areas. In setting WORLD 1 charges the committee has aimed for a charging structure which enables customers to predict their costs for use of the new service. Overall, the new ABN and WORLD 1 charges should not adversely impact on library budgets.
The charges are set out in detail in this issue of WORLD 1 Connections.
The Committee received a report on the negotiations between the Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) and the National Library to establish a licence for access to APAIS image records on WORLD 1. This licence will give WORLD 1 customers the right to view APAIS images, and will establish the charging model for the service. WORLD 1 will be able to record the use of APAIS images, enabling the National Library to act as an agent for CAL by reporting use and billing customers. Following normal National Library practice, WORLD 1 customers will receive their bills for APAIS image copyright charges as part of their ABN accounts.
The committee reiterated its previous advice that 'charges for reading activity should not be agreed as a general principle' and noted that any agreement reached with CAL could form a precedent for other sectors of the library community.
The committee discussed the issue of integration of local library management systems and the WORLD 1 and other document requesting and delivery mechanisms. Members concluded that this issue has major implications for all Australian libraries and that the National Library should encourage disscussion by a group not restricted to users of the ABN and WORLD 1 interlibrary loan services. Accordingly, the committee recommended that the National Library seek funding for a feasibility study to be undertaken in conjunction with ACLIS, the Australian Council of Library and Information Services.
The National CJK (Chinese Japanese Korean) System will be implemented in the week commencing Monday 27 May. This was announced on 2nd April by Linda Groom, the CJK Project Manager.
The building of the CJK database will begin on 17 April and, due to its size-approximately 90 000 records-the load is expected to take five to six weeks. After duplicates are removed, the size of the CJK database will be around 450 000 records. The load will begin with records from LC, RLIN and OCLC and will be completed when CJK language records from ABN, with holdings, are added during May.
Once the database has been built, member libraries that prefer to use the Wade-Giles scheme for Romanisation of Chinese will be able to start cataloguing, adding holdings, and extracting MARC records from the database. For member libraries that prefer to use the pinyin Romanisation scheme, a copy of the database will be created with the Wade-Giles data converted to pinyin. This database is expected to be available in early July.
New members are welcome; registration forms can be obtained by contacting Yumiko Tsuji or CP Tang on the CJK Help Desk:
Tel.: 1800 026155 or (02) 6262 1682
Fax: (02) 6273 1180
email:
ytsuji@nla.gov.au
Registrations are also open for a course in cataloguing on the CJK System. The course will be given by Yumiko Tsuji at the National Library from 2 to 4 June; cost is $160 per person.
Gregory Whitfield from the United States' Research Libraries Group (RLG) visited the National Library on 27 March, to meet with staff from Network Services, Asian Collections and the National CJK (Chinese Japanese Korean) Project.
CJK Project Team members Yumiko Tsuji and CP Tang combined their language skills with Gregory's knowledge of the Research Libraries Information Network (RLIN) to explore the soon-to-be-released Version 3 of the RLIN Terminal for Windows software with non-Roman script capability.
CP and Yumiko were impressed with the easy-to-use software and the clarity of the CJK characters on the screen.
The National Library will soon place an order for the software, which will be used by the Asian Collections staff to order MARC records for items not found on the National CJK System.
UnCover AUSTRALIA is pleased to announce the following new services:
If you need your article fast, use UnCover Express.
UnCover Express is a database of over 200 000 articles available for fax delivery within one hour, and is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
You can search Uncover Express by author (NAME) or keyword (WORD). Express utilises the same commands as the full UnCover database for profiling, marking and ordering. You can use the same access passwords, deposit accounts and profiles in both UnCover and UnCover Express.
It's easy to switch between UnCover Express and the full UnCover
database by typing //EXPRESS or //UNCOVER. If you do not find what you want in
Express, just switch to the UnCover database and reinstate your search using
the
7 000 000+ articles included in the full UnCover database.
To access UnCover Express, simply connect to UnCover via: Telnet (databse.carl.org), UnCover's WWW home page (http://uncweb.carl.org/); or the National Library's Internet gateway, if you are a user of the National Library's on-line services.
When the UnCover menu is displayed, UnCover Express appears as a new option.
UnCoverWeb, the graphical World Wide Web interface to the UnCover database is now available. The URL for UnCoverWeb is http://uncweb.carl.org/
All regular UnCover functionality is available through the Web interface including accessing, searching and ordering articles from the UnCover database. Other UnCover features such as establishing profiles and creating title and search strategy lists for UnCover Reveal can also be done simply through the UnCoverWeb interface.
The main requirements for using UnCoverWeb are an Internet connection; a PC, Macintosh or UNIX workstation; and a graphical Web browser such as Netscape.
Did you know that UnCover users who receive cancellation notices for their article orders can now check why their orders could not be filled?
Users simply need to access UnCover and select the ORDERINFO prompt, after assembling all order information/control numbers ready for input when prompted.
WORLD 1/ABN Annual Users Meeting
The WORLD 1/ ABN Annual Users Meeting will be held at the National Convention Centre, Canberra on 16 and 17 July 1996. Helen Livingston, Associate University Librarian, Technical Services at Deakin University, has again been elected chairperson. The agenda will include many important items including WORLD 1 Phase 1 implement-ation; Governance; WORLD 1 Phase 2; and ABN and Ozline issues.
The cost of the meeting will be $80 per person which includes lunch and morning and afternoon teas on both days of the meeting. There will be an optional cocktail reception, at a cost of $27, from 5.30 to 7.30 pm on 16 July.
Special accommodation rates have been negotiated at a number of convenient hotels. Details of these offers will be distributed with the registration forms, which will shortly be despatched to all full service and search and products members. If other customers would like to attend, please request a registration form from the Help Desk on toll free: 1800 026 155 or fax: (06) 273 1180.
If you attended one of the WORLD 1 roadshows earlier this year, you would have seen the result of the work of the Inquiry and End User Document Requesting Expert Advisory Group (EAG).
The Inquiry and End User Document Requesting EAG provided advice and confirmed specifications for the searching and document requesting services. They discussed issues via email, or face to face in Australia and New Zealand.
There are currently eight EAG's, covering topics from strategic planning (see WORLD 1 Connections no. 1, Jan/Feb 1996) to cataloguing. An EAG comprises invited participants with equal numbers from the Australian and New Zealand library communities. They provide expert advice and direction to the development team. This is the second in our series of updates on the EAGs.
The Inquiry and End User Document Requesting Group was consulted on a number of topics including the design of search screens. The results were visible in the prototype of the search and browse interface that was demonstrated at the recent roadshows. As part of this, they assisted in determining the use of tool bars which are a valuable feature of the Windows environment, enabling customers to use the system in an efficient way.
The group also looked at sample searches and advised on requirements for the easy search algorithm. They provided sample searches and tested the effectiveness of the algorithm which will adopt several different approaches until a result is found to assist even the most novice user.
The EAG helped develop the saved search feature of WORLD 1 which is unique in the functionality it provides and the data to which it has access. The group also advised on normalisation rules and the text indexes. It tested the appropriate-ness of the solution for search attributes when searching multiple databases.
The ABN MARK*LINK Service has been tested and is now available.
This new downline loading service employs file transfer to deliver files of MARC records to full service and search and products customers. To use it you need to have an Internet connection with a forms-capable World Wide Web browser like recent versions of Netscape or Mosaic. You can also use the service using a file transfer protocol (ftp) client software available from a variety of freeware and commercial sources. Registration is free to customers who are aready downline loading; otherwise the cost is $50.
Obtaining records through MARC*LINK is easy. You select records using the standard downline loading record selection commands (RMR, HNEW, HMOD, HDEL) and next day you retrieve by ftp the file of MARC records you selected previously.
So that you can try MARC*LINK, files of test records in a variety of MARC formats are available from URL http://www.abn.nla.gov.au/marclink. Once satisfied that you can load the test file, please register by completing the online downline loading profile form.
Never let it be said that the National Library of Australia doesn't travel to the four corners of the country to inform its customers about recent developments. Caroline Scharrer from Network Services Marketing recently travelled to Longreach, in central west Queensland, to attend the Queensland Chief Public Librarians Association Conference, held from 25-27 March 1996.
The focus of the National Library's presence was WORLD 1 which was demonstrated to interested delegates during lunch breaks.
This was the 16th annual conference, and the first held in a smaller town, far removed from the major regional centres. This isolation created its own set of problems and challenges for both conference organisers and trade delegates alike. For the organisers, headaches occurred when lights and partitioning had to be ordered in from Rockhampton, nearly 700 kms away. For the trade delegates, airline luggage limitations of 16 kilos, when they had to bring their own equipment and signage, required innovative packing!
The theme of the conference was 'Navigating New Horizons'. Public libraries are at a critical moment in their development. With the arrival of the era of global information, they need to reposition themselves quickly as 'navigators', and seize opportunities as they arise. The conference addressed some of the issues relevant to charting new horizons.
The conference program had fewer sessions and topics than usual; however, its structure required a greater degree of participation from all delegates, thus enabling agreed outcomes and decisions.
The social program of the conference reflected the character of the venue. Functions were arranged for each evening and included a dinner and a tour of Longway Station (where city slickers saw their first emu outside of captivity); a cocktail party to launch the trade exhibition, and demonstrations of boot scootin' and whip cracking.
Next year's conference will be held at approximately the same time of year in Cairns.
The way we communicate is constantly changing, one of the latest developments being in the proliferation of discussion groups on Internet mailing lists. The National Library utilises a number of Internet mailing lists to communicate with its customers and other interested people.
The Internet encourages thousands of discussion groups via email by allowing people to place themselves on electronic mailing lists.
A listserv is a program that manages one or more of these mailing lists (i.e. it serves a list ). A listserv automatically distributes an email message from one member of a list to all other members on that list.
When you subscribe to a list, your name and email address is automatically added to the list. You will receive a standard letter of welcome (via email) telling you about the list. From that time on, you will receive all mail (postings) sent to the list by its members. You may follow the discussions or join in. You can send your response to the list, in which case all members of the list will receive it, or to an individual on the list. You can signoff (unsubscribe) from a list at any time. You can also call for a statement of all the members of a list and their email addresses.
The National Library of Australia has a number of Internet mailing lists to keep people informed about its various online services. All the discussion groups are unmoderated and open to any interested party. Subscribers are encouraged to use the lists to offer ideas and suggestions.
WORLD1-L
Anyone interested in keeping up to date with the National Library of Australia's new online information service, WORLD 1, should subscribe to this list. The National Library provides information about the products and services that will be offered through the new service, and other items of interest.
ABN-L
This list keeps customers of ABN and Ozline up to date on the full range of products and services offered. It is also used to announce and seek comment on meetings, training courses, product changes and all other matters relating to ABN and Ozline.
NDIS-L
This list provides a forum for discussion about the National Document and Information System (NDIS) Project. The project is a joint venture between the National Libraries of Australia and New Zealand and will produce Australia's WORLD 1 Service. The National Libraries use this list to disseminate information about the progress of the project and to seek comment at various stages of the project. The list is also a forum for general discussion on the project.
To subscribe to one of the NLA's lists, send the message:
subscribe <name of discussion list> <your firstname> <your lastname>
e.g. subscribe WORLD1-L Annie Person
To: http://www.nla.gov.au/nla/listserv/listserv.html.
Canberra Institute of Technology is a large multi-campus provider of tertiary education and vocational training. Teaching areas include applied science, tourism and hospitality, community services, applied arts and design, manage-ment and business and engineering. Historically, it represents the amalgamation of Canberra's three TAFE colleges.
Library services are provided at six campuses and the Flexible Learning Centre, with technical services functions located centrally. Access hours number 250 per week and include Saturday openings. Statistically, the library holds 90 000 items and 1100 subscriptions.
The constantly changing collection reflects the dynamic nature of vocational educational training. Graduate courses and national curriculum have been introduced in recent years and there is a growing emphasis on multi-media learning resources which complement competency-based curricula and flexible learning. The Education Resource Centre houses a comprehensive collection of vocational education and training material to aid curriculum develop-ment projects and teacher training.
The library's commitment to resource sharing underlies its decision to become a full service member of ABN and it is anticipated that holdings will be added retrospectively in the near future. CIT Library has been a search and products user since the mid-1980's and both UnCover and the ABN Interlibrary Loan System were introduced in 1995.
BOOKPLUS will replace BOOK as the interlibrary management system in 1996, bringing with it enhanced searching and reporting capabilities and the facility to downline load catalogue records. This year also sees the change to USMARC cataloguing.
The USMARC format integration Phase 2 changes have now been implemented on ABN. These were phased in over several days to facilitate the trouble shooting of any problems. Some minor problems were detected and fixed.
Eighteen test records have been loaded to ABN to aid users with the testing of these changes in their local systems. These test records can all be retrieved with a search on the title 'USMI Phase 2'. The old Phase 1 test records will be deleted from the system.
The major changes which have been introduced are those which were described in ABN Technical Bulletin no. 52. There are nine new fields, five of which relate specifically to maps. New leader codes are 'p' and 't'; the new encoding level is '4'; there are some new fixed field code values; and there are new subfields for some existing fields.
Queries to Ian Dunn via 1800 026 155 or by email to blee@nla.gov.au.
12 April 1996
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