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Modernization of Library System in India STUDY AND ANALYSIS OF THE EVOLUTION OF MODERNIZATION OF THE LIBRARY SYSTEM IN INDIA AND GUIDELINES FOR THE PROMOTION OF MULTI-AGENCY COOPERATION & TRANSFER OF EXPERIENCE TO OTHER DEVELOPING COUNTRIES N. Seshagiri Prepared for: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) 7, Place de Fontenoy 75700 Paris

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Page 1: Modernization of library system in India: study and analysis of the

Modernization of Library System in India

STUDY AND ANALYSIS OF THE EVOLUTION OF MODERNIZATION OF THE LIBRARY SYSTEM IN INDIA AND GUIDELINES FOR THE PROMOTION OF MULTI-AGENCY COOPERATION & TRANSFER OF EXPERIENCE TO OTHER DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

N. Seshagiri

Prepared for:

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) 7, Place de Fontenoy 75700 Paris

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PREFACE

Economic and social development in a knowledge based society is nodally dependant upon information. Adequate, accurate and timely information requires support from computer, communication and electronics aids of Information Technology in addition to other modemization imperatives. The richest and the most economical source of information being the library system, modemization of library services assumes considerable importance. India, though had a long history of library movement, was slow in exploiting the Information Technology for the modemization of the library system. However, the second half of 80s and the early 90s saw a dramatic impact of computers and communication. The exponential induction of computerised management of library operations, computer-based retrieval of bibliographic material, computer networking, computer-aided reprography, FAX and E-Mail transmission, Optical Disks, CDROMs and other such are already bringing about a change of mind set among the librarians and information scientists in India.

The macro profile of modemization of library services in India is outlined by tracing the history of library movement in various parts and forms in the country like the growth of Public Libraries, University and Research Libraries, Special Libraries, Government Libraries, etc. As India has one of the largest book publishing industries in the world, its impact on the momentum of the library movement is shown to be significant.

The history of library automation can be traced to the 60s beginning with the initiatives of the Indian National Scientific Documentation Centre (INSDOC) at New Delhi and Documentation Research and Training Centre (DRTC) at Bangalore. The 70s saw the beginning of automation of the libraries attached to the various Research and Development Laboratories. A substantive impetus was provided in the 80s when the National Information System for Science and Technology (NISSAT) under the Depart- ment of Science &Technology began introducing automation in sectoral libraries. The latter part of the decade saw the growth of city-wise networking of libraries in Calcutta and Delhi and Bibliographic Services over Wide Area Networks like NICNET, the Computer-Communication Network of the National Informatics Centre (NIC). All such efforts got a boost with the pioneering and catalytic role played by the Defence Science and Documentation Centre (DESIDOC), the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the University Grants Commission Information Centres (UGC-IC), Bio Tech- nology Information System (BTIS) and Information Library Network (INFLIBNET).

Survey and Analyses carried out by DRTC, NISSAT, INSDOC, NIC and others provided the basis for understanding the macro profile of library services. The library movement was typically characterized by a high degree of perception of the problems afforded by the reports of numerous committees and policy studies brought out by the Government, but a pronounced tardiness in the proper implementation of the recommen- dations and proposals.

.--_ ~-~ .--” ,-_.-- --..----e- .-_-- _ -_- II_-.

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The micro profile of library modemization in India is outlined in four convenient parts: Sectoral Libraries, University Libraries, Intra-city Library Networks and the Role of National Level Value Added Facilitators.

How India managed the technology change during the slow, but long initial phase of modemization and how it is gearing up to manage the fast pace of technology change currently, have drawn interesting lessons which may be useful pointers to other developing countries. In particular, the relative impact of online and CDROM and how India is bringing about this impact in a beneficial manner is described.

The problems of technology change in turn bring about important considerations in the choice of the software, the need for initiating research and development in library science and working out optimal organizational structure required for massive training and retraining of library personnel on the tools and processes of modemization.

India always benefitted by significant international support and cooperation in all knowledge-based activities including modemization of the library system. Various types of support received, their beneficial effects and lacunae are carefully discussed so as to draw appropriate inferences.

The macro profile and the micro profile of library modemization so realized has enabled the formulation here of an illustrative set of pilot projects which are typically based on the Indian experience, though no claim is made for a comprehensive coverage of all the Indian experiences.

I am thankful to Dr. H.Yushkiavitshus, Assistant Director General, Communica- tion, Information and Informatics, UNESCO Paris and Dr. Aram Akopov, Programme Specialist in Informatics, UNESCO/ROSTSCA, New Delhi for encouraging me to initiate this study. The frame-work for this study was designed in adiscussion with them in March 1994. The study was carried out under a Contract No. CII/IIP-Obli. No. 443 110.4 signed with UNESCO in December 1994. Visits to a few typical libraries and discussion with library scientists of Bombay, Chandigarh, Bangalore, Delhi and Mussoorie as well as discussions with IT specialists of Nepal and Sri Lanka, signifi- cantly contributed to the understanding of the problems of modemization of library system in India as well as the lessons that may be drawn from the Indian experience which may benefit other developing countries and the prospects for promoting multi- agency cooperation and interaction.

N. Seshagiri New Delhi 30 April 1995

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CONTENTS

Chapter

1. Macro Profile of Modemization of Library Services in India

2. Micro Profile of Libmry Modemization in India - I. Sectoral Libraries

3. Micro Profile of Library Modemization in India - II. University Libraries

4. Micro Profile of Library Modemization in India - III. Intracity Library Networks

5. National Level Value Added Facilitators

6. Managing the Technological Change - The Indian Experience

7. Software, Research and Training

8. International Support and Cooperation

9. Lessons from the Indian Experience and Pointers for Cooperation

Annexures

Directory of Acronyms

Bibliography

Page Number

1

20

43

55

71

86

104

114

127

149

279

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Chapter One

MACRO PROFILE OF MODERNIZATION OF LIBRARY SERVICES IN INDIA

The macro profile of modemization is outlined in this chapter by tracing the evolution of library movement in India and its eventual modemization, discussing the impact of sectoral and global drive towards modemization, inference based on survey and analyses, a statistical profile of library sciences in India and the factors which are leading to the evolution of a policy frame-work.

1.1. The Library Movement in India

As early as 1944, the library movement in India was accelerated under the dynamic leadership of Dr. S.R. Ranganathan who is regarded as the Father of Library Sciences in India. His vision of an integrated library system is described in his book published that year, entitled, ‘Post War Reconstruction of Libraries in India’. His main thrust was on Public Libraries, both rural and urban. He advocated the formation of a primary library at each typical demographic unit with a population of not less than 50,000. He conceived the development of branches and delivery stations around these primary units so that ‘nobody needs to walk more than a mile to get his book supplied’. He advocated the setting up of a coordinating regional reference library to service the primary libraries in the region. Upward in the hierarchy, he conceived the setting up of a Provincial Central Library facilitating inter-library loan, reference library support and a Central Archive. For the entire country, he recommended the setting up of a National Central Library at Calcutta by converting the then existing Imperial Library so that by a statute, the library will receive a copy of every Indian Publication. He conceived integration as follows: ‘The Library edifice of Post-war India should be so planned that the primary libraries are attached to the regional centres, regional centres to the provincial central libraries, these again to the National Central Libraries, these finally to the National Central Libraries of other countries and international library centres’.

Depending upon the initiatives taken by others and the kind of support and patronage received from local governmental and non-governmental sources, his grandoise vision was translated into practice to different degrees - from the setting up of the Indian National Bibliography at the Central Reference Library of Calcutta which received publications under the Delivery of Books Act (1954, 1956) to half-hearted efforts in setting up district libraries. All the States and Union Territories have set up State Central

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Libraries. Out of the 5OODistricts, more than 400 Districts have set up District Libraries. Below the District, one-third of the Development Blocks numbering 2000 have set up Block Libraries. Out of about 600,000 villages, around 50,000 have Village Libraries. Nearly half the 3000 towns in India have Town Libraries. Not only the Central Government, but also the State Governments like Tamil Nadu (1948), Andhra Pradesh (1960), Kamataka (1965), Maharashtra (1967). West Bengal (1979), etc. have brought out legislations for enabling the setting up of a network of public library services. The Union Territory of Delhi established the Delhi Public Library in 1951 through the joint efforts of the Government of India and UNESCO.

The library movement itself required a catalytic force. In 1972, this came about in the form of the Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation.

The resource paucity is apparent from the statistics which shows that there areonly 70 million volumes of books catering to a literate population of 450 million, which works out to an access of less than 20 percent. With lending service leading, the reference service, extension activities and so on were lagging far behind. The vision of Dr. Ranganathan got translated into action with the effort of a large number of dedicated library scientists, though however, the colossal population growth compounded by severe resource crunch of a developing nation, attenuated its impact. Full implementa- tion had to await the coming of low cost modemization.

From Public Libraries, the library movement spread to University Libraries and Special Libraries. In the beginning of 1995, about 300,000 teachers taught nearly 6 million students in 7000 colleges of about 200 universities. Both the 1948 and 1964 Education Commissions set up by the Government and other University Grants Com- mission (UGC) Committees emphasized the importance of university and college libraries. This led to the growth of stock to the present level of 16 million at the rate of one million per annum. In the past five years, due to increasing prices of books and subscription to periodicals, a declining trend has now become apparent. Of these, 40,000 current volumes stock are in Science Libraries with 500 volumes added every year.

Scientific and Technological research and development led to the growth of about 1200 Special Libraries attached to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) apart from various Central and State Government agencies. A survey conducted by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) has put the number of Social Science Institutions in the country to about 600. Nearly 700 Government Libraries grew up as a special category. Government

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also supported the setting up of three National Libraries - National Library at Calcutta, National Science Library and National Library of Medicine in New Delhi. Some of the major libraries have a stock of over 100,ooO volumes.

India is a major producer of books with more than 25,000 titles published every year, which is an important contributor to the library movement in India.

1.2 History of Library Automation in India

In the 6Os, INSDOC and DRTC pioneered theuse of computers in Indian libraries with the computer-aided production of Union List of Serials, Roaster of Scientific Translators and Indian Science Abstracts by the former and a computer-based document finding system by the latter.

In the 6Os, IBM and ICL set up computer manufacturing facilities in India because of which libraries had a ready local source of computers to support their modemization drive. In 1964, an IBM computer was used to bring out a Union Catalogue of Scientific Serials by a collaborative effort of INSDOC and IIT Kanpur. Further, INSDOC got developed a Roaster of Technical Translators in India on the IBM system of the Delhi School of Economics. Another IBM system at the Delhi University Computer Centre was utilized for bringing out special indexes for Indian Science Abstracts (ISA). The first Circulation Control Automation was carried out in 1970 by the library of National Aeronautical Laboratory at Bangalore on an ICL 1004 system. By 1971, about 10 libraries were using computers for procurement accounting, cataloguing, preparation of library addition list and preparation of union catalogue of periodicals. The same year, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) started Nuclear Science Information Service by an arrangement with INIS. Also, in the same year, DRTC developed an indigenous software called, DOCFINDER for locating documents.

Between 1971 and 1975 there was a slowing down of computerization efforts until 1976 when INSDOC in collaboration with IITMadras started a Selective Dissemination of Information (SDI) of Chemical Information and DRTC developed a package for SD1 Services for Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) at Hyderabad.

International online information retrieval services began with the demonstration of the access of the Frescati Library in Rome from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Bombay in 1976.

Computerised SD1 services became popular after this. The Central Food Technological Research Institute (CETRI) and the National Centre for Science Informa-

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tion (NCSI) began giving SD1 services to researchers and academics in the areas of food technology, physics, geology, mathematics, chemistry and life sciences. Similarly, the Central Technical Information Centre (CTIC) began giving SD1 services for Engineers. The more popular SD1 services at that time include CONDENSATS, INSPEC, COMPENDEX, NTIS, MEDLARS, ISI, BIOSYS, EXCERPTA MEDICA, CANSDI, NRC, TITUS for Textile industry, DERVENT for patents, etc.

Large scale promotion of computerisation came in the 80s with the Indian Library Association (ILA), IASLIC and 4GlLA organizing conferences, workshops and training programmes in library automation.

When UNESCO made available CDS/ISIS Software free of charge through the NISSAT programme, a number of libraries took to automation. These efforts got a boost with DRTC developing an automatic thesaurus generation system, Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) at Ahmedabad developing Computerized Periodical Management System and Computerized Book Procurement system, and INSDOC developing a Union Catalogue of Scientific Conference Proceedings. The Information, Planning and Analysis Group (IPAG) of the Electronics Commission, New Delhi, developed a Bibliographic Database for Books in their library. The National Informatics Centre (NIC) developed an integrated online bibliographic database for library documents using CDC Cyber 170/120 mainframe computer system. Further, NIC introduced over its computer-communication network, NICNET, a terminal-based access to its library database. NIC further developed a system for the National Medical Library for providing medical retrieval services and a Key-word based retrieval of articles in the Constitution of India for the Ministry of Law, Justice and Company Affairs. All these developments ensued between 1980 and 1985.

The next logical step in the evolution was the intemationalization of the efforts by feeding from India information into the international databases like INIS by BARC for Nuclear Sciences, AGRIS by ICAR for agricultural sciences, IFIS by CFIRI for food sciences, DEVSIS by CENDIT for development sciences, INFOTERA by ENVIS of the Ministry of Environment &Forests and ISDS by INSDOC for serials data. Reciprocally, these institutions were able to access international databases for giving value added information services to their users in India.

The UGC National Centre for Science Information (NCSI) at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, serves 3

Y users in academic and research institutions in

computerized SD1 services for fore n databases. Similarly, ICMR-NIC Bio-medical Information Centre has been identified as the 18th centre of the National Library of Medicine of Bethesda for online access of MEDLARS databases.

4

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Though modemization of the library services began in Government funded institutions initially, it spread to libraries of industrial undertakings like the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) at Ranchi, Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited (BHEL) at Hyderabad, Hindustan Machine Tools Limited (HMT) at Bangalore, Indian Detonators Limited (IDL) ;i. ::- 2.. .-& d, Engineers India Limited @IL) at New Delhi, Mechanical Engineering Consultants (MECON) at Ranchi and Kirloskar Electric Company at Bangalore. Of these, the library of the Kirloskar Electric Company pioneered the trend, among industrial undertakings of the use of online services, beginning with DIALOG. The trend of integrated library automation system was started, among a few others, by the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) at Ahmedabad which integrated acquisition, information retrieval, circulation, periodical management system, book procurement and online retrieval information systems. In the 8Os, the trend of medium/large scale training of library scientists in the tool of modemization was initiated by DRTC, INSDOC and NISSAT which was strengthened by the Library Science faculty in various universities.

1.3 Sectoral and Global Drive towards Modernization

The pioneering role in the sectoral movement of library modemization can be credited to the Defence Science Documentation Centre (DESIDOC) which was estab- lished in 1967 with the objective of maintaining an up-to-date research and reference library, sifting through the current index classification, providing bibliographical services in anticipation of demand and abstracting information under special interest topics. DESIDOC provides scientific and technical information to the research and development organization (DRDO) and has the largest collection of defence related literature in the country. It initiated sectoral SD1 services and literature search as well as access to DIALOG databases since 1984. With computer knowledgeable library scientists, DESIDOC has been able to develop softwke and services pertaining to information storage and retrieval, online catalogue, acquisition control, serials control, circulation control, union catalogue, etc.

The Nuclear Science Sectoral Information is a typical early example of organized efforts towards modemization which conveys a number of lessons to other sectors engaged in automation. The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) Library and Information Services established a cooperative arrangement with the International Nuclear Information System (INIS) established by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Using computer and micrographic techniques INIS provides a comprehensive announcement and abstracting service in nuclear science information. Set up in 1970 at Vienna, the INIS evolved a system in which about 75 Member States

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of the IAEA and the various international organizations contributed to the growth and maintenance of the system with an annual input to the system of nearly 100,000 items in the nuclear science and technology area. Not only the input, but also dissemination has been decentralized in this system while processing, checking and merging of the input data are centralized. The standardization discipline has been carefully inculcated among nodal organizations in the member states. The standards evolved include bibliographic description, machine readable data, thesaurus, indexing, abstracting, country codes, corporate and other codes, transliteration, etc. India started contributing to INIS input since 1970 with an annual average contribution of nearly 1000 items. This contribution evolved from typed worksheets to paper tapes and then in magnetic tapes. The INIS input tapes are prepared using the PRIME-450 computer at BARC while the output tapes were processed on IRIS-80 computer installed at the Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre (VECC) at Calcutta, using a software package called, MISTRAL. The number of queries/retrieval requests serviced from the scientists and engineers of the atomic energy family of organizations is about 1000 per annum.

The University system which has a heterogeneous user base, evolved its sector-al information centres in a different way. The UGC initially established a sectoral information centre at the SNDT Women’s University Library and Information Centre in 1986 in the areas of Home Science, Library Science, Sociology and Education. The database of Indian research material was created in English, Hindi, Gujarathi, and Marathi languages. The computer&d database on HP-3000/42 computer was based on MINISIS Software which was confined to the English language in the above fields. The database not only covers general articles, but also books, conference proceedings and theses. A Union list of periodicals in the areas subscribed by various organizations in Indiais maintained. The UGC-SIC Information Centre at Maharaja Sayajirao University (MS University) is one of the sectoral information centres set up in 1986 in economics, political science, psychology and history. The UGC-SIC for Scientific Information (NCSI) at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore provides similar services in the areas of Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics and Geology. More than 3000 users are serviced from five databases consisting of a million bibliographic citations annually. The UGC has also initiated a Information Library Network Programme called, INFLIBNET, which is progressively equipping the university libraries with computers and software.

Perhaps a unique and highly successful example of sectoral based thrust of the modemization of the library system is the National Information System for Science and Technology (NISSAT) headquartered in New Delhi, initially established under the Department of Science and Technology of the Government of India in 1977. It was later transferred under the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research @SIR) govem- ing the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). NISSAT was set up with

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the objective of information resource development and sharing, identification of information users and manpower development. So far, NISSAT has set up eight information centres (SICs) in the following sectors: Leather technology, Food Sciences, Machine Tools, Drugs and Pharmaceuticals, Textiles, Chemistry, Crystallography and Advanced Ceramics. All the SICs have modemized bibliographic services provided within India as well as internationally. NISSAT is a unique example of a catalytic approach which gave a tremendous impetus to the library movement. Its unquestionable success is worth emulating by other developing countries which are keen to modemize their library systems. The NISSAT database in the areas of Leather technology and machine tools have even set a world standard and have shown propensity for world-wide dissemination of information. Inspite of its remarkable achievements in its sectoral modernization drive, the Government of India has been slow in funding the programme, representing a significant opportunity loss to the library movement. A doubling of the budget of NISSAT can show dramatic effects on library modernization. NISSAT is also an example of how the imposition of a commercialization drive far too soon in the implementation of the programme, which has not yet reached the critical mass, can do in artificially attenuating the rate of achievements.

Even in the 6Os, India realized the importance of setting up specialized documen- tation centres. The setting up of the INSDOC under the CSIR is a clear example. In 198 1, NIC installed a computer system in the HP-loo0 series at the INSDOC to work as an intelligent terminal to NIC’s mainframe system - CDC Cyber 170/730. Recently, INSDOC has set up its own computer systems. The BioTechnology Information System (BTIS) is a later example of a documentation centre which benefitted right from the nucleation stage by computers, micrographics and computer-communication networks. The various distributed information centres (DICs) are connected to each other and to certain large online databases, nationally and internationally, through NICNET facility. Another documentation centre serving the social scientists is the NASDOC (National Social Science Documentation Centre). Set up in 1970 in New Delhi, it has built up a document collection of published doctoral theses, research reports of projects under- taken or supported by ICSSR, working papers presented at Seminars and Conferences organized or funded by ICSSR, periodicals of research in social sciences, etc. NASDOC has also set up international linkages through the Asia Pacific Information Network in Social Sciences (APINESS) Project headquarted in Bangkok since 1986 under the auspices of UNESCO and AASSREC (Association of Asian Social Sciences Research Council). In the Industrial Sector, the Small Enterprises National documentation Centre (SENDOC) created at the National Institute of Small Industry Extension and Training (NISIET) in 1971 at Hyderabad, provides information support to technological and managerial advancement of small industries. SENDOC is an example of a library system supporting the industries.

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1.4 Profile of Library Sciences in India

Three important studies have been conducted through Survey and Analyses of the Library Science Institutions in India. These studies were carried out under the auspices of INFLIBNET, DRTC, and NISSAT. In view of the fundamental nature of these surveys and analyses, which give a statistical and factual scenario of library sciences in India, the main results and conclusions are presented here with only minor modifications and annotations.

i) INFLIBNET Survey and Analysis:

The UGC set up a high level committee of library science and information technology specialists for preparing a project report for the establishment of an information and library network for the university system in India. This project called, INFLIBNET, was originally planned for setting up a nation-wide university Library and Information System Network. However, the availability of already well established computer-communication networks like NICNET, INET and ERNET, as well as the popularity of INTERNET rendered the network objective of INFLIBNET superfluous. Consequently, INFLIBNBT concentrated on providing computers, software and train- ing as well as setting up of standards for university libraries. Nevertheless, the project report prepared by the committee unearthed valuable information on several aspects of the library systems of universities and research & development institutions. The following is a summary of the’findings:

Classification scheme in use: About 65 percent of the university libraries follow Dewey Decimal Classification @DC) system, and 24 percent use COLON Classification (CC) Scheme. The remaining use either UDC (Universal Decimal Classification) scheme. On the other hand in research and development institutions, preference is shown to the UDC Scheme with DDC closely following and CC trailing far behind.

Catalogue code followed: Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules is adopted by 40 percent of university libraries and nearly 50 percent R&D libraries, followed by a classified catalogue code (CCC), by 23 percent of the University Libraries and 20 percent of libraries in R&D institutions.

Subject Heading Systems: Nearly half the universities follow either locally available subject heading systems or other specialised schemes, 33 percent use Sears list and 9 percent use LC subject heading lists.

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Abstracting and Indexing Journals: There is considerable duplication of subscriptions to abstracting and indexing journals in university libraries. The survey of a list of 129 universities and 28 R&D institutions show that they are subscribing to 2352 abstracting journals, 339 indexing journals. For example, 58 libraries subscribe to chemical abstracts, 56 to biological abstracts and 41 to physics abstracts. This shows that there is considerable scope for resource sharing (though site licence copyright arrangements may have to be worked out).

Services rendered by libraries: The average rating by priority for various services are given below in terms of average rank of university and R&D library services:

Services University R&D Library Library

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Computerised Database Access 5.64

Selective Dissemination of Information 4.96

Lending of External Users 4.40

Referral Services 4.25

Current Awareness 3.54

Reprography services 3.32

Lending to internal users 1.91

Reference services 1.81

5.12

3.59

4.75

3.63

2.64

4.36

3.29

1.59

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It can be seen that computerized database access is given the least priority while lending to internal users, reference services, etc., are given top priority. (This clearly calls for modemization facilitators like INFLIBNET, NICNET, NISSAT and ERNET).

Automation priorities: If given modemization support by the Government, the libraries rank the order of services that could be automated as follows:

Services University R&D Library Library

1. Budgeting 6.88 6.57

2. Bibliographic databases 4.42 4.00

3. Reference Services 4.40 4.48

4. Serials Control 4.27 4.00

5. Cataloguing 3.81 4.19

6. Acquisition 3.44 2.96

7. Circulation 3.37 4.92

ii) DRTC Survey and Analysis:

In order to understand the impact of foreign journals on library science in India, a citation analysis was carried out by Prof. M.A. Gopinath, Head of the DRTC, Indian Statistical Institute, Bangalore. The report of his survey and analysis was published in Library Sciences, Vol. 30, No. 1, March 1993. The data was gathered from a statistically valid cross section of publications during a five year period. The analysis pertains to the citation of foreign science journals by Indian Library Science authors. Truncating the list of countries by eliminating those which have less than one percent journals, the distribution percentage of citations of the foreign journals in six countries is presented in the Table below:

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Sl. No. Journals from Percentage of No. of journals

Percentage of No. of citations

1. USA 60 68.5

2. UK 10 20.5

3. Japan 8.2 2.66

4. Canada 2.7 1.80

5. International 2.7 1.64

6. Germany 1.8 0.80

(Source: DRTC Survey and Analysis by Prof. M.A. Gopinath, Head of the DRTC, Indian Statistical Institute, Bangalore).

The country-wise distribution of journals worked out by Prof. Gopinath is listed below:

USA 48

UK 130

Canada 90

Germany 75

Australia 45

India 34

South Africa 26

Denmark 25

Japan 22

Hungary 22

Netherland 20

Poland 18

Italy 15

Czech 15

France 15

Others 266

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He quotes that as USA is the largest publisher of journals in the field of library science in the world, the citation density indicates that the journals density in USA is the largest. This is followed by UK. Another reason pointed out is that the development in Information Technology is in the area in which Indian library scientists have had the influence.

iii) NISSAT Survey and Analysis

To give an idea of the broad trends in the growth of library science databases and services, two illustrative cases are taken from the Surveys and Analyses carried out by NISSAT.

The coverage of journals in Indian Science Abstracts (ISA) increased from nearly 300 in 1983-84 to about 750 in 1988-89. ISA covers journals, articles, patents, standards. Theses and conference proceedings. On an average about 1000 entries are recorded per fortnight. The Indian Science Abstracts has grown from less than 25,000 in 1983-84 to over 30,000 in 1988-89. It is seen that ISA activities has stagnated over years, though information on the output on Science & Technology efforts could have complemented and contributed to international databases. Thus, the analyses has brought into focus a problem of modemization. ISA employs manual methods by type composing the output. If a computer-based database is to be generated, the entire ISA collection of nearly half a million records would have to be keyed in afresh or scanned by OCR, if the type-font becomes acceptable for optical reading.

The Central Reference Library compiles the Indian National Bibliography (INB) on the basis of publications received at the National Library at Calcutta under the Delivery of Books (Public Libraries) Act 1954/56. The total number of publications received under this Act has gone down from over 20,000 in 1975 to under 15,000 in 1985. This is inspite of the trend of increase in the number of publications during this period. This clearly indicates that even with an Act of the Parliament, its implementation would require adequate incentives for the responding organizations and individuals. The INB coverage is incomplete. For a major national activity of this magnitude, the computer applications have not been implemented even though the existing computer communi- cation networks could help not only to increase the publications received under the DB Act, but also ensuring timeliness.

1.5 Evolution of a Policy Frame-work

Since 1947, the Government of India endeavoured to set up a growing library service through promotional efforts and formulation of appropriate policies. The

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Imperial Library set up in Calcutta before independence, was renamed as the National Library through the National Library of India Act, 1948. Closely following this in 1951, the Government of India approached UNESCO to assist in the setting up of a large model public library in Delhi. The following year, the Indian National Scientific Documenta- tion Centre (INSDOC) was established. The Government set up a scheme for improve- ment of library services by giving financial assistance to the State Governments to set up State Central Libraries and District Libraries. The Delivery of Books (Public Libraries) Act of 1954 amended in 1956 to include Newspapers also, was intended to make the National Library at Calcutta into a structure similar to the Library of Congress of USA. However, these efforts did not succeed to the degree hoped for.

In 1958, the Government desired to give a prime place for Science & Technology by bringing out the Scientific Policy Resolution. With respect to the library system, the Resolution included the following provisions:

‘To encourage individual initiative for the acquisition and dissemination of knowledge in an atmosphere of academic freedom . . . . . . and in general, to secure for the people of the country all the benefits that can accrue from the acquisition and application of scientific knowledge.’ The Technology Policy Statement, however, came only in early 1983, but made an explicit provision for creating a ‘Technology Information base towards availability of an efficient system of collection and analysis of relevant technological information’.

Subsequently in 1986, a National Policy on Education was announced advocating among others, a nation-wide movement for improvement of existing libraries and establishment of new libraries and providing modem library facilities in all educational institutions.

A number of committees and panels were set up by the Government for the promotion of the library movement. The more important ones are the following:

Advisory Committee for Libraries was set up by the Ministry of Education, Government of India, in 1957, under the chairmanship of K.P. Sinha, to recommend suitable measures for improvement of libraries in India. The Committee submitted its report in 1958 with the following more salient recommendations:

1. Every citizen of India should have free access to the library services.

2. The library hierarchy will consist of the National Library, State Central Libraries, District Libraries and Panchayat Libraries.

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3

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

The National Central Library and National Book Deposit Centres shall be set up by the Government of India.

Every State Library will have a State Central Library and a State Lending Library.

An All India Library Advisory Council shall be set up under the chairmanship of the Minister of Education in the Central Government.

To promote the library movement, Library Associations should be encouraged to be set up by the State and Central Governments, wherever necessary and possible, voluntary organizations may encourage to set up ‘Mitramandals’ to spread the awareness of library movement.

Dormitary libraries should be set up for archiving of books weeded out from public libraries.

Cooperation between public libraries should be encouraged.

Universities, State and Central Libraries and National Central Library should arrange for the training of professional librarians.

State Governments should bring out appropriate Acts concerning the State Libraries. The Government of India should also enact Library Law at the national level.

Subscription libraries while continuing to receive aid from the State Governments, should be encouraged to join free public library services.

A 25 year library plan should be worked out as a guide for short range plan implementation.

In its efforts to implement the report of the Advisory Committee for Libraries, the Ministry of Education of the Government of India circulated a Model Public Library Bill in 1966. Parallelly a Working Group on Libraries set up by the Planning Commission for the Fourth Five Year Plan also submitted a report on the same. However, National Library of India (Amendment) Act was passed only in 1976.

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National Library Board (NLB): In pursuance of the 1976 Act, an autonomous National Library Board was created. Though the Act itself was held back, the fast Director of NLB, Prof. R.K. Dasgupta was responsible forrecommendations concerning the entrustment of the Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation (RRRLF), set up in 1972 under the Department of Culture of the Government of India, with the responsi- bility of bringing out a National Library Policy and its implementation. The RRLF acted as a promoter of the library movement through central and State public libraries. In 198 1, the foundation set up a Working Group for drafting a National Library Policy under the chairmanship of Prof. Dasgupta. The Working Group presented a draft Policy Statement through the Department of Culture in 1984.

The following year, the Department of Culture set up a Committee on National Policy on Library and Information System (CONPOLIS) under the chairmanship of Professor D.P. Chattopadhyaya, Chairman of RRRLF. The following were the terms of reference:

To consider the document, ‘National Policy on Library and Information System’ prepared by RRRLF in the context of expanding library movement, disseminating information to neo-literates, illiterates, children and backward communities. The Committee may also consider a document on National Policy prepared by the India Library Association. The Committee shall (a) circulate these documents to relevant experts and institutions all over the country and obtain their reaction, (b) arrange public discussions on the policy statement by way of holding seminars or by conducting interviews of selected people and (c) on the basis of its own discussions and on the basis of the reactions obtained through (a) and (b), the Committee shall prepare a final document for the consideration of the Government.

The Committee prepared its final report, ‘National Policy on Library and Informa- tion Systems - a presentation’ and submitted it to the Minister of Human Resource Development in 1986. An empowered committee set up by the Department of Culture examined the report and submitted its comments in 1988. Unfortunately, the report has not been formally accepted so far.

The Planning Commission of India set up a Working Group on Modemization of Library Services and Informatics for guiding the investment during the Seventh Five Year Plan, under the chairmanship of N. Seshagiri. The Planning Commission Office Memorandum No. M.l2011/3/83Zdn dated November 17, 1983 gave the following terms of reference for the Working Group:

1. To take stock of the position in respect of the library services and

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informatics as is likely to be reached by the end of 1984-85, to identify problem areas and suggest remedial measures.

2. To suggest feasible perspective of development of library services and informatics upto 2000 AD, particularly with a view to equalising these facilities to all sections of the people and to enable the national library and informatics system make its maximum contribution to the development of a modem society.

3. To specify in clear terms the objectives of library services and informatics development programme in relation to national development goals.

4. To formulate proposals for the Seventh Five Year Plan (1985-90) in the light of the above perspective indicating priorities, policies and financial costs.

This Working Group is the first attempt to bring out modemization of library services. The report submitted in July 1984 made the following recommendations concerning modemization imperatives of applications of computers and computer- communications and other electronic means to the library system and services:

1. The present library community should be exposed to the concept of computers and its usage. For this, awareness and specific library oriented programmes should be conducted.

2. The library training courses should be enlarged to include computer application aspects. Emphasis should be more on information handling, organization and usage.

3. During the 7th Plan period the goal should be to computerize most of the majoriibraries. This should be carried out in a systematic manner so that information exchange is possible. Certain standards with respect to hardware and software have to be evolved.

4. A Group has to be set up at the apex level to work out the Plan for computerization. This Group should also work out standard specifica- tions for hardware and software for implementation at various levels. This Group should consist of computer specialists, library scientists and educational experts. This Group should be made responsible for monitor- ing and evaluating the computerization in the libraries.

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5. Software development activities have to be initiated for evolving a standard software for meeting the library requirements. This should be implemented on standard indigenous systems.

6. In developing the computer applications, fust importance should be given far developing a union catalogue and a national bibliography.

7. A plan for interlinking the library systems should be worked out. It should give a detailed plan of action for developing the library network.

8. New technologies (telematics) like Videotext, Teletext provide ample opportunities for disseminating information at the cheapest possible manner. Such systems should be experimented with a view to study its impact on the society. It will enable access to a wide variety of data in the shortest time.

As the Working Group report was the first organized attempt in the country to identify the problems and perspectives of modemization and many of the observations and recommendations are valid even to this day, Part (B) of the Working Group Report entitled, “Informatics and Computer Applications” substantially prepared under the guidance of the author is reproduced in Annexure- 1.

The report was accepted by the Planning Commission and commended for implementation by organizations having the necessary resources and motivation, with the budget for the same distributed to various Ministries/Institutions in the Seventh Five Year Plan. It is on this basis that the drive for modemization of library services using NICNET was initiated by NIC. Similarly, the Planning Commission supported the increase in the number of sectoral centres to be taken up by NISSAT. Also the exercise of setting up of INFLIBNET by the University Grants Commission for University Libraries was initiated. The INFLIBNET report entitled, “Development of an Informa- tion and Library Network - Report of the Inter-Agency Working Group” submitted its comprehensive report in December 1988. The emphasis of this report was predominently the modemization of the library system in the country utilizing innovations in computer and computer-communications. The Executive Summary of this important report is included as Annexure-2. Inspiteof the logical objectives and practical recommendations of the INFLIBNET Working Group Report, there was extraordinary delay in processing the recommendations for implementation. The delay was not only attributable to the UGC and the Ministry of HRD, but also to the Planning Commission and the Ministry of Finance for various known and unknown reasons. During 1989 and 1990, various projects like NISSAT, NICNET, ERNET, INDONET and others continued the pace of

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their own programme for giving computer network support to the university libraries with the hope that INPLIBNET will come into being as proposed in the Working Group Report. By 1991, a disillusionment started setting in with the inordinate delay. This resulted in a number of earlier projects, principally the ERNET of the Department of Electronics and NICNET of NIC under the Planning Commission began the implemen- tation of their education and research network. The Education and Research Network ERNET was originally set up by the author for giving research, development and training support utilizing the infrastructure and specialist manpower of the various IITs, Indian Institute of Science, National Centre for Software Technology (NCST), etc. with a model network linking these organizations. When INFLIBNET failed to take off, the ERNET project expanded the scope of their project to give network services to colleges and universities on the pattern of JANET of UK. This initiative resulted in ERNET making a beginning in INTERNET services. However, ERNET itself was handicapped by the fact that they had to depend upon inter-city leased lines from the Department of Telecommunications (DOT). At this stage, NIC which already had the largest govem- ment VSAT network outside of USA, decided to make available its vast computerised bibliographic resources and networks to the university libraries. With no additional investment, NIC was able to set up the Research and Education Network of NIC (RENNIC) with the objective of giving NICNET and INTERNET linkages to all the 8000 colleges and R&D institutions. Between RENNIC and ERNET, the university system began getting computer network services with international hook up facilities. The process is expected to cover all the colleges and R&D institutions and all the public libraries by the end of 1997.

1.6 UNESCO’s Catalysis

With the successful setting up of the first National Public Library in Delhi in 195 1, the UNESCO has been giving catalytic support to the Government of India in general and the library movement in particular through various means world-wide. UNESCO gave a new thrust to the library sector during the 70s by promoting UN Information System in Science and Technology (UNISIST), and National Information System (NATIS) and implemented these through its General Information Programme (PGI). As early as 1974 and 1979, Inter-governmental Conferences were arranged by them which enthused a number of library scientists in India to get them implemented in the country. UNESCO disseminated new ideas and policy instruments through bulletins, manuals, hand-books, standards, training material, conference proceedings, project documents, etc. They distributed freely CDS/ISIS library package, MINISIS etc. for promoting library modemization. Many of the UNESCO reports published in the 70s like, ‘Information Policy Objectives’, ‘Guidelines on Planning National Scientific and Technological Information Systems’, ‘Planning National Information Structures for Documentation,

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Libraries and Archives : Outline of a General Policy, 1975’, ‘Information Policy for Development: National and International Responsibilities, 1976’, ‘Design and Planning of National Information Systems, ‘A paper for Government Planners, 1976’, among several others, had the salient effect of guiding policy makers at not only the Government level, but also organizational level. Though the library movement in India did not avail of the UNESCO catalysis during the 80s. as much as they did during the 7Os, 90s has seen a resurgence of the interaction through collaborative efforts between UNESCO and NISSAT on one hand and the UNESCO and NIC on the other. UNESCO also has taken joint initiatives with many other organizations. As a guide for the future for those organizations in India who want to benefit by the catalytic efforts of UNESCO, the following are included as Annexures 3 to 6:

1. Excerpts from the Report of the Inter-govemmentsl Conference on Strategies and Policies for Informatics (SPIN) Torremolinos, Spain, August/September 1978.

2. Excerpts from the Vienna Programme of Action on Science and Technol- ogy for Development 1979 and excerpts from the note by the Secretary- General of the UN General Assembly on the Operational Plan for Implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action.

3. Structure and Functions of Inter-Governmental Informatics Programme (IIP) of UNESCO - relevant excerpts.

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Chapter Two

MICRO PROFILE OF LIBRARY MODERNIZATION IN INDIA

I. SECTORAL LIBRARIES

Building up of specialized information systems require not only information from speciahzed libraries, but also other quantitative information from sectoral sources. The biggest problem facing the libraries in developing countries is the resource crunch in the face of exponentially increasing demand for library resources. Resource sharing, with due regard to strategies which respect to world intellectual property rights, appears to be the only solution to reconcile the supply with the demand. Such resource sharing will be effective if carried out in an automation-specific way sectorally. In a particular sector like Agriculture, Bio-technology, Medicine, Textiles, Leather industry, etc, the library information on R&D institutions having the same specialisation may be in a better position to give value added information services after retrieving the required raw data. Encouraging computer-based modemization in such libraries and dissemination through a computer-communication network, can be an ideal solution. For this reason, the micro profile of modemization is described in this Chapter in terms of sectoral libraries that have been set up through out the country.

2.1 Resource sharing through Sectoral Libraries

In every sector, Information demand and stock grows exponentially. Information resources are becoming costlier with time. Unnecessary duplication of information sources within the country not only creates avoidable expenditure, but also deprives knowledge-based innovations and value addition over the information. Geographically adjacent libraries can pool their information resources to reduce cost, avoid duplication and create value added databases. With contemporary technological developments in the field of computer-communication, it is possible to work out inter-accessibility to each others resources without losing the individual identity of libraries. However, it is essential to work out strategies which respect the world intellectual property rights including copyright laws and the provisions of the GATT Agreement.

Though resource sharing can be resorted to in virtually every aspect of the functioning of a library, there are priorities which have been identified. Initial resource. sharing exercise could be restricted through inter-library loans, creation of Union Catalogues, Cooperative acquisition and cooperative cataloguing. Inter-library loans will increase the utilization of the library resources within a tractable geographical region. This can arrange borrowing and lending-of books between libraries, providing

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photo-copies of papers, articles, network-based sharing of full text CDROMs and online resources. Development of Union Catalogues for the region in question becomes essential in order to know who has what resources and thereby plan for complementary acquisition of resources. Cooperative acquisition of serials and primary documents by the participating libraries in the region would enhance the availability of rare and occasional publications brought out within the country and abroad. Also, network-based online full text retrieval of articles through terminals indifferent libraries can be arranged through carefully negotiated site licensing arrangements with the publishers which will minimise the total royalty payments. A numberofpublishers have shown interest in such site licensing because of the propensity for increasing the demand by increasing affordability.

Within the region or within the subject domain/sector a coordinating centre can be given the responsibility for coordinating all the above functions. Even within a sector if there is a library of specialized R&D organization and a number of other organizations with sub-sectoral specialization, the main coordinating centre can bring in cooperative resource sharing and cooperative value added services by coordinating the main centre and the sub-centres through the computer-communication network.

NISSAT, which pioneered the sectoral information movement in the country, has valuable experience in organizing resource sharing of scientific and technical library material. Some of the services that have evolved in the various NISSAT centres can be summarized as follows:

Abstrucring Service: The Coordinating Centre can bring out sectoral abstracts for the sector by covering the various documents available in the participating libraries including sub-sector libraries.

Sector-al Information Digest: The coordinating centre can bring out a sectoral digest in the specialized subject domain outlining or elaborating recent scientific developments and trends collected from a number of technical journals, books and other periodicals.

Current Awareness Service: Selective Dissemination of Information (SDI), and retrospective current awareness services can be brought out by the centre by consulting both national and international databases.

Bibliographical Services: The centre can prepare or cause to prepare bibliogra- phies on specific topics in the specialized subject domain by coordinating the literature available in various sectoral and sub-sectoral libraries in the country. The growing

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INTERNET access possibility brings in international dimensions also to this effort.

Inhouse Databases: Various sectoral libraries and sub-sectoral libraries can prepare bibliographical databases pertaining to their library on a standardized format, so that through a computer-communication network, they can be accessed from each other or by other interested users through remote terminals through a query system.

Directory of Research Projects: Each sectoral library or sub-sectoral libraries shall prepare a structured periodic report on the projects going on in the institutions serviced by it. These individual databases can be accessed by sectoral coordination centres to prepare a union directory of all the ongoing research projects in the sector. Also, updated information on these projects can be made available through terminal based retrieval from any of the user locations.

Technical Enquiry Service: The centre shall service queries received from scientists and other interested users working in the geographical area or in the specialised subject domain with the assistance of experts in the field available in that centre. In this context, sub-sectoral libraries and sub-sectoral organizations who have specializations in a narrow field in the sector, also become important. It is for this reason that distributed databases even sectorally are important and network-based servicing of sub-databases through a common standard query system is advisable.

Translation Services: While translation can be sub-contracted to a number of public and private organizations who specialize in various languages, there are advan- tages in doing these in a coordinated manner by coordinating a nation-wide directory of translators and entrusting the jobs for ensuring efficiency, accuracy and timeliness in translations.

In what follows, the progress in the setting up of sector-al library information centres are described in the following important fields: Agriculture, Bio-technology, Forestry, Drugs & Pharmaceuticals, Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Textiles, Leather Technology, Food Technology, Machine Tools, Social Sciences and Cultural Heritage.

2.2 Agriculture Sector

The global annual publication of articles, reports, conference proceedings, etc. primarily in agricultural field exceed 200,ooO out of which more than 170,000 are articles in individual periodicals. Commercially available books and pamphlets account for 10,000 and the remaining 20,000 are non-conventional/non-periodic/non-commer-

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cial publications.

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research(ICAR) has taken initiative in setting up or supporting the setting up of appropriate information systems in the agricultural sector. Set up in 1929, ICAR is the apex organization serving agricultural and animal husbandry research and education in the country through 44 research institutes, 69 All India Coordinated Research Projects, 8 Project Directorates, 19 National Research Centres, 26 Agricultural Universities and Krishi Vigyan Kendras for lab to land transfer of technology. In early 6Os, the Estimates Committee of Parliament recommended the setting up of a Research Information Service at ICAR Headquarters. In 1967, ICAR created at its headquarters, the research project file unit. The Ministry of Agriculture, entrusted the responsibility of servicing the international information system for agricultural sciences (AGRIS) of FAOof UN to this unit in 1975. Subsequently, the unit was renamed as Agricultural Research Information Centre (ARIC) with the following broad objectives:

1. Central sources of research project information for systematic mainte- nance of records of research projects and reporting of research activities.

2. Setting up of a database for avoiding duplication of research efforts and making available source material for coordination of research.

3. Planning, implementation, financial support, standardization and work- ing out compatibility among agricultural research information systems.

4. Generation, analysis, integration and diffusion of national and intema- tional agricultural research information.

5. Creation of bibliographical database and participation in AGRIS.

In pursuance of these objectives, over the years, ARIC has developed a number of information systems which have yielded the following benefits:

1. It has provided a comprehensive information service of the current national research programmes in agriculture.

2. Users are able to keep themselves informed about the new programmes and projects.

3. Duplication in projects and programmes between various institutions is

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4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

avoided through appropriate and timely information

It can track the projects of individual scientists as well as organizations.

It has a specialised information systems.

It keeps track of trends in research interests.

It facilitates resource sharing, in the multidisciplinary context.

It provides management information system for planning R&D on a national basis.

It identifies common research interest for international cooperation and for participation of scientists in conferences.

It adopts FAO’s AGRIQARIC categorization scheme which is a multi- lingual thesaurus for coding and indexing.

About 50 research institutes and stations under the ICAR are connected to NICNET through intra-city dial-up to the nearest NIC District Centres. A report recently prepared for the World Bank advocates the setting up of a wider network connecting all the R&D institutions, universities and extension centres in the agricultural research sector. For this, it is proposed to utilize, through appropriate augmentation, existing networks like NICNET and ERNET.

In the post-GATT era, the setting up of information systems for bio-diversity and plant genetic resources has become urgent. This issue has taken a political dimension throughout the world and developing countries like India are required to hasten to set up a comprehensive information system so as to safeguard themselves against the loss of commercial advantage through knowledge gaps.

In this context, the genetic resources manager needs information on the diverse activities of the gene banks which include introduction, conservation, characterization, evaluation and distribution of plant material. International concern on collection, preservation and utilization of plant genetic resources has triggered the assignment of high priority for such information systems. As the genetic resources are reservoirs which can be of immense help to the growing population of India, only a fraction of these resources have been utilized in the country with GATT Agreement giving patentability rights of various aspects of genetic resources. A major international legal dimension has

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been added.

Years of evolution under domestication and natural selection has resulted in a high diversity in Agri-Horticultural crops with considerable variation in plant genetic resources. The global genetic resources of about 34000 cultivated TAXA is confined to 12 primary centres of diversity. India is known to be one of the important gene centres of the world with about 15,000 plant species occurring, of which 150 are of high economic importance. Rich genetic diversity is available in case of many cereal crops, legumes, vegetables, spices, oilseeds, fibre crops, fruits, medicinal plants and also in grass and trees. The wild relatives of the 150 economically important species are facing the danger of extinction. This brings in an urgency in collection, evaluation, conserva- tion and documentation. Since 1976, the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR) is supplying information on plant genetic resources in the country so that all useful agri-horticultural plants are taken care of before much damage gets done. The Bureau maintains about 40,000 collections of Agri-horticulture crops at its headquarters including a number of crop based institutes of ICAR like the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi. Among these, about 150,OOOcollections of wheat at IARI, New Delhi, 1000 accessions of Potatoes etc. at Central Potato Research Institute at Shimla, 14,000 plantation crops at Central Tuber Crops Research Institute at Kasargode, 5000 accessions of different fruits and vegetable crops at the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bangalore, 6000 collections of Cotton species at the Central Institute of Cotton Research, Nagpur, about 3600 clones of Saccharums at the Sugarcane Breeding Institute at Coimbatore, about 86,000 accessions at the International Crop Research Institute for Semi Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) at Hyderabad and so on.

The germplasm line/seed sample is the basic unit of any genetic resource centre. Information on places of germplasm collection, their ecological habits, the extent of variability observed in the field along with other data, information on various evaluation parameters, conservation details, quantity of seed stored, and its placement in the gene bank, germination percentage, time parity of storage, etc. are important elements of the database. In general, for supporting plant germplasm banks, the following information is required:

1. Information on import and export of valuable plant material for planning national seed exchange strategies and ensuring avoidance of repetition in production.

2. Monitoring Information on evaluated germplasms.

3. Monitoring information on gene bank holding

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4. Monitoring information relating to screening of germplasms and nemotoes and its retrieval from time to time to minimize the risk of spread of a new disease in the country. All the above type of information have to be correlated with bibliographic information available in books, research articles, journals, reports and other periodicals for which reason thelibraries supporting the gene banks should as well computer&d and modemized as the gene banks themselves. This would eblable correlatory studies in the utilization of the gene bank information. -

The NBPGR has initiated a project called, GRIP (Genetic Resource Information Project) in order to manage the genetic resource database at the national level. GRIP is a computerized information system working on the XENWUNIX platform. A number of relational data models have been developed to facilitate the setting up of optimal information systems. For example, the germplasm introduction information system (GIIS) at NBPGR is based on a relational structuring techniques under a UNIFY environment with the data model developed for monitoring information on import and export of germplasm.

Though at present, the National Documentation Centre at NBPGR is computerized offline, there are proposals to connect this to NICNET and INET.

It is realized that only uniform codes and formats are used. There is a danger of inputting user information on incompatible fields generated at another centre. The setting up of crop advisory committees for bringing out such standardization has been suggested for deciding optimum number of data generating centre for different crops. Efforts are under way in this direction.

2.3 Bio-Technology Sector

The area of bio-technology which is inter-disciplinary, drawing upon chemical engineering, molecular biology, genetic engineering, immunology, bio-chemistry, bio- physics, physiology, etc. is a fast growing sector with major industrial stakes. Being inter-disciplinary, information handling is complex especially because of the unprec- edented growth of the bio-technology sector. As India has a large economic stake in this emerging area, a separate Department of Bio-technology has been set up. In 1984, a special Task Force was constituted under the chairmanship of the author including specialists in the area of Information Technology, Molecular Biology, Genetic Engi- neering, Bio-chemical Engineering and Management. This Task Force formulated an information system called, ‘Bio Technology Information System (BTIS) with the following objectives:

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1. To provide national bio-information network designed to bridge inter- disciplinary gaps in information and to establish links among scientists in organizations involved in R&D and manufacturing activities in bio-technology.

2. To serve as a networking and database management organization in six identified areas involving 10 specialised centres and associated infrastructural facilities.

3. To provide access points for information available at the specialized centres and also provide a mechanism to keep the databases uptodate with the findings and results from their laboratories.

BTIS was created with a bio-technology information centre as the apex unit at the Department of Bio-technology so as to coordinate the activities of distributed informa- tion centres and establish online communication with external sources. Nine centres in Universities and R&D Institutes in the country engaged in one or more areas of bio- technology were identified as Distributed Information Centres (DICs).

- Genetic Engineering : Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. & Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai, Bose Institute, Calcutta Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi

- Animal Cell Culture and Virology Poona University, Pune

- Plant Tissue Culture, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Photosynthesis and New Delhi. Plant Molecular Biology :

- Oncogenes, Reproduction Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology, Physiology, Cell Trans- Hyderabad. formation, Nucleic acid and Protein sequences :

- Immunology . . National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi

- Enzyme Engineering, Immobilised Bio-catalysts, Microbial Fermentation and Bioprocess Engineering :

InstituteofMicrobialTechnology, Chandigarh

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The objectives of the DICs were identified as follows:

1. To function as an information base in each speciality so that the scientists and Biotech Corporations can access the computer based information on resources, databases in subject fields and to build up expertise in informatics.

2. To store and retrieve information from databases created on computer- ized and from structured information generated by research and indus- trial institutions in the identified fields of biotechnology and continually update the data bank and make available the information to user centres and interested parties.

3. To generate information relevant to specific areas with facility for continuous updation and access.

4. An active computer-communication network support for facilitating interaction among the bio-technology community and foster scientific and technical interaction among groups with common interest.

5. To provide retrieval services, both online and offline, in the specialized areas and give overall information support.

6. To provide communication links to international databases including DIALOG for Selective Bibliographic Information retrieval.

7. To develop software packages specific to user needs.

8. To conduct training courses in the specialised arias of bio-informatics.

A large number of user centres have been established with network access to the databases created at the DIC. All these centres have been provided with FAX transmis- sion facilities to enable receiving and sending specific information straight from the source documents. A dial-up connection through modems connected to PADS of NICNET has been provided for communication of messages between intelligent terminals and remote locations. All the DICs have been linked to NICNET and through NICNET to INTERNET. The BTIS specifically links all the libraries of the DICs and has been the main source of modemization of these libraries. Computer and network based services are given specifically arising from books, proceedings of conferences, trade periodicals, market surveys, research project information, dissertations, abstracts and

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secondary sources accessed through computerised databases like BIOSIS, SCI, MEDLINE, Current Biotechnology Abstracts, Derwent Biotechnology Abstracts, Telegenline, Abstracts in Biocommerce, etc. With careful complementarity worked out between the various DICs, some amount of resource sharing has been successfully implemented, utilizing NICNET connectivity.

2.4 Forestry Sector

Forestry Research in India dates back to 1879 af’*the Dehradun Forest School. The Imperial Forest Research Institute (IFRI) later renamed as Forest Research Institute (FRI) at Dehradun was established at the beginning of the century. After independence, forestry research was decentralized and several State Agricultural Universities and Science Universities took to education and research in forestry. In recent times, several institutions were set up which showed interest in forestry research, e.g., Wild Life Institute of India, Indian Institute of Forest Management, IPII, etc. The Survey of India, Indian Institute of Remote Sensing and National Remote Sensing Agency supplied aerial photographs and satellite imageries on forests. The FRI library has a very rich collection of books and journals on forestry with current holding of about 130,000 books and 600 journals.

Documentation of forestry literature in India began as early as 1926 at Dehradun. This was started by Silviculturist at FRI, Dr. Howard, who later became famous for the Howard System of Classification. As there were deficiencies in this system, in 1954 the Commonwealth Agricultural Bueaux of England published the Oxford Decimal (ODC) system of classification which was finally adopted by FRI. The system was subsequently revised by the International Union of Forestry Research Organisations. FRI, which is the largest institution of its kind in Asia, also pioneered the use of computers in forest research and library modemization. Extensive use of CDROM based bibliographic databases as well as online search of international databases have been established. The World Bank is assisting the setting up of a National Forest Library and Information Centre (NLFIC) at FRI Dehradun to act as a Forest Documentation Centre for India. A network link to FRI has been provided from NICNET with consequent facility for access to INTERNET database.

2.5 Fisheries Sector

The sectoral Information System for fisheries has been set up at the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute with the Headquarters Library at &chin. The objectives of the Institute are: development of fisheries in the Indian exclusive Economic zone as well as promoting marticulture along the coastal zone through transfer of technology,

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dissemination of information, training and extension, monitoring of marine and coastal pollution, etc. With its Headquarters at Cochin and Regional Centres at Mandapam Camp, Tamil Nadu, there are 11 Research Centres at Varaval, Bombay, Karwar, Mangalore, Calicut, Vizhinjam, Tuticorin, Madras, Vishakhapatanam,Kakinada and Minicoy. Apart from these there are 29 field centres.

The fisheries library system has its headquarters at Cochin, Regional Centre at the Mandapam Camp and sub-sectoral libraries at the 11 research centres . The library holding is more than 50,000 volumes of books and periodicals with 350 periodicals received annually. An important aspect of this library system is the library collection of expedition reports. The main library at the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) at Cochin extends reference, bibliographic and translation services and interacts with INSDOC, ISRO, DST, DOD, Agricultural academic institutions, Mari- time institutions, ICAR institutions, CSIR institutions and international bodies like FAO., SEAFDEC, ICLARM, etc. Computer based SDVCA services are given by the library as well as storing and retrieval of library information. The information received from research divisions is structured in the form of publications like the Indian Journal of Fisheries, CMFRI Bulletin, CMFRI Special Publication, Marine Fisheries Informa- tion Service and R&D Series for Marine Fishery Research Management.

Though computerisation has started, the networking is yet to be done, though however, the latteris likely to be solved very soon with the connection of CMFRI library to the NICNET.

2.6 Drugs and Pharmaceutical Sector

The Drugs and Pharmaceutical industry comprising of 12 public sector companies, more than 150 private organised sector companies including 25 multinational companies and about 6000 small scale companies is producing drugs and pharmaceuticals worth $ 0.8 billion. The information requirement of this industry is catered to by a number of agencies and associations. The Indian Drug Manufacturers Association (IDMA), Organization of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI), All India Organization of Chemists and Druggists((AIOCD), and 14 other associations are functioning as promo- tional organizations for functions which include informatics. Numerous periodicals are brought out like Eastern Pharmacist, Chemical Weekly, Chemsphere, Pharamtimes, PharmaTrends, Indian Drugs, Indian Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Industry, Indian Journal of Hospital Pharmacy, Indian Pharmaceutical Guide, Chemical and Pharmaceu- ticals Directory etc. The library system in this sector is highly distributed. To bring coherence in the collection, collation, processing, dissemination of information and to promote library modemization and informatics, NISS AT Centre was set up at the Central

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Drugs Research Institute (CDRI) at Lucknow. The Centre called, NICDAP, draws support from a number of scientists and specialists in the area for giving value added information services over the raw data culled out from various organizations. CDRI has a well maintained and well stocked library and information unit. The library currently has about 20,000 books and monographs and nearly 15,000 bound volumes of periodi- cals. It has a very good stock of secondary periodicals like Biological Abstracts, Chemical Abstracts, Excerpta Medica, Index Medicus, Microbiology Abstracts, Sci- ence Citation Index, etc., in addition to several annual serials.

The establishment of NICDAP has given this library and association information systems a national perspective to cater to the information needs of the industry, academics and researchers. The objectives of NICDAP which are typical of most of the NISSAT centres is outline below:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

To provide information services relevant to the needs - present and futuristic - of the specific areas of interest, i.e., drugs and pharmaceuticals.

To use existing information dissemination facilities and augment them with newer tools of information dissemination.

To support and actively participate in research and development activi- ties of the drugs and pharmaceuticals industry through current awareness services by keeping them abreast of the valuable information emanating from R&D activities carried out the world over.

To make available reprographic, including micrographic, facilities - photocopies, stencilling, duplicating and printing and microfiche prepa- ration and duplication to its clientele.

To satisfy the needs of its users, provide them with efficient technical reference and referral services and to establish a system of feed-back.

To provide bibliographies on selected topics on demand and in anticipa- tion.

To create drugs and pharmaceuticals patent inspection centre for all relevant Indian patents.

To bring out status reports, directories and other special publications on the industry, R&D and academic institutions in the area of the Centre’s

31

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9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

interest.

To maintain a data bank of all production, import/export, capacity and other allied details pertaining to the units of Indian drug industry.

To provide a forum for interaction between various Government agencies and private industry.

To develop a computer centre with online facility having access to international databases and using the computer for storing all relevant industrial data and various data generated inhouse in CDRI for timely retrieval and dissemination.

To build a translation cell capable of providing translation facility from important foreign languages to English.

To organize, participate in and supply information about symposia, seminars and meetings concerning the area of drugs and pharmaceuti- cals.

Tocollect, collate and disseminate information on adverse drug reactions of drugs in collaboration with doctors, clinicians and pharmacologists.

To liaise with NISSAT Headquarters, regional centres and also create Local Information Centres (LIC) for providing better information serv- ices through resource-sharing and networking.

As part of its modemization drive, the centre acquired a microfische production system, microfilm and microfische readers and a computer capable of handling large data storage and processing at the centre. The computer has online retrieval capability with facility for not only .storing and retrieval of conventional bibliographic data, but also images data like micrographs, spectra and structural data. The system is being utilized to build the Indian Database on different aspects of the India Drugs and Pharmaceutical Sector. This database not only serves the requirements of the Indian industry, but also use on exchange basis with some international databases. The areas covered are: Natural Product data, technical/industrial data, selected bibliographic data, patents and synthetic compound data. The facility for storing and processing graphic information like chemical structure, process development, transmission and scanning electron micro- scope data etc. have been implemented to the minimal required levels. Computer is also utilized for various library operations such as preparation of library holdings of books

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and periodicals, library house-keeping, acquisition, cataloguing, indexing, circulation and periodical control, union catalogue, stock taking and inter-library loan.

In view of the considerable strides made in developing a modemized library and information system, the World Health Organization (WI-IO) has chosen NICDAP as their collaboratiilg centre on drugs information for servicing 11 South-east Asian countries - Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The Centre supplies information on the availability of raw materials required for formulation of essential drugs, their price details, technology details, governing patent laws, registration of drugs, etc. Within one and a half decade, NICDAP has become an important drug information centre with worldwide recogni- tion.

2.7 Chemistry and Chemical Technology Sector

The internationally famous institute -National Chemical Laboratory at Pune - became the host for the sectoral information centre of NISSAT in 1986 in the area of Chemistry and Chemical Technology. NCL’s library and documentation facilities are regarded as one of the best in the field. It has a stock of more than 65,000 books and monographs, 180,000 Indian Patents, about 12,000 foreign patents, more than 15,000 Indian and foreign standards, Indian Research Reports, and most of the theses submitted in the area in the country, etc. The number of bound volumes of periodicals exceeds 50,000.

The centre offers reference services, CASED1 Services, technical information services, patent information services and computerised information retrieval of national and international databases in the area of chemistry and chemical technology apart from modemized reprography services which annually supplies on an average 140,OOOcopies to inhouse and outside users.

A number of new activities are in the pipeline. Information about current research projects in various organizations and laboratories on Chemistry are correlated and made available to users in computerreadable form. A union list of periodicals in chemistry and chemical technology by coordinating various interest group libraries in the country, is well under way. The computerization of library and information services address cataloguing, circulation of documents, procurement of books, monographs and periodi- cals and preparation of union list of serials in chemistry and chemical technology. In addition, information on patents, subjectwise current indexing and abstracting services and ongoing research in chemistry and chemical technology are also being computer- ised. For online access to international databases, NCL is linked to NICNET through

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which they access INTERNET.

2.8 Textile Industry Sector

The textile industry in India is crucial to its economy. It is the oldest and largest organized industry. It is also a large source of agricultural employment, providing jobs for more than 12 million people. It represents more than 20 percent of industrial production of India.

There are three categories of libraries in the textile sector. Libraries for the training institutions, libraries in industrial organizations and libraries maintained by cooperative research associations like Silk and Art Silk Mill’s Research Association (SASMIRA) in Bombay and Ahmedabad Textile Industry’s Research Association (ATIRA) at Ahmedabad. SASMIRA library specializes in man-made textile industry in particular and other allied subjects in general. Though basically catering to the requirements of the research and teaching staff as well as students of SASMIRA, it also services the entire Indian textile industry. Under the extension services it initiated a textile information users group (TRIG) in Bombay. TIUG initially had the libraries of 7 textile organiza- tions of Bombay as members, to promote appropriate use of textile information services.

ATIRA, which has a membership of more than 300 textile mills, deals with cotton textile, chemicals and other auxiliaries, man-made fibre manufacture, processing houses and members from decentralised sectors of the Indian textile industry. ATIRA library and information centre is the oldest and the largest among the libraries of the fibre research group. Perhaps it is the first sector-al centre in India. It currently has in its stock, all Indian patent specifications and standard specifications in the field. It has over 1000 audio-visual films, records, pre-recorded cassettes, etc. The range of services include enquiry servicing, consultation, reference service, loan service, inter-library loan service, reprography service, documentation service, bibliographic service, preparation and/or addition of union catalogues in the field, translation service, preparation and updation of world textile abstract databases, among others.

In order to give a modemization slant, a National Information Centre for Textile and Allied Subjects (NICTAS) was set up in 1986 under the MSSAT programme. The main objective is to build up a computerized storage of information useful to Indian textile scientists and technologists from all available sources in the world. Special efforts are made to collect information from within the country from numerous fields related to textiles, With this, the following additional services are being progressively introduced:

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1. Retrospective documentation services like master index of subject bib- liographies and reviews, directory of research, etc.

2. Anticipatory information services like specialized current indexing and abstracting services, Selective Dissemination of Information, Manage- IT,. :.? Xormation Service, Patents and Standards Information Service and Product Information Bulletin.

3. Preparation and maintenance of union catalogue of reports, etc.

4. Preparation of surveys, state-of-the-art reports, scientific and techno- logical forecasting and other types of techno-economic and special management information services.

5. Network-based query service on information request.

2.9 Leather Industry Sector

Targetted to reach by 2000 AD, the Indian Leather Industry is a major export sector. To achieve this target, a major attempt at the modemization of the industry and derivatively the modemization of the information sector is well under way. For implementing the latter, the National Information Centre for Leather and Associated Industries (MCLAI) was set up at the Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI) under CSIR at Madras. The CLRI is a major technology transfer institution recognized internationally and is assisting a number of developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America with support from FAO, UNIDO, among others.

The information infrastructure at CLRI has evolved over more than 3 decades and is now a unique information centre of its kind internationally. UNIDO extended considerable assistance in the modemization process of MCLAI.

Information users are R&D personnel, policy makers, entrepreneurs, students, etc. in the field of leather technology. The library resources at CLRI has offered 12,fKKl books and as many back volumes of nearly 400 journals/periodicals. Centre also stocks appropriate standards and patent specs to serve the industry and R&D community. The centre brings out Current Leather Literature (CLL) as a monthly abstracting service covering about 3ooO abstracts on an average every year. Trends in leather world and manufacturers is an international monthly digest information covering policies, devel- opments and events in the world of leather, footwear and leather goods ; Leather Literature Analysis and Retrieval Services as a fortnightly service to scientists and

35

. . .__. - X,_..___. ---11”“1-1 _. . - . . . . I I_

IX . - - ” . . - _ - “___ - - . -

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entrepreneurs, reprographic and micrographic services using electronic reprography facilities, among others. Under the Technology Information Bank (TIB) project, bibliographic database is being developed according to DBN’s TEXPAC Software Package which is being converted into Micro-ISIS for the micro-computer systems. A computerised Annual Cumulative subject indices for the current leather literature service has been developed. Though computer support is well under way, the centre is weak on network linkage.

2.10 Food Technology Sector

The Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) at Mysore, under CSIR, took on itself the responsibility of developing a cooperative resource sharing information system among organizations dealing with food technology and industry. Though the central facility was located at CFTRI at Mysore, regional facilities were set up at CFIRI stations at Bombay, Hyderabad, Mangalore, Nagpur, Lucknow and Ludhiana as well as local information units in all laboratories/information centres concerned with food science and technology. Under the MSSAT programme, a National Information Centre for Food Sciences was established in 1977. MCFOS has developed Current Awareness Services through three publications - Food Technology Abstracts, Food Digest and Food Patents, retrospective bibliographies, state-of-the-art report and technical enquiry services. The International Food Information Service (IFIS) publishes ‘Food Science and Technology Abstracts (FSTA)’ as a collaborative arrange- ment with MCFOS. MCFOS facilities are made available to the United Nations University (Tokyo) scholars who are resident at CFIRI. As a sectoral information centre, NICFOS gives the following computerised information services:

1. Current Awareness Sentice (including list of additions) - weekly or fortnightly; covers all categories of current literature, about 200 per issue; classified with necessary indexes.

2. Selective Dissemination oflnformation - weekly or fortnightly; covers all categories of current literature, about 50 per issue; compilation and distribution according to user/industry/project profiles.

3. Abstracts of technical papers (Provision on request),

4. Patent Abstracts - Bimonthly; covers food patents from all over the world, about 200 per issue; classified with necessary indexes.

5. Technical Digest - quarterly; industry-oriented; emphasis on problem

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6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

solving and promotion of technical advances and modemization; covers relevant portions from periodicals, technical reports, house journals and manuals.

Management Digest - monthly; emphasis on management aspects; provides condensed information from all kinds of sources.

News Brief - monthly; provides current, general, non-technical informa- tion from newspapers and sections of periodicals; journalistic -titing.

Production Information Bulletin - monthly; emphasis on comparative data on products and processes selected from various trade periodicals, reports, bulletins, etc., presentation as text, tables, graphs.

Data Compilation and Service-routine function; collection of scientific, technological and economic data; presentation as tables, graphs, dia- grams.

Retrospective Bibliography - as required; emphasis on retrospective search, selection and listing of all relevant documents with or without annotation; classified with necessary indexes.

State-of-the-art reports and Trend Reports on Specific Subjects - as required; reviews and evaluates the development in a specific area; presentation as in a book article.

Computerized information service; SDI, profiles on demand.

Import-Export Databank

Industrial Consultancy Data bank

Project Monitoring and Evaluation

Internal Database Services

International Database Service - FSTA, Chemical Abstracts, BIOSYS, AGRICOLA, COMPENDEX, etc.

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2.11 Machine Tools Sector

The Central Machine Tools Institute (CMTI) is a national centre for R&D in machine tool technology, especially numerically controlled systems. The CMTI library has liaison with 19 international organizations and research institutes abroad. Its current holdings is 120,000 documents in this field. There is also a good stock of trade catalogues collection on Metal working and allied fields. More than 200 trade directories have been collected from all over the world for promoting machine tool trade and exports. Recognizing the central role played by CMTI library, he National Information Centre for Machine Tools and Production Engineering has been set up as one of the sectoral information systems under the NISSAT programme. MCMAP brings out current information awareness through two publications: (1) Metal Working Abstract and (2) Metal Working Bulletin, devoted to the field of machine tools and production engineer- ing. Equipped with a VAX series computer, a number of datbases have been developed which extensively services industries, academic institutions, R&D institutions as well as agencies and even individuals. NICMAP has access to international databases like COMPENDEX through DIALOG network. The cost per query through DIALOG network, which is around Rs. 1000, has acted as a deterrent for popularizing this facility. The facility is weak on network access.

2.12 Social Sciences Sector

There are about 600 Social Science Libraries in India attached to the Institutions of Research and Higher Learning numbering about 425, University Departments, Economic and Banking establishments, Industrial establishments, Government Departments, etc. They are run by different types of bodies like Government, Semi-government, autono- mous and private. The stock held by an average social science library is about 25,000 volumes with the number of current periodicals received about 200.

The number of Government libraries is estimated to be about 600 with an average stock of 50,000 volumes. They support planning, policy and decision making process in the government. These libraries are active in documentation work, e.g. DOCPLAN by the Planning Commission, DOCSTAT by the Central Statistical Organization, Foreign Affairs Bulletin Document by the Ministry of External Affairs, Documentation in Industry and Trade by the Ministry of Industrial Development.

In the field of Arts and Humanities, the more important libraries are: Sahitya Academy, Sangeet Natak Academy, Lalit Kala Academy, National School of Drama, FILM and Television Institute, National Museum, National Gallery of Modem Art , School of Buddhist Philosophy, Tibetan Works and Archives, National Library of Calcutta, Central Library of Bombay, Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, etc.

A large number of manuscript libraries exist with a rich collection of manuscripts.

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Some examples of such libraries are - Aligarh Muslim University, National Library of Calcutta, National Archives, Asiatic Society Library at Calcutta, Rampur Raza Library, etc. The Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) established a Social Science Documentation Centre (SSDC) in 1970 for bibliographical control anddissemi- nation of information in social science fields. Under its union catalogue programme, it has brought out a union catalogue listing the holdings of nearly 600 libraries. Its bibliographic activities include annotated bibliography on various social science sub- jects, retrospective indexing of social science periodicals, area study bibliographies of social science research materials, etc. Abstracting journals in various social science areas are also brought out. SSDC set up an inter-library resource Centre in Delhi. It inputs information on Indian materials to International Committee for Social Science Information and Documentation, International Bulletin of Bibliography on Education and UNESCO’s DARE system. The data archive unit of ICSSR collects, organizes and maintains data in machine readable form and makes them available for research study. It published a National Register of Social Sciences covering 7500 profiles and constantly updates them. Recently, most of the institutes under ICSSR were linked to MCNET of the National Informatics Centre giving them not only a nation-wide access but also access to INTERNET. Subject-wise, these institutes are tabulated below:

Discipline-wise categorization of Institutes under ICSSR

Discipline No. of Institutes

Discipline No. of Institutes

Anthropology 3 Management 4

Archaeology 2 Mass Communication 1

Demography 1 Political Science 4

Economics 13 Psychology 2

Education 4 Public Administration 4

Geography 1 Social Sciences

History/Indology 6 Comprehensive 3

Linguistics 2 Town & Country Planning 1

Law 1 Sociology 3

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The Initiative taken by ICSSR and NIC in networking the various Social Science Research Institutes is leading to the establishment of Social Science Research Informa- tion Network (SSRINET) as a Close User Group of NICNET. The participating research institutions are the following:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

ANS Institute of Social Studies (ANSISS), Patna

Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Bhubaneshwar

Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Trivandrum

Centre for Economic and Social Studies (EESS), Hyderabad

Centre for Policy Research (CPR), New Delhi

Centre for Regional, Ecological and Social Science Studies in Development Alternatives (CRESSIDA), Calcutta.

Centre for Research in Rural Industrial Development (CRID), Chandigarh

Centre for Social Studies (CSS), Surat

Centre for the Studies in Social Sciences (CSSS), Calcutta

Centre for the Women’s Development Studies (CWDS), Delhi

Council for Social Development (CSD), New Delhi

Gandhian Institute of Studies (GIS), New Delhi

Giri Institute of Development Studies (GID), Lucknow

Govind Ballabh Pant Social Science Institute (GBPSSI), Allahabad

Gujarat Institute of Area Planning (GIAP), Ahmedabad

Indian Institute of Education (BE), Pune

Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISED), Bangalore

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18. Institute for Studies in Industrial Development (ISID), New Delhi.

19. Institute of Development Studies (IDS), Jaipur

20. Institute of Economic Growth (IEG), Delhi

21. Institute of Public Enterprise (IPE), Hyderabad

23. Madras Institute of Development Studies (MIDS), Madras

23. Sardar Pate1 Institute of Economic and Social Research (SPIESR), Ahmedabad

24. Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), Delhi

2.13 Cultural Heritage Sector

In 1985, the Government of India set up a Department of Arts for promoting the setting up of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA) which is presently serving as a major resource centre for Art. Through its multi-disciplinary programmes it catalysed an integrated perception of the Indian tradition in art and culture. To support the Study and Research in the field, the centre has plans to develop a unique reference and research base of cultural source material in multimedia forms under one roof. It is the nodal agency for all matters relating to the setting up of National Information System and Data Bank (NISDB) on Art, Humanities & Cultural Heritage. IGNCA has been authorised to issue instructions to all Departments of the Central Government for obligatory filling of data and information on standard formats with IGNCA in the area of arts, humanities and cultural heritage and also to advise the State Governments for cooperation of their agencies in this respect.

Several descriptive mu1 &lingual databases have been made operational in IGNCA:

Information on the catalogue of Indic manuscripts in different repositories in the world, CATCAT

Information about Information, MANUS

Information about basic Indian concepts/terms and their occur- rence in the old texts, KKTERM

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Bibliographic Information about all Books/Periodicals available in the IGNCA Library (LMIS)

The National Informatics Centre (NIC) initially established its Cultural Informat- its Unit at Vigyan Bhavan Annexe, New Delhi, for the informatics support to the Cultural Sector and to develop Cultural Heritage Information Network. After the setting up of IGNCA, the facility got shifted to it and expanded at the initiative of IGNCA.

NIC assisted in the development work orI Multimedia presentation on IBM-PC and Macintosh platforms in the initiating stages of the programmes.

The UNESCO has been supporting IGNCA as the coordinating agency for networking Cultural Heritage Information in the Asian Region. IGNCA also receives substantial aid from Japan for the setting up of a modemized cultural heritage informa- tion system using Electronic and Optical Technology Tools.

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Chapter Three

MICRO PROFILE OF LIBRARY MODERNIZATION IN INDIA

II. UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

In India, there are abut 7000 Colleges in about 200 Universities enrolling annually more than 4 million students for Graduate, Post-graduate and research degrees and 300,000 teaching and research faculty.

The University libraries are the earliest to realize the importance of computer support and modemization imperatives. The pressure for computerization arose out of the increasing library work load to be handled by a small complement of library staff, continuous pressure from students and research faculty for increased and improved services as well as easier access to external databases. In addition, University/college management was interested in the reduction of operating costs facilitated by a well designed and well managed computerized library.

The university system initially was interested in computerization for house- keeping activities of the library as well as wider information search and retrieval. Computerisation of house-keeping functions were initially motivated by a streamlining of (a) Acquisition (b) Cataloguing, (c) Serials control and (d) Circulation control.

Acquisition and ordering systems cover the selection, ordering and accessioning of items into the collection of the library using computers, as well as monitor the orders which were not responded to by the book sellers to automatically produce of lists of books on order, to keep track of expenditure and to produce accession lists on demand.

In order to save time in issue and discharge routines and avoiding bottlenecks, the computerization of circulation control was resorted to. In Indian libraries, typically a terminal is situated at the circulation counter with an operator entering directly the data concerning the details of the book issued, name and code of the person borrowing it, date of return on the basis of the period of loan etc. Automatic preparation of overdue lists helps in better circulation of books and other items given on loan.

Computers are used to aid the production, maintenance and updating of cata- logues. The CDS/ISIS package supplied free of cost by UNESCO is one of the most popular software employed in the university system for this purpose.

In view of the relatively higher complexity, the serials control system is less used

43

. _-.. _..-^_ __I ---,.-..--~ ..-. ” _.. .-,.,_-_~ _^_- __~_.. -..--_

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especially because of the unpredictable nature of serial publications. Those libraries which have computerized this house-keeping function by and large confine to the list of serials holdings and the accessioning of the serials. Details of the suppliers and the price tag are also included to enable handling subscription, renewal and accounting functions.

Using database technologies like CDS/ISIS, users search the database through key-words related to the author or subject. A number of university libraries have computerizedcurrent awareness listing, SD1 services, retrospective searches andindepth generation. From the Indian University experience, the following lessons have been learnt.

1. Library computerization based on inexpensive local made PC systems with across-the-board compatibility within the university system is conducive to resource sharing. In India, the IBM PC platform with Intel Series of Chips like 386/486/Pentium have become the de-facto standard.

2. The software standardization at the local level has been mainly around the CDS/ISIS and LIBSYS packages available at low cost. Currently, NIC’s large purchase clout has reduced the price per copy of BASIS Plus based TECHLIB to less than Rs. 60,000 thereby giving a highly sophisticated software at very low price to the university system. NIC is working with ID1 Inc. of USA for value addition over this software suite for meeting the specialized requirements of the Indian libraries.

3. Repeated training of manpower for library computerization should be given maximally for library science professionals who are not necessarily well versed in computer programming. For this reason, the user-friendly systems have to be developed for the Indian University environment to enable a greater degree of penetration of computerization and library automation.

To understand the specialized problem of the university system and how they were tackled, three experiments are examined to requisite details.

3.1 The University of Hyderabad Experiment:

The University of Hyderabad was established in 1974 by an Act of the Parliament. The School of Mathematics, Computers and Information Science set up in the University became the catalytic agent for computerization of the library. The University started Master of Computer Application (MCA) and Diploma in Computer Application @CA) programmes and involved students in the development of software packages for acquisition, circulation, decision support system etc. as part of their project work

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requirements. From the student of one batch to the next, these individual packages were continuously improved until it was adequate enough to be put in full scale commission in the library for day-to-day service purposes. The computer hardware platform adopted was IBM PC based on the INTEL Chip series.

At the outset knowledgeable faculty drew up a priority list for automation on the basis of the following guidelines:

9

ii)

iii)

iv)

v>

vi)

Managing the library with least possible manpower.

Continuously improving the efficiency of delivery of the library

Give participation to all concerned.

Maximally superpose automation over conventional norms and practices that had stabilized earlier.

Give emphasis to simpler automation techniques which can show the results to the management in the shortest possible time.

To make successive accomplishments of step-by-step automation to become possible and promote the idea of total automation of the library at a future date.

In order to portray the evolutionary steps as steered by the original progenitors, description below is predominently confined to the reporting by E. Rama Reddy, University Librarian in-charge, K. Nagaraja Rao, Documentation Officer and Mohd. Burhanuddin, professional assistant in the University of Hyderabad. Their analyses resulted in identifying the cataloguing system as a priority area for computerization. This is because, it will not only provide relief to the technical section, but would also help in capturing data in machine readable form for future use due to the ready availability and familiarity. The dBase III Plus software platform was used to carry out the following functions:

1. To enter data 2. To update entered data 3. To print a proof copy of data 4. To produce catalogue cards on continuous stationery 5. To produce monthly list of additions 6. To update data on to a master database

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7. To update indexes for search 8. To search the data 9. To make special bibliographies

The search system searches the data by author, keyword, accession number, class number and browses from a given class number.

The system is functioning since April 1989 and about 15,000 publications have been processed using the software. Reddyetal haveutilizedthe flow chart shown below:

While ordering periodicals, they discovered that the same periodicals list were printed a number of times in a number of formats. The formatted entering of data reconciled themselves. Periodical list in a variety of formats having different data elements were produced to help periodical section in processing the periodicals effectively and efficiently. The periodicals database gave the following outputs:

Total alphabetical list of periodicals, Department-wise alphabetical list ofperiodi- cals, School-wise alphabetical list of periodicals, vendor-wise alphabetical list of periodicals, Air-mail periodicals data, Periodicals costing more than a given amount, Periodicals with different rates of discount, Publisher-wise alphabetical list of periodi- cals and a combination of the above lists.

The input data include serial number, title, publisher code, vendor code, delivery mode, price, discount, school code, department code, etc. This database helped in

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sending the periodicals list to various departments for approvals with cost estimates including escalation to send for the final approval of the sanctioning authority to place the order with various vendors and to send the final list to individual departments to bring out a consolidated alphabetical list for the use of the library along with the publisher address and other information.

As the above two exercises proved highly successful, it was felt necessary to know about the periodicals available in other libraries in Hyderabad for resource sharing. Information was collected from 30 important libraries in Hyderabad on nearly 6000 individual periodical titles. The database so created benefits not only the library of the University of Hyderabad but also all the 30 participating libraries. The software developed could print alphabetical list of periodicals for a given library or for a group of libraries.

Subsequently the areas of computerization and networking widened to include SD1 services of the National Centre for Science Informtion, Bangalore and SNDT Women’s University, Bombay. CDROM databases were acquired in the areas of interest to the University of Hyderabad. DIALOG services were subscribed to and access remotely.

Throughout the library automation exercise, the university authorities provided enthusiastic support. Encouraged by this, the exercise graduated from the after line function toonline library functions withoutdistortingtheexistingdata. Anonlinelibrary database was created utilizing the LIBSYS software which consisted of the following: Acquisition sub-system, Cataloguing subsystem, Serial subsystem, Public access sub system, circulation subsystem. A particular advantage of LIBSYS was an integrated multi-user environment so that a single database can be shared by all the terminals. The next step is to implement LIBSYS or similar software on multi-user system with UNIX operating environment. In 1994, the Library of the University of Hyderabad was connected to NICNET through the PAD situated at the NIC Southern Regional Centre at Hyderabad.

3.2 IIT Kharagpur Experiment.

Another experiment in an Engineering Institute of excellence was carried out by the Automation Group including the Library and Information Scientists of the Central Library of the Indian Institute of Technology (BT) at Kharagpur for giving its students and large faculty online information services. The more relevant interesting aspects of the experiment are described below:

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IIT Kharagpur library represents a large inhouse library with a large local user base. It has a collection of more than 300,000 items with books constituting 65 percent and 4000 titles of periodicals accounting for 75,000 bound volumes. The library has nearly 20,000 standard specs and theses. The yearly addition is 50,000 items with 1100 current periodicals subscribed. 3500 local users transact annually nearly 150,000 issues and returns.

An Online Public Access CataIog (OPAC) was developed providing the following options: Bibliographic searches Journals, Recent arrivals and Circulation status. The online searches can be made on two databases: Books and non-books enabling catalogue or index or key word based searches.

The Current Contents are made available on diskettes containing the Current Week’s journal listing, organized in content page format. Each CC issue is grouped according to scientific disciplines relevant to the institute. Within each discipline, journals are also arranged alphabetically. A Local Area Network with nearly 100 terminals are connected to the Library/Institute computers with ethernet token ring architecture developed and implemented by the Department of Communication of the Institute in collaboration with the Library scientists and other concerned departments, as shown in the figure given below:

CDROMs and online databases support the various research and academic programmes of the institute. Apart from general secondary literature like INSPEC, and Engineering Index on CDROM, there are several domain specific databases like active library on corrosion with full text retrieval facility, etc. INTERNET access to the local area network has been established through a VSAT of the NICNET installed in the campus.

3.3. Indira Gandhi National Open University Library Network Experiment

In 1985, the Parliament approved the setting up of the IndiraGandhi National Open University to enable higher education to comewithin the reach of a large body of the population through the open university system. The multimedia approach is the tool adopted for the delivery of instructions.

A three-tier library system with central library at the Headquarters, 16 Regional Centre libraries and 220 Study centre libraries are getting integrated through advance- ments in information technology. With a growing need for quick retrieval and better services for the students, the automation of the library at each of the three tiers has been planned from the very beginning. House-keeping at the central library has been

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Dept./Centres from EE

32 Lines

. . . .

TDI TS

l 0 e

t t EE ECE LIB

GG Terminol room 32 Lines

Dept./Centres from CHE

32 Lines

CE +

ME

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computerised. An Expert Committee constituted by the Vice Chancellor, bringing together eminent librarians and information technology specialists recommended in 1988, the adoption of UNESCO’s Software, CDS/ISIS, for computerizing the various library activities. A number of professional staff belonging to the library were trained in the CDS/ISIS Version-l.0 and subsequently version 2.3 by the centre of computer education at IGNOU under the guidance and supervision of aUNESC0 expert. As CDS/ ISIS version 2.3 package was found to have certain limitations in thecontext ofoperation of IGNOU, a decision was taken to adopt LIBSYS package produced by LIBSYS Corporation of New Delhi. As LIBSYS is fully integrated and works in a multi-user environment over UNIX software platform and covers all the activities of the library related to cataloguing, starting serial control, indexing and abstracting as well as an online public access interface. It is user-friendly and menu-driven. The hardware platform adopted was based on Intel 486 DX chip.

IGNOU has developed the following library databases:

Database of central library books Database of collection at Regional and Study Centres Database of holding journals Directory of IGNOU publications Bibliography of articles and papers written by IGNOU staff Accession List of Books received at the Central Library.

In addition to computerization of library, IGNOU is one of the participating members of DELNET (Delhi Library Network) and INFLIBNET of UGC.

3.4 Karnataka State University Library Network - A Proposal

The Kamataka State has six universities: Bangalore University, Gulburga Univer- sity, Karnatakauniversity, Kuvempu University at Shimoga, Mangalore University and University of Mysore which have been set up at various times between 1916 and 1987. These Universities are imparting education in virtually all areas of knowledge. A proposal has been made for networking of University libraries in the State of Karnataka. According to D.B. Patil of the Department of Library and Information Services, Mangalore University, resource sharing of colleges in universities through participation of Kamataka State University Libraries Network (KAULIBNET) would require adher- ing to certain universal guidelines and standards, some of which are described below:

1. The participating institutions in this resource sharing may make a mutual agreement as to what type of information is required to make resource

.

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2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

sharing without any harm to readers of the individual library.

All participating libraries may acquire and equip with the necessary infrastructure - staff, mechanical appliances, etc., which are essential to meet the resource sharing obligations smoothly and efficiently.

A system that brings in the necessary uniformity and standardization for the network may be worked out and adopted by all participating libraries.

All aspects of resource sharing may be identified, discussed thoroughly and framed for its proper functioning.

It is essential to formulate a policy indicating the objectives of network- ing and to provide guidelines for taking right decisions in future.

The networking of libraries in the State shall form part of a national level networking.

All university libraries may provide a separate section to look after the resource sharing.

The modem communication system may provide good facilities for transfer of information from one unit to another unit easily and quickly.

The document delivery system is the most important aspect in resource sharing. All libraries may take keen interest to set up transport facilities and quick mail services, etc., to deliver the documents from one unit to another in the shortest possible time.

Translation facilities may be provided in any of the university libraries, in the interest of the larger academic community in the State.

Since the union catalogue of periodicals is the main basic tool for resource sharing, the required facilities may be provided to update the union catalogue in quick succession and to distribute all university libraries for reference and record.

There is a need for appointing an expert body to advise and coordinate libraries for proper and efficient functioning in the State.

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.

3.5 A Proposal for a Technical Libraries Network

The recent exponential increase in subscription rates by the publishers of journals has hit the technical and engineering institutions the hardest. A survey conducted in India has revealed that over the past seven years, the number of titles of journals subscribed to by a technical/engineering institution/college has dwindled on an average by 40 percent. Of late, with increasing financial crunch over libraries, a crisis situation is precipitating by the cutting down of the subscription of even journals which are frequently referred to by research workers of the institutes. Resource sharing among like-domain institutions is found to be feasible and cost effective. While, in principle, all the technical/engineering colleges in the country can be linked by a national network like NICNET, resource sharing is found to be more effective if carried out within the geographical area like a State. On this basis, several proposals have been proferred for State-wise networking of technical/engineering libraries. Typical proposals which give deeper thought than several other proposals are the one proposed by B. Saibaba, presented in the 33rd All India Library Congress (1988) and the one proposed by Jayshree Joshi. According to Saibaba, Engineering and Technical Library network is seen having the following:

Goal 1 : To provide collection development

Objective : To increase resources of a network

Functions

Acquisition function

(a) Union exchange list

(b) Cooperative acquisition of books, current periodicals, thesis, standards, patents, translations, photocopies and non-print

material.

Goal 2 : To achieve an effective bibliographic control of library materials

Objectives

1 To develop bibliographic capabilities for the rapid identification and location of needed materials.

2. To reduce unnecessary duplication in cataloguing and to develop more efficient system of technical processing.

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Functions

(a) Centralized cataloguing unit

(b) Union catalogue of books, current periodicals, thesis, standards, patents, translations, photocopies and non-print materials.

Goal 3 : To increase the services

Functions

1. Inter-library loan function

(a) Photocopying services (b) Reciprocal borrowing privileges

2. Reference function

(a) Inter-reference services (b) Subject bibliograhical services (c) Abstracting and indexing services

3. Delivery services function

Delivery services such as couriers, special truck delivery system.

Goal 4: To stimulate, promote and coordinate research and training programmes for library staff and network members.

Objectives

1. To design appropriate staff development programmes such as in- service training, continuing education.

2. To improve communication among libraries through publication programmes and interpersonal communication.

According to the proposal for Gujarat State Technical Library Network made by Jayshree Joshi, for the 9 Engineering colleges and 27 polytechnics in the State, the broad structure of the State network, called, Technet, is given in the diagram below:

53

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TECHNET

Dapartment of Technical Edua&m

1 ?kiiiEiCENTRE 1

4 Saumrhttu

Kutch

4 1 nit Engineering Pd/)echnic

Equipment ,--~2e.i

.

( Source : Paper entitkd,‘Technica( Educarion lib mries Network ( TECHNET t- Gu+t : A Ptopowd Pkm’, by Jay&roe Jo&, pp.24@249, and, Dissertation, Master Degree in 1 L IS, Gujamt Vidyopeek, Ahmedobad, 1989 )

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Chapter Four

MICRO PROFILE OF LIBRARY MODERNIZATION IN INDIA

IILINTRACITY LIBRARY NETWORKS

With the increasing realization that inter-library resource sharing can be effi- ciently worked out within a geographically narrow area under conditions prevailing in India, the concept of intracity library networks have gained ground. From the pioneering role of CALIBNET for networking the various libraries in the City of Calcutta to the successful story of DELNET which has linked the libraries of Delhi, a new concept was conceived, experimented, implemented and consolidated.

The case study of Inn-a-city Library Network in India can be a good role model for similar intra-city library networks in other developing countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America. In view of this wider possibility, a detailed description of CALIBNET and DELNET is given below followed by an outline of similar experiments nucleated or being set up in Bombay, Madras, Pune, Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Mangalore.

4.1 Need for intracity resource sharing.

The explosive growth of published literature with annual turn over of more than 500,000 books, 100,000 periodicals, hundreds of thousands of patents, tens of thousands of standards and a large number of unpublished reports and documents, no single library in India can afford to store all these in one place. User demand is however, increasing exponentially. Atleast within a metropolitan city, it is possible to connect all the computerized libraries through a Metropolitan Area Network. The coming of full text journals and the concept of site licensing are expected to simplify this process of intra- city networking. Shared acquisition and shared cataloguing are the first to be experi- mented. Worthy precedences like the Online Computer Library Centre (OCLC), Machine Readable Catalogue (MARC) Project and the Library of Congress shared cataloguing project have demonstrated the methodology of resource sharing and the advantages resulting therefrom. The OCLC membership has exceeded 5000 libraries in Canada, USA, Ireland, France, Denmark, UK, Australia, Saudi Arabia, etc.

Within the same city, it would be possible to avoid duplication of subscription to various journals and beat the retrograde effect of increasing cost of journal subscription. This can be shown statistically through available study reports. INSDOC has developed 12 volumes of original union catalogue of scientific serials and the National Union Catalogue of Scientific Journals in India database with the holding data of about 35,000

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scientific serials available in 800 libraries. Less than 20,000 Science & Technology serials currently received in India as a whole from foreign countries is very small compared to the 50,000 science & technology serials published globally.

State-wise break-up of the serials published by INSDOC is given in Table

Table : Number of Serials being subscribed by 800 libraries in India (State-wise break-up of serials) ( Source: INSDOC )

Ranking Subject Total No. of Titles

% Current titles

%

1.

:I

4. 5.

6.

7. 8.

9.

10. 11. 12.

13.

:4- 16: 17.

:;* 20: 21.

Medical Science 5014 Engineering 4643 Agriculture and Animal Husbandry 3808 Biological Sciences 1835 Geology, Geophysics, Geochemistry 1894 Chemical Engineering Chemical Technology 1707 Mathematics, Astronomy 1346 Science & Technology in General 1749 Meteorology, Hydrology, Climatology 1310 Management 995 Chemistry 1082 Library, Information Science & Computer Science 755 Manufacturers, different types of industries 983 Physics 838 ~l%Y 784 Botany 702 Architecture & Building Industry 474 Psychology 263 Geography 272 Military Science 137 Photography 127

Others 450

16.07 3083 16.86 14.88 2679 14.65

12.20 2190 11.97 5.88 1190 6.51

6.07 1042

5.47 936 5.12 4.31 863 4.71

5.60 855 4.67

4.20 657 3.59 3.19 631 3.45 3.46 630 3.44

2.48 550 3.00

3.15 549 2.68 541 2.51 464 2.25 384

;-ii 2:53 2.10

1.51 273 0.84 201 0.87 161 0.43 98 0.40 66

1.49

i!iEl 0:53 0.36

1.44 234 1.28

Source: INSDOC National Union Catalogue of Scientific Serials in India (1988)

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The NUCSI study reveals that inflow of foreign serials is mainly from USA, UK, Australia and other English speaking countries. Seventy percent of the inflow is in English language as compared to 50 percent globally. This shows that India is missing out worthwhile serials in Japanese, Chinese and other non-English languages. Irma-city networking can effect group economy and utilise savings in remedying such situations. INSDOC made a survey of 12 foreign scientific abstracting and indexing journals procured by Indian libraries. The results outlined in Table. show that an amount of Rs. 35 million is planned for subscribing to 12 journals only by 770 libraries including 220 university libraries. This is equivalent to a unit cost perjoumal of Rs. 0.48 million. This clearly shows wasteful expenditure due to avoidable duplication of subscriptions.

Table Duplication in Procurement of Scientific Abstracting and Indexing (A&I) Journals by the Indian Libraries(Source: INSDOC)

Name of the Approximate No. of copies Total cost A & I Journals Unit cost ( Rs. )

UL OL

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

Chemical Abstracts

Biological Abstracts

Current Contents

Mathematical Reviews

Science Abstracts - Physics Abstracts

Electrical and Electronics Abstracts

Engineering Index

Science Citation Index

FLreza&n Abstracts .

Index Medicus

INIS Atom Index

Statistical Theory and Method Abstracts

1,50,000 40 72 1,68,00,000

50,000 41 82 60,50,000

28,500 22 138 4560,000

45,000 30 23 23,85,000

27,000 29 45 19,98,000

25,000 8 44 13,00,000

27,000 1 42 11,61,000

1,02,000 2 6 8,16,000

5,700 34 38

2,700 2 52

5,ooo 2 11

1,500 18 15 49,500

2,79,3OO

1,40,000

65,000

Total 4,74,600 229 546 3,56,03,800

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Some of the problems encountered in resource sharing have been attributed to the following:

1. If cooperative acquisition does not operate well, gaps in collection will result in any library.

2. Sophisticated computer-communication technologies are required for resource sharing.

3. Copyright regulations and reaction of the publishers whose sales may get reduced, may attenuate the resource sharing process.

4. Site licence instruments would require protracted negotiations with publishers for deriving maximum benefit.

5. Sophistications of online reprography may become necessary as the volume of shared resources increases.

The rationale for intra-city library network have been identified as follows:

- Cooperative subscription where such is possible - Collective Bargaining with publishers for site licensing - Intracity network is cheaper for high speed transmission - Statewise Union catalogues can be easily grouped - Van service can be arranged for periodical sharing.

In thecontext of the above, the pros and cons of intracity library network is detailed below:

4.2 CALIBNET - The Pioneer

The initiative for setting up of CALIBNET at Calcutta was that of NISSAT of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research @SIR) of the Government of India.. The CMCLimited was entrusted with the responsibility of implementing the CALIBNET network with a coordination committee under a former Vice Chancellor of the Calcutta University providing the necessary guidance. The CMC Limited is guided in the development of the application software MAITRAYEE by a standardization committee under the chairmanship of Prof. P.K. Mahapatra. The objectives of CALIBNET were identified as follows:

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1. To significantly improve resource utilization and service levels to patrons at the Individual libraries by providing automation facilities for all house-keeping func- tions and user services such as -

Acquisition and Fund accounting !k;~b.ls Control Cataloguing Circulation User Services

2. To operationally enhance resource sharing by providing individual libraries and their access to composite databases of

Union Catalogue Partial STIS databases Current awareness and SD1 Subject profiles

3. To provide efficient and reliable means of

Inter-library user services Document copy and transfer facilities Access to national and international STIS databases.

The indigenous development of the software MAITRAYEE for total library automation and networking gave the necessary support for developing the applications over CALIBNET. The network envisages connecting about 60 libraries in Calcutta, mostly Science and Technology libraries but without restriction on the subject domain. The libraries which faced fund constraints in the acquisition of hardware and software have taken advantage of a low cost E-Mail approach through dial-up terminals.

CALIBNET is a Metropolitan Area Network with each institution holding processed information on local computers, connected with each other through X.25 packet switched network. The Network Services Centre (NSC) acts as the host and provides global user support. Within the individual libraries, the functions that will be automated are: acquisition and fund accounting, cataloguing, circulation, serials control, and local user services. Using online public access catalogue, the users will be able to locate books and serials. Keyword and SD1 searches are also provided for. Built in Thesaurus Module locates items given in all the allied terms. A query system, file transfer

59

-., . -^..-“..-.e,-- ~- _._, --I--.-.I. _.. ._ -.s.-_____l___ 1-1 ----.-.--_

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facility and document access across libraries are being worked out through electronic mail.

The NSC creates and maintains union catalogues, union list of serials, central authority records, etc. It will also assist in centralised services for online search wherever such is found by community to be collectively arranged. Training is a major responsi- bility for spreading the awareness concerning library automation.

The indigenously developed MAITRAYEE software has the following features: Integrated environment, pluggable features, open system with UNIMARC, Automatic Access Point Generation with browsing for even user defined access points, automatic card generation with card formatting, multiuser queuing with inbuilt priority check for well defined reservation management, OLTP features for front desk operations, PAC, Inter-library loan between participating institutions, file transfer, remote log-in and electronic mail.

CALIBNET is deployed in two phases:

Phase-I:

1. Creation of Union Catalogue on RCC Cyber 80/840 computer.

2. Connection with Ethernet LAN with the support of Network Device Interface and TCP/IP Software

3. Multiport support to PC/ATs located at various libraries through Asyn- chronous Communication (ACS) and TCP/IP software.

4. Installation of Ethernet LAN at various institutions.

5. Connection of LAN with a pair of Ethernet X.25 gateways.

6. Inter-cluster communication with 2.4 Kbps leased full duplex link.

Phase-II:

1. Four more LANs with gateways to be installed.

2. Installation of three packet switches at various participating organizations.

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3. TCP/IP software to be uniformly applied.

4. Public Data Network linkage to national and international networks.

The pioneering experiment of CALIBNET in Calcutta has shown refreshingly new approach to the problem of resource sharing through intra-city networking. The experiment, however, has so far registered only a limited success. The ageing Cyber 180/ 840 computer of the RCC which has been taken over by the National Informatics Centre is scheduled for a replacement with a powerful Pentium Computer with substantially more disk capacity. Some of the earlier developments on the Cyber system would now be required to be re-worked out for the new system. With the telecommunication facilities in Calcutta known for its low quality, low reliability and high congestion, the metropolitan area network has not been functioning effectively. Negotiations are under way between MC and CALIBNET project group to extend NICNET Wireless-in-Loop (WILL) linkage.

4.3 DELNET - A Success Story

In January 1989, the India International Centre New Delhi organized a discussion on the networking of Delhi Libraries. A committee constituted to study the feasibility recommended with DELNET should be established for resource sharing. In 1992, DELNET was established as a Society under the Societies Registration Act of Delhi with the following aims and objectives (reproduced from the Memorandum of Association of the Society).

The main objects of DELNET are:

1. To promote sharing of resources among the libraries in Delhi by devel- oping a network of libraries by collecting, storing and disseminating information and by offering computerised services to the users.

2. To undertake scientific research in the area of information science and technology, create new systems in the field, apply the results of research and publish them.

3. To offer technical guidance to the member libraries on collecting storing, sharing and disseminating information.

4. To coordinate efforts for suitable collection development and reduce unnecessary duplication wherever possible.

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5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

To establish/facilitate the establishment of referral and/or research centres, and maintain a central on-line union catalogue of books, serials and non-book materials of all the participating libraries.

To facilitate and promote delivery of documents manually or mechani- cally.

To develop specialized bibliographic databases of books, serials and non-book materials;

To develop databases of projects, specialists and institutions.

To possess and maintain electronic and mechanical equipment for speedy communication of information and delivery of electronic mail.

To coordinate with other regional, national and international networks and libraries for exchange of information and documents.

To undertake, facilitate and provide for the publication of newsletters and or journals devoted to networking and sharing of resources.

To engage in such educational, literary and charitable activities as would promote, provide and develop the objects of the Society.

To do or cause to be done by assisting other organizations and institutions for propagational and promotional activities of the Society.

Toassociate with other institutions interested in theobjects of the Society and in particular to utilize the potential of academic and research institutions for the furtherance of the objects of the society.

To organize conferences, lectures, workshops and seminars

To undertake any suitable and proper activity in the accomplishment of the purposes or in the attainment of any of the objects or in furtherance of the aims herein set forth, either alone or in association with others.

All the incomes, earnings, movable or immovable properties of the society shall be solely utilized and applied towards the promotion of its aims and objects only as set forth in the Memorandum of Association and

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no profit thereof shall be paid or transferred directly or indirectly by way of dividends, bonus, profit or in any manner, whatsoever, to the present or past members of the society or to any person claiming through any one or more of the present or past members. No member of the society shall have any personal claim on any movable or immovable properties of the society or make any profit, whatsoever, by virtue of his membership; and

18. To do every other act or acts incidental or appurtenant to or growing out of the aforesaid objects, provided the same are not inconsistent with the law under which this society is organized; provided that the foregoing objects, purposes and powers are subject to the limitation that the society shall not be a profit making body.

Composition of the Society

The Society shall consist of the following:

4 Governing Board; and

b) General Body

Membership

There will be the following categories of membership:

a> Honorary Members:

The Governing Board in their discretion may invite individuals or institutions, departments or societies as it may deem fit, to be Honorary Members.

b) Founder members:

Founder Members will be those individuals who have signed the memorandum of the society and paid the admission and life membership fee of Rs. 200.00

cl Institutional Members:

An institution, department, association, society, university or college in Delhi or outside Delhi that has a library with a collection of more than 10,000 volumes is eligible to become an Institutional Member of the Society on payment of Admission Fee, Annual

63

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Subscription and any other charge as prescribed by the Governing Board.

d) Institutional Associate members:

Any institution, department, association, society, university or college in Delhi or outside Delhi that is not a participating member of the society but wants to make use of the society from time to time would be eligible to become an institutional associate member of the society on payment of admission fee and annual subscription and any other charge as prescribed by the Governing Board.

Governing Board

The Governing Board shall prescribe by means of resolutions or bye-laws terms and conditions as well as rights as it may deem fit for all classes and types of Membership other than founder membership.

NISSAT gave not only moral support but also some seeding funds. The main support for DELNET came in the form of long term equipment loan from the National Informatics Centre with a powerful Pentium Computer on UNIX platform with ORA- CLE 7.0 and BASIS Plus with TECHLIB plus software installed. The annual running budget of the coordination cell of DELNET at the India International Centre is now being provided by NIC. All the participating libraries numbering about 70 are being connected to NICNET through dial-up or leased lines or Wireless links.

Implementation phases

DELNET is planned for implementation in the following three phases:

Phase-I: Automation of selected libraries: This would include procurement of hard- ware, database creation, testing of software and training of personnel.

The selected libraries should have funds for buying hardware and software and interest in networking and sharing of resources.

Phase-II:

1. Establishing a central host 2. Creation and use of union catalogue 3. Networking of four libraries 4. Beginning of online query.

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Phase III will include networking of the remaining and additional libraries.

DELNET will select an institution as a central host provided it

a) is willing to take responsibility for effective and efficient running of the network,

b) has no financial interest in the use of networked data,

c) has sufficient funds to support the procurement of hardware, software and communication systems for the central host,

Achievements of DELJVET

Cooperation among libraries in Delhi has been found to be exemplary. The DELNET project has already started saving on expenditure through resource sharing, comparable in size to the annual project budget. The success has been due to careful human engineering and equally careful choice of technologies under the leadership of Mr. H.K. Kaul, Project Director of DELNET. Discussions in various forums were held to understand the circumstances, the strategies and policy instruments which resulted in DELNET becoming highly successful and CALIBNET beset with major problems. While some of the problems of CALIBNET are attributable to communication and other handicaps endemic to Calcutta city, the success of DELNET is attributable to a number of positive strategies and policies which are best described in the words of its Project Director as follows:

“The achievements of DELNET during the last three years could be listed as follows:

1. The feasibility study report was completed and evaluated. Thirty five libraries were included in the survey for the purpose of the report. The efforts are being made to implement it in various phases. ‘0 phase’ was added to it in order to establish E-mail.

2. Three Training Programmes were organized in the use of CDS/ISIS software.

3. Efforts were made to promote the creation of databases in the DELNET libraries. Experts were sent to the libraries to solve the day to day problems.

4. Regular meetings were organized of the librarians and computer specialists

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to discuss mutual problems and the areas of cooperation.

5. Standardization Committee of DELNET met several times to prepare the guidelines for standardization of DELNET databases. The standardization committee decided that standardization should take place in the following areas:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

a)

Communication format for interchange of bibliographic data

Input/output format

Bibliographic description: Mandatory and optional data elements

Classification scheme and subject headings

Thesaurus

Authority files

Language coverage and transliteration of Indian language scripts into Roman script

Forms of headings

Identification numbers, codes and abbreviations

Data input for abstracting and indexing and

Search command language.

It was felt that the standardization in case of classification schemes, subject headings and thesaurus given above under item 4 & 5 would not necessitate application of standards in the beginning. It was noted that the classification schemes generally in use in the Indian libraries were Colon Classification, Universal Decimal Classification and Dewey Decimal Classification and it would be almost impossible to impose a standard classification scheme on all libraries uniformly. As was revealed by Dr. Frederick Kilgore, Managing Director of OCLC, 80 percent of the requests received by them were either by author or by title and the Committee felt that a similar pattern of requests may emerge in DELNET also. Out of the remaining 20 percent requests,

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about 15 percent would be by subject headings. As such, for 5 percent requests by class numbers either a participating library could search by all three classification numbers or it could pass on such requests to DELNET Central Office.

b) With regard to the standardization of subject headings and the creation of thesaurus for DELNET the committee was of the view that a couple of existing standard subject heading lists or thesauri in each major discipline such as social sciences, humanities and science and technol- ogy could be used by the participating libraries. It was noted that a thesaurus for DELNET would eventually get created.

c> The Committee decided that to begin with the libraries with more than 20,ooO books in stock should be considered for membership of DELNET, but for the use of E-mail all libraries that were having a PC/ AT or an XT in the libraries and direct telephone lines or zero dialing facilities would form the outer ring on DELNET libraries.

6. DELNET also established Consultative Committee on Rationalization of Periodicals in Delhi Libraries. The Consultative Committee saved the foreign exchange through its deliberations in the fields of physical science, medical sciences and agricultural sciences.

7. Under the DELNET scheme of projects, Jawaharlal Nehru University library was given the project to compile a union catalogue of current periodicals acquisitions in Delhi libraries. The work has been completed and it is hoped that it would facilitate the rationalisation of periodicals among DELNET libraries.

8. The India International Centre took several projects to assess the creation of databases using CDS/ISIS and CCF and also to find out the most economical approach for creating bibliographic databases.

The following modifications in the above initiated with the help of NICis expected to accentuate the above desirable features and advantages.

1. Direct linkage by dial-up/leased line/wireless links/WILL links of each participating library to NICNET and through NICNET to INTERNET and 200 networks in 160 countries.

2. To increase the coordination role of the DELNET Central Office through funding of NIC with creation of an FTP to the NICNET National Info

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_.--..._

LEGEND: X-25 PSL: PACKET SWITCH EXCHANGE

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Highway.

3. Strengthening the DELNET Central Office by increasing the disk capacity of the Pentium System progressively to 8 Giga bytes.

4. NIC to provide the expected funds for the creation of the Union catalogues for all the 70 libraries utilizing the TBCI-ILIB over the BASIS Plus platform.

5. NIC to provide BASIS Plus and TECHLIB software to all the major libraries in Delhi with DELNET Central Office taking the role of a trainer.

6. DELNET participants to avail NIC’s resources of 20,000 journals and 1000 full text journals for which site licensing has been or is being worked out.

4.4 BOMBAY Library Network (BONET) - A Proposal

With the success of DELNET, the Library and Information scientists in other cities are pooling their resources to set up intracity networks forresource sharing. BONET was set up in November 1992 with the initial sponsorship of NISSAT. It aims at promoting cooperation between libraries in Bombay with focus on inter-library activities rather than on computerizing individual libraries. BONET will however, offer training related to the library computerization and speed up computerization of Bombay Libraries. Within a few years, BONET is expected to become fund-wise self-sufficient with participating libraries having to pay a subscription after an initial grant from NISSAT. E-mail among BONET members has already been set up using ERNET linkage with the BONET members paying a subscription charge.

4.5 BANNET - Bangalore Library Network - a Nucleating Project

Bangalore is regarded as the Silicon Valley of India. It has the largest number of Hightech Industries in any city in India and numerous libraries in Hightech areas. DRTC has taken initiative in nucleating BANNET linking all the colleges of the Bangalore University, Research & Development Institutions and Industries. DRTC has requested for the support of NIC and connection to NICNET. This is under consideration.

4.6 MAILNET - Mangalore Library Network - A Proposal

A proposal has been made for the setting up of a Library Network in Mangalore, the port city of Karnataka on the Arabian Sea. The propensity for the growth of library network in this city is that the literacy level in Mangalore city is more than 80 percent

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as compared to the literacy level of 53.46 percent in the Dakshin Kannada District housing the Mangalore city and 38.46 percent in the State of Kamataka as a whole. The city is fast moving towards 100 percent literacy. There are 25 educational institutions in Mangalore and its neighbourhood including University Colleges and professional colleges.

4.7 Other Intracity Networks

A number of other cities are following in the wake of success of DELNET, namely, Pune in the State of Maharashtra, Madras in Tamil Nadu ,Union Territory of Chandigarh, etc.

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Chapter Five

NATIONAL LEVEL VALUE ADDED FACILITATORS

The pre-eminent role of Science and Technology in the economic and social development of the country has precipitated an exponential demand for access to information. Apart from Information generated within the country, the process of liberalization of the economy has necessitated increasing access from externally generated information.

To enable this, the library movement in India is receiving considerable impetus and catalytic support from several national level facilitators who are growing the modemization infrastructure utilizing the tools of Information Technology like comput- ers, electronic reprographic equipment and computer networks like LANs, MANS and WANs. Further, general communication gateways for E-mail, File Transfer, Database access, INTERNET and World Wide Web access, etc., are being augmented by the Department ofTelecommunications (DOT) andvidesh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL).

The major value added facilitators at the national level are:

NISSAT under the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research

INSDOC under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research

ERNET under the Department of Electronics

INFLIBNET under the University Grants Commission

NICNET under the National Informatics Centre, Planning Commission

5.1 NISSAT - Catalyst of Sectoral Informatics

The National Information System for Science & Technology (NISSAT) pro- gramme was set up under the Department of Science and Technology in 1977 which later came under the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research @SIR) from 1982. NISSAT is a unique example of a successful sectoral information promotion in the areas of science and technology. The sectoral informatics movement set in motion by NISSAT its impact felt even over the main library mdemization movement. The original objectives of NISSAT are:

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Provision of national information services to meet the needs of users, generators, processors and disseminators of information.

Optimum utilization of existing information services and systems and the development of new ones.

Promotion of national and international cooperation and liaison for exchange of information.

Provision of encouragement for the development of facilities for education and training in information science and technology.

Promotion of application of information technologies, and in research & development, innovation in information science and technology and corn munication to enhance both the efficiency of information services and quality of the information provided by these services.

NISSAT identifies certain host institutions for each major specialization and creates or strengthens an Information Centres in it around the library system as a major instrument for information resource development and dissemination. NISSAT has assisted in the development of the following 7 sectoral information centres over the years.

Table-l : Information Centres

No. Subject Area Host Institution

1. Leather Technology (NICLAI)

2. Food Technology (NICFOS)

3.

4.

Machine Tools & Production Engineering (NICMAP)

Drugs and Pharmaceuticals (NICDAP)

5. Textiles & Allied Subjects (NICTAS)

6. Chemicals & Allied Industries (NICHEM)

7. Advanced Ceramics (NICAC)

Central Leather Research Institute, Madras

Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore

Central Machine Tools Institute, Bangalore

Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow

Ahmedabad Textile Industry’s Research Association, Ahmedabad

National Chemical Laboratory, Pune

Central Glass and Ceramics Research Institute, Calcutta

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Though NISSAT set up a Bibliometric Unit at INSDOC, Crystallography Information Unit in the University of Madras and CDROM unit at the National Aeronautical Laboratory, its major contribution is in the setting up of information centres with sectoral or domain specific specializations. Strategically, the sectoral information centres were built around existing information resources and facilities including librar- ies. The more endowed institutions in this regard were selected so as to give a higher take- off for the modemization efforts of NISSAT. The NISSAT Centres bring out the monthly publications like Current Awareness, Industry Highlights, Patent Awareness, Current Indian Titles, etc. in each of these seven sectors. Occasional digests in the areas are also brought out. The databases maintained by these sectoral centres have already been outlined in Chapter Three.

NISSAT has also taken the initiative for the development of intracity library networks as detailed in Chapter Four. Their support was mainly concentrated over CALIBNET and BONET and marginally over DELNET, PUNENET for Pune, HYLIBNET for Hyderabad, ADNET for Ahmedabad, BANNET for Bangalore and MALIBNET at Madras. It has established E-mail facilities mainly through ERNET to the sectoral centres and their large users though recently, the centres themselves are increasingly making use of NICNET and its INTERNET connectivity.

NISSAT utilizes proven software packages like CDS/ISIS, mini-micro version, Superdoc and Statistical Package IDAMS fromUNESC0. On behalf of UNESCO-PGI, NISSAT has been permitted todistribute these packages in India. The CDS/ISIS Version 3.0 is being distributed to around loo0 installations in India.

In collaboration with the Defence Scientific Documentation Centre (DESIDOC), New Delhi, NISSAT got developed a software for library automation on CDS/ISIS called, SANJAY, which can inter-link two or more databases for a single application handling numerical calculations and of carrying out several other library house-keeping activities.

Another CDS/ISIS oriented package, TRISHNA was developed in collaboration with National Institute of Science, Technology and Development Studies (NISTADS), New Delhi. TRISHNA supports databases in Devnagari and several other Indian scripts using a GIST Card. NISSAT has assisted in the process of rationalization of periodical acquisitions through local consultative committees in various Cities. NISSAT is intro- ducing the NISSAT Card so as to develop a Universal Library Card System that would facilitate utilization of external library resources with due safeguards for protection of the interests of cooperating libraries. Pilot scale experiments are under way. NISSAT is the national coordinating unit for ASTINFO in India for facilitating regional docu-

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ments supply for member States. NISSAT is supporting INSDOC in the development of a National Citation Index. An important contribution of NISSAT is the organization of short term courses to improve upon updated skills of information and library professionals on a continuing basis which will bring in a self-sustaining momentum for the library modemization drive. For this, NISSAT depends on DRTC, INSDOC, University of Pune, Indian Library Association, North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) at Shillong, INFOTEK at Madras, NISTADS at New Delhi, NCL at Pune, CLRI Madras, CDRI at Lucknow etc.

NISSAT has initiated action on the generation of ‘UNIMARC’ an implementation manual for Common Communication Format by UNESCO for machine readable bibliographic records.

NISSAT Advisory Committee also functions as a national advisory committee for UNISIST and the National Advisory Group for ASTINFO. The activities under ASTINFO of UNESCO are outlined below:

1. The Regional nodes as well as the national node of APINMAP have been located at Publication and Information Directorate, New Delhi. For preparation of a database on medicinal and aromatic plants, a HP 3000 system has been provided by ASTINFO. To coordinate the flow of inputs from various research laboratories in the country, a national committee has been constituted.

2. The online access facility to ESA/IRS from National Aeronautical Laboratory Bangalore for which UNESCO provided terminal hardware and initial training of project staff by specialists from ESA, was formally closed in March 31, 1988.

3. The project on augmentation of capacities for computer applications in S&T information handling in INSDOC, New Delhi, has finally materi- alized. The MICROVAX system has been received from UNESCO.

4. Considerable progress has been made on the project for the development of bibliographic information system at National Institute of Oceanogra- phy, Goa. A micro computer has been delivered, two years subscription to the ASFA database on CDROM including rental of CDROM reader has been taken and NIO staff trained.

5. The UNESCO project on information consolidation for Biogas at Tata

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Energy Research Institute (TEIU), New Delhi, was completed. A video presentation titled, “TowardsProgress’*along with the biogas manual for plant owners and also a manual for extension were prepared.

6. A five day course on Information Consolidation was held in Hyderabad in March 1988. This was attended by 18 library and information profes- sionals from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Sri Lanka and India. The course was jointly sponsored by UNESCO and NISSAT. The topics included technical writing and editing, consolidation prod- ucts, information analysis for decision support systems, packaging for mass media planning and management of IC units, IC products and services for small scale industries, etc.

7. A UNESCO participation programme proposal for conduct of training in India on VAX and mainframe versions of CDS/ISIS has been ap- proved.

8. As part of the international programme on Chemical Information Net- work (ChIN), NCL Pune would prepare a chemical reactions database. In this context a study team from India visited various facilities in Europe.

9. NISSAT is coordinating the ASTINFO document supply service pro- moted and supported by UNESCO, ASTINFO and National Library of Australia.

5.2 INSDOC -The Initial Prime Mover

The Indian National Scientific Documentation Centre (INSDOC) was established under the aegis of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research in 1952 as a cooperative effort between the Government of India and UNESCO with the following objectives:

1. To receive and retain all scientific periodicals required in India

2. To inform scientists and engineers of articles which may be of value to them by issuing a monthly bulletin of abstracts.

3. To answer specific enquiries from information available at the Centre

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4. To supply photocopies/translations of articles required by laboratories or individual workers.

5. To be a national depository for reports of the scientific work of the nation, both published and unpublished.

6. To be a channel through which the scientific work of the nation is made known and available to the rest of the world.

INSDOC Headquarters at New Delhi and Regional Centres at Bangalore, Calcutta and Madras, basically give the following services: Document copy supply service, bibliography and information service, information retrieval service, information dis- semination service and CAS/SDI services.

Under the document copy supply service, INSDOC supplies, on an average, 24,000 documents every year. Under the computer-based information retrieval service indexes of INSDOC publications and their accumulations as well as Union Catalogue type data and directory type data are prepared and processed, databases for SD1 services are processed and periodicals are acquired centrally. INSDOC receives a few databases on subscription basis like CA-Search, INSPEC and COMPENDEX for undertaking SD1 services.

INSDOC disseminates primary data through the Annals of Library Science and Documentation and the secondary information through the publications like INSDOC list and Bibliography of scientific publications of South and South-East Asia, Indian Science Abstracts, INSDOC list of current scientific literature, etc.

The National Science Library (NSL) was set up under INSDOC embrionically as early as 1964. NSL aims at collecting atleast one copy of every worthy scientific publication within the country and specialised materials which are not usually acquired by other Science libraries. While the main emphasis was on collection of periodicals, it also acquires conference proceedings, books, state-of-the-art publications, reports and theses, sources for acquiring publications etc. It presently has a collection of less than 1,50,000 volumes and is receiving about 4500 current titles of periodicals, one-third of which are received as gratis and another one-third in exchange. It has the country’s best collection of documents pertaining to Library and Information Sciences numbering 7000 items and has a stock of nearly 5000 theses submitted to various institutions/universities. NSL provides a major support to the document copy supply service of INSDOC.

INSDOC has also been giving short term courses on different aspects of library

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and information sciences. It organized three regional training programmes on behalf of UNESCO. Since 1968, INSDOC has been organizing lectures and courses on problems of automation in libraries. INSDOC participates in a number of international collabo- rations.

At the International Federation for Documentation @ID), INSDOC has been representing India as the National Member since early 50s. It is also a member of the FID Committee for Asia and Oceana and other committees of FID. It cooperates with UNESCO/PGI on various programmes. It is a member of the International Council on Reprography and is designated as the National Centre for International Serials Data Systems. INSDOC has collaboration with VINlTI of Russia under a Cultural Exchange Programme and maintains the exchange relations with a number of other countries. INSDOC is the Indian focal point for SAARC Documentation System. It is also the consultant for the setting up of a computerised online SAARC documentation system with compatible hardware and software at various focal points.

Utilizing ERNET as the backbone, INSDOC has been setting up a Scientific and Industrial Network (SIRNET) to give computer-communication network services to all the 40 CSIR libraries. At present SIRNET has only one mail node and a number of user nodes. It is connected internationally to UUNET, BITNET, CSNET, JANET and INTERNET. SIRNET has a user node as well as a mail node. As the CSIR headquarters estimated that the ERNET linkages to SIRNET were essentially based on inter-city leased lines/dial-up connections with only one VSAT for overseas communication through VSNL, full inter-laboratory data communication cannot be established. For this reason, the CSIR Headquarters approached the National Informatics Centre to provide NICNET linkage to all the 40 laboratories. On this basis, 25 out of the 40 laboratories have been linked to NICNET. All the 40 laboratories are expected to be linked to NICNET and through NICNET to INTERNET and other international networks by the fourth quarter of 1995. SIRNET over NICNET also accesses the rich resources of bibliographic databases established by NIC. NIC has also established five VSAT stations at some of the laboratories situated remotely from the main communication centres.

5.3 ERNET - Introducing Internet to India

A project called, ‘Education and Research in Networking @NET)’ was con- ceived and set up by the author in 1985 at the Department of Electronics, Government of India, to act as an R&D resource project drawing upon the R&D manpower and infrastructure available in the five Indian Institutes of Technology, Indian Institute of Science and National Centre for Software Technology. The project was financially

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supported by UNDP and the Government of India. The project developed knowhow on various aspects of computer-communication network technology as well as trained a large number of communication and informatics specialists in the emerging areas of computer-communication networking. To facilitate Education and Research in Net- working, the project set up a model network connecting the eight participating organi- zations. Over the years, the training and research emphasis got de-emphasized and the network-based services to the academic and research organizations got emphasized. Under this new dispensation ERNET introduced INTERNET to India. The latter development and plans in this direction are succinctly brought out in a brochure by the Department of Electronics, entitled, “Networking of Networks - Project ERNET”. In an effort to present the new accomplishments and plans of ERNET, a substantive reproduc- tion from this brochure is given in the rest of this section.

The ERNET architecture and implementation strategy follows an evolutionary path to enable progressive and rapid building up of capability, expertise and confidence for graceful migration from proprietary or non-standard solutions to those based on international standards. Multi-vendor computing environment is supported with an INTERNET working architecture with a variety of underlying sub-networks, viz., campus Local Area Networks (LANs), Wide Area Network (WAN) and Packet Radio based Metropolitan Area Network (MAN). Global applications include electronic mail, file transfer, remote log-in, database access, conferencing, Archie, Gopher, WAIS and News.

As an enabling technology for academic and research community in the country, ERNET endeavours to provide a vehicle for strengthening collaborative efforts among geographically dispersed institutions, groups and individuals. It should thus help to strengthen linkages between academia, R&D groups and industry.

The project started in November 1986, and the first phase was scheduled upto November 1992. UNDP has provided critical support through international experts, training at reputed institutions abroad and development tools. In phase Il of ERNET during the Eighth Plan, the immediate objectives are:

To progressively set up a nation-wide network for academic and research community starting with eight participating premier institutions.

To undertake Design, Development and Advanced Research in emerging concepts of Computer Networking and related technologies.

To carry out Continuing Education, Training and Consultancy Pro-

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grarnmes to generate critical manpower needed by industry and users in this field.

Sub-Networks

Ethernet (802.3 10 base 5) based Campus LANs have been installed at the eight project sites. They have multiple LAN Segments and, in some cases, non-Ethernet LANs concatenated through repeaters, bridges and routers. Interconnection to WAN is through an IP router/gatewpy. The network segments support multiple protocols including proprietary LAN operating systems with progressive migration to non-proprietary, multi-vendor standards through interfaces at different levels.

Satellite based Wide Area Network (WAN), currently under implementation, will provide connectivity between the eight project sites, initially with data rates of 64/128 kbps*, and support multi-media conferencing capabilities. In parallel, a terrestrial WAN based on dedicated data circuits (leased telephone lines) has been installed. The WAN supports OS1 and TCP/IP protocols.

Layered approach to the network architecture enables gradual adoption of new standards as they emerge. Message Handling System (MI-IS) based on X.400 and file transfer based on FOAM are already stable standards and have been implemented in ERNET. At the transport and network layers, two divergent approaches have emerged in the international scene, namely connectionless (CLNS) and connection-oriented (CONS) network layer service with corresponding transport class (Class 4 in the case of CLNS and class O/2 in the case of CONS). ERNET has adopted TP4/IP with the protocol profile conformant to US GOSIP. (* Note added by the author: The total hub capacity is 512 Kbps in TDMA. It is capable of being partitioned into any number of remote VSATs such that the sum of their speeds do not exceed 512 Kbps at any instant of time.)

5.4 INFLIBNET - Agent for Library Standardization

Information and Library Network (INFLIBNET) is aprogrammeof the University Grants Commission (UGC) which was launched in May 1991. The original objective was to set up a computer-communication network to link libraries and information centres in universities, colleges, deemed universities, UGC Information Centres, insti- tutions of national importance and R&D institutions throughout the country. It was set up to facilitate pooling, easier access and optimization of scarce library resources and help modemization of libraries and information centres through application of ihforma- tion technology.

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The National Centre for INFLIBNET is in Gujarat University Campus at Ahmedabad. Each year the programme will identify a number of university libraries to be taken up for automation depending upon the budget allocation. The selected institutions will be provided funds for procuring computer systems, retroconversion and networking. In the first phase, since April 1993, the following universities were identified for automation.

1. Anna University, Madras 2. Ravishankar University, Raipur 3. University of Jammu, Jammu 4. Gulbarga University, Gulbarga 5. Manipur University, Imphal 6. Jadavpur University, Calcutta 7. Osmania University, Hyderabad 8. Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 9. Jain Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur 10. Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 11. University of Bombay, Bombay.

From the Executive Summary of the INFLIBNET report enclosed at Annexure-2, it can be seen that most of the objectives and work plans suggested therein have not been implemented. INFLIBNETis a clear case of lethality of a project due todelay and wrong a-priori priorities (ab-initio setting up of a nation-wide computer communication network was given more emphasis than providing computers and software to the libraries and training library personnel on them), its refusal to accept of a well developed nation-widecomputer-communicationnetworkcapableofgivingsupporttoINFLIBNET programme (NICNET had set up a VSAT in each of the 439 District Headquarters by then), asking the Government of India to give Rs. 1.5 billion in one go (with similar investments already made in other networks like NICNET, INET, etc., it was a case of diminishing probability of capturing funds) and appointing a renowned communication engineer to head the INFLIBNET instead of a renowned Library Scientist (to mention a few diagnostics).

Though the above realization came quite late, it goes to the credit of UGC and the management of INFLIBNET that they re-tuned the programme to mainly provide computers and software to the libraries and work out the following services on other networks like NICNET.

Catalogue based services

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Database services

Document supply service (FAX and Non-FAX)

Collection Development

Communication based services, viz., Referral, E-Mail, Bulletin Board, Audio/Video/Computer Conferencing, etc.

They have also found a niche in the development of standardization for various library operations and services and establishing norms for cooperation with networks like NICNET and sectoral programmes like NISSAT.

5.5 NICNET - The Low-cost WAN Provider

The National Informatics Centre is a premier organization in the field of Informa- tion Technology (IT) in India. It provides state-of-the-art solutions to the information management and decision support requirements of the Government and the Corporate sector. NIC has set up a satellite-based nation-wide computer-communication network, called, NICNET, with over 750 VSAT nodes connecting the national capital, the State capitals and district headquarters to one another.

The IT services provided by NIC range from conducting feasibility studies for computerization; designing, developing and implementing computer-based information systems; to undertaking large turnkey projects, including setting up of networks and imparting training to personnel in user organizations. NIC has developed extensive expertise in integrating IT-based systems with the working of user organizations. The services provided by NIC include development of Application Software Packages, Systems Software, Database Systems, Distributed Databases, Bibliographic Services, LAN, MAN and WAN Networking, Electronic Mail, EDI, Access to International Databases, Computer Aided Design, Geographic Information Systems, Modelling, Expert Systems, Telematics Software, Office Automation, Document Management Systems, Turnkey Projects and Training.

NICNET was designed and implemented by NIC using state-of-the-art satellite based computer-communication technology. Keeping in view the wide geographic spread of the country, ranging from islands in the Indian ocean to the Himalayan ranges, the design of NICNET, which is one of the largest VSAT networks of its kind in the world, ensures highly cost effective and reliable implementation.

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NICNET has now been operational for over 6 years and has become an integral part of a large number of Government and Corporate sector organizations, providing information exchange services. NICNET services include File Transfer, Electronic Mail, Remote Database Access, Data Broadcast and EDI.

NIC has emerged as an agent of change in the user organizations by providing extensive training facilities to train and re-train a large number of people from these organizations. The training methodology of NIC includes the use of state-of-the-art training tools such as Computer Based Tutors (CBTs) and Multimedia Systems.

NIC’s programme for assisting modemization of library systems is basically carried out under three initiatives:

1. Government Libraries through NIC’s comprehensive support to Government Departments, their attached offices and institutions under them.

2. Public libraries through the support given by NIC to the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of Culture, etc.

3. Libraries in Universities/Colleges/Research Institutions through the Research and Education Network of NIC (RENNIC).

Over the years, the academic and research community in the country desired to share information on a global platform in a cost effective way. This was realized by NIC through RENNIC.

NICNET offers network services to Research, Education and Medical Institutions as well as librarians at their doorsteps through RENNIC with the following objectives

. to promote creation and usage of on-line databases in the country.

. to facilitate more openness among academicians and researchers.

. to provide on-line access to vast expanse of international databases .

. to facilitate library networking services.

. to setup countrywide computer network for the academic and research community and libraries spanning 8000 institutions accounting for about one million potential users.

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NICNET incorporated a powerful Ku-Band Overlay Network on the existing SSMAKDMA architecture. It is connected to over 200 International Networks in 160 countries through Gateway Packet Switched Service (GPSS) and has direct INTERNET and International Network access through a direct high speed link to SPRINTNET, USA .

The present RENNIC User profile is given below:

Academic/Research/Medical Institutions recognised and funded by any of the following agencies can avail RENNIC services :

University Grants Commission (UGC)

Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)

Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD)

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MHFW)

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)

All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE)

Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR)

Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)

Department of Bio Technology @BT)

Universities and Public Libraries listed for Information and Library Network Programme (INFLIBNET )

Central & State/Union Territory Governments , etc.

The following categories of RENNIC Services are offered by NIC:

FREEIBARTER Services

E-mail :

It enables a user to send messages electronically to individuals or group of individuals and also accept and store messages from other users over computer networks .

News Services :

National and International news services is a daily updated source of news

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available on the terminals. Information in netnews is spread over numerous news groups , which cover specific areas of interest . These services are free upto a fixed volume of transactions per month per institution.

The beneficiary institutions availing free services will provide on barter basis the necessary inputs as required by NIC to :

Facilitate creation of specialized public domain databases and make them available on NICNET for the free use of all users of NICNET.

develop computer-aided instructions (CAI) for elementary and higher education, etc.

Cost-SharinglCost-plus Internet access

INTERNET is a unique collection of networks spanning the globe . Internet was originally developed to enable science and research to share resources. To a great extent , communications in the form of E-mail and discussion groups have overshadowed use of Internet for resource sharing. The traditional methods of scholarly communication - presentations at conferences , publishing papers in journals and so on - are being recognised as inadequate for current research needs. Internet distributes information in a way that is more flexible and more timely . Findings , papers and information can be shared and discussed on Internet through RENNIC.

The vast array of Internet access includes :

l File Transfer Facility

. Remote Login

l Conference & Seminar News

l Submission of research papers to journals

. Database & Information Access through Gopher, Archie, Hytelnet, WAIS, and WWW.

Global Database Access includes :

l Public Domain Databases

. Medical Databases, Medical Literature Analysis & Retrieval System (MEDLARS), etc.

l Patent Information Services.

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l Bibliographic Databases on Scientific, Technical, Legal, Agriculture and Social Sciences including full text search.

l Other national & international databases

X .400 and X 500 Services:

. Electronic Mail conforming to CCITT X.400 recommendations. The X:400 standard supports not only normal text , but can contain other formats as well , such as FAX messages and voice recordings .

. ED1 Message Transfer facility

. Gateway to SMTP/UUCP

. Directory Services

C-WEB :

C-WEB (Centre for World Wide Web Service over NICNET) becomes the first Web server in the Country to navigate through Internet for exchanging multimedia documents between computer users internationally. The WWW Gateway to INTERNET provides a powerful browsing and searching facility for a seamless world-wide digital web of information.

RENNIC Connectivity:

Access to NICNET for the national and INTERNET E-mail will be provided from any of the nearest Satellite Earthstations of NIC (numbering 750) spread over 500 cities and towns in the country. Connectivity will be provided on dial- up basis. High cost of data circuits over STD or inter-city dial-up is not required.

Access to NICNET for other Internet services will be provided from any of the major state capitals and important commercial towns .

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Chapter Six

MANAGING THE TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE - THE INDIAN EXPERIENCE

In the modernization of libraries it is essential to evolve strategies for managing technology changes. In the context of the Indian experience, six illustrative, yet fundamental cases are examined below for future guidance of library managers not only in India, but also other developing countries.

1. Tradition Versus Modemization Imperatives

2. Retrospective Conversion

3. Online Catalogues

4. End-user-friendly search

5. Online Circulation

6. Online Versus CDROM - the choice

6.1 Tradition Versus Modernization Imperatives

A large number of libraries in India are still functioning on traditional systems without the use of computers or networking. It is necessary to understand how efficiency was sought to be achieved using traditional methods in order to work out plans for step by step modemization. These are discussed with specific reference to acquisition techniques, information organization methods, reference services, circulation services, bibliographic services and reprography services. For achieving cost effective acquisition methods, librarians had developed methods like consultation of specialists during the selection of materials. The choice of such consultant had to reflect the statistical characteristics of the user target group. The statistical distribution of various special interests within the target group may vary less in specialized organizations and more in organizations with wider responsibilities. The librarians are required to have not only a good intuition, but also quantitative base of the statistical characterization of the user base. The acquisition proposed has to be streamlined so that from the time of the projection of the demand for a book or document to the time of its acquisition, the time ’ delay is minimised. A few libraries in India are also experimenting on a ‘just-in-time (JR”) concept for acquisition. Instead of purchasing in anticipation of demand, pur-

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chases are made quicker as soon as a demand is projected.

Information Organization

Knowing the type of documents, a librarian describes and indexes the document so as to facilitate easier search. Not giving adequate attention to this responsibility would imply longer search time and hence wastage of the time of specialised users. This calls for an explicit quantitative study regarding the impact of search techniques of users on the classification and cataloguing of the subject content of an item. Physical collocation of the material based on subject groupings has been adopted by and large by most libraries. A number of libraries have also tried heuristic dialogue between the user and the collection through appropriate browsing methods. The classification system adopted by librarians in India has been quantitatively described in Chapter One which is indicative of the kind of preferences for different systems of classification. Catalogues as tools to identify documents in terms of author name, document title and related documents on a subject, have been used in a wide variety of ways. The Indian preference for the systems of classification has already been quantified in Chapter One.

Reference Services

For proper utilization of resources, a number of tools are utilized like Library Catalogues, Bay Guides, Classified Arrangement, etc. Supplementing these tools, need is invariably felt for a reference librarian to personally assist the users in searching for the information or documents as well as where necessary, arrange inter-library loans. With the introduction of online databases, his role had to undergo a major change.

Circulation Services

The most important functions of the university and public libraries in India is the lending function. To keep track of the books and documents lent or circulated an efficient record keeping system is evolved. Circulation systems like the Nawark System and Browne system are in practice.

Bibliographic Services .

Bibliographic services facilitate the availability of information to the users as well as promote the use of their resources. The library staff scans the source, prepares the master cards and the specific document and scans the location information. A list of references is prepared which is circulated to specific interest groups. Constant manual updation is a necessary pre-requisite for efficiency.

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Reprography services

Traditionally microfilm and microfische storage of material has been resorted to for realizing efficiency of storage space. These are being replaced by OCR and Compact Disk Read Only Memory (CDROM). The impact of such efficient modem methods over the traditional ones has already been felt throughout the Indian library system.

Impact of Information Technology over the traditional practices

1. Depth classification will be replaced by computerised classification resulting in the saving of time of professional staff.

2. Extensive use of word processing and DTP, while making repeated editing easier and less time consuming, the traditional typists will have to be retrained as data entry operators.

4. Manual searching of database for references on a specialised topic may take days and even months. With computerisation and computer-based retrieval, this can be obtained in a matter of minutes. This will save the time of the professional users which can be utilized more gainfully in their research or academic work. Manual retrieval techniques usually misses a large number of references, especially in multi-disciplinary fields. The computer-based retrieval will significantly reduce the number of such misses.

5. Global access of information has to become an unavoidable necessity in a competitive world where research or economics has to compete with several others in the run on the same topic. This has created information ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’. Without computer-communication, world- wide exchange of bibliographic information for most of the publications cannot be accomplished. If retrieval requires standardization in biblio- graphic control, so also preparation of bibliographic databases have to follow international standards like the Universal Bibliographic Control (UBC) system. A wide spec@m of cooperative structures are getting created around the world for information exchange and querying of each others’ databases. National and international computer communication networks for providing access to text information has now become unavoidable by any library. As more and more libraries are dealing with multimedia information, the networks also have multimedia information querying capacity.

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With the increase of the projected life of CDROMs from ten years at the beginning to hundred years according to contemporary estimates of systems available in the market, library archiving has become electronic and optical. This has the salient effect of saving a lot of space in the libraries.

The Indian experience has shown that during the transition from traditional methods to modemized methods, a number of problems are encountered like inadequacy in planning of transition, inability to mobilize the required funds for the transition, inability to make the proper choice of computer hardware and software, and lastly, because of lack of training in IT, social and personal bias against the introduction of the transition. One of the biggest problems encountered during the initial stage of the transition is retrospective conversion of card catalogue into machine readable form. Specialised scanners/OCR systems are now available for machine reading of catalogues.

According to Prem Singh, (Ref. Library Science, Volume 28, No. 4, December 1991) the social and personal resistance to the transition can be overcome by the following tested approaches:

1. Management should be specific about the change. Vagueness and ambi- guity can cause worry and unrest.

2. Management should explain the reasons for change in detail and remove the doubts from the minds of the workforce. Workforce should be given full opportunity to air their objections.

3. Workforce should be allowed to have a say in the planning for change, so that they would be committed to change.

4. Management should issue a personal appeal to gain acceptance for change. The workforce would respond to an appeal to loyalty only if they see that the change would solve problems and help reaching a goal that benefits everyone.

5. The habit patterns of the groups should not be disregarded. Any attack on their habit patterns would generate resistance to change.

6. Management should keep the workforce informed of ensuing change. Even though the change may affect only one or two in a group of ten persons, all of them need to know about the change in order to feel secure.

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7. Worries of the workforce about the possible failures should be allayed. Many employees faced with a change are concerned with whether they can master new skills.

8. Management should be aware of the ripe timing for the change. It is much easier to influence people favourably before introducing the change than after.

6a2. Retrospective Conversion

The conversion of the bibliographic retrospective records in a conventional library from manual to machine readable form during the transition to modemization is the most time-consuming part of the transition. Without having to duplicate efforts of earlier manual cataloguers, it is necessary to convert them into machine readable files. Different libraries and projects in India have adopted different methods, some of which have been proved to be ideal in a developing country environment. We discuss here the systems adopted by two projects involving a large number of libraries, namely, INFLIBNET and DELNET which are typical of the Indian efforts. In view of the following reasons, in the INFLIBNET Project, libraries resorted to retrospective conversion from two different perspectives.

w A database is created on all the bibliographic material in a library in machine readable form for an individual library system.

As retrospective conversion (RC) is costly, the improvement in services have to be better analysed before the conversion process begins.

RC makes available exhaustive and latest information, easy updating and fast access to records, thereby increasing the efficiency of the library staff.

RC can create a large single file of structured data elements which can be used to provide special information products like the catalogue of serials publications, list of proceedings of conferences, bibliography of bibliog- raphy, etc.

The cost of maintaining parallel systems manually and partially con- verted machine readable records can be eliminated.

Technology changes are easy to accommodate once machine readability is attained.

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Creation of an integrated file utilizes the resources of the library optimally

Machine readable catalogue gives better protection and portability.

A large bibliographic file of union list can be created.

Participating libraries can share bibliographic data and resources through a network. It enables the creation of national database and facilitates universal bibliographic control.

The procedure of retrospective conversion in the INFLIBNET project requires a carefully study of the existing library catalogues in the various libraries in the country. The following plan of action was suggested by an INFLIBNET Task Force:

1. Establish parameters identified as circulation, inter-library loans, data range, classification, time frame, cost re-classification, recataloguing, etc.

2. Suitable standards and guidelines have to be followed uniformly for all the participating libraries. The larger the list of participants, the more difficult it becomes to evolve a specified standard in view of the high degree of diversification in the standards currently adopted. Here, the INFLIBNET experience is that numerous libraries are reluctant to covert to a common standard unless the process is funded externally by the Government or by other donors. It is because of this problem that a wider national context of INFLIBNET networking had to be de-emphasized.

3. Identify available options

4. Select one or more publications.

5. Suggest a plan of action for implementing the selected options.

For understanding the problems of retrospective conversion in the DELNET project, NISSAT commissioned a study project which considered the following ap- proaches and guidelines:

1. Conversion of data from books on shelves taking into account essential fields including descriptors.

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2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

Conversion of data from books on shelves taking into account essential fields but without descriptors.

Time involved in creation of descriptors and feeding them intocomputers

Conversion of data taken from classified catalogue, which has call number, author, title and accession number directly without filling in of input sheets.

Completion of missing data in Approach 4 above by locating books, filling them into the print out and inputting the data.

Conversion of catalogue of bound periodicals directly from existing catalogues without descriptors.

Completion of missing information and descriptors for bound per&- cals and inputting them into PCs.

Conversion of data from reference books on shelves with completion of essential fields.

Conversion of data taken from the accession registers

Completion of missing data in Approach 9 above, by locating books, filling out details in the print out and inputting the remaining data.

In a library, the job of conversion of records into machine readable form may be divided into two categories:

(a> Generation of records of current acquisitions by existing library staff; and

(b) Conversion of catalogues of old records.

These two processes should function at an optimum pace in order to achieve better results.

12. The use of external databases for deriving records can be made keeping in view the following factors:

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An external database of similar records should be available for achieving a better hit rate.

A union catalogue of a library network may prove to be a usefui tool.

The use of databases on CDROM may be preferred, if the hit rate achieved is high and the CD is obtained at a reasonable price.

Information to be added to a record that has been uploaded, or unnecessary information to be deleted from such a record will involve additional labour, which will increase the cost of opera- tion.

13. The allocation of retro-conversion job to an outside agency specializing in the generation of bibliographic records is a good substitute for big libraries. In India several agencies undertake such jobs. The issues that are important in this case are that the agency

- should guarantee the generation of standard records; and

- the rates should be competitive.

14. The library professional staff will have to oversee the performance of the outside agency. It is necessary that a full record level is achieved and the project is completed within a deadline. The reliability of data so achieved will enhance the importance of the database created.

In addition to the experience of INFLIBNET and DELNET, the following recommendations on retrospective cataloguing by the Council of Europe’s Working Party to the Committee of Ministers of European Commission may also be kept in view:

a> The primary object of retrospective catalogue conversion is to increase access as widely as possible to the collections already catalogued.

b) Libraries should be encouraged and stimulated to retrospective conver- sion of catalogues through cooperation and other means.

cl In funding projects for retrospective catalogue conversion, priority should be given to catalogues of those collections whether general or

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d)

e>

specialized which make the greatest contribution to the country’s own cultural, scientific, educational and information interests, but some consideration is also to be given to catalogues of those collections, which by virtue of their subject or language, facilitate the study of, or relations with., other parts of the world.

On the basis of reciprocity, converted catalogue records should be able to circulate unrestrictedly within and between library networks, without legal or contractual constraints on their use by other members of these networks.

The common bibliographic data and formal rules to which converted catalogues conform should be the minimum required to enable catalogue records to be consulted effectively and exchanged within and across national boundaries.

Costs of retrospective catalogue conversion should be kept within reasonable limits by taking advantage of existing and emerging computer and communication networks in Europe in order to allow as much use as possible of bibliographic data already existing in machine readable form in other catalogues and databases; this would imply common planning of different steps to be undertaken as well as reciprocity.

The above recommendations draw our attention to the importance of increasing the accessibility of records, effective use of funds through cooperation and other means in order to convert existing catalogues into machine-readable form and meet the needs of users scattered around the globe.

6.3 Online Catalogs

Revolutionary tools of Information Technology are being introduced in library modemization, one of the most important of such being ‘Online Catalogs’. A few pilot projects are under way in India which are expected to give adequate experience within the next two or three years. Online Catalogs serve as bibliographic access tools for end- users and is the most feasible and heavily used end-user computer interface for information retrieval.

Libraries have several files that contain information that will be useful to the users like the files which tell the user what books are on order, files which inform whether the latest issue of a journal has been received, files which undertake whether a book has been

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borrowed or missing, etc. Traditionally such files are available only to the library support staff and not to the users. Automated library systems have brought this information system into the hands of the reader. Systems can integrate an acquisition and serials check in with a public catalogue and circulation carried out on the same computer or through a local area network. If features like acquisitions, check in, public catalogue and circulation are available from the same terminal, the user gets much more information about the library’s resources. With online catalogs, diverse indexes can be brought together in one place under one unified system using the mere displays, commands, etc. so that a search in one database can be carried out into P search on another database.

Some university libraries are loading indexes to periodical articles into or along side their online catalogues using BRS software or BASIS Plus software. For example, using the BRS several years of MEDLINE has been loaded. Also INSPECcan be loaded along with applied sciences and technology indexes. There is a rationale behind these efforts. Any library that has mounted an online catalogue will soon confront the request to include records for general articles as well as books and patent specifications. By including these indexes in the online catalogue, a library can provide unlimited searching for a fixed cost. Careful selection of what is to be mounted locally is to be exercised by the library.

Soon after mounting the online catalogue, requests pour in for the inclusion of indexes to journal articles and even full text journals of articles instead ofjust the citation. A careful national policy as well as a local policy has to be evolved to contain and regulate the rising spiral of expectations to ensure that the quality of service does not suffer in the process of meeting the rising expectations. In this regard, the experience gained in some of the developed countries can be transferred to the developing countries through the good offices of international organizations like UNESCO.

With intra-city networking like DELNET and CALIBNET becoming popular in India, online catalogue exercise will be forced to create connections to other computer systems within the city. With this, the demand would also arise for a supplementary demand for connecting micro computer servers with CDROM databases to the online catalogue. It may, however, be necessary to be cautious to see that while periodical indexes that will receive limited use into the online catalogue may not justify the expense of storing online. It might be appropriate to acquire this database on CDROMs and consult the CDROM server through the online catalogue.

An important advantage of online catalogue is that it can be consulted remotely through Metropolitan Area Network and Wide Area Networks. Users with terminals can consult the online catalogue from their offices or even homes using a dial-up line. Even

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if online catalogue contains full reference of a general collection, remote access allows the user to check citation and search collection without leaving his office or home and without going to the library building. Eventually any combination with a document delivery system, remote access would make online catalogue quite powerful and cost effective.

There are some futuristic ideas at the drawing board stage which deserve more attention. A 386/486 PC can be programmed to capture information from an online catalogue, store information locally and manipulate that information to produce bibli- ography thereby customizing a personal bibliographic system. A well designed knowledge workstation can make connections among related pieces of information retrieved from the online catalogue using hyper-techniques.

6.4 End-user-friendly Searching

Closely connected to online catalogue is the developments that are taking place in end-user-friendly searching. It would be a great advantage if the end-user can directly access an online bibliographic database. NIC is getting numerous requests from specialized medical organizations who have linked to NICNET for MEDLARS and other medical database access. Such specialised procedures of MEDLARS are being carried out by end-users themselves after NIC specialists have trained them in search methods. Online catalogue, online databases and online search services and develop- ment in optical information technologies have made end-user-friendly searching not only possible but also desirable.

A conviction is growing that there is a need for enhanced and coordinated access to rapidly growing collections, particularly in areas customarily lacking bibliographic control such as periodicals. The following four methods of providing increased access are being explored:

Loading periodical citation databases into local online catalogs

Providing end-user searching services or training programmes

Utilizing optical disk databases

Bringing databases inhouse for inhouse processing.

The studies sponsored by the Council on Library Resources (CLR) regarding end- user-friendly searching of online catalogues have found the following:

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Subject searching is the predominant mode of searching

Most catalogue users want materials on a subject

Catalogue users report the problems with subject searching

Users approach online catalogues expecting to find enhanced access to a broader field of materials, particularly periodicals, than that in the card catalogue.

Catalogue users place the highest priority for improvements on various subject search enhancements.

Less than half of the searches result in no retrievals.

Subject searches using keywords with non-Boolean strategy produce a large number of citations.

Systems with keyword searching receive more subject searching.

Some of the major reasons justifying support to R&D efforts in India for developing end-user-searching techniques are the following:

The continued exponential growth of information and the demonstrated value of online information retrieval.

The wide availability of online full text databases like the one set up over NICNET.

Proliferation of micro computer workstations with communication capa- bilities directly from the work place

The increasing emphasis on office automation and computer based decision support.

Current availability of BASIS Plus at very low cost from NIC facilitating highly user-friendly search systems.

The growing awareness among end-users of the existence of online database services over NICNET and other networks.

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Promotion and training of library users with online catalogues and online bibliographic databases.

Increase in the work load of library staff and restrictions on the expansion of the library manpower.

Development of research and commercial front-end and gateway soft- ware packages which enable online searching by untrained users.

End-user-searching activities are found to fall into two categories:

1. Training professional users to search in the work environment like the training given by NIC to its major MEDLARS user organizations who have installed a VSAT linkage to NICNET.

2. Establishing end-user centres in academic and research libraries like the setting up of Neurological Science Information Centre at NIMHANS, Bangalore through the joint efforts of NIC, DBT and DST.

6.5 Online Circulation System

The Vikram Sarabhai Library (VSL) at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, which has a collection of more than 150,000 books and bound volumes, has developed an online circulation system which has the following advantages:

Users’ queries regarding status of a book are answered quickly.

Queries on the status of a book are answered promptly

Statistics of work load can be analysed leading to efficient utilization of the staff.

Effectiveness of the library can be evaluated utilizing the data in the loan transaction records over a period.

Current awareness service can be provided to users from the issue records giving details of the user subjects/areas of interest.

Specialised use as well as adequacy of collection can be analysed from the issue data.

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The Number of copies of a book to be procured can be determined from the frequency of borrowals.

The number of copies to be retained in the reverse sequence material can be determined from the data on its use.

It provides effective control over the users, circulation work and the support staff.

VSL had given priority for setting up an automated circulation system with the following major components:

Book Records

Borrower Record and

Daily transactions records.

They examined two systems, viz., the inventory system based on the principle of inventory control and the Absence System based on the principle where records of items which are currently on loan are included. Of these, the IIM Ahmedabad Computer Centre specialists who developed the system, preferred the Absence System because, large capacity was not required immediately and only those books get entered into the system which are selected by the readers. A customized software was developed over dBase-III Plus on an Intel chip based personal computer platform.

A number of other libraries in the country having large holdings are following up on the good example set by VSL at IIM Ahmedabad.

6.6 Relative Impact of Online and CDROM

Over the years, two forms of access of information have developed - Online Database Access using Metropolitan Area Networks and Wide Area Networks and Optical Disk Databases Access using Compact Disc Read Only Memory (CDROM) units.

Online Database Access

Network has optimized the information resources distributed over different parts of the world. Wide Area Networks (WAN) are increasingly utilized for services

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pertaining to inter-library loans, inter-linking of CDROM databases and in general, providing access to Bibliographic Information distributed geographically. In the proper utilization of WAN for accessing online databases, the following points have been considered important:

Justify the need for establishing WAN

Establish a time bound work plan

Project the budget requirements and obtain the funds

Appoint a Network Manager

Implementation by adhering to standards and establishing gateways

Obtain, where necessary, passwords, codes and promotion of national network providers and international network providers.

Purchase the hardware and software, peripherals, modems/PADs/Routers and install them

Take up necessary documentation work and produce manuals

Initiate training programmes

Evaluate the work performance periodically

Continually develop the network.

Until recently, the retrieval of text based databases and consequently text transmis- sion over WAN was resorted to. Over the past three years, multimedia databases and multimedia transmission have become possible and their demand is increasing. The text based data require an interactive access to the host computer from subscriber terminals. Gateway switching system (GPSS operated by the VSNL) provides text access from international databases. The WAN for such applications can be of low speed type. Multimedia transmission on the other hand, requires a high speed transmission using high speed VSATs or fibre optic systems. The library networking increasingly demand multimedia capability because, a still picture would contain 500 MB of daa while video would generate a 1.5 Mbps. For multimedia communication, even with compressors a bit rate of around 64 Kbps is considered as minimum though 128 Kbps is desirable. For

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meeting the requirement of audio, visual, still picture, text and graphics information, the WAN should provide switching connection through standard interface across national borders. A number of networks provide ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) capability. In India, at present only NICNET National Info Highway is capable of multimedia communication.

Table below gives a quantitative idea of the data volumes and transmission time necessary to access multimedia databases:

Table: Data volumes and approximate transmission time required to implement Multimedia Applications

Data Volume Transmission Time

Video (1 Min)

Video (10 See)

Video (1 Set)

Still Image

Graphic

Graphic

Sound

Sound

Text

Text

14,400 MB

2,400 MB

240 MB

160MB

24 MB

8MB

8MB

16 KB

64KB

16 KB

63 I-b.

10 Hrs.

63 Min.

42 Min

6 Min

2 Min

2 Min

cl Set

<l Set

cl Set

- ISDN

64 KBPS

31 Hrs. 2 Hrs.

5 I-h.

31 Min 3 Min

21 Min 84 Set

3Min cl2 Set

1 Min <lo set

1 Min <lo set

<l Set <l Set

<lSec

<lSec

<l Set

cl Set

2 Min.

18 Set

2 Set

<5 Sec.

<l Set

cl Set

cl set

<l Set

cl Set

<I Set

2 ISDN 30 ISDN 128 KBPS 2 MBPS 140 MBPS

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CDROM Database Access

The CDROM databases started appearing in the mid 1980s and by the beginning of 1989 there were about 400 products. Current CDROMs have a capacity of about 550 MB or about 200,000 pages of A-4 size texts, but high density disks have started appearing. CDROM helps to cope with the uncertainties of telecommunication network underlying the online services. It offers menu driven search instead of command-driven search.

The decision to go in for CDROM or online is affected by various factors. If the searcher uses infrequently, online is better. Whereas if it is a much used database, then acquiring CDROM will be cost effective. Several hundreds of libraries in India are subscribing to CDROM databases for the past several years. With liberalization of imports this trend has accelerated substantially over the past year.

CDROM was a single user device until 1988. Subsequently, multi-drive CD servers or towers have become available which can be connected to one or more PCs. With separate software, users can simultaneously access all the drives of the server from the respective workstations. Networking CDROM drives has also become possible. NIC Headquarters at New Delhi has implemented a nation-wide satellite based computer- communication network which caters to not only online access to several databases resident on their computers, but also implemented a CDROM network based on CD-Net which is a CD service with 14 CDROM drives and connected the same to NICNET. At the Bibliographic Information Division of NIC a Local Area Network has been installed based on a 16 Bit 10 MB Ethernet hardware running on NOVEL Netware Version 2.2 which is a network operating system using Bus topology. In CDNET, CD Server has been integrated into the LAN. It is possible to dial up to the LAN from remote locations which are linked to NICNET. The NIC configuration has one File Server, one CD- Server, one Netware Access Server and eight Workstations, four of which are allocated for public access to the network. A total of 9.2 GB of information is available online at any point of time in the form of CDROM databases.

The connectivity of the CDROM Network to the NICNET which is a X.25 based Packet Switched Network, is established using a port of NAS. Asynchronousconnection is established between NAS and the Packet Switching Equipment of the WAN. Any node of NICNET can access CDNET and execute a search. Though the LAN and CDNET are DOS based, NICNET nodes have UNIX machines.

It was found from the NIC experience that CDROM networking over NICNETcan facilitate a high degree of resource sharing. NIC functions as one of the Central

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repositories of CDROM resources. The repository acquired a CD Server with software, LAN software and Hardware, NAS Hardware and Software, Modems, Leased Lines/ Wireless Links and databases on CDROM. For nation-wide connectivity using NIC- NET, the hardware and software required for establishing connectivity with the WAN are deployed. This helps the repository to serve as an information centre. Users from other organizations can either use workstations provided at the information centre or procure a PC, associated communication software, a modem and leased lines. For WAN users dial up access to the nearest WAN node is the minimum requirement.

Starting with a negotiation with ADONIS, NIC has developed an approach for site licensing respec ting copyright regulations for accessing a central repository of CDROMs through the nation-wide network, NICNET.

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Chapter Seven

SOFTWARE, RESEARCH AND TRAINING

Progressive modemization of the libraries require continuous efforts in the development of library sciences and information technology, especially the develop- ment of customized software for various applications. An equally important requirement is the training and retraining of library scientists and support professionals in tools and methods of modemization. Further, a number of standardized packages available anywhere in the world which meet the requirements of the library system in India would also have to be purchased keeping the minimization of cost in view. An outline of these three support requirements, namely, Software, Research and Training are given below:

7.1 Software

In many of the libraries, the library scientists have collaborated with software engineers for developing customized software. Indian libraries are at present using indigenously developed software or standard packages distributed by UNESCO and IRDC.

Several commercial library software packages are available though they are somewhat expensive. The commercial packages developed in India which are used in a number of libraries are: LIBSYS, SANJAY, MAITRAYEE, etc. The latter two developed over CDS/ISIS Package freely distributed by UNESCO. Other commercial software imported include, INFOTEK, WILYSIS, TULIP, TECHLIB Plus on BASIS Plus, etc. The software packages which are more popular with libraries in India are: LIBSYS, MINISIS, CDS/ISIS, IV + V Package, and TECHLIB. Of these, LIBSYS has already been described earlier. A brief description of the other four are given below:

MINISIS Software Package:

Basically working on HP 3000 series platform, MINlSIS can be used to produce library catalogues, different types of indexes, annotated bibliographies, etc. and have the following features:

It allows efficient retrieval of information

It allows concurrent use of software by many users with an interactive terminal oriented design

End-user-friendly

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Conforms to IS0 standards for inter-change of library data

Supports Interchange of data in MINISIS, UNIMARC formats, etc.

Modularised software architecture allowing easy addition of application modules

Capability to generate SD1 services

Generates a wide variety of databases

Has multi-lingual, multi-character set with capability for dialogue between users.

It is compatible with INIS, AGRIS and DEVSIS

Used in library management for acquisition, cataloguing, serials controls etc.

CDSIISIS Micro Version Package

It is a storage and retrieval system for management of structured non-numerical databases like TEXT. The same set of standardized programmes can manipulate a very large number of databases each consisting of entirely different data elements. It runs on IBM-PC series under MS DOS Operating System. NISSAT Project Office coordinates the distribution of this software on behalf of UNESCO.

IV + V Software Package

Developed in Austria, this package can be used on a variety of mini/micro computers. IV + V is an Acronym for Information Vermittlung and Verarbeitung in German language meaning “Information Dissemination and Processing”. Some of the basic functions included in the design are interactive data entry, data editing and validation, database creation, records maintenance, retrieval and output. It has a screen image subsystem which permits the user developed screens and user-controlled screens sequencing for specific applications. It is available in both DOS version and UNIX version.

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TECHLIB Plus

TECHLIB Plus is built on BASIS Plus which is a Document DBMS and Text Retrieval System. It is designed to streamline and facilitate all the day-to-day operations of a fully automated library. It provides access, circulation, serials management, acquisition processing, catalogue maintenance and MARC cataloguing or user can access images and information stored in BASIS plus databases. TECHLIB Plus can provide direct access to information in Current Contents. It is a fully flexible tool set accommodating continual growth in document collections as well as computing envi- ronment.

With a large internal demand within NIC and the availability of experienced software research and development team, it has been possible to negotiate for the bulk purchase of BASIS Plus and TECHLIB Plus Packages from ID1 Inc. of USA, at a small fraction of the market price. NIC cost of the TECHLIB Plus over BASIS Plus is less than 2000 dollars per copy. 800 copies of BASIS Plus and 200 copies of TECHLIB Plus have already been acquired some of which are being installed in important libraries which are connected or are being connected to NICNET and NICNET Info Highway. Value addition through modules developed at NIC will be made to the TECHLIB to continu- ously increase the power of the package as well as inter-networking over NICNET with high efficiency and flexibility. A description of the TECHLIB Plus over BASIS Plus is given in Annexure-8.

For multimedia INTERNET access, a World Wide Web Server Software having hypermedia navigation feature has been built up over BASIS Plus software. Whichever library is configured as an FIP to NICNET Info Highway can access the Worldwide Web Server at the nearest Highway node. A brief description of the World Wide Web (WWW) Server over BASIS Plus is also given Annexure-8.

All the above software will keep in view the major recommendations and findings of the INFLIBNET Task Force. These special features outlined in the Inter-Agency Working Group Report on INFLIBNET dated December 1988 are given in Annexure- 9.

A thorough-going analysis of the software requirements at the national level, regional level as well as in University/College Libraries, R&D Institution Libraries, Sectoral Information Centres, Public Libraries, District Libraries, etc., described in the Inter-Agency Report are also substantially reproduced in Annexure-9.

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7.2 Library Science Research in India

Though research in Library Science in India started immediately after independ- ence, not until the 80s that an organized research on a widespread basis got under way. Notwithstanding this, individual contributions to research in library sciences even before independence had received international acclaim. A case in point is the pioneering work of Dr. S.R. Ranganathan whose theories and approaches have contributed to the growth of library science globally. Though the momentum created by Dr. Ranganathan was sustained by individual scientists like Dr. Neelameghan and others, large scale contributions came only in the wake of UGC’s policies prescribing higher qualifications including Doctorates for eligibility for promotion in the Schools, Colleges and Univer- sity libraries. A meticulous compilation and analysis of research work in library science in India, especially Ph.D. programmes, was made by R.S.R. Varalakshmi, Department of Library and Information Sciences of Andhrauniversity, Vizhakhapatanam. We give below the summary of her analysis and findings (as presented in Library Science, Volume 31, No.2, June 1994) . All the tables given here are substantially based on or derived from that paper.

Upto the end of 1992, 175 Ph.D. Degrees have been awarded in this area. The Year-wise distribution is given in Table-l. In a majority of Doctoral programmes describing methods such as historical case study methods have been mostly employed. The evaluative methods have been used for determining relative importance of a library or library processes. Content analysis/bibliometric studies have been used to describe in an objective and quantitative way the characteristics of messages conveyed in a medium of communication. Exploratory studies utilized survey research and tech- niques.

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Table-l: Year-wise distribution of Ph.D. awards (Total number between 1950 -1992 : 175)

Year No. of Ph.Ds Year No. of Ph.Ds

1950 1 1981

1954 1 1982

1957 1 1983

1963 1 1984

1966 1 1985

1972 1 1986

1973 1 1987

1977 4 1989

1978 3 1990

1979 2 1991

1980 2 1992

3

2

9

18

20

5

8

17

14

15

33

Subject-wise distribution of research topics as percentage of the total number of Ph.D dissertations has been examined. A large part of the analysis (32.77%) of the library and information science activities in various types of libraries is the subject matter of a number of research papers and theses. Out of this, Planning and Management of various types of libraries account for 17.77%. In spite of modemization and automation being a thrust area in recent times, only 5.8 percent of the papers were in this area. Subject of dissemination of information accounted for 21.66 percent. 8.88 percent concerns the assessment of access and measurement of effectiveness of library and information science facilities. Information storage and retrieval in libraries account for 12.22 percent of research efforts. Quantitative studies of literature using bibliometric laws accounted for 8.88 percent and literature studies 6.5 percent. Library history, movement and

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legislation accounted for 8.33 percent, Topics like scientific communication and information science education are conspicuous by their rarity.

The percentage distribution of research organization-wise is given in Table-2:

Table-2: Organizational Distribution of Ph.Ds

Organizational Content No. of Ph.Ds Percentage

Academic Libraries 21.11%

Public Libraries (plus, Lib. movement, Lib. Legislation) 8+9 15%

Special Libraries (plus Inf. System) 12+5 9.44%

A major observation is that there is considerable decline in the quality of research since the days of Dr. Ranganathan. There is an urgent need for a nationally planned approach to Research and Development in Library Science.

Multi-lateral donor organizations like UNESCO may consider supporting such organized research on topics of relevance to the modemization of libraries in developing countries. Some sun-rise areas in library science which may have considerable impact on the modemization process in India may be taken up for Research and Development. Two illustrative projects the following:

R&D on Text encoding may be taken up to define encoding and interchange format for electronic texts especially in support of linguistic and statistical textual research. In this direction, the standard generalised mark up language (SGML) IS0 8879 can be a starting vehicle for this work.

An Electronic Text Centre can be created in association with a large computerized library, as an online archive of SGML encoded electronic texts available through a single piece of search software using hardware and software suitable for the creation and analyses of texts.

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7.3 Training

Since the 8Os, training of library personnel has been arranged by INSDOC, DRTC, ILA, IASLIC and Library Science Departments of Universities through short term courses, refresher courses, workshops and seminars. In these, modemization aspects have also been covered. Though the short term courses arranged by INSDOC and DRTC were of high quality, quantitatively they fell far short of the minimum required level to make a sustaining impact on the library movement. Through their efforts have been guided by a sincere motivation to spread modemization tools with an abiding commit- ment to the profession, they were not supported to the requisite extent through appropriate funding as well as national policy framework for Library and Information Science (LIS) Education.

The 1957 and 1961 committees set up by UGC under the chairmanship of Dr. S.R. Ranaganathan, gave a broad outline of the policy framework for LIS Education. In 1965, UGC published the report of this committee entitled, ‘Library Science in Indian Universities’. This was redrafted in December 1979.

The Executive Council of the Indian Association for Technical Libraries and Information Systems (IATLIS) drafted a national policy for LIS in 1982 covering the need for a national policy, levels of training and agencies that should handle, biblio- graphic organization and control in LIS, policy for research and training and monitoring, evaluation and standardization. Numerous resolutions pertaining to the LIS Education were passed.

Subsequently the RRRLF policy document addressed the problem of LIS educa- tion as follows: ‘To cope with new development in LIS a suitable strategy for manpower development has to be devised. A uniform pattern and standard of library training and education should be followed in all parts of the country....... Continuing education or in-service training facilities should be recognized as essential part of manpower development programme in library and information sector’ ’

In its draft policy, the Indian Library Association advocated the establishment of a National Council for Education and Research in Library and Information Science on the pattern of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). The CONPOLIS Committee of 1985/1986 under the chairmanship of Professor D.P. Chattopadhyaya suggested eight guidelines for LIS education as follows:

In view of the rapidly expanding library and information services and the fast changing character of library and information science, the develop-

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ment of manpower in a planned manner becomes essential. The Indian librarian and information scientist in particular will face the difficult task of carrying the literacy drive on the one hand and dealing with the technological revolution on the other.

The library and information science courses run by the universities and comparable institutions at the post graduate level should continue to maintain the high standards that have been reached and improve their quality, in particular by the incorporation of advanced information technology.

Para-professional training courses may be undertaken by other appropri- ate agencies, but care must be taken to ensure uniformity and quality of such training all over the country.

In view of the challenging and dynamic situation in the profession, the Indian library and information professional must be given every facility to refresh his/her expertise, so as to keep abreast of advancing knowledge by a planned development of continuing education programmes in the field.

Considering the fact that library and information science courses tend to proliferate, introducing on occasions a dilution of standards, there should be an accreditation agency to ensure the standard and the quality of the training imparted.

The national need of furthering higher education and research in library and information science may be undertaken by a National Centre to be established for the purpose.

Library and Information ScienceProfessionals should be given the status and pay scales as well as academic facilities commensurate with their responsibilities with due regard to the fact that every library is an academic/research centre and has to function as such.

The Government of India should recognize the need for the creation of an All India Library Service and implement the plan when feasible. The creation of such a service will strengthen the national network of library and information systems.

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The CONPOLIS recommendations were not fully accepted by the Library Science community. The central sectional committee on Library and Information Science of ILA entrusted Dr. P.S.G. Kumar of the Department of Library and Information Science of Nagpur University to prepare a Working Document. This report of 84 pages is perhaps the most detailed coverage of the problems and suggestions regarding LIS education in India. As with the policies concerning the main library movement, no final policy profile emerged with the approval of the Government to this date. This is one of the most important reasons why not only the momentum of the library movement could not be sustained to the appropriate degree of quantity and quality, but also its derivative policy frame work for LIS education, could not get the necessary approvals.

Working without a policy guideline, funding and support by the Government were always made on adhoc basis or on the basis of a case-to-case examination of individual requests. Inspite of this, apart from DRTC and INSDOC, both NISSAT and NIC took up the matter of training of as many library professionals as possible in modem tools of computer-based and network-based bibliographic methods.

NISSAT organized a number of training programmes and workshops for man- power development in Information Technology to fulfil the requirements of library scientists. They identified a number of national, sectoral and regional centres for conducting training courses and workshops especially for computer application in bibliographic information handling. NISSAT also conducted a survey on the attitudes of library professionals towards such reorientation and retraining and came out with the following startling findings:

Though the library professionals are aware of the programmes, they are unable to attend due to the fact that they were not permitted by their authorities.

Most of the college libraries have not installed computer due to lack of finance; hence the authorities may be reluctant to depute their staff for programmes of information technology.

The awareness of such programmes was found to be less among the professionals and the foliowing reasons attributed to the following:

(4 The information regarding such programmes was not circulated among the professionals properly.

(b) The professionals may lack motivation. This may be partly due

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to the lack of opportunities in applying such technical knowledge practically in their work environment,

(c) Most of the professionals are preoccupied with their daily responsibili- ties and duties and they do not give much importance to such pro- grammes.

The remedial measures required are quite apparent. .

1. The Government must immediately formulate a national frame-work for LIS education. The recommendations made so far by various committees described above may form a ready source material for designing such a frame-work.

2. As suggested by ILA, a National Council of Educational Research in Library and Information Science may be set up under the auspices of the Ministry of Human Resource Development.

3. A National Institute for Library and Information Science may be set up with the support of UNESCO and UNDP with a Centre for Library and Information Science located in it.

4. Multilateral organizations may support the projects outlined in Section 9.3.

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Chapter Eight

INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT AND COOPERATION

In the area of library modemization, horizontal transfer of experience in a developed country to those in the process of modemization in developing countries is not only feasible but also desirable. In the past, considerable support from international/ multilateral donors like UNESCO were forthcoming which brought in an agent of change.

International collaborations can help database generators in the following way

decentralization of input preparation enables production of material very soon after the primary publication (e.g. FSTA)

Local language barriers can be overcome as well as local problems and perspectives can be captured (e.g. AGRIS, INIS, etc.)

Infrastructure for abstracting, indexing and computer handling at the central processing unit for building primary collection can be avoided. (e.g. AGRIS).

Local level dissemination of information is better facilitated (e.g. INIS)

International collaboration also benefits input suppliers as follows:

Local level datacompilation efforts get better standardized (e.g. AGRIS).

Horizontal transfer of electronic input and information retrieval reduces duplication of efforts (e.g. INFOTERA).

Working out barter arrangement in local inputs supply in exchange for international compilations saves foreign exchange (e.g. FSTA).

It may eventually lead to development of comprehensive information systems at the local level (e.g. INFOTERA support to ENVIS in India).

8.1 India’s Participation in International Database Development

India enthusiastically participated in International Database Development activi-

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ties, especially those promoted by the United Nations Organizations. The role played by India is significant in the development of databasesUNISIST/ASTINFO,INFOTERA/ UNEP, INIS/IEA APINMAP/UNESCO, TIPSAJNDP and FSTA. In all these cases, India gets international compilation free in exchange for the input provided by the country.

The Development Information Network on South Asia (DEVINSA) was estab- lished in 1975 with the financial support of IDRC as a database of economic and social development information in South Asia.. The Indian National Centre for this is the Jawaharlal Nehru University, which has developed a database of about 100,000 records and published two bibliographic volumes.

The Development Science Information System (DEVSIS) is a cooperative infor- mation system on development literature for the use of policy makers, planners, researchers, financiers, etc. This database is being used in India by the Centre for Development of Instructional Technology (CENDIT), New Delhi. CENDITcontributes about 500-600 entries from India annually to the database.

The Population Information Network (POPIN) was set up by the United Nations Population Division with the objectives of identifying and improving the flow of population information among member countries. The National Documentation Centre of NIHFW has been building a comprehensive information base making use of POPIN.

The UNEP started INFOTERA as an international referral systemin 1975. It offers environmental information by preparing an inventory of resources and provides referral services through its focal points to its users. To make effective use of INFOTERA database, the Government of India established ENVIS in 1982 in the Department of Environment and Forests.

The International Register of Potentially Toxic Chemicals (IRPTC) was set up in 1976in Geneva under the Global Environmental Assessment Programme of UNEP. The Industrial Toxicological Research Institute (IRTC) at Lucknow is the national corre- spondent of IRPTC.

The Regional Network for the Exchange of Information and Experiences in Asia and the Pacific (ASTINFO) was established by UNESCO to strengthen bibliographic control of technological output and to establish computer based bibliographic databases in the areas of interest to the Region. The National Information System for Science & Technology (NISSAT) is the Indian focal point for ASTINFO. In association with DRTC, Bangalore, INSDOC, NISTADS, TERI, INCO, NIO, NAL and other organisa-

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tions, NISSAT has organized several projects, workshops, seminars and training programmes.

The Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFIRI) is the national focal point for the International Food Information Services (IFIS) established in 1968 in UK. This is one of the highly successful cooperative ventures of an Indian Institution in international database venture, namely, compilation of Food Science and Technology Abstracts (FSTA) database since 1977. CFTRI scans 50 Indian periodicals and transmits 400 items to the database annually.

IDRC established a Sorghum and Millets Information Centre (SMIC) as part of international Crop Research Institute for the Semi-AridTropics (ICRISAT),Hyderabad. It was established to collect, collate and disseminate information on sorghum and millets.

The International Standards Information Network (ISONET), Geneva, was estab- lished in 1980 to create an international database on standards, technical regulations, patents and related matters.

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has been a member of ISONET from its inception.

The International Serials Data Systems (ISDS) was established by UNISIST in 197 1 to maintain and develop an international register of serials, define and promote the use of International Standard Serial Number (ISSN), facilitate retrieval of scientific and technical information from its data bank and make information available to all participating countries, organisations and individuals. INSDOC is the national focal point for ISSN.

The Inter-Governmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) established the Inter- national Oceanographic Data Exchange (IODE) to create comprehensive databases on oceanographic and related subjects. The National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) at Goa is the national focal point for IODE.

8.2 Illustrative Detailing of Three Cooperative Ventures

Three major information systems where an Indian organization has collaborated with an international organization are the following:

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MEDLARS AGRIS INTIB

Of these, network based cooperation with INTIB is in the planning stage. It is described here in view of its long term interest to India especially in the Post-GATT environment, The material regarding INTIB presented is from a UNIDO Report.

1. MEDLARS

Medical Literature analysis Retrieval System of the National Library of Medicine (NLM), Bethesda, USA comprises of a family of 28 biomedical databases which are international in source and content. NLM’s collection ofjoumals represents the world’s most original and substantive literature taken from countries and written in 30 languages.

The information contained in these 28 databases not only includes clinical aspects, but also, aspects such as public health, medical research, education and practice without regard to geographical boundaries. Articles on sophisticated research such as DNA replication, formal and continuing medical education, design of rural hospital or teaching of health in rural primary school, veterinary medicine and nursing are also included.

MEDUNE (MEDLARS Online)

MEDLINE (MEDLARS Online) is the world’s leading bibliographic database of medical information covering 3,500 journals from 1966 onwards. The most sought-after database in medicine, contains the information found in Index Medicus, international Nursing Index, and Index to Dental Literature. Books and Monographs are not covered

‘in MEDLINE.

MEDLARS Centre in India

To facilitate access to the vast resources of knowledge, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and National Informatics Centre reached a decision in 1985 to set up a MEDLARS centre in India. To set up such a centre, NLM looks for high standards in communication facilities, software availability, methodologies for timely dissemina- tion of information and providing support facilities in the host country. Since NI,C fulfilled all these criteria, a Memorandum of understanding was signed in 1987 to set up a MEDLARS Centre at NIC, New Delhi. The agreement was aimed at providing an easy and ready access to MEDLARS at NLM. NIC acts as a nodal agency for providing

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MEDLARS services in India and is the 17th MBDLARS centre in the world.

Online Access of MEDLARS Database from NLM

This Centre has been providing biomedical bibliographic information to doctors, clinicians, researchers, and medical students in India from MEDLARS since 1987. The databases which were being accessed were MEDLINE and its back files (1986-66) and POPLINE (Population Information ONLINE). Access has now been extended to all databases of MEDLARS of which some important ones are AIDSLINE, AIDSDRUGS, AIDSTRIALS (all AIDS related information), TOXLINE (Toxicology Information ONLINE), HBALTH PLAN (Health Planning and Management Information ONLINE), DENTALPROJ (Dental Projects Information ONLINE), SERLINE (Serials Informa- tion ONLINE), DOCLINE (Information of documents available at NLM), AVLINB (Audio-Visuals available at NLM), and also PDQ and TOXNET. All these 28 databases are being accessed from this Centre through National Informatics Centre Network (NICNET).

In the beginning the Centre was connected to NLM’s host computer through a dial up modem which proved to be very expensive. In 1989 the Centre started accessing NLM’s databases through the Gateway Packet Switching System (GPSS) located at the Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited in Delhi through NICNET. This was a more cost effective and a highly reliable mode of connecting to international networks. Conse- quently the number of searches being conducted increased considerably. Recently, the Centre has been connected to GPSS through a dedicated telephone line (which forms a dedicated system to the GPSS pad). This allows an uninterrupted access at any time to NLM, USA.

Online Access to MEDLARS Database at NIC

To allow direct access to Medline by users in India, NIC acquired 10 years MEDLARS data on tapes from NLM following an agreement between NIC and NLM, USA. Under this agreement NLM provided MEDLARS data on tapes from 1986 onwards with monthly updates. Data from these tapes has been downloaded onto a Land mark 486 machine at NIC, New Delhi. This is a Unix System with a storage capacity of 9 GB. The 486 machine is connected to NICNET and the database can be accessed through NICNET nodes across the country. Users can visit any of the MC state or district offices and access MEDLINE. Users can also access the database from certain select institutions through a dial up modem connected to the nearest NICNBT micro earth station.

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A Bibliographic Retrieval Software (BRS/SEARCH) package has been used to develop and access the database from the 486 machine. This package was selected because of its interactive full text storage facility and an easy to learn English based command structure. This package also provides for easy browsing, scanning, and in context printing/displaying facility in addition to efficient disk storage for text.

Databases on Compact Disks

Some of the MEDLARS databases are available on Compact Discs. These databases have been acquired by the Centre to provide a back-up to the ONLINE access of the NLM’s database. Searching these databases on CD-ROMs is relatively inexpen- sive and simpler as compared to online searching. Some of the MEDLARS databases available on CD-ROM are: MEDLINE, POPLINE, CANCERLINE, TOXLINE and HEALTH-PLAN. To access these databases a multi-user, multi disc CD-NET system was installed to which several PC workstations have been connected through a local area network (LAN). This allows several users to access these CD-ROMS simultaneously from any of the workstations. Users in and around Delhi can come and do their own searches.

Methodologies of Searching MEDLARS Databases

Search requests are received by post, telex, telegram, telephone and through personal visits. A growing number of users are now sending their search requests from their state or District NIC offices through EMAIL over NICNET called, NICMAIL. Doctors send their requests in a standard format through NICMAIL and the information retrieved can also be transmitted back in the same mode. This ensures timely transfer of information for patient care/treatment, sometimes within an hour of receiving the request.

Each search request is analyzed carefully and search strategies/statements pre- pared using a controlled vocabulary. These statements are combined using Boolean Operators. The information retrieved from the databases is basically bibliographic in nature. The user is provided with citations including author, title, source, address of first author and abstract where ever available.

The information is mailed back to the user within three days of receiving the request. In case of a lot of data being retrieved, a print out is obtained from NLM, USA which is mailed to NIC. Thereafter NIC mails these printouts to the users in India. This takes around ten days. Along with the bibliographic information, a search evolution form is mailed to the user. By filling up these forms the user can send opinion/comments

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etc. indicating relevancy of the information provided, the time lag in receiving this information, etc.

User Awareness ProgrammedTraining Programmes

User Awareness programmes are being conducted across the country to create an awareness among the medical community about the existing MEDLARS Services at NIC. These programmes have evoked a very good response from all over India. Medical students and professionals from even the remotest part oi the country are also utilizing the MEDLARS service provided by the centre.

Several training programmes are conducted every year by the Centre in the fundamentals of MEDLARS Searching for doctors and medical librarians/information professionals. Participants are trained in searching methodologies to access the MEDLARS database at NIC using the BRS/SEARCH package. In addition they are trained in accessing CD-ROM databases.

Union Catalogue

A database of the Catalogue of Biomedical Periodicals Subscribed to by Indian libraries has been created on the NECs 1000 system at NIC. The objective of this database is to provide a document support facility to the existing bibliography.

2. AGRIS

The Agricultural Research Information Centre (ARIC) of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has been the national input centre for AGRIS. During 197584, ARIC had contributed about 30,000 items from about 100 core periodicals to an international total of 1.1 million items, i.e. 2.7 per cent (as compared to 20 per cent from all developing countries put together). ARIC has been using B4700 for more than 200 SD1 profiles (free of cost) and also providing retrospective search services on request. A separate compilation of Indian inputs for 1975-84 period has been published as Indian National Agricultural Bibliography.

The objectives of AGRIS are:

1. To create a single, comprehensive, current inventory of world-wide agricultural literature, which reflects research results, food production, rural development and helps users identify problems involved in all aspects of world food supply;

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2. To meet information needs by means of current awareness, SD1 and specialized subject retrieval services and provide means of fulfilling requests for documents.

3. To interact with new and existing secondary specialized information services so as to increase efficiency and eliminate unnecessary duplica- tion. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research(ICAR) has been participating in the use of AGRIS since 1974. The Agricultural Research Information Centre (ARE) of ICAR was entrusted this job in 1977. ARIC undertakes the following functions:

a> Provides computerised SD1 service toagricultural scientists with the help of updated AGRIS magnetic tapes received every month from FA0 Rome.

b) Sends Indian data to AGRIS after scanning about 100 core periodicals, and indexing and abstracting them according to the standard procedure of AGRIS database.

As a result of this participation ARIC has brought out the Indian National Agricultural Bibliography (INAB) in four volumes. It covers the period between 1975 and 1984 comprising 30,000 references.

The monthly increment of the AGRIS database is about 10,000 references, all submitted by the participating centres. In return, each participating centre has access to the various output products. AGRIS began its operation in 1975 and the total AGRIS database contains about 1.5 million references.

From its beginning in 1975, AGRIS has been fully computerized. Nevertheless, AGRIS has been designed to give equal service to developed and developing countries. This has been achieved by allowing a wide range of input media- from magnetic tapes to data on input sheets. During the first ten years of AGRIS about ten per cent of the data was received in the form of Optical Character Recognition (OCR) sheets. Input centres typed input data on plain white paper and these sheets were read in Vienna by the OCR reader. This input medium was especially designed for developing countries. In the meantime OCR has been replaced by microcomputers and input on floppy disks. Nowadays most developing countries send input in this form.

The requirements of developing countries have also been considered carefully with reference to the use of the output products. The printed version of Agrindex is

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available on subscription with AGRIS participating centres receiving two free copies ( a kind of author copies). During the first 12 years of AGRIS English version only was published. Since 1987 French and Spanish versions are available as well. The main difference in the various language versions is in the subject indexes, which are derived from the descriptions in the respective language.

During the past years FA0 (through AGRIS, CARIS and the field projects) has helped to set up documentation centres in the participating countries and to train the responsible people in AGRIS methodology. Actually, quite a number of agricultural libraries in developing countries are organized according to the AGRIS subject categories. Owing to AGRIS, many participating centres have gained experience on how to set up a documentation centre, how to catalogue documents and how to retrieve document references from a large database. AGRIS has helped to develop the necessary infrastructure with reference to computer utilization in the centres. Many centres developed their own national documentation systems based on AGRIS methodology, thus making input to AGRIS and to the local documentation and information system in one operation. This is done in developed countries, such as Federal Republic of Germany (FRG), as well as developing countries such as the Caribbean countries. Some centres process the AGRIS magnetic tape for making a large retrospective database (for example, FRG, USA), others use it for SD1 purposes (for example, India).

The indexing tool for AGRIS is AGROVOC, a multi-lingual thesaurus for agricultural terminology. English, French and Spanish versions are maintained byFA0. AGRIS centres may submit their input indexed in oneof the three languages. The output tape, however, contains the descriptors for all references in all the three languages.

Generation of AGRIS Input

The computer processing at an AGRIS participating centre ranges from large systems with all kinds of error checks including the generation of a local database to the simple storing of raw data on a floppy disk. Both methods are justified, depending on the amount of data. A centre sending 200 or more references each month will need other methods of local processing than a centre with 20 or 30 input references. This data can be organized by manual proof-reading only.

Therefore, small centres usually send their input nowadays on floppy disks which were created by a simple text editor or word processing software or by database generation software. The most frequently used software within AGRIS is Micro CDS/ ISIS,asoftwarepackageformicrocomputersdeveloped byandavailablefromUNESC0. Ear this package AGRIS has defined the database parameters (the field definition tables

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and its correspondence to the AGRIS tags). Checking programs for this system axe being developed, so that data entered under Micro CDS/ISIS will be verified with reference to their syntax.

Use of AGRIS Output Products

Participating centres may receive, upon request, the AGRIS output tape and output on floppy disk. The format of the AGRIS output tape is based on IS0 2709 standard, but due to the complicated structure (bibliographic levels, descriptors and abstracts in several languages), no standard program will handle AGRIS tapes. Output on floppy disk can only be used for a limited set of data, but its format is generalized (line format for word processing systems or Micro CDS/ISIS) and ready for further processing.

About 30 participating centres receive the monthly AGRIS tapes. They are used for implementing a complete online database (for example, FRG and USA), for producing national bibliographies (for example, South East Asia), for monthly SD1 processing, or for batch processing of the complete database (for example, Chile). The list is not complete.

AGRIS Online Project

In cooperation with INIS, online tests were carried out from 1975 onwards. After a careful study of existing retrieval of software, the decision was taken to work with IBM/ STAIRS. Since INIS and AGRIS users are only partly in-house, the idea of making the database available for outside users was born. The necessary equipment was installed and tested for dial-up telephone users. Also the in-house software was modified to allow for TTY-compatible terminals, i.e. non-IBM terminals. One country after the other was connected, mostly European countries because of the geographical proximity. Retrieval courses were held and manuals for retrieval were developed. In order to allow non- European countries access to the Vienna databases, connection to international telecom- munication networks were established, the most important being TYMNETof USA. For many years a great number of users around the world had access to AGRIS via TYMNET, and even today the TYMNET users represent a significant part in the database usage. Today the IAEA computer is a host to TYMNET, ESANET, the Austrian DATEX-P, the telex network in addition to ordinary telephone connections.

At present, users in nearly all part of the world may have access to the AGRIS database and perform their retrieval personally and immediately. Upon special request, test passwords have been given to users to AGRIS centres in developing countries for a trial period, so that the database costs are limited. The telecommunication costs,

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however, had to be paid, sometimes even in hard currency. Therefore, APU provides developing countries with up to about 20 queries per year free of charge. In recent years about 10 retroactive queries per year and about 600 SD1 profiles per month are being executed by APU as a service for developing countries.

AGRIS On CD-ROM

CD-ROM technology is thought to provide an excellent solution for retrieval for centres which do not have easy access to an online database (financial or technical restrictions). AGRIS is now available in CD-ROM disk form.

3. INTIB

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization’s (UNIDO’s) INTIB is the developing countries’ window on technology. Set up in 1977 after UNIDO’s landmark General Conference in Lima, and later endorsed by a United Nations General Assembly resolution, INTIB generates a flow of specific information needed by developing countries to select the right technology for their own industrial development.

Today INTIB provides a comprehensive service offering a combination of online and offline information, technical assistance, access to databases and several series of related publications. Its overall task is to compile and disseminate informtion requested by developing countries and to help strengthen their own industrial and technological information Systems. INTIB relates to technologies and equipment for 20 selected industrial sectors. INTlB also cooperates with other UN organizations to help special- ized information systems and databases.

INTIB offers the following information:

Selected, analysed and annotated information on the 20 industrial sectors on alternative technology based on user’s needs and priorities.

Information to facilitate acquisition of technology

Data on equipment and prices

Information on how to start manufacturing industries

Advisory services on information policy and design

Information on training needs and opportunities

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Data on research and development activities

Information on how to contact industrial information experts.

Industrial inquiry Service

The INTIB Industrial Inquiry Service (IIS), popularly known as UNIDO’s mail order technical assistance is a developing country industry’s link with both the wealth of information maintained by UNIDO as a whole and the large number of data banks and information sources around the world to which UNIDO has access . INTIB’s objective is to ensure a quick, easy flow of information to people who require it when selecting technology. Compared to most other bibliography-dominated information services, IIS is nearly unique in providing concrete, practical, packaged information for industrial enterprises in response to specific queries and needs.

IIS system handles some 1500 inquiries annually. Most arrive by mail, telex or telephone. An increasing number are addressed through the growing network of INTIB focal points and nodes in developing countries themselves. The bulk of the requests are for information on specific manufacturing processes and knowhow; one-third seek information on suppliers of equipment and machinery. Nearly half come from industrial enterprises or from information service agencies requesting information on their behalf. Other users include engineering and consulting firms, R&D institutions, government policy makers, universities and professional organizations.

The bulk of the inquiries received related to three subject areas:

Industrial chemicals, petrochemicals and pharmaceuticals

Agro-industries and food processing and

Capital goods and fabricated metal products.

INTIB’s answer rely on its own and other UNIDO databases and on its extensive access to databases and information systems around the world.

Medium-Term Development of INTIB (upto 1995)

Following a decision of UNIDO’s Industrial Development Board (IDB) and recommendations of INTIB’s Advisory Group, a medium term plan for INTIB’s development during the period upto 1995 was worked out. Essential elements of the approach include:

Continuation of the IIS but with greater emphasis on networking through

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NFPs and nodes.

Introduction of modem data processing techniques in INTIB and the training of the relevant staff in their use

Building up of an internal network of information activities within UNIDO, including interlinkages with investment information

Establishment of online electronic mail connections with national infor- mation centres, requests for which have considerably increased over the last two years.

Strengthening of national industrial information infrastructures, includ- ing the training and education of information specialists and the promo- tion of skills using industrial information.

Development of a database on technology suppliers in place of the adhoc collection of information in response to requests.

Preparation of self-contained sectoral dossiers that can be used by INTIB and its nodes. The dossiers will include sources of information in specific sectors, the impact of new technology on those sectors and other relevant aspects.

Continuation of industrial technology publications and current aware- ness services in particular the UNIDO News Letter, Microelectronics Monitor; Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Monitor and Ad- vances in Materials Technology Monitor.

Continuation of IDA and the maintenance of the INDIS database

Cooperation with other United Nations Organizations and other intema- tional organizations.

Strengthening of the capacity of INTIB to provide advisory services and support to NFPs and nodes and information services

Ensuring a greater role for INTIB in a global network of industrial and technological information.

Network Access from India

Negotiations are underway with UNDO for access of INTIB databases through NICNET external gateways and the World Wide Web Server of C-WEB.

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Chapter Nine

LESSONS FROM THE INDIAN EXPERIENCE AND POINTERS FOR COOPERATION

From the Indian experience described in the preceding eight chapters, we can derive a number of useful lessons which can guide the process of library modemization in other developing countries. These lessons can also act as pointers for beneficial multi- agency cooperation. In the context of transfer of experience, a num’ber of training resources and expertise exist in India which can be availed of by multilateral donor organizations like UNESCO. During the nucleating stage of such a cooperation, an illustrative set of pilot projects derived from the Indian experience can be taken up for implementation for which a conceptual outline is given here.

9.1 Lessons from the Indian Experience

The more important lessons that can be derived from the Indian experience are given below chapterwise:

Chapter I

1. The highly successful sectoral movement of library modemization through the efforts of NlSSAT and DESIDOC emphasize the importance of the sectoral approach. The sectors chosen by any country can be, according to the priority of economic sectors which contribute substantially to the GDP or social and economic development priorities.

2. The barter arrangement worked out between the national project g-roups and international database managers in which national input to international databases are provided by the national focal point in exchange, without cost, for free access to the international database, has worked well virtually in every case. A typical successful approach worthy of emulation is the multi-agency cooperation between the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) at Mysore and the International Food Information Services (IFIS) in the publication of Food Science and Technology Abstracts (FSTA) involving a number of other subject-domain specialist organizations in India.

3. INFLIBNET Survey and Analysis shows that in India computerized database access is given the least priority while lending to internal users, reference services, etc. are given top priority. This eventually involved modemization facilitators like INFLIBNET, NICNET and ERNET. This under scores the importance of setting up

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modemization facilitators during the initial stage itself. The INFLIBNET Survey points out that priorities for computerization preferred by libraries are:

- Acquisition Control - Cataloguing - Serials Control - Circulation Control - Reference Services - Bibliographic database reference service - Budgetting

in that order. This statistics can be kept in view when other developing countries implement their modemization process.

4. The DRTC Survey and Analysis shows that citations are the maximum for journals emanating from USA (68.5 percent), followed by UK after which it trails to insignificant percentage for other countries. This points out that in English speaking countries, special arrangements with publishers of journals of USA and UK should be made for site licensing with carefully negotiated collective bargaining.

5. The NISSAT Survey and Analysis shows that even with the promulgation of Delivery of Books (Public Libraries) Act, the designated library at Calcutta receives less than 40 percent of the books published in the country. This points out that even an Act of Parliament is not sufficient unless adequate incentives are given for responding organizations and individuals to deposit books and documents published by them. The evolution of a policy frame-work in India has gone through a tortuous route spanning more than two decades. Inspite of several Committees and Working Groups set up by the Government, there is no explicit policy framework for library movement in India, let alone the library modemization. The lesson drawn from this is that the Government of a developing country should give high priority to the creation of a policy framework as early as possible.

6. UNESCO catalysis of the library movement in India was clearly a major contributing factor for the growth and modemization of Indian libraries. UNESCO should step up its library modernization support to the developing countries so as to repeat the beneficial impact felt in the 5Os, the 60s and the 70s in India.

Chapter 2

7. Resource sharing through sectoral libraries brings together specialists in the

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same subject domain, to address the major problem of information concerning their sector. Value added information service becomes meaningful only if value addition is done by the sectoral specialists. Through the NISSATprogramme, India has gained rich experience in successfully growing a number of sectoral library and information systems imbedded in organizations specializing in those sectors. A nodal organization for coordination has to be identified as the first for proper coordination.

8. Though the library modemization through the sectoral approach is desir- able, going in for sectoral networks for each of the sector can be a very costly proposition. The desirable thing to do would be to set up a National Network like NICNET and configure all the sectoral information systems as close user groups (CUG) of participat- ing institutions. In more extensive areas like Agriculture, instead of close user groups, it is desirable to set up virtual private networks in the national communication network.

9. When a sectoral information system is successfully implemented in the country, at the earliest, the efforts should be intemationalized by linking to international networks like INTERNET. An outstanding example of this is the NICDAP Project for Drugs and Pharmaceuticals. In view of the considerable strides made in developing a modemized library and information system, the World Health Organization (WHO) has chosen NICDAP as their collaborating centre on drugs information for servicing 11 South and South-East Asian countries. The Centre supplies information on the availability of raw materials required for formulation of essential drugs, their price details, technology details, governing patent laws, registration of drugs, etc. Within one and a half decade, NICDAP became an important drug information centre with worldwide recognition. This unique successful project is work-emulating by other developing countries as a model for sectoral modemization.

Chapter 3

10. The University libraries realized the importance of computer support and modemization imperatives. The pressure for computerization arose out of the increasing library work load to be handled by a small complement of library staff, continuous pressure from students and research faculty for increased and improved services as well as easier access to external databases. In addition, the University/college management was interested in the reduction of operating costs facilitated by a well designed and well managed computerized library. These motivating reasons have to be positively catered to.

11. The UNESCO supplied CDS/ISIS Software Package free of cost by author- izing NISSAT Project management to distribute the package to any library interested in

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modemizing its facilities. An implicit or explicit condition associated with this distribution is that the recipient organization should be trained or arranged to be trained by NISSAT Project Office. UNESCO should follow this successful approach in other developing countries also by distributing the latest software after bulk purchase or purchase of rights from the software vendors.

12. Software standardization is concomitant with large distribution of the standardized software at very low cost. No amount of legislations and Governmental directives can bring in standardization. The above distribution modality will be an incentive-based approach for standardization. This approach should be followed in other developing countries also.

13. Repeated training of manpower for library computerization should be maximally carried out for library science professionals who are not necessarily well versed in computer programming. For this reason, user-friendly systems have to be developed so as to enable a greater degree of penetration of computerization and library automation.

Chapter 4

14. Intracity library networks have a good rationale for inter-library resource sharing with the communication problem within manageable limits. The successful example of DELNET for Libraries of Delhi, should be emulated in major cities of developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

15. The INSDOC study shows that there is tremendous duplication of subscrip- tions in Indian libraries. It is estimated that a unit cost per journal encountered in India is a staggering Rs. 0.48 million on a national basis due to avoidable duplication of subscriptions. It is desirable to negotiate with publishers for site licensing on a city-wise basis or State-wise basis or if possible, on a national basis.

16. While examining the suitability of a city for intracity library network it is desirable to carry out a detailed feasibility study of the telecommunication infrastructure of the city. As shown in the CALIBNET exercise in Calcutta, a poor telecommunication infrastructure may make the project unviable either cost-wise or convenience-wise.

17. The eight reasons for the success of DELNET outlined by the Project Director of DELNET and the six additional features suggested, may be carefully examined during the design of a new intracity library network in any developing country so as to derive maximum benefit by the DELNET experience.

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Chapter-S

18. Value added facilitators at the national level like NICNET, NISSAT, INFLIBNET, INSDOC, ERNET, etc., are an essential ingredient of the totally integrated library modemization programme in the country. What is the minimal number and type of value added facilitators that are required to make a library modemization movement very dynamic, has to be carefully studied by each country before a national library policy is formulated. Setting up of one or more facilitators, even with relatively large investments, may have to be given priority. A national project like NISSAT has to be set up by each country desiring to modemize their library system.

19. The ERNET which brought in INTERNET-consciousness in India found it difficult to expand the service-base at low cost because of the over-dependence on inter- city leased telephone lines for communication during the initial stage of the project. When even a low budget VSAT network was brought in, the situation improved.

20. The INFLIBNET, though well conceived by an Inter-Agency Working Group, became a clear case of lethality due to delay and wrong a-priori priorities during the implementation stage. The delay in giving approvals maimed the project to such an extent that the potential users lost interest and made alternative arrangements. Conse- quently, INFLIBNET Project had to abandon the computer-communication networking part and confine to standardization and provision of computer hardware and software to libraries. Such pitfalls have to be avoided in developing countries by deciding on a modernization programme and implementing it without delay.

2 1. The Research and Education Network of NIC (RENNIC) over NICNET, has several advantages for the Universities and R&D organizations. Under the barter arrangement, the concerned library is required only to contribute a public domain database of use to other academic and research institutions and put it on the same network. In return, they get free or extremely low tariff based E-Mail Services and database access services. The only required capital investment would be a Personal Computer, a Modem and a part deployment of a telephone for making the dial-up connection to NICNET. This low cost approach to national and international E-mail hook up may be emulated in other developing countries who have set up or are likely to set up a network like NICNET.

Chapter 6

22. Tradition Versus Modemization Imperatives which impeded the library modemization in India in the initial stages, should be tackled by a carefully organ&d

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campaign through awareness training to library scientists and library staff. The fear of the unknown can be overcome by introducing free retraining and hands-on training as part of such courses.

23. The eight well tested approaches to overcome the social and personal resistance to the transition in libraries described on pages - and -may be kept in view by the designers of the transition to modemization in developing countries.

24. The conversion of the bibliographic retrosppctive records in a conventional library from manual to machine readable form during the transition to modemization is found to be the most time consuming part of the transition. The different types of methods adopted in libraries for this are discussed in the chapter may be followed in situations similar to what is assumed therein. Typically, two models, the INFXIBNBT Model and the DELNET model, are given which have proven records of carrying out retrospective conversion with low cost. These methods are worth emulating. A country going in for modemization should constantly keep in touch with the latest journals to measure and understand the relative viability of online and CDROM in the context of a particular library or a particular province or the particular country. A beginner may derive more advantage by going in for larger investments in CDROM databases than to go in for online. However, in the long run, an optimal mix of the two has to be worked out for each country.

Chapter 7

25. The choice of the library software platform as well as the library application software tool-set have to be carefully standardized from the beginning itself. Any change mid-way may prove to be costly and laborious while going in for modemization. The best possible software available in the market has to be purchased, preferably in bulk or for site licensing on a national basis so as to get the maximum reduction in per copy cost. The NIC experience has shown that a careful negotiation can bring down the prices to even as low as a tenth of the retail market price.

26. Research in library science has to be given high priority because the rate of change of modemization concept is very high. Unless certain local R&D competence is established in such a knowledge-based industry, the cost differentials could be very high if one buys turn-key software instead of local integration of bought-out subsystems.

Chapter 8

27. In the area of library modemization, horizontal transfer of experience in a

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developed country to those in the process of modemization in developing countries is not only feasible, but also desirable. In the past, considerable support from international/ multinational donors likeUNESC0 were forthcoming. The international collaborations have been found to help not only the database generators, but also input suppliers. India enthusiastically participated in International Database Development activities, espe- cially those promoted by the United Nations Organizations. In all the cases, India gets international compilations free in exchange for the input provided by the country. This should be followed by all developing countries as it is most cost-effective.

28. The Indian case studies related to MEDLARS Service and AGRIS Service convey important lessons concerning the methodology of implementation. However, the case of INTIB, which India missed taking full advantage for several years, is a counter-example showing what should not be done in international cooperation.,

9.2 Strategies for Multi-Agency Cooperation

The Indian experience also points to a few infrastructure and service oriented strategies for multi-agency cooperation in Library modemization. Though there are a number of such pointers described in the preceding eight chapters, we outline below five of the more representative ones.

9.2.1 Resource Sharing:

The International resource sharing is showing up as a major propelling force for library modemization. Access to INTERNET and bilateral or multilateral cooperation between countries through Gateway Packet Switch arrangement have clearly estab- lished the economics of resource sharing even with due conformity to World Intellectual Property Rights and GAIT Agreements. The RINSCA Project supported by UNESCO in South and Central Asia has demonstrated that querying of a bibliographic database from one country to another is not only feasible, but also economical. The RINSCA network linking India and Nepal has demonstrated this for sharing of MEDLARS databases.

9.2.2 E-Mail and Bulletin Boards

Consultations through E-mail and keeping abreast of news from one country to another through Electronic Bulletin Board service is a major facility for multi-agency international cooperation. If .both the countries have wide internal connections and network accesses and if the two Governments agree to have unmanned E-mail transac- tions beneficial interactions between libraries can develop including inter-library loans

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of electronic documents stored in either or both the countries. Latest acquisitions, current contents, etc. can be serviced from a country like India which has more investment in its library systems to a country like Nepal or Bhutan or Maldives. The same modality can also be employed for multi-agency cooperation within the country.

92.3 Access to UN Databases

If a country has a Gateway Packet Switch for its external gateway, then retrieval of UN documents can be facilitated as follows:

The United Nations at its offices in New York and Geneva hosts about 1000 conferences every year producing more than one million pages of original documents and distributes 0.4 billion pages of these documents. To cope with this voluminous documentation, UN is switching over to Electronic Document Handling system. The pilot project for this was started in 1988 and completed by the end of 1989. For dissemination of information, a document server with optical disk drives networked through the French IS0 N-based ‘Numeris’ was installed along with a gateway to the North American IS0 N-based ‘Accunet’. The proposed world-wide UN document dissemination system is depicted in Fig. 1 and 2 (courtesy: P. Piguet, Publishing Service, United Nations, Geneva).

By 1995/96, it would be possible for member countries to access the voluminous UN Conference documentation through key-words. We can create Value-added sub- databases from these as relevant to the country, e.g., S&T, Education and Culture. UNESCO may assist the country to take up this matter with the Publishing Service Department of United Nations at Geneva on behalf of the countries who have GPSS gateways so that they can access the UN documentation database as well as UN Bibliographic Information System (UNBIS) through Numeris and Accunet.

9.2.4 INTERNET for Multi-Agency Cooperation

A number of libraries within the country or between countries or between libraries and agencies like UNESCO, UNIDO, WHO, etc. can be facilitated these days through INTERNET. Between developing countries having conducive environment for cooperation, a close user group can be carved out within INTERNET as a well demarcated special interest group. The interaction can be especially fruitful if all the participant countries in the CUG establish a World Wide Web Server in their respective locations. A Union Catalogue of holdings in all the participant libraries can also be worked out within the ambit of this CUG.

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9.3 Training for Library Modernization

Training is the most important component for effecting a smooth transition to modemization in libraries. The process of modemization in India during the 70s and 80s were tardy because of lack of training facilities for library scientists and library staff. Though INSDOC and DRTC did yeomen service by running courses on library modemization year after year over the past decade, quantitatively their combined effort was still inadequate to meet the rising demand for training. Training of personnel a- priori, can be a sop for transition to modemization itself. Availability of trained manpower creates the conditions conducive to initiate computerization and networking programmes in their libraries. It is here that the investments by UNESCO, UNIDO and WHO and others can have maximum investment effectiveness. They can consider giving an impetus to training programmes in various developing coun t&s in the following priority areas:

Developing Informatics skills, so that computerization process can accelerate in the library.

Developing search skills, both on-line and CDROM, so that users of libraries can do involved search of databases like MEDLARS, INFOTERA, AGRIS, FSTA, etc. by themselves.

Developing navigating skills, so that users can learn to navigate through INTERNET for access to international public domain databases includ- ing skills on database search, hyper text&per-media and Web navigation .

Developing conversion skills, so that retrospective conversion can be carried out with least difficulty utilizing modem tools like scanners, OCR, etc.

Developing interactive skills, so that library staff and users can interact with their counterparts in other libraries in their own country or in other countries, while trying to find solutions to problems of modemization, database access, etc. which they had not encountered earlier.

9.4 Conceptual Outlines for a Illustrative set of Pilot Projects

An illustrative set of pilot projects are described below which are derived from the experience in India. There are Indian specialists who have gone through this experience

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who would be available for guiding their counterparts in other countries who are in the initial stage of modemization. It is to be noted that this set of pilot projects is purely representative and not exhaustive.

9.4.1 Typical Library Automation at Initiating level

In the report of the Inter-Agency Working Group on INFLIBNET, the steps for automating certain essential library services in Universities/R&D Institutions have been outlined in the form of flow-charts. These automation exercises refer to what may be called, a Zero Level of automation, i.e., the level at which modemization gets initiated in a conventional Library. The flow charts given in the report for (a) Cataloguing Services, (b) Catalogues/Database Search, (c) BookProcessing/Preparation, (d)Process- ing inter-library loan requests, (e) documents delivery through FAX and (f) a collection development, are given in Annexure-10.

9.4.2 International Gateway Packet Switching System (GPSS)

Packet Switched Data networks constitute the backbone around which networks of computers interact. They are as versatile for applications like electronic mail as they are for information retrieval from remote databases. GPSS is versatile, reliable and cost effective to a high degree. It is the ideal gateway for international data communication. For purposes of connecting a country to international networks including to INTERNET, GPSS is the most fundamental ingredient that must be built as a means for strengthening the country’s own infrastructure. Once the country sets up its GPSS in conformity with the standards every means for international data communication envisaged in the country can be realised automatically.

GPSS can be accessed through dedicated lines using four wire circuits operating at speeds between 1200 and 9600 bps with a reasonable reliability. The connection between the GPSS unit at the Department of Telecom/P&T/P’IT and the Library which is the focal point in the country can be through dedicated lines connected by two modems.

It is worth mentioning that message communication through GPSS is nearly 10 to 15 times cheaper than telex or FAX communication, apart from giving direct access to computers for information retrieval.

GPSS is based on a dedicated computer switching system. The packet switching technology underlying it uses error detection and retransmission techniques to minimise transmission errors and achieves high network efficiency by utilising the system

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resources optimally. Packetisation involves digitization, coding and formatting the information. The information is divided into small segments each accompanied by control information to form ‘packets’. Other control bits superposed on the packet to form a ‘frame’ is transmitted through the network.

The GPSS basically consists of(i) packet switching exchange (PSE), (ii) packet assembler-disassembler (PAD) and (iii) network control centre (NCC). The PSE is the main switching centre with a PC performing multiplexing function. The PAD is a translation facility enabling character mode X.28, data terminal equipment (DTE) to access GPSS. The PAD assembles the characters into packets and vice versa without modifying the message content. At the network control centre, the supervision, control and management functions of the network are carried out.

It is recommended that GPSS for the country conforms to CCITT standards: X.3, X.25, and X.75. A typical GPSS system configuration which may be required to be set up is shown in Fig. 1.

There are two types of DTEs: (i) Synchronous packet mode X.25 and (ii) Asynchronous Character Mode X.28. The former type of DTEs are generally host computers and intelligent terminals and will be able to operate at 2400 bps minimally required for the library. Higher bps rating where possible within the telecom network, can be made use of. They can work with GPSS directly while conforming to X.25 interface protocol. The latter types of DTEs are typically visual display units operating at 2400 bps and less operating in the character mode and hence cannot work with GPSS directly. They need PADS conforming to X.3 interface protocol.

The various possible access modalities to GPSS are shown in the diagram. There are two basic methods: (i) dedicated access using voice grade circuits operating at speeds of 2400/4800 bps normally. Higher speeds are possible if the telecom network in the country enables the same. (ii) Dial up access over the public switch telephone network (PSTN) operating at speeds of 2400 bps or less. The PTT in the country has to allocate network user identification code to the user for connection to GPSS. A pair of modems would be required if communication of data is over voice grade analog circuits.

The basic access modalities to GPSS are the following:

Dial up access can be given to organizations in the country as the external gateway of GPSS who want less frequent querying of the databases. Leased line access can be availed of by the focal points and larger organisations. A remote PAD can be located in the main library.

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I

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Fig. I : Gateway Packet Switching Systems (GPSS)

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The typical cost of online retrieval of information are given for some representa- tive systems.

System US $ for one hour connect time

US $ for one document online

DIALOG 60- 100 0.2 - 0.4 BRS 40 - 60 0.25 - 0.35 ORBIT 50 - 70 0.15 - 0.30 QUESTEL 50 - 65 0.20 - 0.35

The tariff for international communication for GPSS access varies from country to country. Typical range of costs are as follows (in US $):

Connection Charge : Traffic charge :

$0.1 $0.005 per segment

of 64 characters

Transmission of 9000 characters at 1200 bps will take about one minute and cost between one and two US dollars. Transmission of the same message via telex would cost US $15 and 30. Therefore, communication via GPSS can be substantially cheaper for online access type of applications.

The coordination of UNESCO can be beneficial in realising a higher possibility of success to negotiate with ITU for obtaining the same tariff concession as is given to international press.

Similar negotiations with major database vendors for bulk subscription through the good offices of UNESCO may help to standardize and minim& the cost of information retrieval as follows:

One hour connect time on information system: US $40 One document online on information system : US $0.15

Such concessional rates may well be impossible to get by individual countries, but through the coordination of UNESCO there is a higher probability of realizing this in due course.

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It is estimated that more than 10000 databases around the world are available online if a country gets a GPSS system installed. These databases can be accessed directly or through certain umbrella service facilities like EASYNET, DIALOG, BRS, etc.

To access an online system from a computer terminal, a telephone call has to be made to the online system through datacom lines at the domestic and international levels. GPSS facilitates a low cost, high speed and reliable access to online systems which can link up to international transit data networks like BITNET or TYMNET. Depending upon the location of the user organisation, the following alternative is available for connecting to GPSS:

If a country does not have a public data network at the domestic level, then as an interim measure, the country itself may have to set up local PADS in various important libraries. From these locations, the PAD can be reached through a local telephone call. The PAD itself may be connected to GPSS by a leased circuit. Users from other locations may be required to reach one of these local PADS nearest to them through a subscriber trunk dialing call. */

9.4.3 INTERNET Connectivity to Libraries in Developing Countries

INTERNET is a packet switched network and is a unique network of networks using the Transmission Controlled Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and a Protocol Suite, all of which share a common name and address space. Computers on the Internet use compatible communication standards and share the ability to contact each other and exchange data. Users of the Internet communicate mainly through Electronic Mail, via Telnet, a process that allows to log in to a remote host and via implementations of the File Transfer Protocol a protocol that allows them to transfer information on a remote host to their local site.

Currently more than 150 countries have access to the INTERNET , more than networks assigned unique IP network numbers, more than two million hosts and atleast 30 million users world-wide. The Internet facilitates the sharing of resources among the participating organisations including educational institutions, libraries, government agencies and private corporations. It also helps to promote collaboration among researchers and provide a test bed for new developments in networking. Internet includes research sites, universities, Government sites, commercial sites, hospitals, libraries, schools and individuals.

INTERNET is a cooperative group administered network. Each component of the

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network on the Internet has its own administrative body, its own policies and its own procedures and rules. There is no central, overseeing authority for the whole of the Internet. However, important policy decisions come from the National Science Foundation (NSF), administrator of the National ScienceFoundation Network (NSFNET).

Innovations that upgrade the technical quality of the Internet are cooperatively carried out under the auspices of the Internet Architecture Board (IAB), which is a part of the structure of the Internet Society (ISOC). There are a number of task forces, area groups and working groups under IAB which tackle problems and develop solutions.

It is often necessary to distinguish the Internet networks from other networks accessible to the Internet via electronic mail for searching a database, transferring a file or using a remote application, such a demarcation is of considerable use. Internet computers or host accommodate a set of protocols specifically designed to allow resource sharing across networks. A network site is considered Internet site if it has an ‘IP connectivity’, which is tested by pinging the host. ‘Ping’ is a programme that uses a required feature of the Internet Control Message Protocol to elicit a response from a specified host or gateway. If a host is pinged and it responds, then it is on Internet. Another common test is to see if a host will open a Telnet connection. The Internet, however, does not include networks that use TCP/IP protocols , but do not have a connection to the Internet that allows IP connectivity, sites that are accessible only via E-mail, networks built on Suite or protocols other than TCP/IP if all they provide is limited access such as e-mail to and from the intemet.

BITNET, which is a major Wide Area Network and allows only E-mail interaction with Internet is therefore, not considered part of the Internet.

In the past, Internet access was limited to a site connecting its big mainframe computer or its local area networks to the backbone of the Internet or alternatively he could have a dial up account for electronic mail access. Now there are some more developments in Internet access, called, MX Access and Dial-up IP.

MX ((Mail Exchange) record is a special type of record in the Domain Names System (DNS) which is the basis for keeping track of the names and address of all the computers on the Internet. It is possible to have a fully qualified Internet Domain Name even if the site is not an Internet site. This is done by listing MX record for a site in the DNS. The advantages of using MX records that users on the Internet can send mail in one standard format even to sites not directly connected to the Internet This type of Internet access supports only electronic mail.

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Dial up IP networking refers to several types of access. The most basic one refers to using a modem to connect a terminal to a host, thus affording that terminal dial up access to the host. A terminal in this case can be just a dumb terminal or a more sophisticated computer emulating a terminal. This type of dial up access is referred to as ‘dial up e-mail’ access, because it is one method users have traditionally used for such access. Dial up IP applications are built on the Serial Line IP (SLIP) are the point to point protocol (PPP). This protocol allows machines to interact using TCP/IP protocols, but offer a standard dial up phone line instead of a permanent network medium such as ethernet. More than 500,000 hosts are added to the INTERNET each year.

If it is required to connect a site to the Internet, the following steps recommended by Marine etal (in SRI Internet Information Series published by PTR Prentice Hall), is required to be taken:

Obtain a Unique IP Network Number

All library sites wishing to connect to the Internet must obtain an official IP network number. It is also strongly recommended that everyone implementing an IP network obtain a unique network number as well, even if they will not immediately connect to the INTERNET. By obtaining an official IP network number when first setting up a TCP/IP network, a library site is assured for having unique addresses, and is spared the expensive necessity of reconfiguring their address space to a new, unique number if they later join the Internet. Many libraries that do not at first envision joining the Internet do indeed connect eventually. A unique network number is necessary for every network connected to the Internet in order to avoid very unpleasant routing problems.

The central IP registration service provider is the DDN Network Information Centre (DDN NIC) located at Network Solutions, Inc., in Chantilly, Virginia. This central registration site has the authority to choose delegate registries which have the responsibility of performing registration for certain regions. For example, the RIPE Network Coordination Centre coordinates IP network number registrations for Europe, and has the authority to further delegate that responsibility for its region. If one does not know whether there is a registration authority in one’s area, one has to contact the DDN NIC; they can refer to the correct authority.

A registration authority assigns only the network portion of the address. The responsibility of assigning host addresses falls to the requesting organization.

In order to obtain a unique IP network number for one’s library, one will need to

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provide the registration authority with some information about one’s network and who will be acting as Point of Contact for it. Once one returns this information, they will process the application and assign a unique address. One has to contact DDN Network Information Centre to get the most current application for an IP network number.

Establish a Domain

Establishing a domain means adding an entry for the library site into the distributed database the Internet use for name to address resolution. What that means is that other hosts on the network will be able to send traffic to you if they know your host name, and users can specify your host name easily because it will follow the logical pattern of the Domain Name System (DNS).

If you are going to establish a domain under the top-level domain COM, NET, ML ORG. EDU, or GOV, or if you wish to have a top-level country domain delegated to you, contact the DDN NIC.

The DDN NIC will ask you to fill out a form that requests information about the names of your domain, the names and addresses of at least two hosts that will act as name servers.

Points of Contact for administrative and technical matters.

A name server refers to a host that acts as a repository for a portion of the domain database. A name server runs software that allows it to answer queries for DSN data. On the Internet, the most commonly used name server software is BIND, which stands for Berkeley Internet Name Domain Software. The BIND software was written for UNIX systems, but is now available for other platforms.

If you are not able to maintain your own name servers, you must gain the cooperation of two other sites on the Internet willing to provide name service for you. There is no central “public” name service clearing house, so you will have to negotiate such an arrangement yourself. Some network service providers will provide name service for a fee. Some network service providers also coordinate the establishment of your domain with the DDN NIC for you.

If you are going to establish a domain under any op-level domain other than COM, MIL, GOV, EDU, NET, or ORG, you must coordinate with the administrator of the top- level domain under which you wish to join. Sites in countries other than the U.S. join under top-level domains that correspond to the name of their country.

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Install a Router

You will need a machine to act as a gateway between your local network and the Internet. The terms “gateway” and “router” are often heard for these machines. There are many companies that manufacture Internet routers. Your service provider may provide a router or tell you which router to buy. The router vendor and the service provider will give you support when initially configuring your gateway. In many cases, the service provider will actually own the gateway, and may take care of all the details of acquiring and installing one for you. The cost of doing so will, of course, be passed on to you as part of their service.

Rather than buying a special system to act as the gateway between your network and the Internet, you may be able to use a host already on your network as a router. The system must have two or more network interfaces. Each interface would be connected . to one of the networks between which packets will be exchanged. You will need to check with your vendor to see if the network software on your system can provide this type of functionality. If it can, you will then need to configure your systems so that it knows how packets should be routed.

Obtain Proper Software

If you are connecting a TCP/IP network to the Internet, you are already running compatible protocols and will need only to add routing protocols necessary as described above.

If you are connecting a network that is based on protocols other than TCP/IP, you will need to make sure that your gateway can understand the TCP/IP-based traffic receives from the Internet, and is able to convert it to a form understandable by the rest of the hosts on your network. Your service provider, gateway vendor, or LAN vendor can probably guide you.

Order Circuits

Most sites connecting to the Internet in the U.S. connect via dedicated lines leased from a phone company. Sites in various countries often connect in other ways, such as via satellites, fiberoptic cables, or microwave dishes.

You can lease lines of different speeds; the faster lines are more expensive. You may also need to estimate the amount of traffic you will be sending at peak times so that you may make sure you order lines that able to handle your expected capacity. Again,

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your service provider will guide you in knowing what to ask for with the telephone company. In fact, some service providers will arrange this for you for a fee.

Resource discovery services now help users locate and retrieve information. These services contain tools for browsing, searching and organizing information distributed throughout the Internet. Browsing tools let users navigate the information space to find the specific data they need. Indexing search tools automatically locate relevant data on the basis of user interest. Independent of the approach used, resources discovery services can also help users organ& new found information so that they can refer to it without having to repeat the entire discovery process.

9.4.4.Setting up of a CDROM Network at NIC

The case study of CDROM networking at NIC has been described in a paper presented by N. Kapila at the International Conference on ‘Database Production and Distribution’ held under the auspices of INFOTEX 1993, published by Tata McGraw- Hill Publishing Company Limited, and edited by Dr. N. Seshagiri, Dr. Ravichandra Rao and N.V. Satyanarayana, pages 406-413. Further, a 500 CD mountable Jukebox is linked to NICNET through CDNET.

This exercise has given a system integration and software development knowhow to specialists at NIC. This experience can be utilized for assisting libraries in other developing countries through the good offices of multi-lateral agencies like UNESCO.

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ANNEXURES

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Annexure-1

Excerpts from the Report of the Planning Commission Working Group on Modernization of Libraries, July 1984

Part B: Informatics and Computer Applications

1. Background

1.1 Information as a Resource:

Information technology is an area of fundamental importance to the economic development of a nation as it plays potential part in the development of the nation’s industrial and commercial base. The importance of information technology has been recognised by the governments and industries of most of the developed countries. Like materials and energy, information is a basic resource and the critical questions about any resource also apply to information: who has it, who wants it, how can you get it, and at what terms? These questions are timeless; new information technologies are changing only the answers.

1.2 Role of Information in Planning:

Science and technology are not simply to be applied to development - they are an essential part of development. They are inextricably bound up with the social, economic and political parameters of development. A correct policy decision is a vital factor for the successful development of society, economy, science and technology. Furthermore, a right policy decision stems from the analysis of relevant information. For this reason information is the main basis for policy decision and the process of policy decision is the process of transforming information into action. Thus the ability to analyse relevant information is needed by every country to keep pace with the trends of modem technology and to maintain an advantageous competitive position in the international field. for this, several new information techniques and concepts have been evolved over the years. One such concept is “informatics”.

1.3 Informatics

Informatics is “the processes, methods and laws related to the recording, analytical/ synthetical processing, storage, retrieval and dissemination of information but not the information as such which is attributed to a respective discipline”. Informatics relate to all problems and methods affecting information. The development of this concept is

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greatly catalysed by the developments in microelectronics and communication. New information technologies are predominantly based on advances in the area of Microelectronics and communications. The development of microelectronics, which gave birth to miracle chips, have not only increased the reliability but also reduced the size of integrated circuits and increased the speed of operation several fold. New manufacturing methods of these miracle chips have led this to mass production and the effect of this is the fall in prices dramatically. The net effect of these advances is the significant improvement in data/information processing capability for a given cost. This means that organisations with large processingrequirementscan fulfil1 theirrequirements at lower cost and at the same time organisation with small to medium requirements can also be able to invest in appropriate equipment. Libraries demonstrate this trend very well. In 60’s libraries used computing equipment owned by their parent organisation or hired computing time of other organisations in order to maximise the utilization of computers. During the 70’s, the mini computer began to appear on the horizon of libraries, and in the 80’s the use of microcomputer applications in libraries is a common phenomenon because of the flexibility.

It provides:

1) Improved control over library operations

2) Improved management and control of the information collection

31 Improved/new services for the users, and

4) Prevents duplication of efforts.

2.0 Information Infrastructure : Indian Scene

2.1 Introduction :

The National capabilities for making knowledge and information accessible, for the transfer of knowledge and information and therefore for putting knowledge to work are often referred to as a country’s information infrastructure. Major component of infrastructure are the libraries and information centres.

2.2 Purpose :

The important function of the libraries/information centres is the dissemination of information to all categories of user. Dissemination of information can be done through

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various communication media, oral or written, formal or informal.

The purpose of an information dissemination service is as follows:

(a) To keep the users abreast of current developments, in their respective areas of interest,

W To inform about current additions of documents to the library,

(cl To provide information which may help to solve technical problems and to promote technical advances and modernisation,

(d) To provide relevant information and comparative data about products or processes,

Cd To provide an exhaustive list of documents with or without annotations/ abstracts on a specific topic.

2.3 Information Services:

Some services are provided on request or expressed need, others in anticipation of the needs of users. some services may be specifically directed to a user, others may be provided as a common service. A list of the services which can be rendered by libraries/ information centres is given below:

A Reference Service

1. Ready Reference Service 2. Referred Service 3. Reader Guidance 4. Literature Search

B. Current Awareness Services

5. Current Titles 6. Research in Progress 7. Selective Dissemination of Information (SDI) 8. Newspaper Clipping

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c. Information Analysis and Products

9. Abstracting Service

9.1 Abstracts of Technical Papers 9.2 Patent Abstracts

10. Extracts 11. Data Service 12. State-of-Art Report/trend Report Service 13. Critical compilations and reviews 14. Technical Enquiry Services/Special Services to Management 15. Management Digest 16. Information Services for R&D Planning

D. Supporting Services

17. Liaison Services 18. Translation Service 19. Reprographic Service 20. Editorial and Publishing

2.4 Current Scene:

Recognising the importance of these information services, a vast infrastructure has been created in India in the past.These are in the form of Public Libraries and Libraries/ Information Centres of Central Government Ministries/Departments, Autonomous bodies like ICMR, ICAR, CSIR, Academic/ResearchInstitutes. In 1972, the government decided to have an integrated network of all these Information Centres. Accordingly, project NISSAT - National Information system for Science and Technology was formulated and initiated during the years 1974-77. Through this scheme, coordination and promotion of information systems is planned. In 1977 Electronics Commission established National Informatics Centre (NIC) for providing on-line information service to government departmental organisations, among others.

In addition to these major infrastructure several other organisations have evolved, in their specialised areas, infrastructure that would cater to the specialists’ needs. The INSDOC caters to the general information requirements of the scientific and technical community. It has in coordination with NISSAT project, evolved latest information processing techniques for introduction, at various levels.

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2.5 Low Impact:

Though there existed a vast information infrastructure in the country, its impact has been rather low. The information services offered are not effective. The two main reasons that can be attributed for this low impact of existing information services are:

(9 Services provided are only reaching a limited circle of users, namely scientists in institutions of higher learning and advanced research.

(ii) Lack of user awareness and familiarity with the information services available.

This calls for the need to provide training of users in traditional as well as modem techniques for information retrieval.

The aim of modernisation of Library and Information services is: readers should have access to a comprehensive bibliographic system that allows them to identify and locate material and to obtain it at a reasonable cost without delay. The application of computer and telecommunications technology is rightly considered as a means to achieve this aim.

3.0 Computer Applications in Libraries

3.1 Areas of Applications:

The application of computer in libraries can be grouped into two main groups:

(i) House-keeping routines, (ii) Information retrieval operations:

Information retrieval is concerned with meeting the information/specific requirements of the users, where and when it is required by authors, subject etc. Besides using large library catalogues (in machine readable form) for this purpose, enormous number of data bases have been developed over the last 10 years in diverse disciplines. Such data bases are being used not only for exchange of bibliographic data (e.g. through tapes in MARC format) but also for conducting on-line searches for specific queries.

House-keeping application include aspects of serial control,circulation control, cataloging, ordering and acquisition and collection of management statistics. During the last two decades much progress has been achieved in these activities. The impact of these

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activities is very much noticeable in certain parts of the world - USA , UK, etc. For example, in acquisition operation, Blackwell Bookline enable libraries to link into Blackwell computer system and interrogate the extensive file about the million bibliographic records and generate an order.

The circulation control system is another important house-keeping operation which is very amenable to computerisation. In late 60’s and early 70’s batch processing was done for circulation purpose. Now, we have systems such as Automatic Library system, Plessey, etc. which provide sophisticated on-line circulation control.

Computerisation of house-keeping routines have been in existence during the last twodecades. however, integrated systems capable of handling different subsystems such as acquisition, cataloging, circulation control etc. are now increasingly developed and used. In the extent of sophistication of such systems during the last few years can be best described by OCLC as an example.

This database contain the same type of bibliographic and statistical information that librarians and information scientists previously accessed with the aim of printed directories, listing, indexes and bibliographies. The computer based information retrieval is more convenient and provides more flexibility and comprehensive retrieval than a manual system.

3.2 Indian scenario:

Several organisations have been experimenting with the use of computers in handling information. Some of the organisations which have been involved in these activities are:

(i) Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, (BARC) Bombay

(ii) Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Bombay

(iii) National Informatics Centre (NIC), New Delhi

(iv) Documentation Research & Training Centre (DRTC), Bangalore

(v) Indian National Scientific Documentation Centre (INSDOC), New Delhi.

(vi) Indian Institutes of Technology (III’s).

(vii) Bharat Heay Electrical Limited (BHEL), Hyderabad

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INSDOC has used computers in jobs like, preparation of indexes to various publications, processing of union catalogues, data compilation, inventory of serial publication, preparing directories etc.

BARC, TIFR and IITs have also used computers for certain library operations. BARC has been experimenting the SD1 services with INIS data base, whereas DRTC has developed programmes for SD1 services using ICL 1901 computers. This system has been applied in the SD1 services being offered to the users in the BHEL complex. DRTC has also developed a system called DOCFINDER.

Large scale computer application in information field has been made in late 70’s with the introduction of SD1 service by INSDOC in collaboration with the IIT Madras. The project was supported by UNISIST and was based on CAN/SD1 software. SD1 services were offered against 130 profile users from India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, etc. Given below are some of the highlights of computerisation efforts in informatics/bibliographic field in a chronological order:

Computerization of Bibliographic Process Highlights since 1964

Year EVENT

1964 INSDOC/IIT Kanpur efforted to bring out National Union Catalogue of Scientific Serials using IBM/1620 computer.

1968-69 INSDOC’s efforts for using of computers to the development of information products:

8 Use of IBM/l 620 model at Delhi School of Economics for “Roaster of Technical Translators in India”

ii) Author and Subject Indices for Indian Science Abstracts (ISA) using IBM 360/44 at Delhi University computer Centre.

1970 0 Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) started participating at INIS.

ii) TIER library catalogues based on Annual acquisitions (presently no computer-related activities of library)

iii) DOCFINDER developed at DRTC, Bangalore.

1976 CHEM/SDI information retrieval system jointly operated by INSDOC, New Delhi

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and IIT, Madras, (Currtently operated with the INSPEWOMPENDEX data base)

Several interim tests with on-line information retrieval services linking in India with major data base centres in Europe.

1976

1977

1978

1980

1980

1981

1981

1983

1984

For On-line retrieval of information FRASCATI in Rome was linked to TIFR, Bombay (in 1976) & New Delhi (in 1981)

DRTC developed a package of ICL 1901 computer system for SD1 service for BHEL, Hyderabad.

Electronics Commission (IPAG) New Delhi used HP 21 MX mini computer system and developed bibliographic data base for library books on an experimental basis for inhouse utilisation.

Beginning of Automatic Thesaurus Generation efforts at DRTC, Bangalore.

Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad developed (i) Computerised Periodicals Management System & (ii) Computerised Books Procurement System.

IBM 360/44 computer system on an off-line, batch processing mode was used.

“Union Catalogue of Scientific Conference Proceedings: A pilot Fascicule” - Brought out by INSDOC using IBM 360/44 computer system.

National Informatics Centre (NIC) at Electronics Commission (IPAG), New Delhi developed an integrated online bibliographic database for library documents using CDC Cyber 170/720 main frame computer system.

NIC’s Library Data Base accessed by NICNET (NIC Computer Network) members connected to Cyber System.

Computer terminal installed at NIC Library for its information retrieval jobs from NIC library.

The National Informatics Centre has developed a Pilot system for the National

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Medical Library for providing medical information and also a retrieval System based on the Constitution of India was developed for Ministry of Law, Justice and Company Affairs.

3.3 ON-Line Bibliographic Data Bases

A typical database can be accessed by typing search request into a terminal which is linked to a remote computer. The end product of a brief interactive session with the computer is a list of references to the published literature. Today maze than 100 databases, covering most of the disciplines, are available to users. While many of these databases are already available in hard copy (paper abstracts or indexes), it is recognized that on-line information retrieval is markedly superior to manual searching even of the same sources.

Advantages of on-line databases searching are given below:

(i) Computer is very adept at searching long files,

(ii) On-line searching offers greater flexibility than manual systems, since natural language supplied by a user as well as controlled language taken from various thesaurus can be used as access terms to find reference. Another advantage is that single and multiple word terms, or even truncated terms, can be fed into the computer. The procedure is further enriched with the use of boolean logic. Two or more words can be linked together with AND or OR operator, as in a Venn diagram. The computer picks out specific references which satisfy the search strategy.

(iii) Specially advantageous for multi-disciplinary research problems, which bring together several subjects; here a scientist need not be familiar with the fields to affect a successful search.

(iv) Contain up-to-date information and obtains a customized print out of the search results for future consultation.

An on-line bibliographic data base was developed by National Informatics Centre(NIC) in 1980. This system is described in the following paragraphs.

3.4 System on electronics

3.4.1 Library Computerisation Project

The major achievement of NIC Library during 1980-83 is the establishment of an

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on-line bibliographic data base for documents in the library created on CYBER 170/730 computer system. CYBER 170/730 is a general purpose main frame computing system with interactive terminal facilities. A feasibility/requirements study was made to identify the features required in the computer based library system to be designed. The Data Base approach was adopted for implementing the system because of the distinct advantages of data Base Management System (DBMS).

Objectives

0)

(ii)

(iii)

(iv>

(v>

(vi>

Provide users rapid access to bibliographic information in an interactive, on-line mode;

Provide an easy to use language so that the non-computer personnel can use it;

Bring out information services like current awareness services, selective dissemination of information (SDI) etc;

Facilitate compilation of bibliographies, digests, abstracts, bulletins etc. on a specific topic;

Facilitate preparation of various types of indices; and

Perform routine library operation such as circulation control, etc.

3.4.2 Features of the system

The system has been designed around the NIC library activities. As of 1984, there are about 7,000 document references in the data base. The document types are books, collected works, multivolume publications, standards, reports, journals, journal articles. All operations like data loading, retrieval, reports generation and modification are performed on-line using terminals connected to CYBER System. Retrieval and data updation is done in an interactive mode. The data base can also be accessed through any computer (like HP- 1000, LSI/2, etc.) connected to CYBER System and operating within NICNET (NIC Computer Network).

3.4.3 Details of sub-systems computerised:-

(i) On-line Data Base Search (Information Retrieval).

(ii) Current Awareness Services such as List of new Books added, Selected

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(iii)

(iv>

(VI

(vi)

articles from Journals and Current news update.

Cataloging: Two products related to cataloging are produced - Author/ Title catalogue and Book cards.

Current Serials Control: Complete information regarding a journal and its holdings in library are maintained and a list of journals with indexes such as UDC, Permuted Keyword Index, journal type index and KWIC Title Index for journal titles is brought out.

Circulation control: Issue and Return of books is done with provision of reminder generation for overdue books.

Preparation of indices, compilation of bibliographies etc. KWIC and KWOC type indices can be prepared for any input text.

3.4.4 Performance of the System:

The Library Data Base has been successfully established and the data base is available to users as an interactive on-line information retrieval system. A manual ‘User Primeron BISETBibliographicInformation SystemforElectro-Technology’isprepared, for convenience of users.

3.4.5 Newspaper Current Awareness Service:

Besides the establishment of computer based data base, library has introduced a computerised current awareness service for Newspaper items of importance on electronics and computers. For this purpose, the news items are collected from about 20 Daily newspapers and reindexed with a special classification code devised for the news items only. A weekly service ‘Current News Update’ is brought out and the news item data, May 1982 onwards is available for on-line retrieval.

It is evident that on-line information retrieval will be indispensable to productive research. Librarians must seek to understand and adopt this new technology.

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4.0 Library and Information Networks

4.1 Need for resource sharing

Almost all libraries have been forced to reduce theirbookpurchases and subscription lists to journals and other serial publications under the onslaught of stable or diminishing acquisition budgets coupled with double digit inflation. Libraries traditional goals of self sufficiency and development of in-depth collections in all areas of active research can no longer be considered realistic. Instead collection policy now reflects the needs of today’s programme only. Collecting in the areas of peripheral research interest is a luxury most libraries can ill afford. The long term implication of current policy is not attractive. With materials acquired principally in all areas of immediate interest, libraries will lack the breadth to accommodate new or changing research directions.

Increased inter-library borrowing is a possible solution to satisfy these needs. On- line bibliographic searching has contributed to increased demands for inter-library loans as computer based systems identify obscure but pertinent sources of information. The most practical solution to the library budget crunch is the adoption by libraries of computer technology to assist the development of resource sharing systems. But development of faster, more efficient delivery systems is also essential to their success. With library computer networks the first step towards network resource sharing was taken in 1979, when OCLC (Ohio College Library Catalogue) initiated its inter-library loan system. To date, the networks have emphasised services such as shared cataloguing over resource sharing.

All in all, it appears that the future of library lies in inter-library cooperation mediated by computerisation of library resources. Thus equipped, we should be better able to match the user and the information with a minimum of wasted time and resources.

4.2 Networking

In our context of library/information services, network consists of information users, sources, programmes and projects with links between them. A node may be devoted to one specific discipline or mission or may cover a broader range of disciplines. The links among the nodes are formed on the basis of:

a) Common objectives;

b) Shared knowledge of the operations of all participants;

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c) Comparability among the operations;

d) Practical working arrangements for collaborative efforts to increase and t accelerate information flow; and

e> Each participant, while maintaining autonomy of action, should have access to several sources in the networks, thereby facilitating better information service to users of all categories.

An important aspect of co-operation, resource sharing and networking is the adoption of compatible standards and methods in information handling, techniques and tools including telecommunications and computer hardware and software.

With the availability of microcomputers at very economical prices the day to day routine operations have been considered for computerisation in most of the major libraries. It appears to be a solution for problems in this area. The concept of networking in library information system is not a new concept. Mechanisms for cooperation among library and information centres by sharing of resources have been in operation in one form or other for several decades. While cooperative agreement among libraries and information centres have existed for decades, the concept of library and information system network was developed only since the mid-seventies.

The network concept is exciting because it helps to provide to all individuals regardless of his geographical location, facilities to search libraries located at far away locations. Networking is only an extension of traditional form of inter-library cooperation; it transforms a loose federation of library collection or information system into a formal integrated organisational structure whose potential for rendering services is far greater than some of its constituents. It provides an increased degree of independence of previously autonomous institution on services, increased response time and decreased time gap between planning and implementation.

The library and information networks will not only reduce the publication of intellectual effort and expenses incurred in providing duplicate coverage of the same material but also increase the opportunity for meeting performance of specific service through enhancing the speed and comprehensiveness ofcoverage and reduce the number of sources that users will require to find out the required information. In effect, library and information network eliminates size and distance and language limitation for the community of users, through resource sharing, the interaction between library and information centres by network centres reveals more of the library sytem and provides

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services with a tremendous saving in cost.

4.3 Development of National Library and Information Network

The importance of library and information network as a powerful national force is being recognised by the government, industry and education. The national library and information networks are means of achieving national objectives for effective utilisation of information and technological innovation in decision making, research and education. Recent developments have emphasised the need to focus more attention on the planning of library and information network at the national level. The primary objective of such network is to share the nation wide resources and their development to fulfil the information requirement of users at all levels.

4.3.1 Objectives of the Network

The objectives of the national library and information network should be

(9 (ii) (iii) (iv> (VI (vi> (vii) (viii) (ix> 6) 64 (xii) (xiii)

(xiv)

Cost effective information storage and maintenance Optimum utilisation of existing library information System Provision of current awareness services with minimum delay Maintenance of union catalogue Inter library loan Cooperation among member libraries Access to information resource within the country and other countries Evolution of national standard for information handling Provision of research and development transmission facility Provision of document transmission facility Transition facilities Maintenance and operation of the network Development of facilities for education and training in library and information science

.

Adoptation of new techno-economical solutions.

In order to achieve these things certain basic functions have to be carried out by the network. Some of this could be to

a) Identify the present information requirement of users at all levels and forecast future requirement in the light of national development, plans and policies.

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b) Develop the existing libraries and information system, their information resources and services, and provide new ones where necessary, according to present and future requirements of users, through cooperative acquistion and processing.

4.3.2 Information sources

Assessment of information requirements is of fundamental importance because information resources are severely limited in most countries, especially in developing countries, and their needs of economic and social development means certain activites are given priority in the allocation of resources and therefore, require a complimentary investment in the provision of use of information.

The goals vary depending upon the expenditure of natural resources and the nature of human skills, the availability of foreign capital and expertise and the direction of human aspiration within the country.

Future development of information services must start from what exists and what is required. This means that any assessment of information requirement should

4 Indicate what types of information and information services are needed for the various types of users and the uses

b) Assess how far existing services can meet these needs with-out significant extension and modifications

c> Forecast on the basis of trends in education, research and development with regard to socio-economic development.

4.3.3 Development steps

The planning and development of information resources will involve

(i) Allocation of responsibility to various libraries and information centres in the network for building strong collections in specialised subject fields

(ii) Evolving of a common operational procedure

(iii) Development of a uniform classification scheme and thesaurus

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_,.. ,,I _._^ ” .,.. ._I^__. ..ewy-_ I _. ..- _--, ~_I_. _ .__ .---..- -

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(iv) Adoption of numbering procedures like ISBN etc.

(v) Development of necessary tools and techniques for efficient economic and processing of retrieval

(vi) Provision of modem reprography facility

(vii) Phasewise installation of computer systems

(viii) Gateway development to international networks

4.3.4 Structure of the Network

The national library and information network could be a confederation to enable its components operating under variety of ownership and jurisdiction. Each has its autonomy but operates under certain accepted norms to enable information exchange.

Each of the participants organisation follow certain standards that are evolved and approved by the Central Executive Committee so that information exchange is possible. The confederation model could be considered in the context for efficient information flow and linking of various bodies in different regions in the country and also the Central agencies. This could be based on a grid system where the central agencies are linked with several regional ones and local ones with regional ones located in the nearest geographical proximity. This would also facilitate interconnection between certain regional or specialised libraries, to where there could requests from all over the country could be addressed.

The structure of the network should facilitate, library oriented resource sharing services which include shared cataloguing, remote catalogue access, direct message routing, automatic hierarchical routing, inter library loan, circulation and inter library loan record control, serial and citation retrieval, both for and by users.

4.3.5 Implementation aspects

The library network has to be evolved over the years. Certain steps have already been initiated by NISSAT and NIC in this regard. Further steps have to be initiated in evolving cataloguing techniques, operational procedures and standards for efficient communication between various libraries in the network. For cohesive development & speedy implementation a single agency shoudbe identified t.o coordinate these activities. This agency should solicit advise from the participating libararies and experts to evolve a master plan for the network. The implementation should emphasize the top down

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approach as it will have the maximum effect.

5.0 Connection to International Network Links and Online Database Services

Access to sources of information can be obtained through a number of information service products. In most of the developing countries, the traditional printed material products like abstracting/indexing services, bibliographies, statistical compilations, handbooks, etc. still continue to be the principal access tools. In some cases, new products like magnetic tapes for off-line or batch-mode searching on local computer facilities are also available. But new technologies, such as on-line access to information systems through telecommunication networks, have opened alternative and eficient channels of access which are becoming more and more popular in developed countries. The Directory of On-line Databases (Vol. 3 No. 3, Spring 1982) lists as many as 1133 commercially available databases throughout the world. This indicates the speed with which the on-line concept has spread within about fifteen years of its introduction. With further progress in information technology the practice of online bibliographic searching is bound to become more common and more databases will be available on-line on better terms. Even now, the production and distribution of databases and making them available on-line has become a huge industry.

The databases that are being offered by the industry may be divided into two broad categories according to the type of information contained in them. They are: (1) referenced databases, that refer users to other sources for complete information, and (2) source databases, that themselves contain the primary source of information. In the fast category are included bibliographic databases (e.g. MEDLINE, COMPENDEX) and referral databases (e.g. TECHNOTEC).

Source data base include numeric databases (e.g. EUROSTAT), textual numeric databases (e.g. THERMODATA) and full-text databases, which contain records of the complete text of an item or other primary source (e.g. NEXIS, containing full texts of general and business news from a variety of periodicals).

The database is the principle product or commodity with which the data-base industry is concerned. Like all economic commodity this industry has also the principal components of producer, distri butor, and consumer. A database producer is an Organisation that compiles information and makes it available - in the computer-readable form. There are a number of ways in which a producer can make its data base available on-line. In the distribution line are the vendors or operators, also called hosts or host computers. They are organizations that provide database services to end-users or to intermediaries

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such as library information centres and brokers. There are, of course, vendors who produce information and also distribute it electronically (e.g:CYBERNET). A typical vendor operation involves a computer, magnetic disk storage devices and telecommunication equipment. They are the major hardware component. In addition, there are databases, obtained from different producers, a staff of specialists in areas such as database design, computer programming, etc, training, customer support and accounting/billing. It is estimated that there are now about 200 vendor organizations, mostly located in North America and Western Europe. the most prominent names being DIALOG (in USA), IP Sharp (in Canada), DIMDI (in FRG) and CISI (in France).

The essential link between the vendors or operators and the users is provided by organizations known as carriers. Carriers are public and private organizations that provide telecommunication network services.

In the USA, carriers such as TYMNET and TELENET dominate the data-base transportation market, while in Western Europe national and regional networks, such as TRANSPAC, EURONET and the European Space Agency, are the main carriers.

As intermediary users, brokers, also called information retailers or custom information services are becoming popular. They are public or private organizations that offer information services for a fee. Individuals and small organizations that require information but are not in a position to invest in a terminal, training and other costly input for using database directly prefer to use the services of brokers. In India, at least two firms, namely Constellate Consultants (Delhi) and Informatics India Pvt. Ltd. (Bangalore) are functioning as brokers to some extent.

The database users can be of two types: (1) in-house intermediaries: such as librarians and information scientists, planners, administrators, and (2) real end-users: such as scientists, economists and financial analysts.

Having considered the operation and mode of access to on-line services, the question arises at what cost such access is available. In general, it can be seen, that the ultimate costs to the users will be in direct proportion to the amount of investment made in the creation of databases in terms of acquisition of source documents, indexing/ abstracting, data input; operation of services by vendors, including hardware and software costs; the charges of the carrier organizations for providireg telecommunication link and so on. However, to give a more realistic estimate, four major costs are usually considered from the point of view of users. They are: (1) charges for the use of databases On-line, (2) terminal and equipment costs, (3) telecommunication cost, and (4) costs for user aids.

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Pricing policies for use charges vary considerably according to the type of supplier and the type of database. Charges are also made on various accounts, such as subscription fees (varying from a few hundred dollars to over $15,000 per year), mothly minimum, connect time (ranging from $25 to $300 per hour), Computer resource unit (charges for the use of the CPU and the amount of input/output required to read and write disks and interact with the user’s terminal), information resource units (on the basis of actual information used), disk storage, on-line and off-line printing, and start-up fees (for setting up of the account, initial training and mat&I).

Users of on-line database services have to maintain terminal equipment, such as a teletype terminal and, normally, a modem. A printer is necessary if the terminal is a video display type. Costs for this equipment range from$ 4000 to 10,000. New technologies are bringing these prices down to $800 to $ 1,500.

Some of the time-sharing companies include telecommunication costs in their hourly connect fees. Most other online services charge users separately for telecommunication costs. Within USA, these costs are approximately $5 per connect hour. International telecommunication rates differ considerably for different countries. They vary from $20 to $40 per hour of connection.

Some on-line services and database producers provide free user aids, such as searching manuals and other guides. But more frequently, there are charges for these materials. In addition, there may be charge for training sessions which can range from $25 to !§ 150.

The on-line database are part of the information market that is rapidly growing. However, very few of the developing countries are taking advantage of these services. In India, in view of the advances that we have made in the areas of telecommunications and the experiences that we have gained in working with computers and the availability of trained personnel in such work, the time has come to work towards getting access to some of the international networks and bring the benefits of the on-line databases to our scientists, engineers, economists, administrators and others. Apart from strengthening our technological capabilities we have to give proper attention to the organisational aspect of using the on-line services. In fact, within the country, we have to bring about a domestic network of facilities. This will be more so in our case because individual organizations will not be able to participate of their own in the access to on-line services. Each organization in specific subject will be doing so as a national agency for the benefit

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of the entire information seeking community in the particular subject field.

6.0 New Information Technologies

Contemporary information technology embodies convergence of interest between electronics, computing and communications, being prompted by therapiddevelopments in microelectronics. Following is an example to show how non-conventional task may be amended when electronic technology is introduced.

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Type of activity Conventional activity

Electronic office activity (activities)

Electronic message system (EMS)

Telephone Telephone:

- voice store and forward - sophisticated digital

Telex Telegram Internal mail

PO mail

Meetings Teleconferencing

Document prepa- ration systems @P 9

Shorthand Dictation to personal receiver or to central recording svstem over telephone

Longhand Keyboarding, voice recognition

VPh - cut and paste

Word processing Text-manipulation

- error correction fluid

- total retype ~ Carbon copies

Word processing Word processing Photocap), disk

Spirit duplication Photocopy

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exchanges with numerous advanced features (camp-on, group hunting, call redirect, etc.)

Telex, Teletex Teletex fascimile communicating word processors, computer-based electronic mail

Communicating wordprocessors, computer-based electronic mail, view data system &teletex systems.

- “ - - - -

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Photocopy Intelligent copier, image scanner/image printer.

Typesetting In-house photo services composition

Computer Output Microfil (COM)

It helps in taking the computer output into microfilm format which wilI facilitate disseminating in a full survey.

Top-level decision-making on a real-time basis depends upon the telephone and the text, for the long distance communications through Post & Telegraph (P&T) channels.

Satellite are of interest for full text communication systems for two main reasons. One is that of high frequencies that are used which implies wide bandwidth with large information capacity and also they are multiport networks, i.e. unlike terrestrial links which are usually one-one (but can be specially configured otherwise), satellites can be many-many, many-one, one-many, or one-one as desired by users. In the area of information transfer, one users could access many libraries, or simultaneously, many user could access the same library, etc.

This means that different libraries, even city libraries, could have such aerial linking them into a national or multi-national information system. With INSAT-1B becoming operational since October, 1983, the Post & Telegraph Department has started circuit loading to supplement the existing terrestrial telecommunication network. The satellite will eventually provide for 5,000 two-way long distance telephone circuits. Yet improvement on voice and data communications is only part of the answer. NIC of DOE is in the process to get INSAT-1B channel dedicated to transmitting computer data at high speeds, and have asked Indian Telephone Industries (I.T.I.) to design roof top earth stations to link government office computer terminals with INSAT-1B. Any government agency or other related organizations having a computer terminal can then have access to information and data of the network resources.

With this background, let us examine some of the new techniques that can be used for

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modernisation of library and information services.

The new information technologies can be broadly grouped as under:

Image

Facsimile Video Conferencing

Text

Electronic Mail Video text/teletex systems Word Processors Intelligent Copiers

6.1 Facsimile:

Facsimile machines provide arapid means of transmitting hard copy information. Documents are electronically scanned, and the pulses representing dark and light parts of the page are transmitted by telephone lines.

The facsimile can be used both as a transmitter and a receiver. When used as transmitter, it scans original documents rolled on its drum, converts the light and dark areas into electronic signals and then sends over telephone lines. At the other end of the line, facsimile in the receiver mode, receives these signals and records the transmitted images on an electro-sensitive paper.The result is an exact reproduction of the original in black and white, with proper grey lines. This is permanent and clear enough to be used as an original for making copies by standard copying machine. Colour originals are also reproduced in black and white with proper grey shades. Photographs can be reproduced in a legible manner with all modes depicted in different shades of grey.

The matter of a whole page, upto a maximum size of 2 10 X 197 mm, may be sent across the country in 4 to 6 minutes. e.g. ECIL’s facsimile (EC FAX 601) is the first of its kind in the country, made by the public sector under DAE (Department of Atomic Energy) with complete indigenous technology. Facsimile is both superior to telephone and telex. Though, as fast as a telephone call, it is inexpensive and drastically cuts telephone time on lengthy verbal explanations. It scores over telex which transmits only alpha-numberals. The advantages of the FAX system widens its scope for

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application to library and information science field.

6.2 Video Conferencing

This refers to systems which allow two or more people in geographically distant locations to conduct a meeting while both seeing and hearing each other. Two types of video-conferencing can be achieved: ‘continuous picture’ which requires high speed transmission lines, and ‘slow scan’ which provides an updated picture every 10 to 20 seconds and which consequently requires much lower speedof transmission lines. The latter system is paricularly suitable for document and chart display.

6.3 Electronic Mail

Electronic Mail is generally considered to be the delivery, via electronic means, of messages that would otherwise be transmitted physically through the postal system or verbally via the telephone.

Much of the interest in electronic mail systems is from the inadequacies of the postal service and the telephone in today’s business environmentWhen linked to data communication network, most personal computers, word processors and computer terminals can be programmed to send and receive messages. In such a system, the computer acts as a post office for receiving and transmitting messages which can be put in or taken out through a peripheral device such as video terminal or a teletype.

Electronic mail offers the speed and convenience of a telephone call without the problem of having ‘call back’ messages and it allows theoption of retaining a permanent copy of; the message. Transmission may be stored until the addressee retrieves them at his convenience. The user can then ‘call upon this ‘mailbox’ to get all messages displayed either on video terminal, or printed out on a peripheral device. These messages can be read and responded to at the user’s convenience.

Telexes, facsimile, communicating word processors, etc. are the tools available for implementing electronic mail. Any of these devices can be linked to a central computer so that the recipient can call for any messages waiting for him and have them either displayed or printed. In short, ‘electronic mail’ can be called as ‘realtime information’.

Teletype as we know it, will need to be adapted to meet the requirements posted by data communications within the framework of electronic mail. A new generation of telex terminals are available with features normally provided with word processors

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such as video terminals, floppy disks and matrix printers. These new systems can enable outgoing messages which can be automatically stored for retrieval later. The new generation of telex systems will not only allow for a good quality printout but also result in improved transmission speeds which will cut data communication costs.

In India, it will be upto organizations such as Hindustan Teleprinters Ltd. (HTL) to replace the present electro-mechanical teleprinters with electronic devices suited for high speed data transmissions. Then only existing telex network be integrated with local are; networks to make electronic mail a reality in India.

6.4 Videotext/teletext Systems

There is much confusion over the various terms in the videotext field. Basically, Videotext is the generic term covering the use of a television set to display information. Videotext describes these systems which transmit data using telephone lines.

Teletext describes those systems which transmit data using public TV broadcast system.

In UK the term viewdata is often used to mean videotext. As videotext is the internationally accepted name let us use this one. Videotext combines modified television sets, (called digital TVs) the telephone network, and computer systems to provide an information transaction and message service. Use of mass public communication services, particularly telephone and television, to access computer based information databases is spreading the availability of computer power well beyond the realms of technical expert.

6.4.1 Benefits of videotextfor some potential public service applications are given as under:

Information Main source Videotext benefits

Closing times/prices of public facilities (school, libraries

Phone-in Accessibility, convenience

Weather Newspaper/Radio/ TV Timeliness

Libraries Card catalogues aqess at home

Convenience, efficiency,

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Service to handicapped Personal help Independence, flexibility

Government/Administrative Phone-in-guides Accessibility

Consumer advice Magazines Updatability, size of database.

Road conditions Phone-in, radio Timeliness

Health/first aid Brochures, books Accessibility

Agriculture at home

Magazine, Information Centres

Timeliness, access

Community Bill boards, Newspapers

Accessibility

6.4.2 Library Applications

Ohio College Library Centre (OCLC) provides one of the largest on-line cataloguing and bibliographic services to 2800 libraries in North and South America. Its ‘Channel 2000’ is a good example of a well designed videotext trial. It combines a precise definition of objectives, an innovative use of videotext, a sobriety in the technical approach and a collaboration with the commercial information providers. OCLC undertook its videotext trial with the collaboration of Bane One, a local bank. OCLC randomly selected half of the 200 participating households, while Bane One chose the other half. OCLC decided to use regular telephone lines to transmit data and to use the system without graphics to keep it simple and inexpensive to operate. Participants had access to the card catalogue of the central library and could order books. Bane One provided banking services. Arete Publishing provided access to its complete America Encyclopedia (33000 articles and 9 million words). A number of civic groups such as the Division of Employment Securities and the League of Women voters contributed information.

The British Library Council approached Prestel, proposing screens about the British Library and excerpts from the British National Bibliography. The frames were selected because of their educational potential. In addition to being an information provider, the British Library experimented with the use of terminals inside libraries for reference purposes. The system was run in collaboration with several local public libraries across the UK.

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Videotex/T’eletext Systems are nothing but the sophisticated version of electronic mail.

Realising the potential of videotext/teletext systems, public service applications, government has already set up a group to study ‘digital TV’ in the Indian context.

6.5 Word Processors

Word processors are versatile text processors that allow documents to be created, edited and transmitted. Word processors are combination of VDU’s often with separate keyboards and sometimes with their own microcomputer, linked to a minicomputer and disc storage system. They are used for composition of text which may either be output later as printed letters etc., or stored in a large database.

Modem wordprocessor almost invariably have visual displays and are either stand-alone units or cluster systems, now quite often with a communication capability. Communications may be with main-frame computers, terminals, teletexts, photocomposers, optical character recognition readers, intelligent copiers or other communicating word processors. Some word processing systems are evolving into integrated information system seeking to meet total word processing, data processing, printing and communication needs.

Use of word processing system for library and information services will definitely be economical in terms of time which is otherwise required for drafting, typing, editing and proof-checking, mailing of documents of all types.

6.6 Intelligent Terminals

A typical terminal is usually a combination of CRT and a keyboard. All VDUs contain the electronics to enable them to convert incoming digital signals into display characters. Intelligent terminal is VDU and/or printer with a built-in micro computer and a memory unit. These devices are becoming increasingly powerful and more common.

Facilities such as (i) screen editing, (ii) programmability, (iii) peripherals attachment (e.g. printers, storage devices such as cassette systems, digitisers, OCR etc.), (iv) having its own operating system, (v) communication facility (with host, as well as connecting one terminal to other) have widened the scope of usage of these terminals

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for library and information services work.

6.7 Intelligent Copier

While word processor can print letters, memoranda and short documents directly at recipient’s work station, large offices will need faster printers for long documents and multiple copies.

We will have copiers with microprocessors and memory unit, multiple-font character generator and an interface with communication network. These will in addition to copying, accept digital data, using an internal character generator and laser imaging systems. The type font, spacing and format of the printed output would be selected by instructions in the incoming data or by the copier operator. These intelligent copiers may also incorporate facsimile scanners that use bandwidth compression techniques to reduce transmission time.

Most facsimile devices today scan an entire page and transmit each light and dark element. This is an inefficient and costly approach. The intelligent copier would store the data in bits and transmit only the changes between light and dark areas. Further improvement will be stored in the characteristics of the data. Some systems are already in the market.

6.8 Micrographics

In the office of the future, Micrographics will permit filing, storage and retrieval of large amount of information. Micro graphic systems range from simple step and repeat cameras and viewers to sophisticated centres that include cameras, computer output microfiche(com), and processorforcrossreferring archival storagesupplemented by intelligent viewing systems. Further these can be linked to intelligent copiers and terminals system connecting to executives.

6.9 Video Discs

Recording and playback of television programmes in the home is now becoming commonplace. Outstanding among the devices employed for this purpose is the video cassette recorder. There is, however, another development in video playback in the form of the “video disc”, whereas the video cassette is the video equivalent of the audio cassette, the video disc can be regarded as the video equivalent to the audio (gramophone) record.

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The earlier video disc systems employed a mechanical principle to record and playback, similar to that employed in the familiar gramophone record. However, the much higher speeds of operation necessary to achieve the required information transfer rate for video signals cause problems of wear and in recent years activity in video disc systems has been increasingly focussed on non mechanical systems. The resurgence of interest in applied optics has extended to include many areas hitherto considered the exclusive preserve of electronics and it is perhaps not surprising that a considerable proportion of the video disc system currently under development are based on optical recording and/or playback principles.

We can broadly classify video discs into two main categories

- Television compatible video discs,

- Computer compatible video discs (often called as optical discs)

Video disc systems available in the market are mostly read only system, employing pre-recorded video discs. However, in a situation, where information has to be updated (such as transaction control, circulation information), a video disc system with which the user can “write” as well as “read” is essential. For some applications an “erase” facility may be desirable. Already R&D efforts towards the production of read/write/erase systems, i.e. systems in which the same recording material can be reused repeatedly as with the magnetic tape, is in full swing. These systems will fall under the category of Digital Optical Recording.

Features of video discs that make it potentially attractive medium for information storage and retrieval are

* high information storage capacity

* low information storage cost * rapid random access.

The greater part of the library collection in the average library consists of printed publications, produced in multiple runs using conventional printing processes. The read only type of disc would appear to be quite suitable for storage of many types of materials in this category especially reference materials.

Some projects are concerned with the use of video discs in information storage and retrieval. Although the application of video discs in information storage and

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retrieval is in its infancy, work is already in progress in a number of centres to investigate the potential of this new technology and the first commercial information retrieval service making use of video discs has been launched. In this section of the report some of these developments are briefly described.

A pilot project to study the possible application of video discs to the storage and retrieval of a variety of types of material was undertaken in as early as 1978 by the Public Archives of Canada, using a Thomson-CSF player. It is understood that this work is continuing. In 1979, Lister Hill National Centre for Biomedical Communications, the research arm of the US National Library of Medicine Bethesda, presented a review of progress of Lister Hill in storing medical data on a variety of types of optical discs.

In 198 1, Dartmouth College (Hanover, New Hampshire,USA) received a grant for a three year project to develop the instructional and archival potential of optical laser video discs. The project will first test the disc’s feasibility for the storage and retrieval of scholarly materials.

In March, 198 1, the first commercial information service employing video disc as one of its components was announced. Known as Video Patsearch (TM) this provides on-line access to the 7,00,000 US patents issued since 1971, permitting computer retrieval of patent drawings and illustrations of chemical structures which are stored on eight video discs at the user’s station- together with patent abstracts and other textual information which is retrieved on-line from a central computer.

A project, recently proposed by the European publishers Blackwell, Elsevier, Pergamon and Springer, plans use of an optical discs system for the storage ofjoumal articles which would be printed out on demand. Preliminary plans call for use of the Philips Megadoc disc system for storage and the AM International Ultra high-speed facsimile machine (developed for use with the Satellite Business systems network) for hard copy output. Consideration is being given to setting up the system near the British Library Lending Division at Boston Spa in England. The project has been given the name ADONIS (for Article Delivery Over Network Information Service).

Video-micrographic System:-

It could be said that, as on-line remote access to documents requires the transmission of digitised images, all documents should bedigitised at source and stored on, say, optical discs. However, when it is acknowledged that in a large document storage system only a fair proportion of documents might be really active, then storage on microfilm and digitising ‘on demand’ is probably more cost effective. Also, there

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is much more to a computer assisted document storage and retrieval system than the storage module. Many documents already exist in microfilm format and to convert a large document file to optical disc compatible digital signals will be time consuming and expensive. Further, depending on the data compression ratio achieved, a digital optical disc will be able to store between 10,000 and say 50,000 high-resolution documents reside, so that for a very large document store jukebox type disc changer will be required.

Common elements of the system are the system controller, video switching unit and high resolution display terminal, so that cost differences of total systems are not likely to be large. In conclusion, it can be said that, when they become available, optical disc systems are likely to complement digitised microform systems in the document storage and retrieval field, with each having particular attributes for particular situations.

7.0 General Review of Informatics and Computer Networks and Proposals for 2000 AD

7.1 Proposed Computer Networks in India

The development of computer communication networks has undoubtedly been an important technological advancement of the 1970s. The most rapidly growing use of telecommunciation facilities is for data transmission. The most rapidly growing area in the information processing industry is tele-processing. The reason is the power versatility and in particular, effective resource sharing benefits that accrue from the co-existence of computer and communication facilities.

Computer network achieve economies of scale in hardware, software and manpower resources. The use of computer network is becoming even more evident, in the context of database technology that emphasises on large distributed information systems being ac cessed by a variety of users for a variety of applications.

The present status of computer networking in the country is far from encouraging. Among others, geographical distribution, lack of commonality, limited offering of public services and facilities as per indigenous networking hardware and software facilities, and poor coordination between computing and communication agencies are some of the factors constraining the growth of computer networks.

Department of Electronics (DOE) has projected ambitious programmes in Seventh Five Year Plan for the promotion of computer networks in the country.

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Proposed Networks enhancement of existing networks include the following: (i) NICNET- For Government and related Informatics (Expansion of State and District level), (ii) INDONET - Commercial Network for the entire country, (iii) RAILNET -Computer network for Railways, (iv) OILNET- Computer Network of Oil Sector, (v) BANKNET - Computer network for banking applications andElectronic fund transfer.

7.1.1. Regional Infonnatics Network for South and Central Asia (RINSCA):

The UNESCO Regional Seminar on Informatics in south and Central Asia held in New Delhi in 1977, preparatory to the 1978 conference on Strategies and Policies (SPIN) suggested interalia, the setting up of a Regional informatics network for South and Central Asia.

As a follow up of the SPIN Conference, the UNESCO set up an advisory group on Informatics which recommended among other things, coordination of the requirement and experience of particular countries in the various regions. The advisory group also recommended that owing to different levels of development in Informatics from region to region special attention should be given to a regional approach to programme, design and implementation based on social, cultural, linguistic and economic identities within the different levels of development. A regional follow up ensued by holding a UNESCO regional meeting of Computer Centre Directors in South and Central Asia in the last quarter of 1977 at Kathmandu. The proposal for setting up a regional informatics network was discussed in considerable detail and unanimously resolved to establish such a regional network. A working paper prepared by UNESCO regional office in New Delhi regarding the frame-work and broad guidelines for the modality and informatics in such a network was considered. This mainly served as a preliminary input for preparation of a detailed feasibility report. This feasibility report was extensively discussed during the New Delhi meeting in the first half of 1983. The UNESCO also appointed a consultant to prepare the feasibility report for setting up of RINSCA network.

Main objectives

Cooperation for mutual benefit of the countries in the region calls for increasing interaction in economic, technological and social development Increased interaction invariably brings in the need for increased exchange of information. Timeliness, quality and quantity of information exchange becomes the infrastructure on which regional countries subsequently had given theirgovernment’s approval fordevelopment and participation in this network. They have also identified the focal point of their respective country from where information exchange could take place. This will

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certainly give a lot of emphasis for growing competence and cooperation, in informatics areas of this region. As a part of this development, each country at the national level has to undertake certain activities which are essential for development of the system. For this purpose, the government has to invest certain facilities and infrastructure which will be adequately supplemented with the financial and technical support from UNESCO and its sister organisations. Some of the major activities that have to be undertaken at the national level are:

(9

(ii)

(iii)

(9

(VI

(vi)

Assisting member Governments through provision of technical advice in the identification of local organisations for their countries, identification of the sources of information which can contribute to the network, identification of the requirements of information from the network, working out optimal procedures and regulatory measures required for safeguarding the national interest and in general, preparing a plan for driving maximum benefit from the network.

Assisting the member Governments and their designatedorganizations through technical advice, the establishment ofcurrent and continuously updated directories and inventoriesof software, databases, informatics specialists and other such contributing to the network.

Assisting through technical advice and financial support the establishment of courses organized by the national organizations for training the personnel on the planning, establishment, operation and utilization of their interface to the network.

Assisting through technical advice and financial support, the establishment of linkages with external data banks and information systems through international agencies.

Providing technical advice towards promoting the application of international standards and guidelines in information as cooperation grows. Informatics and communication form the core of such an infrastructure. In this larger back ground, the main objectives of the coopertion in the region are identified which are not only desirable but also implementable in the political, economic and social frame- work of the member-countries of this region.

Create a cooperative evolutionary network Within the region which can serve all the member-countries of the region by providing, growing

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(a)

(b)

cc>

W

(4

(0

w

interactive databases of neutral information or appropriate level of timeliness, quality and quantity. To this end, the project endeavours to identify,

Atleast one focal point in each country of the region to take complete nodal responsibility for the country for contribution to the network as well as to act as a clearing house for information derived from the network;

Assign responsibilities to these nodal organisations for appropriately generating the information and skills resource of the network;

Install appropriate technologies on an evolutionary basis for creating the computer and communication infrastructure of the network;

Create, update and service database of use to various member-countries of the region;

Negotiate and purchase software and database for installation in the network;

Training personnel within the region so as to assist each country in deriving maximum benefit from the network in a self-reliant manner;

In general, to increase mutual confidence and competence among the member-countries to strengthen the bonds of cooperation for exchange and utilisation of information to mutual benefit.

During the meeting held in the fist quarter of 1983 at New Delhi it was resolved that member-countries of this region will cooperate in developing the RINSCA System. Some of the service providing financial support and technical advice to identify organizations for the reorientation of information resources to match with the evolving standards of the network, as well as to improve their information handling capability and costing of the services to perform regional functions through negotiated arrangements between the secretariat of the networ-k and the institutions concerned, through the coordination of the national focal organization.

7.12 NICNET - A computer network for government

The National Informatics Centre has been set up as a catalyst of improvisation of

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governmental and related productivity through appropriate applications of computers, computer network, database methods, decision optimisation techniques and other informatics methodologies. Improvisation of productivity in governmental operations results from a streamlining of information base, systems analysis of the orgenisational structure, quantitative studies feeding the planning process and in general, evolving an effective management information system for each ministry, department with exchange of information between MinistriesJDepartrnents in purview.

ApartfromtheinteractiveMIS,intheNICNETconcept, govemmentalprodclctivity is enhanced through the development of correlatory database standardisation in coding and data formats creating aclimate for innovative applications for informatics in general, cause a transformation in the work culture in the ministries/departments. Improvisation of productivity of informatics in government is made possible by a concept of pooling of hardware. software, manpower, information delivery system, training and experience.

With the successful implementation of the data communication between NICNET at Delhi and RJE Station based on a Minicomputer at Ahmedabad through the Apple satellite, planning is on for linking computers in 16 major State capitals in India to NICIET via the INSAT -lB Satellite. This would facilitate the development of interactive query-based databases for the Central and State Governments. Within the states, district-based sub-networks are being attempted.

From the genesis of the concept of the National Informatics Centre (NIC) in 1973 to its nucleation in 1975, followed by the commissioning of NICNET in 1977, was a phase of innovation penetrating through barriers of conservatism in Governmental Grganizations. Presently NIC has become a name of native and international repute with a series of successes and scoring a proud record of firsts in developing a distributed and decentralised informatics on computer network for government MIS (Management Information Systems), a network for ASIAD-82 and a Network for the Non-aligned- Summit 1983.

7.1.3 INDONET

Worldwide networks like Telenet in USA and Transpac in France have been in existence for quite some time. These are basically datatransmission networks. The primary objective of the project INDONET on the other hand is to provide a computer based network, which is accessible from the remote areas of the country so as todeliver the benefits of information processing technology to a wider cross-section of users in

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the country.

The other long term objectives are:

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)

Provide facility for distributed data processing and consolidation of MIS on all India basis for large organisations having their operations geographically distributed.

Distributed data bases for agriculture/industrial agencies.

Remote access to centralised data base (say foreign currency rates, medicine, legal etc.).

Provide access to specialised application software locally or from remote locations. Thus software, hardware may not be duplicated at each location. Computer manpower training in industry/business, in latest technologies, and

Provide requisite facilities for export of software.

In August, 1982, Computer Maintenance Corporation Ltd., submitted a detailed proposal to the Department of Electronics for setting up an integrated national data processing and data communication facility as a project of Government of India. The Electronics Commission accorded its approval to CMC for setting up the project INDONET as a Government of India project, in November,1982.

In phase-l, the project involved the setting up of integrated data processing and communication facility comprising five medium to large sized computer systems, to be located at Bombay, Delhi, Madras, Calcutta and Hyderabad. The project provides for the procurement of three computer systems. The other two computer systems are already with CMC, and will be connected to the network. These computer systems, through their respective communications controllers (CC’s), will be interconnected over voice grade P & T lines at a speed of 2400 bps (bauds per second). The communications controllers will ensure error free information transfer between two computer systems.

The user will have access to the network through the terminals located at CMC computer centres or through terminals located remotely and connected to the local computer system through voice grade P&T lines at a,speed of 300-1200 bps. All these terminals will be connected to the local computer system through the communication

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network comprising of CC’s and communication channels. Thus CC’s will be serving the purpose of routing nodes also.

All computer systems will be equipped with sophisticated software supporting Data Base Management, Transaction Processing and some specialised applications like Maths/Statistics and Structural engineering. The computer system at Bombay will also have Graphics subsystem thereby providing facilities like Graphics/Plot software and CAD/CAM. Thus the network will meet the requirements of a wide range of users in various fields like scientific, industrial, commercial, rural, etc., and provide for local, remote and distributed data processing.

Distributed data processing will be yet another major advantage of the network. The organisations spread all over the country, like banks and other Industries can have their data base maintained in a distributed way at INDONET Host computer systems.

Because the computing and storing facilities are quite sizable, it will facilitate the processing of those applications which otherwise cannot be run on small systems for want of computing power, main storage or disk capacity. The project will also meet the requirements of very sophisticated type of users’, say in the field of CAD/CAM and structural engineering.

In short, it may be said that the project INDONET will address the social, technological as well as promotional needs of computing in the country. The fallouts can be numerous and this project may lead to other computer networks as may be required in the future.

8.0 Project Proposal

8.1 Computer facilities for Libraries

The fast tempo of socio-economic development activities have highlighted the need for modem information handling tools. Combined with this need, the technological development in electronic and communication, and the steep fall in prices have prompted the introduction of these techniques in the libraries. With the availability of these modem information handling tools at economical cost and the availability of library scientists with considerable knowhow about these tools, the introduction of computers in libraries is a matter of time.

The libraries can be grouped into small, medium and large libraries depending upon their collection, periodicals/journals being subscribed and number of users. The

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grouping can be as follows:

Small Libraries: Less than 10,000 books, 100 journals being subscribed, users around 100.

Medium Libraries: 10,000 to 40,000 books, 250 journals being subscribed, users about 250.

Large Libraries: More than 40,000 books, more than 250 journals being subscribed, users more than 500.

The various Library/Information jobs that can be considered for computerisation are as follows:

(9 Maintenance of union catalogue

(ii) Bibliographic on-line search

(iii) Circulation control

(iv) Current serials control

(VI Book acquisition

(vi) Journal subscription and its management

(vii) Current awareness service.

These applications may not require high processing power but the computer configuration should be such that it could provide a reliable and efficient.service to the user community.

Computer Configuration

For a small library having less than 10,000 books collection and about 100 periodicals the main computer application would be maintenance of catalogues and controlling the collection. The configuration that may be required would be a minicomputer with a mass storage of about 20 MB, a line printer, a floppy drive and 2 to 3 interactive terminals. These terminals will be mainly required for up-dating the files and providing retrieval service to the user. As alternative to the mini-computer

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one couldl’ conceive of providing the same facilities through interactive terminals from one of the computing system available in that locality. This solution pre-supposes the availability of a computing facility within the locality of the library. In addition to this computing facility, a copying equipment is essential for providing hard copies to the users. The cost of such a computer system will work out to be around Rs.6 lakhs. During the Seventh Plan atleast 20% of the small libraries should be computerised.

For the medium size library, the total collection will be around 30,000 and will have a larger user population. The collection and cataloguing will be more voluminous compared to the small library. The software that would be required to control and manage these volumes will be more or less the same except for the size it has to handle. Looking into these requirements a computer with 40 MB of mass storage, a medium speed line printer, one tape drive and about 5 to 10 terminals will be required to provide an efficient service to the users. The medium size library should also have a good reprographic service with copying equipment and medium speed microfilm reader/ printer for providing reprographic service to the user community. The cost of these equipment will work out to be of the order of Rs.10 to 12 lakhs per item. During the Seventh Plan 30% of these libraries should be computerised.

For a large library with a collection of more than 40,000, the management and control application will be more complicated and would definitely require the computerised system for providing an efficient service. All library management and control applicationswould need to be computerised in a large library. Further, the library will also have to provide service based mechanised bibliographic data from international agencies. Looking into these requirements a large library would require a computer with around 100 MB of storage, a medium speed line printer, two tape drives, a floppy disk and about 20 interactive terminals. The interactive terminals should be located at all user areas including the various sections of the library for providing interactive service to all the users. The system and the configuration should be chosen to provide a fast response and also to enable retrospective search in certain applications. In addition to these, the large library should have a very good reprography section with all modem reprography equipments including fast copying equipment, micro film reader/printer. It should also contain an Audio-visual equipment for providing self training tools. As the printed material is becoming expensive the trend would be in future for providing certain printed material in the video cassette form. Looking at these future methods of literary transaction, it would be ideal to set up these facilities in the large library to inculcate video mode training to the user community.

The cost of computerised system for a large library would workout to be of the

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order of about Rs.25 lakhs per centre. During the Seventh Plan atleast 50% of the large libraries should be computerised, if the libraries are to play a vital role in the socioeconomic development of the country.

Interlinking of library system

The small libraries cater to only a specific user community in only specific areas. But at the same time, it may have to provide information in other areas by obtaining it from other libraries. Depending on the type of requirements it may be necessary to interlink the library systems to exchange information. Without going into the pros and cons of such linkage, it is essential to have a plan action for setting up such linkage. Any such linkage should be economical and practicable. With this view, it is proposed to link a small library to a medium size library and medium to large one. All large libraries should be interlinked. This will provide a greater flexibility for inter change of information in the fastest way. This will also enable small libraries to concentrate their collection in specific area. Through such connections, one could also conceive to provide bibliographic services based on information collected from international agencies. This type of approach will get maximum returns for the investment proposed. Such networks can be enhanced subsequently to provide video test service.

Investment Profile

There are around 1200 small libraries, 600 medium and 300 large libraries. During the seventh plan, it is proposed to computerise 20% of small, 40% of medium and 50% of the large libraries. The total investment will be of the order of about Rs.75 crores during the seventh plan. This investment will also enable to establish some element of networking between the various systems.

In addition to the hardware investment proposed, investments have to be made for development of software and training of the relevant manpower. The library science courses have to be strengthened further with computer application course. Some nodal agencies have to be identified for standardizing procedures and mechanism before implementing any such scheme.

9.0 Recommendations

1) The present library community should be exposed to the concept of computers and its usage. For this, awareness and specific library oriented programs should be conducted.

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2) The library training courses should be enlarged to include computer application aspects. Emphasis should be more on information handling, Organisation and usage.

3) During the Seventh Plan period the goal should be to computerise most of the major libraries. This should becarried out in a systematic manner so that information exchange is possible. Certain standards with respect to hardware and software have to be evolved.

4) A Group has to be set up at the apex level to work out the plan for computerisation. The group should also work out standard specifications for hardware and software for implementationat various levels. This group should consist of computer specialists, library scientists and educational experts. The group should be made responsible for monitoring and evaluating the computerisation in libraries.

5) Software development activities have to be initiated for evolving a standard software for meeting the library requirements. This should be implemented for standard indigenous systems.

6) In developing the computer applications, importance should be given for developing a union catalogue and a national bibliography.

7) A plan for interlinking the library systems should be workedout. It should give a detailed plan of action for developing the library network.

New technologies (telematics) like videotext, teletex provide ample opportunities for disseminating information at the cheapest possible manner. Such systems should be experimented with a view to study its impact on the society. It will enable to access a wide variety of data in the shortest time.

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Annexure-2

Establishment of an Information and Library Network Project Report by the Inter-Agency Working Group, December 1988 .

Executive Summary

Introduction

This document sets out a project proposal for the establishment and development of an information and library network, in short called as inflibnet, in the country during the eighth five year plan (1990- 1995) period.

INFLIBNET is a computer - communication network of libraries and bibliographical information centres.

It is a major national effort to improve capability in information transfer and access, that provide support to scholarship, learning, research and academic pursuits.

Institutions of higher learning covering all disciplines, R&D institutions and national organisations like CSIR, ICAR, DRDO, ICMR, ICSSR, ICHR, AICTE, DAE, DOT, DOE, IGNCA, etc., participate in the INFLIBNET.

What is INFLIBNET

INFLlBNET is a cooperative network and will contribute to pooling, sharing and optimisation of resources, facilities and services of libraries and information centres in the university system as well as in the R&D complexes

It is a major programme towards modernisation of libraries and information centres in the country, with application of computer and communication technologies.

INFLIBNET is a multiple function/service network. It will offer catalogue based services, database services, document supply services, collection development and communication based services.

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Why INFLIBNET

Approximately a total sum of Rs. 1500 million/annum is spent towards books and journals by all the libraries concerned with higher education.

Still a researcher/faculty in any institution is handicapped due to paucity of resources and services offered by his library. It is neither possible nor feasible to fund all the libraries in the country so as to be self-sufficient in meeting fully the needs of their users.

Instead, if users are enabled to have access to holdings of each other library, the total national resources could be used optimally by everyone. This will also ensure that the libraries avoid, to a great extent, duplication in procuring costly books/journals and aim at developing more unique collection.

- Overall economy and improvement of efficiency as well as minimising the incidence of financial and other constraints faced at the level of individual libraries are expected to accrue from the network. Apart from this, the academic communities could, through the network, establish instant contact with their coun terparts in any part of the country for academic conversation.

How INFLIBNET will function ?

INFLIBNET is a versatile, integrated library and information system; yet, it operates at different levels-national, regional, sectoral and local.

The catalogue of libraries will be aggregated bottom-upwards i.e., from college/department to university library and to regional centre. Secondary information/database maintenance and services will be taken care of by sector-al information centre.

End users will be served mainly at local level such as college, department, university and R&D institution. About 400 nodes are planned initially for this purpose.

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There will be a national centre for managing, overseeing and coordinating the affairs of the network and four regional centres (North, East, West and South) which will maintain union catalogue of holdings of libraries in the regions and database of projects, institutions and specialists.

At the sectoral level, three UGC Information Centres are proposed, NISSAT sectoral centres and other centres which perform national level functions and services in specific subjects/disciplines/missions are included.

The sectoral centres will acquire, create and access retrospective and current bibliographic databases and offer a variety of modem information services.

As many as 100 university and R&D institutional libraries will be designated and equipped to serve as document resource centres for purpose of document delivery service.

Standardization in Operation and Service

Uniformity in techniques, procedures and methods among participating libraries is a pre-requisite for networking.

Standardisation in library and information practices is, therefore, stressed upon.

The INF’LIBNET will have its own standards based on existing national and international practices, for uniform adoption through out the network. These relate to areas like classification, subject heading, cataloguing, input format, exchange format, physical format and information processing.

Application Software Requirement

While emphasising upon software compatibility as a major factor in the computerisation programme of the inflibnet, prospects and potentials for developing application softwares for different types of services and for different nodes have been discussed in this report.

A strategy for developing application software packages for the overall

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requirements of INFLIBNET as well as for automation at individual library level has been indicated in the report.

Note: Services and functions are not listed according to priorities.

Explanation: NC : RC : SIC :

UL : CL/uDL : CDL : R&DC : Y :

National Centre Regional Centre Sectoral Information Centre including UGC Information Centres University Library Library of College/Department of University Centralized Department (University) Library Research & Development Centre Library Yes

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INFLIBNET Services/Functions

The following Table gives the proposed network services/functions at different levels

Services/Functions NC RC SIC UL CL/UDL CDL R&DC

Services

Cataloguing Catalogue Production Catalogue Search Collection Development Book Processing Inter-Library Loan Document Deliver Referral Electronic Mail Bulletin Board Bibliographic Database Search Database of Projects, Specialists, Institutions Union Catalogue Retrospective Bibliographic Databases Search Selection Dissemination of Information Current Awareness Service

Functions

Library Automation Circulation

Management Standardisation Library Automation- all subsystems Administration Training

Y Y

Y

194

Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

Y Y

Y

Y Y

Y

Y Y Y Y Y Y

Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

Y Y

Y Y Y Y Y Y

Y Y

Y

Y

Y Y

Y Y Y Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y Y Y

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System/Service Development Support Technical Services Consulting Communication Switching Maintenance Marketing Publicity

Y Y YY Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

Y Y

Hardware Sysem Requirement

It is essential that all the participating nodes of the INFLIBNET have a suitable computer system. *

Keeping in view the functions and servicesas well as features characteristic of different levels, technical specifications of the computer hardware system and the infrastructure thereof for regional centre, sectoral information centre, university library (big, medium, small) college library and R&D institutional library have been drawn.

Taking into consideration parameters such as multiple functions, multi- tier organisation, system hierarchy, connectivity requirements, traffic characteristics and volume of traffic flow, a suitable communication architecture fcr the INFLIBNET has been proposed.

A hybrid version of satellite and terestrial networking is recommended.

The communication system will have a central hub and 400 ground terminals at 150 university libraries, 50 autonomous colleges/pg centres and 200 others comprising R&D Institutions, documentresource centres and sectoral centres, to be inter connected via satellite link.

For inter-connecting the nodes in a city, when they are many, local area network is advocated.

In view of random traffic pattern, the slotted ALOHA scheme for uplinking from small .terminals and the TDMA scheme for uplinking from the central hub have been recommended:

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Retrospective Conversion of Records

For catalogue based activities like shared cataloging and union catalogue, about 9 million unique catalogue records of retrospective collections of 179 university libraries have to be converted/unified into a common catalogue database by a prescribed standard practice.

A part of the work will be attempted by matching the catalogue records with those available from down-loaded imported tapes/catalogues as LC-MARC, OCLC and WLN of USA.

A plan of action to complete the work in a period of two years with students assistance has been drawn.

A mechanism has been suggested for inputing and processing data in a machine readable form.

The ultimate aim is that the university libraries will have a unified catalogue in a machine readable form.

Personal Requirements

The INFLIENET will be provided with an adequate complement of professionally qualified personnel to man the network and to provide information services to the users.

The personnel requirement for units, levels and network as a whole has been projected.

Towards staff development, more particularly in the context of introducing computer and communication technologies, long term and’ short term as well as regular and continuing education training programmes, to be carried out at national and regional centres, have been planned.

Management Mechanism

The management mechanism of INFLIBNET provides for its establishment as a registered society with the office located in New Delhi.

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INFLIBNET will have a policy making governing council, a governing body for taking executive decisions and statutory committees like finance committee and technical advisory committee.

The director of the national centre will be responsible for administration and management of the INFLIBNET.

Being a national mission and a multi-institutional project, UGC, science agencies/departments and other orgarkations interested in library, information, computer and communication areas are adequately represented in the management machinery.

Pre-Project Activities

Before the INFLIBNET is implemented there is a need to prepare detailed guidelines in vital areas like network communication software, library automation, development of union catalogue,retrospectivedata conversion and database services.

With the help of expert task groups constituted for the purpose, the above mentioned guidelines are proposed to be worked out.

These technical details will constitute the guidelines for implementing the INFLIBNET at all levels.

Implementation Mechanism

Activities leading to the fulfilment of the targets will be carried out in four years and in two phases of two years each, starting from aprill990 i.e., the first year of the eighth five year plan.

The Targets to be aimed at in the implementation are:

(i) Establishment of a national centre and four regional centres.

(ii) Continuing the existing three UGC INFORMATION CENTRES.

(iii) Linking NISSAT and other sectoral,/nationaI level centres.

(iv) Linking atleast 200 R&D institutions as network participants

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(v) Supporting and introducing automation in 170 university libraries and 500 college libraries.

(vi) Augmenting facilities in 100 libraries (of university and R&D institutions) to serve as document resource centres.

(vii) Establishing the communication system consisting of a central hub and 400 ground terminals at 150 university libraries, 50 FG centres/autonomous colleges and 200 R&D institutions.

Cost Implications

The cost incidence of the Project relats to

(9

(ii)

(iii)

(iv>

(VI

(vi)

Creation of national centre and four regional centres

Support to 170 university 500 college libraries for library automation and 200 R&D institutions for participation in the INFLIBNET.

Upgrading facilities of 100 document resource centres.

Communication linkages with about 40 sectoral and national level centres.

Retrospective conversion of catalogue records and

Setting up of the communication system.

The Government of India is to provide funds to the INFLIBNET Society to establish and run the network.

The total cost of implementing the iINFLIBNET in the first four years comes to Rs.1506 million, comprising Rs. 1030.08 million for non- recurring and Rs. 476.76 million for recurring. The major heads of expenditure are: communication system (Rs.293.9 million), provision of computer system (Rs.464.0 Million), infrastructure (Rs. 178.0 million, data capturing (Rs. 44.2 million ), building (Rs. 17.8 million ) personnel (Rs. 196.6 million), maintenance (Rs. 180.9 million) and document collection, contingencies, etc., (Rs. 13 1.35 million).

In the I-phase (April 1990 - March 1992) a sum of Rs. 551.64 million and in

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the II phase (April 1992 - March 1994) a sum of Rs.955.2 million are required to implement the project.

Recommendations

Some main recommendations which are directed towards taking administrative and executive actions are listed in the report.

Conclusion

The progress to be aimed at in implementing the INFLIBNET the first four years will set the pace for transforming the library scenario of the country towards modernisation, involving application of computer and communication technologies.

In the management of library and information system in the country at macro level, INFLIBNET, when fully established, will be a cost- benefit action programme.

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Annexure - 3

Excerpts from the Report of the Inter Governmental Conference on Strategies and Policies for Informatics (SPIN), Torremolinos, Spain, August/September 1978.

Subsequent to the Regional Seminar in New Delhi and similar seminars in other regions, an Inter-governmental Conference on Strategies and Policies for Informatics Jointly organised by UNESCO and IBI took place in Torremolinos, Malaga (Spain) from 28th August to 6th September 1978. Among the set of recommendations made in the SPIN Conference, the following 24 recommendations have a direct or indirect bearing on the setting up of a Regional Informatics Network for Asia and The Pacific (RINAP).

The Torremolinos Recommendations

1) Countries that have developed substantial database capabilities should provide in their programmes for the use of scientific and technological information resources by all interested countries.

2) International agreements should be established on the rights of States in respect of trans-border data flows, providing for the protection of information held by Government, private institutions and individuals.

3) Concerted efforts should be made at the international level to examine problems shared by different nations, efforts which in the light of what is at stake, should concentrate on the following:

a> Distinguishing between questions relating to the data flows themselves and those relating to the means of transmission.

b) Defining the conditions of compatibility between the principle of the free flow of information and the necessary regulations

c> Considering the political, economic social and legal dimensions of the problem of data flows without seeking to reduce them, in a single international instrument, to only one of such aspects.

d) Taking into account the special circumstances of the different regions and the state of advancement of thinking in the various geographical zones.

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4)

5)

6)

7)

8)

9)

10)

11)

12)

13)

14)

Government, in devising strategies for introduction of computerised information systems give due consideration to the development of telecommunication services and networks for theeffective attainment of their objectives in informatics including those required for regional networks. The International Telecommunication Union should take relevant action with member countries in this regard.

With active participation of the International Standards Organization bring about proper zandardization in the fields of informatics which will facilitate information cooperation between countries of the region.

UNESCO should examine the necessary ways and means of organising and achieving trans-national transfer of information taking into account all necessary conditions given to these issues within the particular countries and by international forum.

Establish training facilities and provide teachers of informatics in cooperation with developing countries.

Make available to nations of developing countries avenues of training at higher levels elsewhere at reasonable costs.

Provide international standard documents, as the needs may arise on such issues as contractual and acquisition al terms codes of marketing conduct, etc., binding on both parties while the contract subsists.

Make regularly available to developing countries, information materials on progress in the field of informatics, including changing prices and policies.

Provide a regular reference catalogue on sources of consultancy in informatics for developing countries.

Take immediate steps to encourage regional cooperation between developing countries in the field of informatics especially in applications and maintenance of equipment.

Inform governments, especially those of developing countries of the problems that may exist and be discovered in the applications of informatics.

Within the frame-work of UNESCO and Advisory Group of Experts to study and

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prepare prac tic al proposals on present problems in informatics, including current trends in the development of informatics, machinery for the scientific forecasting of the development of informatics and the future establishment of a world software bank.

15) UNESCO should considerably strengthen and expand its programmes in the training of personnel and specialists in informatics, make available on the request of member states the services of highly qualified and independent consultants and experts and assist member states in organising training courses, Seminars. Workshops, etc., in order to enable them to train more personnel and specialists, in cooperation with other specialized Agencies of the United National system.

16) UNESCO may actively promote the widest possible exchange of experience of Member States and the latest information on informatics among member states.

17) UNESCO, because of its multi-disciplinary nature, could serve as a focal point for international action and cooperation within the United Nations’ system by promoting an integrated multidisciplinary approach to the study of and research in informatics in accordance with the principles of self-reliance and within the context of the new dimensions of technical cooperation.

18) Uh’ESCO, and other international organisations promote the signing of multi- national cooperation agreements between countries belonging to regions with a similar culture, language and level of technological development, in order to encourage the growth of indigenous technology and the adaptation to the region of technology from abroad.

1% That such organizations lead their support and collaboration to the countries of each region, particularly the developing countries in order to:

(a> Foster a balance in the development of informatics throughout the region.

(b) Disseminate information about experience in Informatics throughout the region.

(cl Make rational arrangements for obtaining technical cooperation from outside the region, taking into consideration the cost involved, the sources of cooperation and the colonizing effect of certain technical cooperation programmes.

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0-0 Determine the human resources which the countries could provide on a counter-part basis in order to avail themselves of the benefits of technical cooperation and

Cd Fit the content of technical cooperation into the national and regional and regional plans concerning informatics.

20) Governments of Member Countries should make efforts toexchangeexperiences and information acquired in ascertaining their needs and in meeting them, special consideration should be given to the exchange of experiences and information among countries at similar stages of informatics development situated in homogeneous regions.

21) Additional efforts should be made to develop compatible systems of evaluation particularly among developing countries, with due attention being given to the need for establishing norms, standards and classifications of hardware and software in such a way as facilitate comparisons and exchange of experiences and information; UNESCO continuing and strengthening their traditional cooperation while encouraging a clear and distinct division of work, should be called upon to participate in such additional efforts; these efforts should take into particular account the non-homogeneous nature of present day societies, and should take into account the varying degrees of needs and problems and the varying types of solution which must be developed in order to meet the rich diversification of situations in the world.

22) Governments of member countries should encourage and help original thinking in meeting the challenges of informatization in their societies, with a view to diminishing the pitfalls which might accrue from the importation of techniques developed for and aimed at distinct economic, social and cultural situation this might involve the design of new equipment, new ways of utilizing present equipment and the manner and extent of introducing informatics systems to the new situations.

23) The UNESCO and other international organisations should encourage and support the organisations of conferences, seminars, congresses and other similar events for the analysis and dissemination of all aspects of informatics, dealing with technical progress in this field and with improvements in the organisation and management of informatics.

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Annexxure - 4

Excerpts from the Vienna Programme of Action on Science & Technology for Development, 1979

Scientific and technological information system

30. National scientific and technological information systems should be formulated as an integral part of the overall national development plans. This should include responsibilities such as planning, programmedevelopment,coordination and stimulation of information activities. Such systems should also include among their functions the appropriate coordination with the international information networks.

3 1. Developing countries, in order to improve and intensify the exchange of information through person to person contracts, should promote and support scientific and professional associations.

33. Developing countries should strengthen and coordinate their agricultural and industrial extension services in order to achieve a more effective and more efficient transfer of information to the end users, particularly in the rural areas, and to allow feed back to the research and development institutions concerned.

44. (a) Measures should be adopted with a view, inter alia, to organising appropriate forms of awareness, on the part of the public, of the role of science and technology in the development process on the basis of, for instance, achievements of other developing countries as well as promoting subregional and regional scientific and technical publications.

(b) Measures should also be taken by developing countries to raise the awareness of the public at large in the developed countries of the problems experienced by developing countries in the process of achieving scientific and technological development.

45. In accordance with national laws and regulations, developing countries should establish suitable interlinked information networks and data banks which would, inter alia, enable exchanges of information on science and technology and on training and education programmes, conditions for the transfer of technology, terms of foreign investment and activities of national and trans-national corporations and enterprises in the field of science and technology. Such networks should provide for adequate coordination with international information networks.

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46. Developing countries should share among themselves information and experience in the most relevant fields, such as agriculture, health, communications, industrisalisation and the like. They should establish cooperative arrangements and technical and managerial skills for sharing this information.

58. Information systems and networks to be established at sub-regional, regional, and international levels should ensure close linkages with the national information systems to provide all support for strengthening the national science and technology information capacity, inc!uding systems to facilitate access to technology information contained in patent documents, through training, institution building and inter governmental cooperation in classifying, publishing and exchanging such documents.

64. International organisations should act as a tool for systematic exchange of information on experiences of different countries in all field s pertaining to the application of science and technology for development. In this connection, continuing consideration should be given to the establishment of a global and international information network, within the United Nations system, where emphasis will be placed on priority needs of the developing countries. An outline of such a network is contained in Section II.

Establishment of global and international network

70. The scientific and technological international information network should include the following features:

(4

(b)

(c>

Cd)

The network should be designed to meet particularly the needs of the developing countries and to provide access to information for users who contribute to problem-solving activities and decisions relating to development;

The network should operate, inter alia, as a channeling mechanism facilitating contact between users and suppliers of information;

In each country there should exist one national focal point for its different subnetworks while at the same time there should be, at the world level, under the auspices of the United National, a global centre focal point;

Each national focal point have the information on information for its country; the global central focal point should have the same for the world;

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(e)

(9

w

@I

The global central focal point will provide information on-information to all national focal points. Users should be able to obtain the needed information, or information-on-information, normally from their national focal point and from other national focal points either directly or through their own national focal point;

In cases of difficulty of obtaining a response from any other national point, the global central focal point should take measures to ensure the required information is provided;

The global central focal point and individual country focal points should be managed by qualified personnel capable of easily, promptly and clearly understanding the requests for information and of directing the requests to the appropriate source;

Each focal point should have the appropriate communication facilities so as to be able to receive or supply information as fast as needed, either directly through the individual national focal point or through the global one.

71. National information systems and networks should aim to ensure access to and facilitate utilisation of national and international sources of information on science and technology in order to stimulate endogenous development and national capacity for innovation and to support the assessment, transfer and adaptation of technology. This requires, inter alia:

(a)

(b)

cc>

Cd)

09

The training of specialised manpower.

The development of infrastructures, including communication facilities, data banks, libraries, documentation centres, archives, back up literature, hardware and software;

The development of the necessary information handling procedures and techniques, tools, methods, norms and standards;

The improvement of the stock of primary documents in developing countries taking into account the establishment, when this proves necessary, of central libraries or documentation centres;

That care should be taken that all countries should have access to the

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information systems of developed countries permitting research ‘online’.

73. Taking into account the urgency of the task, the scientific and technological international information network should be developed sequentially and in an evolutionary fashion so as to meet particularly the needs of the developing countries ensuring the maximum availability of information such as:

(a) Information required for development of science and technology;

(b) Information regarding the national capacity in science and technology;

(c) Technological information contained in patent documents;

(d) National programme in science and technology.

74. The global and international information network should be so developed as to meet particularly the needs of the developing countries. Priority should be given to covering scientific, technical, socio-economic, legal and other aspects needed for decision making in the selection and transfer of technology. The existing information systems within the United Nations and other international bodies set up for the exchange of scientific and technological information and which are also serving as industrial technology data banks should form an integral part of the proposed global network. Data form the developed and the developing countries on available technologies, conditions of licensing, identification of suitable experts, engineering and consultancy services and the like should be widely available so as to promote their effective utilisation, thereby strengthening the concept of the global international network.

75. The developing and the developed countries should participate, in and make better use of, the existing scientific and technical information systems and take such steps as would enable their own information systems to be coupled to the global information network and ensure that all support is provided for the effective use of this global network.

Scientific and technological information systems

96. There is a need for strengthening the existing and developing new information centres and networks in developing countries. These activities could be effectively pursued within the organs, organisations and bodies of the United Nations system. The establishment of a global network of scientific and technological information should be carried out as specified in paragraphs 70 to 75 above.

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97. The organs, organisations and bodies of the United Nations system should improve the existing information services and provide measures to coordinate their effective utilisation in the field of science and technology.

98. The organs, organisations and bodies of the United Nations system should further develop and coordinate their scientific and technological publication services in order to make available the most important world publications in the various scientific and technological and technology, in all the official languages of the United Nations.

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Annexure - 5

Excerpts from the Note by the Secretary General to the UN General Assembly on the operational plan for the implementation of thevienna Programmeof Action on Science & Technology for Development.

VI. Scientific and Technological Information

3. Promction and use of scientific and technological information for national development.

(a) Education and training of information users.

285. Sophisticated information system and services are of no value unless they are recognised and used by the potential customers. There are many conditions for the effective use of an information system or service, but the following two are essential: the system or service must provide information that is adequate and adapted to the users’ requirements; and users should be motivated to use the information systemor service and should have the skill to do so.

286. Most of the existing systems and services are not utilised because it is not known that they exist and because sometimes the information is not packaged in a form that lends itself to easy use on the part of the user. Information is often over-produced but under-utilised. In that respect, the training and education of users and suppliers of information is fundamental. The economy and efficiency of information systems determines how extensively the systems are used. They are tow main aspects of the education and training of users. First of all, the potential user must be aware of the role and value of the information in his or her field of interest, and secondly, he or she must have sufficient knowledge of how to use information.

287. In order to improve the use made of information, it expected that national training programmes will be initiated or strengthened by Governments or that various national institutions will set up training programmes in developing countries at the elementary, secondary, university levels forpotential users, such asdevelopment planners,programme administrators, rural workers etc. The programmes should be organised in close cooperation with relevant international organisations. The United Nations system should, on request, assist the preparation of guidelines for user training, the development of syllabi, the publication of training packages, and the preparation of teachers and educational personnel (in,ir)

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(b) Promotion of scientific and technological information among policy makers, the scientific and engineering community and among the public at large.

288. The Vienna Programme of Action asks for extensive promotional activity of scientific and technological information in developing countries. Promotional activity should be organiseed at the national level, taking into account local needs and local conditions. Accordingly, promotion is expected to be addressed to all groups of users, and especially to policy makers, planners and managers who may not be sufficiently aware of the role of information in their respective fields or of the benefits which scientific and technical information can provide the national economy. It should also be addressed to all those who are involved in development programmes at the grass-roots level, such as extension workers, mass media personnel, advisors and teachers, in order to familisarise users with information and its sources of supply.

289. The promotional activity for the scientific and engineering community consists of training of new information technologies and new information media. Persons with a scientific and engineering background should be increasingly utilised for operating information and advisory services. Special long term promotional activities largest age group in developing countries.

290. The activity will be internationally supported through:

(4 Case studies on the role and use of information in different regions (ii),

(b) Publications of promotional and training material addressed to different groups of users for the improvement of their information use capability. (ii)

4. Information systems at the regional level

29 1. The collection, compilation and analysis of information on technological alternatives and ownership of technology is a complex and time consuming process. The duplication of costs and efforts can be significantly reduced if, in certain sectors where regional similarities exist, national information systems are coordinated within the region. Such information-sharing and coordination of national efforts in sectors of relevance to countries in the region can partly be undertaken by the centralised national technological information system and/or by coordination of the specialised research and development and scientific institutions. Regional information gathering and sharing can extend to the exchange of information and experience in certain sectors with mutual interest to the member countries.

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292. An important aspect of information-sharing among the member countries is the exchange of information on the acquisition of foreign technology. Such information would include the terms and conditions of technology acquisition from foreign licensers of technology and knowhow, the experience with the operation of foreign licensers, the of adaptation undertaken in the country and the development of the technological capacity of the domestic user enterprises.

293. Similarly, regional information gathering and sharing would include the exchange of information on indigenously developed technology. In many cases, such technology tends to be more appropriate to the factor resources and needs of the member countries than foreign sources of technology originating in developed countries. Such indigenously developed technology, whether it is developed by State owned research and development institutions or by enterprises in the private sector, would need a promotion effort by member countries and establishment of appropriate institutional channels for their transfer and dissemination to enterprises in the Member States.

294. In support of national, subregional or regional action, the United Nations system should help in the establishment of regional information systems according to development objectives (in,ir).

5. Establishment of a global and international network for the exchange of scientific and technological information.

295. Over the past six years considerable attention has been given by the General Assembly and other international fora to the concept of a network for the exchange of scientific and technological information. For example, in resolution 3507 (xxx), the General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to establish the Interagency Task force on Information Exchange and the Transfer of Technology. that Task Force further developed the concept of the network and, testing it against the findings of studies at the national, regional and international levels, concluded that the concept was valid and that the establishment of such a network was feasible.

296. The broad objective of the network as envisaged by the Vienna Conference and the General Assembly is to enable the user to obtain scientific and technological information related to a specific need, regardless of the location of the information and without respect to national boundaries - with due regard, however, to the proprietary character of certain such information.

297. Hence, the network must be viewed as a mechanism for the world-wide coupling of problem solvers with information services, which could facilitate the access to and use

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of problem solving information resources. It should be established under the following premises:

(a>

(b)

Cc)

(4

(4

(0

It should not replace any of the existing or planned sectoral, national, regional or international information networks but should, rather, be viewed as a means of strengthening them and providing, through a shared knowledge of the operations of all participating organisations, the means for their intercommunication and linkage.

It should facilitate access to scientific and technological information in developing countries, among developing countries and between them and developed countries.

It should be hospitable to a variety of technological information sources and services, the extent of which would be determined by user requirements.

It must allow for the participation of all countries.

It should be composed of a large number of individual nodes and the links between them. the nodes could be sources, processors and users of scientific and technological information at the national, regional and international levels, in the private or public sector.

It should be designed in such a way that every participant, without losing any autonomy of action, would be strengthened by its ability to have access to any other participant through the links of the network.

298. An essential pre-requisite for the effective operation of the proposed network for the exchange of scientific and technological information is the establishment of a variety of institutions, facilities and services responsible for policy making, technological information services, documentation centres, libraries, universities and the end users of information. Thus, there is need at the national level for such functions as identification of end users and their needs; information policy formulation and implementation; training and advice; information resources and source identification; information delivery and extension services; referral services; translation and printing.

299. In developing countries there are three major categories of end users:

(a) Those at the national, political or institutional level, including planners,

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decision makers, negotiators, researchers, teachers and students;

W Those who apply technology such as managers,engir.eers and physicians;

cc> Those who use technology on a less sophisticated, smaller scale in the informal sectors of urban and rural areas.

The network structures at the national level should be adequate to cater to the needs of that spectrum of end users.

300. At the international level the most readily available information services, systems and programmes have been those established by the organisations of the United Nations system. They can be grouped as follows:

(a) Referral systems and services;

(b) Clearing houses;

(c) Bibliographical information systems;

(d) Data Banks or systems;

(e) Information analysis systems;

(f) International registers

In addition, the organisations of the United Nations system have programmes for setting up and contributing to information infrastructure at the national and regional levels in developing countries.

301. It is therefore clear that the establishment of the network should evolve from ongoing national, regional and global activities. The implementation of the network may be done on a pilot sectoral basis. It must be pointed out, however, that the setting up of a global network for the exchange of scientific and technological information will be an enormous task and cannot be the subject of one time action but must rather be a process of evolution over several years during which considerable effort will have to be made by national administrations, regional intergovernmental organisations and the United Nations system as well as the international scientific and technological community at large.

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302. As a first step towards the implementation of the recommendations of the Vienna Programme of Action for the creation of a global information network, the following actions are proposed:

(a)

(b)

cc>

. Cd)

W

Priority areas should be identified for the sectoral implementation of the network over the next five years (iv, ii).

Technical evaluation of ongoing activities within the United Nations system in each sector should be carried out to determine their utilisation in the network (ii).

The identification of nodes in member countries, such as universities, scientific and technological institutions, sectoral information centres, etc., should be undertaken in order to determine their participation in the network and select suitable institutions to act as national or regional sectoral focal points. (i)

The assessment of technical, financial and manpower requirements should be carried out to support and sustain the sectoral information centres. (ii)

The technical and administrative procedures and cost of eventual integration of the sector-al network into a full fledged operational global network should be examined. (ii)

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ANNEXURE - 6

Structure and Functions of the Intergovernmental Informatics Programme (IIP) of UNESCO

(Dot. No.SC-90)/ CONF. 210/3)

Intergovernmental Informatics Programme(IIP) was launched by UNESCO in 1,982 with the following objectives and terms of reference.

1.1 The starting point : UNESCO started IIP on the following considerations:

informatics is necessary and indeed essential for development, regarded as an overall process involving all the human, economic, social and cultural components of society;

too many developing countries have fallen extremely far behind in the informatics field, which seriously jeopardizes their development and prevents them from being at all competitive, particularly at the economic level;

considering that they continue to be just as far behind despite measures taken on a bilateral basis or under the &spices of other governmental and non-governmental professional organizations, it would seem that only active, sustained international co- operation might be able, if not to reduce the gaps, at least to stop them growing any wider;

since informatics pervades every sphere, particularly education, science and technology, Unesco should take action in respect of computer science so as to ensure that each Member State possesses the minimum basis from which genuine comprehensive, endogenous development can really be achieved.

1.2 Fields of action

The Interim Intergovernmental Committee, meeting on the initiative of the General Conference of UNESCO at its twenty-second session, in November 1984, recommended that UNESCO should launch an Intergovernmental Informatics Programme (IIP) whose main fields of action would be as follows:

establishment of national policies to incorporateinformaticsin national development plans;

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optimization of human resources through the training of informatics specialists, decision-makers, users and instructors with a view to the introduction and spread of informatics in the education system at all levels;

establishment and strengtheningofinforrnaticsinfiastructure,maintenance services, local networks and telecommunications;

promotion of research in informatics and scientific research using the facilities offered by informatics.

1.3 Objectives

Taking these recommendations as a basis for its work, the Intergovernmental Committee for IIP gave more thought to what they meant so as to set realistic objectives for IIP and to translate them into a programme of action.

The development objectives of IIP revolve around the principle of the optimization of human resources through informatics, in other to achieve faster progress, and for informatics, with a view to ensuring that it is mastered and put to rational use in the context of comprehensive, sustainable development.

Objective of development through qualitative and quantitative improvements in training and through the careful introduction of informatics in education systems.

Objective of production through the establishment or strengthening of structures for software production and for the development and maintenance of systems adapted to the development needs and to the capacity of each country.

Objective of optimization and innovation through theoretical and appliedresearch in informatics and the transfer of results for the purposes of development.

1.4 Priority activities

A programme enabling these objectives to be actually achieved would clearly exceed the Organization’s known resources. Accordingly, aware of the difficulties and concerned to secure the participation of all countries in the programme irrespective of their level of development, the Committee has defined a few priorities on which efforts should concentrated during an initial phase, while retaining the possibility of broadening the range of priorities as and when resources are built up:

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training: specialists, teachers and decision-makers;

software production, particularly for the education system;

development of data bases and establishment of networks for information exchange, particularly among academic institutions;

informatics development strategies and policies with aview to the integration of informatics and its incorporation in development plans;

research and development in the various fields of informatics such as artificial intelligence, expert systems, the recognition of forms and words, systems architecture, etc.

1.5 Criteria for project selection

At the same time as it decided on objectives, the programme and priorities, the Committee defined criteria for project selection as resources would clearly not enable all requests to be met. These criteria are marked chiefly by a concern to seek systematically to bring together the institutions of several countries either for the actual implementation of the project or to share the results and experience gained.

In this way, and having regard to the methods of selection adopted for other, similar programmes, the Committee adopted five criteria:

correspondence between the project and HP’s priorities;

the regional or associative character of the project;

prospects for disseminating the results of the project for the benefit of other countries or institutions;

technical feasibility;

financial feasibility.

1.6 Guidelines for application

At the same time as it laid down the criteria for selection, the Committee provided the Bureau with guidelines for their application, in particular:

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catalytic role of IIP,

search for activities and hence projects on a significant scale involving several countries, leaving small-scale projects to UNESCO’s regular programme;

financing of infrastructure development and consolidation and not of administrative tasks;

concentration of resources on projects of a certain magnitude, with countries being encouraged to group together for the purposes of joint projects.

Outlook for the Future

2.1 Proposals for new guidelines

Although launched at a time when the Organisation was beset by considerable difficulties, depriving it of substantial resources, IIP has a significant record of achievement, comparable to that of other programmes that were established earlier. There are grounds for satisfaction in the fact that the programme has been conducted in accordance with the recommendations of the promoters of IIP:

Concentration of the programme on clearly defined priorities;

strict management and implementation;

search for all possible forms of linkage with a view to stimulating regional co- operation.

Owing to the low level of resources, the activities undertaken have not made it possible to go as far as desired, with the result that the reasons for the launching of IIP remain as valid as ever. The imbalances between the North and the South, the West and the East, are still just as marked where informatics is concerned, and the computer industry is still concentrated around three poles: Europe, North America and south-East Asia.

Without calling everything into question and taking into account what has been achieved, the conditions in which it was achieved and, of course, changes in technologies and needs, the Committee could lay down new guidelines or take decisions regarding the three basic concerns of IIP, namely:

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priorities of action for the programme and the fields to which they should relate;

the resources needed to implement the programme adopted and ways of securing them;

ways and means of implementing the programme.

2.2 Priorities of action ‘for the programme

2.2.1 Main needs and action taken

While not being able to reduce the gaps, the action of IIP has been important in making decision-makers realize the decisive role of informatics in development and especially its contribution in respect of training, which is the only sure way of achieving knowledge and progress in this learning society that is a feature of the end of the century.

HP’s action has also stimulated regional co-operation. The idea of joint and complementary activities and co-operative projects is slowly but surely gaining ground. All countries, particularly the developing ones, are realizing that in the complex, costly and fast-changing field of informatics, only by grouping together will they be able to reap the expected benefits. It is for this reason that there have been increasing exchanges of experience through IIP associative projectives. These co-operative activities have been instrumental in the development of the idea of exchanges of scientific and technological in the development of the idea of exchanges of scientific and technological information through networks, either already existing or to be set up. While the networks are initially used as an electronic mail service, data bases are gradually being developed

8 that will swell the flows of information exchanges and cause the networks to assume their true dimension.

22.2 Training

The Congress on Education and Informatics, held in April 1989, highlighted the existence in all countries of a political will to use informatics and the associated technologies as levers of development, particularly in the education system. Each country has, as its means have allowed, developed a strategy for the use of infoxmatics in education, extending as the case may be from primary to secondary or with precedence being given to secondary, technical and higher or only to higher education. However, in all countries, the authorities are well aware of the need to engage without delay in three- pronged action in all possible cases:

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training of teachers and directors of establishments;

production of software, courseware, school textbooks and specialized journals;

training of maintenance staff (for hardware and software).

We see again here IIP’s priorities and the main concerns expressed through the projects submitted to HP, which reflect the priority needs of countries.

As regards programme content and priorities, the aim should be not to undertake new activities and thus to run the risk of dispersal, but to study in greater depth and define more precisely each of the priorities, having regard to needs, experience and perceptible developments. The Committeecould alsodraw up guidelines with aview toconcentrating activities around specific objectives that are of a piece with the programme as a whole.

Where training is concerned, three objectives stand out:

training of teachers for informatics;

training of technicians for maintenance;

training of specialists, in particular for software engineering, networks, data bases, etc.,

It is essential to attain these three objectives if informatics is to have any chance of being introduced into the education system, and indeed the implications are more far- reaching since needs in respect of maintenance, networks anddata bases arenot confined to the educational field.

Specialists who have been trained in software engineering will be able to develop software production not only for education, in association with teachers who have received training in informatics, but also for activities other than education. Centres for software production, which might in some cases be integrated into university structures, would be able to contribute to the modemization of the industrial system through informatics and control engineering. The objectives of such centres could be expanded and spelt out as follows:

author languages and software for education;

information tools for management and administration;

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informatics tools for industrial production.

2.2.3 Networks and data bases

The greatest prospects are no doubt those offered by networks owing to the extent to which informatics has an integral role here, serving as the mainspring of a large number of activities. Practically all IIP priorities can be pursued : training, software production and, especially,research and development. The concept of academic networks selected as an IIP priority could be expanded to include projects concerning systems design (protocols, methods of interconnection), Integrated Services Digital Networks (ISDNs). videotex and its applications for distance and home teachingorits incorporation into the computer systems of firms and local networks (for the distribution of computer facilities, particularly at university level). Likewise, networks would not make much sense without the data bases, information systems and computing capability to which they give access.

2.2.4 Research applied to development

R&D is the field with the greatest potential for the long term and is of interest to developed and developing countries alike, although the concerns and the means available are not the same. It is also the most costly field, but IlPmust necessarily include it among its priorities. It provides a means of optimizing the scientific potential of the developing countries, reducing the brain drain and more fully integrating research into development schemes since, in informatics, research is productive and its impact on the economy can be measured. All IIP priorities - training, software and networks - can and usually do lend themselves to research and innovation. However, the developing countries, like the developed countries, need to organize research in informatics on co- operative bases by pooling resources, as is being done through the European projects EUREKA, ESPRIT, etc.

2.2.5 Policies and strategies : a new approach

Regarding informatics policies and strategies, it would perhaps also be advisable to outline them in relation with the other IIP priorities.

Projects could thus bear on:

the study of ways and means of introducing informatics into education;

policies in respect of software : production, adaptation, software banks, data

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bases an software portability;

technical choices and strategic choices in regard to networks and the opening of local networks to the outside world;

strategies in regard to research and development, research and production, research and innovation and university/industry relations through informatics.

To sum up, the Committee, while maintaining HP’s priorities, could broaden the scope of each of them in order to cover all the concerns expressed, according to the level of development, resources and wishes of each country.

2.3 The resources need for the implementation of IIP and the achievement of its purposes

These resources are of three kinds :

intellectual; human ; material, and especially financial.

2.3.1 Intellectual resources for comprehensive thinking and guidelines

At the intellectual level, HP has enormous potential. The Committee itself is a source of specialized knowledge with substantive responsibility for IIP and is represented by the Bureau whose members fully participate in all stages in the implementation of the programme in liaison with the secretariat. Finally, the network of IIP focal points represents a wealth of expertise which can at any time participate in operations, acting so to speak as outposts of IIP in the country and the region. Thanks to the links that have been forged with other organizations, particularly professional organizations, joint or complement’q activities can be undertaken through exchanges or the sharing of experience. Within UNESCO itself, IIP is able to avail itself of the considerable assets offered by the other sectors, in particular education, science and communication. Then again, the appraisals and guidelines that may be put forward by the Executive Board and General Conference of UNESCO will give even more weight and responsibility to IIP’s activities by adding to its universal character.

2.32 Human resources for implementation

The human resources available to the secretariat are extremely limited. This is a

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handicap for the programme in so far as it is not possible, owing to the reduced staff, to take advantage of all the intellectual resources just mentioned. Appeals and representations have been made, particularly by the Chairman of IIP to the Director, for UNESCO to make available to the Committee, in accordance with its Statutes, the human resources needed for it to achieve its purposes. This problem will certainly find a solution. The UNESCO authorities are aware of it and are resolved to give substantial assistance to IIP by increasing its secretariat.

III? is also in need of project officers in the field, who would be able to help Member States and participate in the implementation of projects. This could be done through associate experts or consultants made available to IIP by Member States under their responsibility.

2.3.3 Material andfinancial resources

The question of financial resources is certainly the most important one. This is the weak point of IIP and considerably hampers its action. It was seen in the financial review how small IIP’s resources are in comparison with demand. Despite strict selection of the projects to be funded, the average degree of satisfaction for requests is no more than 33 percent, while remarkable efforts are being made by countries as the multiplier coefficient is nearly 10. There are two requirements for an improvement in the situation:

the number of projects to be funded needs to be increased through greater flexibility in selection;

a far higher average rate of satisfaction needs to be achieved.

Analysis of IIP’s resources reveals :

a dangerous levelling off of voluntary contributions, particularly in view of the fact that when IIP was launched its main resources was the voluntary contributions of Member states. Only 16 Member states have contributed, or barely 10 per cent of UNESCO Member states. There are consequently 140 Members States that need to be persuaded to contribute to IIP,

a slightly increased UNESCO participation in the funding of projects, but it should be noted that the funds are taken out of the regular programme. No special effort has been made to increase the total resources earmarked for informatics by UNESCO, but on the contrary, indeed, the regular programme budget has dropped by 30 per cent in the past five years following the withdrawal of three

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Member states and cutbacks to make up for shortfalls;

a significant increase in funds-in-trust donations, but thanks to the efforts of only four countries.

There are several possible ways in which the financial situation can be improved.

(a) Participation by all Member states in the funding of IIP

This principle of ‘rights and duties’ for all through IIP is important, it is true, for greater mobilization of resources, but also as the basis of multilateral co-operation. The purpose of the various appeals made to Member States by the Chairman was to secure the participation of all States, each according to its means.

In otherorganizations, governmental ones like IBIin thepast,or non-governmental ones such as IFIP, the participation of all was obtained on the basis of a mandatory contribution, the amount of which was determined by the wealth of the Member States, to which were added voluntary contributions form the richest ones. For example, during the last few years of.its existence, IBI’s budget varied between $30 and $40 million per biennium with fewer that 40 member states, only three of which were industrialized developed countries.

Without going so far as to imagine the same system for IIP, the Committee could study the principle of a minimum regular contribution from all Member States, supplemented by voluntary contributions. An effort on the part of all countries, particularly the richest ones, is absolutely essential for IIP’s budget. Many of the biggest countries which produce and benefit from computer products are still holding back. It is vital for IIP that the big countries commit themselves more, participate in discussions and contribute intellectually and financially. Notwithstanding its meagre resources, IIP has given proof of the seriousness of its action and the soundness of its management. It is the only programme that invests in the projects all the resources collected and for which all decisions are effectively taken by Member States through the Committee or the Bureau.

(b) Increased funds-in-trust donations

Funds-in-trust donations offer additional guarantees to the donor States since they can choose projects to be funded from those selected by the Bureau as being in keeping with the spirit and objectives of IIP. the industrialized countries can therefore help and participate in IIP while retaining some degree of freedom of choice and ktion. This is

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especially important in that equipment is often purchased from firms in the donor countries, representing a return of part of the funds invested in the programme. It is to be hoped that there will be an increase in funds-in-trust donations such as to provide IIP with resources of the order of $2 or $3 million.

Other sources of financing or participation have been explored or should be

(c) International organizations

The attempts made to obtain financial contributions from intemationalorganizations have clearly not been very successful. Each organization has its own programme and gives priority to the financing of projects submitted by its Member States. With regard to UNDP for instance, to have a greater chance of receiving financing, projects have to be submitted by the beneficiary Member State or States, with UNESCO acting as executing agency through IIP.

Within the framework of IIP it is possible to help countries to draw up informatics projects which will resubmitted to funding agencies such as UNDP. Two projects for centres for software production and the training of maintenance technicians have been prepared by the secretariat. These projects could be supplemented, adapted and submitted to UNDP by the beneficiary States.

With other Specialized Agencies, such as UNIDO, joint activities are possible, particularly in respect of maintenance training and R&D. The joint implementation of certain projects under partnership arrangements is thus being contemplated, as could be the case with lTU with regard to networks and computer communications.

(d) Computer manufacturers

One of the consequences of IIP’s action is that, by helping to promote informatics, it creates new markets for computer manufacturers. The Committee might consider the possibility of obtaining contributions in cash or in kind from manufacturers, companies producing software and services, and publishers. Patronage exists in sport and in the cultural sphere; why not in informatics. Without such patronage in any way limiting freedom of choice, thought might be given to making appeals to those professionally involved in the informatics field, or to contacting them and requesting their assistance. This is especially important in that equipment is the biggest item of expenditure. Non- member countries of UNESCO could thus contribute to the financing of IIP through their fms.

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(e) Savings to be made and additional resources

While looking for as many sources of financing as possible, we should at the same time be considering possible sources of savings. The Bureau discussed this matter at its third session. As IIP’s administrative expenditure has already been reduced to a bare minimum, only the cost of interpretation can be reduced. The Committee could envisage reducing the working languages of the Committee to the two languages that are the working languages of UNESCO, namely English and French. this would make for savings in money and in translation time and would reduce the volume of documentation. This proposal by the Bureau, in line which the directives of the Director-General for all Unesco’s activities, requires Rule 13 of the Rules of Procedure to be amended accordingly, in compliance with the provisions of Rule 30 of those Rules.

The Bureau also expressed the wish that the administrative costs deducted by UNESCO from funds-in-trust donations should be fully paid back into the IIP funds-in- trust donations to cover administrative costs is the expenditure incurred by UNESCO for the implementation of projects, As the work is carried out by the IIP secretariat, it would be logical for the sums deducted to come back to IIP for the financing of projects. The Committee might wish to make a recommendation to this effect.

2.4 Methods of action to achieve maximum effectiveness

2.4.X The focal points : HP’s intermediaries in the field

Analysis of the situation over the past four years reveals the two weak points of IIP: resources, discussed above, and mobilizing action in the field. Admittedly, the members of the Bureau and the secretariat have made considerable efforts to ensure improved information flow, but there have not always been national bodies to carry on the work and information the authorities and the appropriate specialists. There is a need for continuity in transmitting the message and for permanent IIP representation in the field in each country.

Implementation of IIP necessitates the effective functioning of machinery whose mainsprings are located at UNESCO in the IIP secretariat and in Member States in the focal points. The role of the focal points is essential for the dynamics of regional co- operation. Three operations should be carried out simultaneously in order to make IIP better known and ensure the effectiveness of its action:

Arrange in each country for an appropriate focal point, duly designated by the authorities responsible for informatics;

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specify and expand the role of the focal point and secure its active involvement in all stages in the implementation of IIP projects. The focal point should be an active interface between the country, its specialized informatics institutions, its needs and potential and IIP;

forge essential links among focal points in each region so that regional co- operation in informatics can develop and flourish.

At present, 73 Member States have designated a focal point. Appeals have been made to Member States that have not yet done so by the secretariat, members of the Bureau and UNESCO’s Regional Offices. The campaign is in progress and it is hoped that the secretariat will hear of new focal points before or during the Committee’s meeting. Focal points should be designated with due regard for the role assigned to them in the life of IIP. They are required to be technical bodies with computer facilities and expertise at their disposal.

In each country, the focal point is responsible for organizing activities around IIP. It centralizes all information relating to IIP to specialized institutions and decision- making bodies. It maintains liaison with national institutions, particularly during the preparation of projects to be undertaken under IIP, playing an advisory role to ensure that projects fit in as well as possible with the spirit and priorities of IIP. It may play a federative role by facilitating contacts among national institutions and calling on them to collaborate on the same project rather than add to the number of projects and spread their resources too thin. IIP projects should whenever possible, be routed through the focal point, which can give an informed technical opinion regarding their content. This mechanism represented by the focal points is designed to ensure the effectiveness of IIP at the national level in respect of project implementation, follow-up and evaluation. Once they have assumed their responsibilities in this way, the focal points will be able to pay a more important role in mobilizing the intellectual and material resources that can be expected to contribute to the effectiveness of HP.

The focal points should also be instrumental in promoting co-operation among countries in the region by organizing meetings of scientists for the preparation of projects of common interest, and of decision-makers for a co-opertive approach to strategies for the development of informatics. It will thus become possible to develop regional software banks (for education in particular), specific data bases concerning several countries in the region and research activities in the various fields covered by IIP. Pending the establishment of physical networks to facilitate exchanges, journals, studies and works could be exchanged by the focal points. Viewed in this way, the role of the focal point is extremely important for the country and for IIP. This is why it is desirable

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that the focal point should be located in one of the aspects of IIP and would facilitate its action is so far as the institution may already have infrastructures at its disposal for the organization of activities, experiments, meetings, etc. Representatives of political and financial decision-makers and the main users (industry, universities, education) should be associated with the focal point. The focal points will then form the strongest links in the international chain of co-operation in informatics, which is the primary objective of IIP.

2.4.2 Enhancing the regional character ofprojects through the pooling of resources.

Reference has been made throughout this document to the vital importance of regional co-operation in informatics. All the industrialized countries have grouped together for co-operative programmes of research and innovation, such as ESPRIT and EUREKA. the European countries co-operate actively regarding informatics applied to education and measures were proposed a the MINEDEIRPOE IV meeting of European ministers of education to strengthen that co-operation.

Thanks to theefforts of UNESCO and IIP, through congresses, seminars workshops and organized projects, decision-makers are almost certainly aware of what is involved. No one disputes the place of informatics in development and every one wants to see it introduced into education at all levels. It was with this in view that, under the Priority: Africa Programme, the IIP secretariat prepared the INFORMAFRICA project to facilitate the introduction of informatics into the education system in Africa. This project will receive initial financing from extra budgetary funds, but its implementation will call for a more substantial budget. It is a model regional project in so far as all the countries in the African continent will be affected. Only through a regional or subregional approach will it be possible, within a limited period of time, to carry out this ambitious albeit realistic project. It is important that the beneficiary countries should contribute financially (if need be, in local currency) and intellectually to the project by pooling their resources, sharing tasks and working alone the same lines. This is the only way of making rapid headway, saving time and money and paving the way for co-operation which should extend beyond informatics. Such a project may well receive financial assistance from UNDP and especially from funds-in-trust donations from Member States of UNESCO that cannot fail to feel concerned about Africa.

The example of INFORMAFRICA must not remain an isolated one. This is the direction in which IIP should develop, as has already been stressed by the Committee, through projects of a certain magnitude attracting the active involvement of beneficiary states, donor States, UNESCO and IIP.

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It is important that the developing countries should also design projects of the EUREKA type for themselves, even though they cannot be on the same scale or benefit from the same resources.

Although one of the criteria for the selection of projects is their regional or associative character, it would perhaps be advisable to define what this means in order to make the idea more real and more attractive.

As in other programme, it might be desirable to specify the minimum number of countries concerned so that a project can be regarded as regional or associative, while allowing the Bureau of judge for itself, particularly in the case of heavily populated countries that themselves represent the equivalent of a region. At least three countries should be associated with a project through their institutions. This will be a spur to co- operation. Furthermore, they should not thus be associated with a project in name only or barely more. Each country must effectively contribute to the project and benefit from the results. Project implementation can begin after tasks have been allocated to the various partners or to one or more countries with the participation of operators in the different countries involved.

In so far as developing countries might be able to make voluntary contributions in local currency, the costs of operators for the project might be covered in each of the countries. The project could thus be implemented without excessive expenditure in hard currencies. Equipment, hardware and software, and expertise could be financed under HP.

2.5 The new place assigned to IIP within UNESCO

2.5.1 Structure: the attachment of IIP to the new communication and information sector

As part of the reforms being carried out with a view to the implementation of the new Medium-Term Plan, a Communication and Information Sector has been set up. This new sector is organized around:

the communication programmes, including IPDC; the General Information Programme; the Intergovernmental Informatics Programme, which came under the Natural

Sciences Sector.

Aware of the convergence of communication, information and informatics

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technologies, the Director-General has therefore decided to bring them together within the same sector so as to help ensure that the approaches adopted in each case converge and that their respective contributions are marked by synergy.

The main prupose of the new suuctures will be:

to strengthen UNESCO’s mission of intellectual co-operation;

to enable operational activities to benefit from the latest developments in research and from technological progress;

toensure broader mutual information and facilitate convergence between the three intergovernmental programmes(IPDC, PGI and IrP)

2.5.2 Responsibilities

In this new sector, the unit responsible for informatics is thus required to assume two clearly defined responsibilities.

Within the sector:

serve as the IIP Secretariat and, in association with the Committee and the Bureau, carry out the programme adopted by IIP authorities, in compliances with their guidelines;

implement activities under UNESCO’sregularprogramme in the field of informatics in accordance with the policy and guidelines set by the General Conference;

participate in the preparation and implementation of joint or complementary activities involving the three intergovernmental programmes.

within the intersectoral framework;

co-ordinate all the informatics activities conducted by the Organization.

Informatics and IIP are thus gradually assuming their rightful place within UNESCO and the new sector of which they constitute the technical mainspring and the centre of gravity. In entrusting to the unit in charge of the infromatics programme and

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IIP responsibility for co-ordinating all the activities undertaken by the Organization in the informatics field, the Director-General is aiming at unification in respect of reflection and decentralization in respect of action, towards other sectors and towards the Regional Offices. The measures currently being envisaged give IIP autonomous decision-making and managerial authority, as they do the other intergovernmental programmes which, while remaining UNESCO programmes, will thereby benefit from greater flexibility in the performance of their activities, under the entire responsibility of their organs and while of course remaining accountable to the General Conference.

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Annexure-7

Facilities available at NIC for promoting library modernization

(Source: Various Brochures issued by NIC)

The organisational structure of NIC encompasses its Headquarters at Delhi; Regional Centres at Pune, Bhubaneshwar and Hyderabad; State Units in all the State Capitals and Union Territory Headquarters; and Offices in over 500 Districts of the country.

There is a large number of support groups at NIC headquarters which provide the required informatics infrastructural backbone for helping the Application Divisions deliver services to the users. The Network communication group operates the satellite and terrestrial-communication networks and makes available data communication services over NlCNET throughout the Country. The Systems Group, includes both the large-scale and the small-scale systems for providing support on the mainframe, mini and PC range of computers. The Training Division is responsible for training and re- training of about 20,000 people every year.

The Regional Centres are responsible for co-ordinating informatics activities in their respective regions. They are also involved in providing application support to the states where they are located. Specialised support groups are also located, in a limited way, in these Centres. At the state level, NIC units provide informatics support to their respective State Governments on the pattern of the NIC headquarters supporting the Central Government. The Union Territory Units do the same. It is the District Informatics Offices (DIOs) of NIC, located in 500 Districts throughout the Country, which have made a special impact on the working of the District Administration through the provision of necessary decision -support systems to improve the effectiveness of the District Administrator and his officers.

NIC presently has a strength of over 3600 persons with 90% of them being professional/technical personnel. Approximately, one third are located in NIC Headquarters to provide informatics support to the Central Government as well as to provide central infrastructural support such as NICNET. Each District has a Systems Analyst/Programmer as the District Informatics Officer @IO) who is assisted by a District Informatics Assistant @IA). They account for nearly another one third of the NIC staff. The remaining one third are distributed in the Regional Centres and the State/ UT Offices throughout the Country.

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Among other functions, NICNET served various government departments and associated organisations throughout the Country :

Monitoring of vital socio-economic projects On-line retrieval from databases, and updating Optimum utilization of expensive computer resources Emergency Communication System Sharing latest software tools Dissemination of information Exchange of messages and information between central government, state governments and district administrations.

NlCNET has been operational since 1987. It links all the District Headquarters, States/Union Territory Capitals and the National Capital. NICNET operates a low speed network using a C-band transponder in INSAT I-D, with a Master Earth Station hub using a 13 meter antenna in the heart of Delhi, and more than 750 Micro Earth Stations (Very Small Aperture Terminals - VSATs) in as many cities connected to 386/486/ Pentium chip-based computers with 8/16/32 MB main memory and 300 - 2 GB MB hard disk storage. NICNET facility, vertically and horizontally, integrates the Indian Government at the Central and State levels, as well as the District Administrations.

NICNET Architecture

Access Technique

It is based on the Spread Spectrum Multiple Access (SSMA) and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) technology operating in the C-band. Spread Spectrum is the means of transmission in which the signal occupies bandwidth in excess of the minimum necessary to send the information. The band-based spread is accomplished by means of a code which is independent of the data, and with synchronised reception in which, the code of the receiver is used for the data de-spreading and subsequent data recovery. This helps to minimise interferences from and to other satellites and terrestrial sources. The Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) allows efficient multiple access of the large network with low duty cycle terminals. No satellite power is allocated except during actual transmission. In the NICNET environment, CDMA has significant advantages over Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) for sharing a satellite channel among a largenumberoftransaction terrninals.Asaresult,veryimpressivethroughputperformance has been obtained through NICNET.

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Master Earth Station

The Master Earth Station of NICNET uses Equatorial MC-200, which provides two- way communication. In addition to the antenna, the electronics includes certain RF & digital electronic equipment and packet switching equipment. It receives multiple data channels through the satellite at 153.6 Kbps. These channels consist of demand basis time - division multiplexed (TDM) data streams and are spread to occupy 5 MHz of transponder bandwidth. The data streams contain variable length packets with data addressed to one or more users. The data streams are received by all micro earth stations, each of which selects its assigned traffic based upon broadcast, or a single address designation.

The following are the major functions of Master Earth Station

Provides datagrams, permanent and switched virtual circuits for operation of the network.

Provides protocol interfaces to accept and deliver data from multiple- user host- computer data links.

Multiplexes data from several host sources into variable (limited to a maximum Packet size) length data packets for output as a 153.6 Kbps TDM data stream.

Receives 1200 bps (C-200) or 9600 bps (C-250) data from multiple micro earth stations via Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA). It separates these data streams for further processing.

Provides spread-spectrum encoding of the outbound and decoding of the inbound data stream.

Provides modulation of a radio frequency (RF) carrier with the outbound data stream, and demodulation of the inbound data stream.

Micro Earth Station NSAT

The C-200 micro earth station transmits at 1200 bps (C- 201) or at 9600 bps (C- 250). It consists of two basic modules - the antenna and the controller. The antenna module is easily mounted on a roof top or on the ground. The controller is placed on a desk or shelf near the user’s computer terminal equipment. The controller is connected to the antenna with upto 100 meters of twin coaxial cables. The user’s terminal

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equipment is connected to the controller by means of standard RS-232C or RS- 422 cable. The controller module has two user ports which are connected to the user’s terminal equipment. The network follows CCI‘IT recommendations, X.25 Protocol and Emulation system. At the micro earth station node, a built-in Packet Assembler/ Disassembler (PAD) facility is available to permit attachment of upto two asynchronous user terminals.

Features of NICNET

Flexible Network Structure

Terminals can be connected to the system directly or via telephonelines/dedicated lines . Remote terminals which can be connected via packet multiplexor or packet assembler/ dis- assemblers (PADS) through satellite circuits.

Broad Terminal Integration

Packet terminals, non-packet terminals and host computers of different speeds can be integrated.

Compatibility

The system can interface with the external communication system according to CCIIT recommendations.

Network Access

The system can facilitate access to the communication network, either through leased lines or dedicated lines or switched telephone networks or satellite circuits.

Line Utilization

Each packet terminal can communicate with a number of other terminals over one physical line.

Error-Free Transmission

The system can check the data for error, step by step, as it transmits.

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NICNET Info Highway

NIC has successfully operated its low-speed satellite-based, computer- communication Network, NICNET, for more than six years. The capability and versatility of the network was successfully demonstrated for avariety of major applications including Result Processing and Dissemination for the General Elections of 1991; and subsequently, for the Assembly Election of 1993. The system has become an integral part for administration and monitoring of activities. The network has also supported several Closed User Groups for the Steel Authority of India Ltd., Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Ltd., Nathpa Jhakri Power Coporation, Central Excise, etc. Several users and organisations have also approached NlC for use of NICNET to connect their geographically distributed offices in the Country.

With the increasing use of the network by both the Government and other organisations, the demand for data bandwidth has been gradually increasing. To meet this ever-increasing data transmission requirement of the users, NIC has established a powerful information highway as an overlay network over the existing SSMA/CDMA- based NICNET. As a part of this information highway, the network will connect and provide services to more than 70 economically and commercially important cities/towns in the country. Substantial progress has already been made in establishing and operating this Info Highway.

NICNET Info Highway, supports high speed communication, at 64 Kbps through SCPC data pipes, at each of the remote sites. It has the capacity to increase the speeds at selected nodes upto 2 mbps without any major investment. Each remote station uses a 1.8/2.4 meter antenna. In addition, the remote stations have the necessary interfaces to support both synchronous and asynchronous circuits. Customers will be able to directly dial into the system to access the services available on the network. The remote stations could be configured locally or from the Master Earth Station. These remote stations will provide both operational as well as monitoring information to the network control centre.

The Network Control Centre (NCC) has a Star Network Management System (SNMS) to monitor the network. The software is loaded on a 386platform under window environment. This management software provides graphical information about all the links and also facilitates operations control at the remote sites.

The Network Control Centre has a 7 meter antenna at the NCC. This antenna has automatic tracking facility and has all its major modules duplicated to provide high reliability and availability of the system.

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This Info Highway has a data broadcast facility. This data broadcast facility uses the same RF portion of the MES but has a separate set of digital equipment. The data broadcast network will initially support 32 data magazines. This can be extended subsequently to support up to 64 data magazines. All data broadcast magazines will be initially up linked from the Delhi Master Earth Station. The data broadcast control centre will maintain complete details of all the magazines and also of the receivers of these magazines. It has facilities to disconnect those receivers which do not specify or meet the operational conditions set by the data providers. The data broadcast receivers will have a receive only terminal which can be easily mounted on a roof top or window. It has the capability to receive four magazines simultaneously. This can be subsequently diasy chained for providing additional magazines. The user can use this equipment just like any other electronic consumable item. It operates at normalenvironmentalconditions.

The Info Highway will provide complete connectivity with very high reliability to all its customers. The customers could be linked through the low speed VSAT network or through PSTN of the Department of Telecommunications. At each of the remote station as well as at the hub, facilities will be created for providing WAN transit gateway for LAN users. .

With NICNET Info Highway acting as a computer communication carrier, virtual private networks can be carved out over the NICNET and placed at the exclusive disposal of the user. Such virtual private networks have several advantages. Firstly, users would not have to make large investments in creating network facilities. Secondly, they would need a minimum skilled technical staff to operate their network. The capacity of such a network can be altered and the network itself can be reconfigured as per user’s demand. The users also gain access to some of the public network systems. More importantly, users benifit from the network economies of scale and scope. In addition to normal value added services, NICNETInfo Highway alsooffersED1, ImageTransmission, ISDN , Multimedia, Teleconferencing and Directory Services.

International Connectivity

NICNET has been connected to the International Networks, through the Gateway Packet Switching System (GPSS) of Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd. at Bombay. Through this linkage, the network accesses several X.25 networks in the world. In particular it has been accessing the MEDLARS database located at the National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Washington, D.C., U.S.A. It also provides its users with international mail facility and the large number of public domain software available on UUNBT.

To cater to many intenational needs NICNET has acquired another high-speed

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connection. It is connected to transit gateway of SPRINT at New York with the same speed. This data link is in addition to the already existing gateway connection to GPSS. These new additional line will increase the reliability and response time for NICNET users when they access international datanetworks. With the present gateway connections, NICNET users have access to almost any data network in the world. At present these connections are interfaced using X.25 protocols. NIC is converting them to X.75 soon which will place NICNET uniquely in the world data networks map.

NICNET Services

NICNET, which presently has more than 650 Micro Earth Stations in operation, serving the Central Government and State Governments and other organisations, provides the following services :-

Interactive Access

Remote Database Access

File Transfer Facility

Electronic Mail Facility

Emergency Message Communication Facility

International Remote Access

International Mail Facility

Electronic Data Interchange

INTERNET Access

International Mail Facility (NICMAIL 400)

The recent introduction of NICMAIL 400 services over the satellite-basedcomputer- communication network, NICNET, of the National Informatics Centre, now provides NICNET users fast and reliable electronic mail service conforming to X.400 recommendations of CCITT. With NICMAIL 400, users can now exchange mails through any other national or international network providing X.400 mail services.

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NICMAIL 400 supports integrated facility to transfer ED1 messages. FAX gateway is provided for non-X.4OOusers who have FAX facility. Different platforms host Remote User Agent Software to enable users to access NICMAIL 400 which is available round the clock.

NICMAIL 400 can be accessed through

Dumb terminals with asynchronous connection to NICNET via direct, dial-up or VSAT connectivity. In this case, w sofhvare is required.

Personal computers with asynchronous connection to NICNET via direct, dial-up or VSAT connectivity; using Remote User Agent Software

Systems with X.25 card with X.25 synchronous connection to NICNET;

using Remote User Agent Software.

Prominent Features of NICNET 400 include

Composing and manipulating mail at local site/network host

Filing mail in different electronic folders

Password-protected unique mailing addresses

Directory-service support to provide simple addressing schemes

Gateway to SMTP/UUCP world Delivery of messages to multiple recipients

Distribution list to send mail to a group of users

Delivery and non-delivery notification

Answer and forward capabilities

Transfer of text files

Binary file attachment to message

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Attachment of forms with message

Easy-to-use menu-driven user interface

Time stamp for sending and receiving messages

Data Broadcasting over NICNET

Data Broadcasting is similar to conventional radio and television broadcasting except that digital data, instead of audio or video signals, are carried by the satellite RF signal. Special digital transmission and reception techniques are employed to enhance coverage and provide error-free delivery of the transmitted information.

The receiving equipment is a low-cost Receive-Only Very Small Aperture Terminal (RO-VSAT). The information transmitted in Data Broadcasting can be in the form of plain text, pictures or even multimedia presentations. While the plain text are displayed on normal VDU,multimediapresentations arepossiblein graphic workstations.

Linking remote sites to Delhi for one-way data transmission can now be done at one-third the annual cost of multiple point-to-point terrestrial links. Satellite transmission is reliable, the data is error-free, and the receiving equipment can be installed within an hour.

Typical Applications of Data Broadcasting

Any information that is required simultaneously at many sites over a wide geographical area is suitable for data broadcasting. The information can be provided directly by independent information agencies who are interested in real time and/or selective dissemination of information.

Financial information distribution on share prices and exchange rates to brokerage houses, banks and financial institutions

News Agency Transmission and Fax Broadcasting

Remote database updating from central location in bibliographic services, credit card verification

Backbone relay for All-India paging, teletext, radio data broadcast networks

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Weather and Agriculture information distribution

Head office-to-branch office real-time status information and circulars

Components of RO-VSAT

It has a small dish antenna, typically 60 cm in diameter. The small size of the antenna makes it window or even desktop mountable, wherever there is a clear view up into the southern sky, at an angle of 45 degrees.

A LNB (Low Noise Block Converter) of the TVRO type, that receives the satellite signals and down-converts them.

An IDU (Indoor Unit) box weighing 3 kgs, which is placed within 60 metres of the LNB and antenna. This demodulates the signal, corrects errors in the incoming data, separates (demultiplexes) the various data streams and forwards each to an RS 232 port for output. Each IDU has l-4 ports which can be configured to receive any particular stream and can work at 50 bps to 64 kbps. At the receiving end, the User typically connects a PC with application-specific database and display software.

Subscribers Management

The Information Provider has full control over who can receive the data stream. Using the NetworkManagement System, NIC will enable only those receivers specifically authoxized by the Information Provider. Individual receiving stations can be enabled for up to any four data streams which can also be separately disabled on instructions from the Information Provider.

Global Information Highway

A unique collection of networks with vast proportions of its own kind, Internet is a g!obal information highway. Internet has evolved into one of technology’s greatest democracies, permitting the passage of all kinds of information cris-crossing with full freedom. Through this singlechannel, tensof millionsof scholars, scientists, businessmen, librarians, journalists, artists and software developers are woven into a “Global Village”. Information is vital in today’s world. The problem of dealing with the accelerating glut of information is becoming acute and has ceased to be within the ability of human beings. The human interaction level, the urge to know the latest and fast has scaled such new heights that its realization through a global information highway of the likes of Internet was but imperative .

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The networks/computers operating in different environments areknitted to Internet by a common protocol suite, namely, Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), all of which share a common name and address space.

NICNET, the satellite-based Computer communication Network of the National Informatics Centre ( NIC ), is a very viable Gateway to Internet, in the country.

NICNETmaintains its leading edge with the incorporation of a powerful Ku-Band based National Info Highway as an overlay Network on the existing SSMMZDMA architecture. It is connected to over 200 International Networks in 16Ocountries through Gateway Packet Switched Service (GPSS) and has dedicated Internet access through a direct high speed link to SPRINTNET, USA .

Witth more than 700 micro earth station nodes in all state capitals, district headquarters and selected commercial centres, NICNET has the widest reach in the country.

NIC is a premier organization in the field of Information Technology and provides state-of-the-art solutions to the information management and decision support requirements of the Government and the corporate sector. NIC provides these facilities to all those who wish to interact, inform and to be informed on the global information highway.

INTERNET Services

1. Global Electronic Mail

Electronic mail allows a user to send messages electronically to individuals or group of individuals as long as there are networks connecting them. For many users e- mail is the first real exposure to, and use of Internet. Internet mail makes mail delivery more reliable. One can also make requests for database searches through electronic mail and have the results mailed back.

2. Views and News - USENET

USENET is the Bulletin Board Service of Internet. Electronic BBSs are very effective ways to share information. The messages in USENET are organ&d into thousands of topical groups or ‘Newsgroups’ which cover specific areas of interest. USENET is read and contributed to, on a daily basis, by millions of people. There are several ways one can be a USENET user, for example, a user can read lots, ask

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questions, answer questions, participate in discussions etc.

3. Remote login (telnet)

The telnet protocol allows an Internet user to login to a remote host from the local host. Once connected and logged into the remote host, the user can enter data, run programs, or do any other operation just as if he were logged in directly to the remote host. While running telnet, the program effectively makes the local computer invisible during the session on the remote computer.

4. File Transfer Protocol (FTP)

The file transfer protocol makes it possible to move a file from one computer to another, even if each computer has a different operating system and file storage formats. The files may be data, programs, text - anything that can be stored on line. Users are required to login to each computer, thus ensuring that they have the right to take and put files on those computers.

5. Information Servers - Navigators

Over 1,CKKl new hosts join Internet each month. While this creates a global information sea of awesome proportions, it also makes it difficult to find anything specific on Internet. There are several powerful Internet searching utilities. These information tracking projects are meant to develop easy methods of discovering, locating and retrieving information available freely on Internet. Each of these tools takes a different approach to Internet navigation.

. Gopher: Gopher can burrow through Internet to find the data one is after. It is amenu-driven systemattheclientandfacilitatesobtaininginfonnation in an orderly, logical manner through menus.

. Archie: This is a type of a global librarian, that automatically reaches out to a whole lot of Internet servers and indexes their files, to generate a single database that can be easily searched.

. Hytelnet : It is a Hypertext Browser for telnet accessible sites. It assits Internet users in accessing resources such as - library catalouges , free-nets , full text databases , electronic books and many other useful services which can be reached via remote login .

. Wide Area Information Server (WAIS): It is a program that can search

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dozens of databases in one go and is designed to retrieve full text documents from various sources.

C-WEB :

World Wide Web (WWW) : It is the most advanced browsing and searching system deployed on the Internet based on the hypertext paradigm. WWW allows one to explore a seemingly unlimited world wide digital “WEB” of human knowledge. Powerful freewares like Mosaic and Cello provide an interactive graphical user interface to the WEB. The Web can make other Internet tools much easier to use and it is poised to become one of the Internet greats.

The establishment of the most advanced WWW server in the world through BASIS Web server at C-WEB (Centre for World Wide Web Service over NICNET), the first of its kind in the country, adds a new dimension to Internet Services over NICNET.

Internet Connectivity through NICNET

(a) Mail only connection

The simplest way to get Internet e-mail link is through UUCP connectivity to any of the NICNET nodes on dial-up. The’ mail only connections’ are links that enables you to send and receive electronic mail and Bulletin Board Services.

(b) Shell account - dial up terminal connection With the dial-up terminal connection one links to an Internet node of NICNET as

a terminal on the NICNET computer and set up a shell account which uses a UNIX command line. The Internet access software (telnet,ftp and so on) is run on the NICNET node.

(c) SLIP / PPP - On demand direct connection

A variant of TCP/IP designed for telephone lines is called Serial Line Interface Protocol (SLIP) or the Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP). With one of these, a high speed ( 9600 baud or preferably 14,400 baud ) Modem connection to an Internet site of NICNET node, one can have a link that makes one’s computer a full Internet participant.

MEDLARS through NICNET

The National Informatics Centre (NE), New Delhi has been designated as the Indian MEDLARS Centre (lMC). MEDLARS services are provided by NIC through its nationwide satellite based computer communication network, NICNET. This network

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is accessible from all 500 district headquarters of NIC. NICNET also provides linkages to international networks, using which IMC has been directly linked to the National Library of Medicine and can access all the MEDLARS databases.

One of the most important databases of MEDLARS is MEDLINE which covers articles from over 3500 journals from 70 countries in the field of general medicine including nursing, dentistry and preclinical sciences.

MEDLINE data from 1986 onwards is available on a minicomputer at NIC, NewDelhi. A menu driven bibliographic retrieval software, BRWEARCH is used to search this database. This database is directly accessible to NICNET users. MEDLINE data prior to this as well as information from all other MEDLARS databases is available on requrest from IMC.

Services offered by IMC

Biomedical Information from all MEDLARS databases.

Interactive access to selected biomedical databases on Compact Disk.

Online catalogue of Biomedical Journals containing journals holdings of 150 Indian libraries.

Training of users

Using IMC’s Services

Access via NICNET: Users can visit the nearest NIC office and submit their search requests. They can also submit their searches at select medical institutes that have access to IMC via NICNET.

Searching databases on Compact Discs at NIC, New Delhi: Users can directly search databases on CD-NET at NIC, New Delhi.

Mailing search requests: Search request forms are available at major medical libraries or IMC. The forms completed as per instructions can be mailed to IMC.

Searches are processed at IMC and the search results are mailed back to the users.

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Training Facilities

Training programmes are regularly conducted for the duration of three to five days at NIC, New Delhi and selected medical centres in India.

The course contents comprise

Searching the MEDLINE database using BRS/SEARCH

Searching medical databases on Compact Disks

Searching the Catalogue of Biomedical Journals

Library and Information personnel, practicing doctors, computer specialists and other end-users are eligible to attend these courses. It is essential for participants to have a working knowledge of basic computer commands.

Catalouge of Biomedical Journals

To help users locate their required journals, a database of the holdings of over one hundred and fifty biomedical libraries in India has been created.

This database can be searched interactively from any NICNET node.

In case certain journals are not available at the user’s local lib-, the jo~umals, m& ?*+?cc\;ies of specific articles are obtained from: r.‘L .-

National Medical Library Ansari Nagar, New Delhi- 110 029.

Indian National Scientific and Documentation Centre, 14, Satsang Vihar Marg, Institutional Area, New Delhi - 110 067.

Major Medical Libraries.

Journals not available in the country are being obtained at the rate of $12 per article from:

National Library of Medcine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 20894, USA.

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Annexure-8

Library Software Requirements as projected in the Report of the INFLIBNET Inter-Agency Working Group

When the Inter-agency working group on Information and Library Network setup by the UGC, of which the author/consultant was a member, designed INFLIBNET, careful attention was given to enumerate in detail the requirements of the library Software Platform and Library Application Software packages and development. In view of the thorough going excercise carried out, we reproduce below their recommendations.

Desirable features of a Library Software platform recommended by the Report of the INFLIBNET Inter-Aency Working Group. (Source: Inter-Agency Working Group Report on INFLJBNET, dated December 1988)

1. It is desirable that the package be an intergated one, to support a) library automation and b) database construction and information retrieval. Should support a phased implementation, according to particular library priorities.

2. Should not be tied to a specific hardware system.

3 Should ‘be adaptable to varying local library requirements(eq. circulation, acquisition procedures).

4 Should be compatible with relevant Indian and. international bibliographic standards.

5 Should be supported with clearly written, well illustrated manuals -(user/ programmer/system manager levels), online helps/ tutorials. The package usage should be transferred to the user through adequate user training programmes at different stages.

6 Should be user friendly - i.e.predominantly menu-driven.However, support for different user levels (novice/expert) is desirable. User modification of menu and messages should be possible.

7 For libraries with a collection size of more than 25,CKKl volumes, the package should be multi-user, for simultaneous read, add and modify, through two or more terminals.

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8 The response time, i.e. the time elapsed between user selection of a menu option/ issuing a command and the system response should be preferably less than 5 seconds,but should not exceed 8- 10 seconds. Response time should be independent of database size.

9 Should handle bibliographic dataconsistingof textual, variable field, subfield and record lengths. Should be possible to specify identifiers and indicators for fields and subfields. Should not impose any limits for logical field and logical record lengths.

10 Should support data security through passwords at system, subsystem, file, record and field levels for read, write and update functions.

11 Should have adequate data backup/recovery facilities due topower,disk, processor failure.

12 Should provide higher-level language interface to the database for the user to write any special routines to manipulate the database.

13 Database set-up facilities. The user should be able to define’l)the data elements comprising a logical record and their attributes, and 2) the searchable data elements/ subfields.

14 User should be able to create one or more worksheets for data entry and modification.

15 Should provide facilities for database reorganisation and database recreation.

16 Should facilitate file building through,

- keyboard input

- downloading (online search)

- screen oriented input/editing

- batch. input (eg. a file created using a word processor, offline data entry file)

- editing of records

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- help facilities while input/update.

17 Indexing (inversion) facilities

- after entry o f each record - at user option - indexing options - free text (stop lists) - free text (demarcators) - subfields - verifications on thesaurus/authority files.

18 Provision for thesaurus, authority file maintenance.

19 Provision for indexing/inversion of a field/sub- field not considered during

database set-up.

20 Should facilitate system output through

- field selection for output

- output formatting ability (print/display)

- ease of formatting

- output on magnetic media (tape,diskette)

- generation of catalogue cards, bibliographies etc.

21 Should facilitate search through

- Boolean logic

- single term search and subsequent coordination

- multiple term search

- parenthetical grouping of terms comparison searching (=, >, <, etc.)

set building truncation searching (left,right)

- adjacency search

- wild card,

- field directed searching

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22 Import/export of data through standard exchange format.

23 It is desirable that the package functions on a Local Area Network.

APPLICATION SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS AT VARIOUS LEVELS IN THE NETWORK

Software Required for NC RC SIC UL/R&DC CUIIJ-DL

Management & Administration,

Network switching, resource management, maintenance

MIS, personnel, payroll, finance monitoring, inventory control

Data Prenaration

- Catalogue entry

- Retrospective conversion

- Database of projects, specialists, institutions

- Downloading

- Uploading

- Authority files

- Bibliographic entry for Indian database

- Data exchange

- Catalogue production

-

-

- - -

- - -

Y Y

- Y

Y Y

Y Y

Y

Y Y

Y -

Y Y

-

Y

-

Y

-

Y

-

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- Union catalogue entry, updating -

Searchinaetieval

- Union catalogue

- Local catalogue

- Database of projects, specialists, institutions

- International databases - Retrospective

-

- International databases current

-

- Indian bibliographic databases -

- Authority files

Services

- Selective Dissemination - of Information

- Current awareness

- Inter-library loan

- Collection development

- Shared cataloguing

- Electronic mail

- Bulletin board

- File transfer

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

251

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

L -

Y

Y

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- Document delivery (Through FAX)

- Tele-conferencing

- Tele-facsimile

Librarv Automation

- Acquisition

- Circulation

- Serials control

- Cataloguing

- Budget control

Training

- Tutorials for cataloguing,

Y

Y

Y searching, library automation, network access, etc.

Text Processing

- Report generation Y

- Text editing Y

- Desk-top publishing Y

Jnterfaces

- for CD-ROM Y

- for file transfers Y

- for terminal usage Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y Y

Y

Y Y

Y Y

Y Y

Y Y

Y Y

Y Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

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Note: y : Yes NC : National Centre RC : Regional Centre SIC : Sectoral Information Centre UL :University Library R&DC : Research & Development Centre Library CL/UDL : Library of College/Department of University.

National Centre

The- main functions of the National Centre are network switching, training and administration. There will be no library -related bibliographic databases at the National Centre.

Network management

This software will handle the functions of network, switching, analysis of the traffic and generation of related statistics. This handles only the communication part and is not related to the actual access of databases.

The Network Management System is the main network controlling system. It communicates with the network software at the Regional Centres. This software performs the functions of switching.At the same time, it computes the various statistics regarding the network traffic.

The analysis of data carried out here pertains to the inter - regional centre, traffic which goes through the National Centre.The Regional Centres would be performing similar analysis of the traffic within the region. The results of that analysis are reported to the National Centre. The nationwide network traffic analysis which is done, should incorporate this reported analysis of the Regional Centres as well.

Training Packages

To enforce uniformity and standardisation across the network, it is essential to create a central training facility, preferably at the National Centre, to train existing/ new staff in the participating libraries. Some of the training packages that will be required are:

terminal usage (electronic mail, bulletin board, file transfer, etc.)

online tutorials/simulation packages forlibrary automation, cataloguing, online

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searching, interlibrary loan, catalogue search, hardware/software configuration, installation, administration, etc.

- telefacsimile - data preparation - retrospective conversion - network usage, etc. (eg. accessing other nodes in the network)

Text processing and report generation software systems like DTP (Desk-top- publishing), for publishing training documents, standards and guidelines for network usage.

MIS (personnel, payroll,.financial, etc.).

Regional Centres

The software requirements at the Regional Centres are:

Union catalogue software

Software for searching and updating other regional centre catalogues

Software for searching bibliographic databases in sectoral information centres

Database of projects/institutions/specialists

Data exchange software for downloading (bibliographic, catalogue, projects, institutions, specialists)

Catalogue pro$tction(cards,com, mag. tape, floppy, CD-ROM, print)

Retrospective conversion software (to generate a participating library’scatalogue on tapes, floppy, etc based on search keys like ISBN, ISSN, and author/ title sent by the library on floppy/tape)

Collection development software providingdata related to selection and procurement of publications (e.g. usage data, supplier address, ILL, etc.)

Training packages (similar to the National Centre)

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Textprocessing and report generation software systems like DTP

Software forcreation/searching/‘maintenance of authority files for subjectheadings series, corporate/personal names, etc. (union catalogue, database of projects, institutions and specialists)

Sectoral Information Centres

Sectoral Informztion Centres operating at the same level as Regional Centres, maintain bibliographic databases in specific areas in science and technology, social sciences, etc. Examples of such centres are UGC Information Centres(Science, Social Science, Humanities, Engineering) NISSATSectoral Centres, NML, IARI, DESIDOC, etc.

Retrospective bibliographic database (international), for a few core areas in science and technology. Created using updates on magnetic tapes received from database suppliers (eg. Chemical Abstracts, Physics Abstracts, Biological Abstracts). To hold information for last 5 years. Software required relates to database creation, data conversion and loading. Volume of data involved is about 1 to 5 gigabytes per database for 5 years.

Retrospective bibliographic database (international), for a few core areas in social sciences and humanities (eg. Sociological Abstracts, ERIC, etc.). Enhancing of data received on tapes with Indian literature.Software required for database creation, conversion,loading, data entry and updation.

Retrospective bibliographic database (Indian), to be created from Indian literature available at Sectoral Centres and/or data received on tapes./floppies from other related Indian inputting agencies. Software related to creation and updation.

Online search software - menu driven for end users, command driven for’ advanced users. Main search features to be supported are given in section 5.2 under item 21.

S.D.I.(Selective Dissemination of Information service), based on user profiles.

Database of projects/institutions/specialists related to the-area of the Sector-al Centres.

Interface software to make databases on CD-ROMS, available on the network.

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Training packages(re1eva.m to the Sectoral Centres),

Text processing and report generation software systems like DTP.

Data -exchange software for downloading and unloading.

Bibliography, index, current awareness lists, etc. generation software.

Libraries of Universities/R & D Centres

The software requirements at the university libraries and libraries and information centres of R & D institutions are :

University catalogue software (creation/search/maintenance).

Regional catalogue search.

Sectoral Centre database search.

Local bibliographic database (creation/search/maintenance).

Local database of projects/institutions/specialists (creation/‘search/maintenance).

Local library automation (see Section 5.2, item 7 for features required).

Data exchange software.

Offline data preparation and database updation software.

Software for creation, search and maintenance of authority files for subject, names, etc.

Catalogue production (magnetic tape, floppy, print).

Software for inter-library loan.

CollegdDepartmental Libraries

Local catalogue, automation, bibliographic database, database of projects, institutions and specialists.

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University, regional catalogue search.

Data exchange software, offline data preparation and database updation.

Catalogue production (floppy, print).

Software for inter-library loan,

Subsystem Software Requirements for Library Automation

A library comprises mainly six subsystems, such as administration/planning, acquisition, serialscontrol, cataloguing,circulation,andreference/information retrieval. Although each subsystem performs a particular task, they are inter-related and interdependent, i.e. one subsystem depending upon the other for input and output. The major functions for which software is needed in each of these subsystem are considered here.

1. Administration/Planning

- Personnel

- Accounting/budgeting

- Scheduling/planning

- Word processing

- Report generation

2 Reference/Information Services

computer aided instructions, user education, library instruction.

bibliography/index preparation by searching local, university, regional, sectoral catalogues/bibliographic databases.

3 Acquisition

Collection of suggestions from users and staff.

Checking for duplicates with the library, catalogue, books under processing and books on-order file.

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Prepare list of books for approval by the committee.

Order selected items.

Send reminders for non-supply of items.

Checking of books supplied.

Note the arrival of properly supplied books (accessioning) and re- ordering the wrong supplies. Cancelling non-supplied items after a stipulated period and t-e-ordering them.

Maintain book fund statistics and accounts.

Additionally, provision can be made in the system to:

‘hold’ orders until funds become available.

re-order from a second supplier if the first cannot supply the document.

compute supplier performance measures like

Average length of time taken to supply books.

Average discount given.

convert value of the foreign currency into local currency.

4 Cataloguing

Inputting complete details of new documents (bibliographic and indexing elements).

Maintain the database of master file of bibliographic records and index files. Carry out functions like add, delete and modify.

Generate various lists like bibliographies (by author, subjects etc.), list of additions, indexes (KWIC type).

Provide searching of the database by various access points.

Generate book form or card form of the selected records.

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Generate outputs in various catalogue formats like ISBD (M), cataloguing rules like AACR.

Integrate with other subsystems - Circulation, Acquisition, and Reference/IR

5 Serials Control

- Inputing serials data - Ordering new serials. - Renewing presently subscribed serials. - Cancellation of presently subscribed titles. - Accessioning of individual issues as and when the issues are received. - Sending reminders. - Selective follow-up of missing issues. - Preparation of various lists like - list of periodicals received/cancelled during a specified period. - list of periodicals subscribed/exchange/gift. - list of holdings (with their status - on shelf, binding, circulation, etc)

by subject, title, etc. - Keeping track of the amount spent on subscription, binding, etc. - Estimation of the budget for the next academic/financial year. - Binding control.

6. Circulation

- Record issue and return of books. - Identify over due items and generate reminder notices. - Calculate fines to be paid on overdue items. - Place reservations on books that have been issued. - Search bibliographic records to find out circulation status of a given

term.

Generate management reports lik list of items not circulated over a specified period. list of delinquent borrowers. list of titles or subjects in great demand. statistical analysis of materials by type of material, class no., patron/category users,reservation, ILL, etc.

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Annexure-9

NIC Value Added BASIS Plus & TECHLIB Plus

Initial standardization at the local level has been mainly around the CDS/ISIS anbd LIBSYS packages. Currently, NIC’s large purchase clout has reduced the price per copy of BASIS Plus based TECHLIB from the market retain price of Rs. 180,000 ($ 6000) to Rs. 58,000 ($1800) thereby giving a highly sophsitcated software at very low price to the Indian Libraries connected to NICNET. MC is working with ID1 of USA2 for value addition over this software through R&D at MC for meeting the specialized requirements of the Indian Universities. IN view of this new beneficial development, a brief outline of BASIS Plus and TECHLIB Plus is given below based on an MC brochure..

1. BASISPLUS Product Features

1.1 Relational Structure

BASISplus is a fully relational DBMS in which all data access and modifications are performed via the relational capabilities of the product. It enforces rules for entity and referential integrity and supports the domains and parameter sets.

1.2 Client Server Architecture

The BASISplus architecture is based upon the client server model, in which client processes access textbases by making requests to a transaction processing engine (the server). The transaction processing server is multithreaded, serving numerous clients simultaneously to provide on line update and retrieval. Distributed access to textbases in a network is provided by the Network Access Method (NAM), which establishes a link from the remote user to a thread on the transaction processor at the textbase node.

1.3 Three types of Documents

This product manages three types of documents or records: Conventional, Continuous and Sectioned. A single textbase may have numerous conventional, continuous and sectioned documents.

Conventional documents typically store transaction-oriented information where fields contain relatively short data comprised of character and numeric information. A conventional record may contain upto 16,000 bytes of data stored in multiple fields and

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supports many data types, including integer, real, double precision, packed decimal, logical, character and complex.

Continuous documents contain a text stream field such as a newspaper article, a transcript or a contract. This text-stream may contain up to 128 million characters. The other fields in a continuous record support all conventional data types and serve as document level attributes such as author, date and subject. A memo is an example of a continuous document. The body of the memo is stored as a whole in the text stream field.

Sectioned documents are used to divide lengthy text into chapters or sections. The sectioned document has section level fields in addition to the document level fields. The section level fields serve as attributes for each section of the document. Text stream fields at the section level contain the free form text for the section. BASISplus automatically generates a TOC(Table of Contents) for sectioned documents. Each section of a sectioned document may be up to 128 million characters.

1.4 Active Data Dictionary

BASISplus contains an active data dictionary, which itself is a BASISplus textbase. All textbase components are defined in the data die tionary by the text base designer. The data dictionary is consulted by all programs accessing the textbase and by thetransaction- processing engine. The data dictionary features full screen as well as statement mode textbase definition. The textbase definition may be reproduced in statement form for portability between machine environments.

The data dictionary allows centralised validation and enforcement of entity and referential integrity constrains to prevent inadvertent corruption of the information resource. Validation language includes features such asconditional language, arithmetic and boolean and string manipulation functions.

1.5 Security Features

Major security features of BASISplus includes :

* Requiring user ID and Password log on to the system

* Assigning users to views that control information access

* Assigning data security to Views, Record Occurrences and Elements

* Assigning textbase privileges to users

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* Data Encryption

1.6 Recovery Features

Recovery features include complete backup and restore capabilities as well as two step transactions logging and before-and-after image joumaling.

The DB A can set up the system so that the kernel is in read-on1 y mode while backups are being done.

1.7 BASISPLUS Data Types

A major strength of BASISplus lies in its explicit support of a wide variety of data types. In addition to text stream data type, which holds document text, BASISplus supports the following data types for structured data elements such as Signed Integer, Packed Decimal, Approximate, Real, Double Precision, Complex, Logical, Character, Byte String, Cell and Soundex.

1.8 Structured Retrieval Capabilities

BASISplus can perform retrieval on structured data using traditional techniques. In addition, extended capabilities of these techniques is provided as shown in the following structured retrieval examples:

- Boolean searches for information

- Range searches for numeric and textual information

- Comparison searches for numeric data using operands “equal”, “less than or equal”, “greater than or equal”, “less than”, “ greater than”, or “not equal” - compound searches where a user wants to find a document that meets defined search criteria in two or more fields

- Date Retrievals for dates entered in as search criteria in any format

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1.9 Full Text Retrieval Capabilities

1.9.1 Control based Retrieval

BASISplus has the ability to handle documents with varying structures including conventional (Condensed alphanumeric), Continuous (Long text) and Sectioned (Book model). The product can handle compound documents containing text, images, graphics, wordprocessing and spreadsheets. The content based retrieval techniques allow :

* Term , Stem, phrase and range searching

* Boolean Logic

* Efficient result sets

* Case Sensitivity

* Plural Control

* Soundex

* Help functions

1.9.2 Concept based Retrieval

BASISplus includes a thesaurus manager to improve retrieval. The BASISplus thesaurus, implemented as a BASISplus textbase, can be a corporate wide information resource that is shared by multiple textbase applications. A single application textbase can use more than one thesaurus. It enables not only concept based searching but also provides all of the ANSI-standard thesaurus relationships. Thesaurus administration is carried out with full screen panels.

Functions of the BASISplus thesaurus include * Synonym Identification. This is used to retrieve all documents containing

synonyms. * Controlled Vocabulary. This is used to ensure that all terms used

as descriptors are derived from a masterlist stored in the thesaurus

* Concept Hierarchies. These are used to identify words as belonging to a hierarchy of concepts.

* Alternative Language Searching. This is used to search in an alternative language by mapping alternate language terms to primary language

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terms. For example, a textbase can be searched in French, even though the documents are in English.

2. BASISPLUS Modules

2.1 BASISPLUS Kernel or Database Manager (DM)

The BASISplus Kernel controls all user/database interaction and functions as the central control point for concurrent user processes. Although a single Kernel can handle all requests at most organizations, multiple Kernels for different databases can be installed on one or more computers to promote better system throughput. The BASISplus Kernel is multi-threaded and serves many clients simultaneously to provide online update and fast, efficient retrieval. Client programs and the Kernel can be tuned to best fit particular hardware configurations. BASISplus provides the system administrator with powerful tools for controlling, configuring, and networking BASISplus databases.

The Database Manager functions as the system control center and is the transaction- processing engine that administers textbase changes, monitoring and joumaling.

2.2 Fundamental Query & Manipulation (FQM)

Fundamental Query and Manipulation (FQM) is an interactive module to query, update and maintain any BASISplus textbase. It enables end users to view and update the textbase. It contains the Data Manipulation Language, Procedural Language, Screens for full screen retrieval, display and data entry and statistical and computational functions (available to the procedural language). This may be used as an interactive query language or embedded within ‘C’ programs.

In a typical ’90s business environment, documents are created, stored, modified, displayed and printed in many different formats. Converters allow documents written in one format to be “converted” or transformed to another.

Converter technology, combined with powerful relational text management is the key to successful communication in the global workplace. In essence, it allows users to work in their preferred environments knowing they can easily share their work across departments, companies, or oceans.

With the converters, BASISPLUS users all over the organization can create and revise documents using their favourite document authoring tools - without sacrificing

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the benefit of full BASISPLUS document management.

The converters transform revisable form documents generated by word processors and compound document editors into structured documents within BASISPLUS. Once under the control of BASISPLUS, documents can be queried, viewed, modified, and combined with other documents. These documents can be shared across the whole organization and are governed by the full management, distribution, security and integration capabilities inherent in BASISPLUS.

5 TECHLIBPLUS Product Overview

5.1 Patron Access

With TECHLIBPLUS, computer-novice patrons can easily access catalog information with fullscreen searching and context-sensitive help. More experienced patrons and staff can use powerful search commands, for the highest degree of research precision. Patrons can search by author, title, subject, keywords, call number, abstract, comments or table of contents, and can access:

- Sounds like searching

- Up-to-the-second item status

- Multiple, brief and full title displays

- Item Check-Out, Hold, and Print options

- Customer-definable search fields

- Information in other databases

- Full-text and image handling capabilities

5.2 Cataloguing and Maintenauce

With the Cataloging/Maintenance module, staff can retrieve, add, update, and delete catalog records in the database using fill-in-the-blank screens. Library staff can perform the various functions such as:

- Entering and editing bibliographic data for all material types

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- Maintaining patrons and vendors data

- Processing global changes

- Validating data

5.3 MARC Management

The MARC interface loads data from bibliographic utilities, such as OCLC and RLIN, that use standard MARC record formats. Library staff can perform the various functions such as:

- Load and store MARC data

- Produce MARC output

- Select which MARC fields to use

5.4 Circulation

The Circulation module helps staff control the use and monitor the availability of library materials. Library staff can perform the various functions such as:

- Perform fast check-out,

- Renew at check-out, and check-in

- Process batch renewals

- Generate automatic due dates

- Generate indefinite due dates

- Block and override check-outs

- Get hold notification at check-in

- Generate notices and reports

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55 Serials

The Serials module lets staff manage periodicals that are received in the library. Library staff can perform the various functions such as:

- Use a single screen for processing

- Check-in single and special issue items

- Use batch check-in

- Predict issue availability

- Create custom routing

- Generate automatic claims

- Generate slips, lists, statistics, and reports

5.6 Acquisitions

Order and receiving processing is automated with the Acquisitions module. Library staff can perform the various functions such as:

- Perform pre-order searches

- Process standard order formats

- Process non-standard order formats

- Receive by item or invoice

- Process invoices and payments

- Submit electronic and hardcopy orders

6. Application Opportunities

A few typical applications include :

267

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-

-

-

-

-

- -

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

- -

-

-

- - -

-

-

-

-

-

Legal Depositions Technical Reports Automation Product Specifications Regulatory Compliance Policy & Procedure Automation Litigation Support & Law Reference Newspaper/Magazine full text database Correspondence tracking Records Automation Proposal Management Financial Accounting Customer Service Automation Maintenance Procedure Automation Technical Documentation Library Automation Multimedia Applications Business Decision Land records Credit Management Safety Data Analysis Bibliographic Database Portfolio Management Electronic Publishing Patent Information System Health Management Systems Real Time System Crime Records OLTP Applications Parliament Questions/Answers Pharmaceutical Applications

8. System requirements

i) BASISPLUS Server

a. Hardware platform : Intel 80X86, Pentium, or above.

b. Operating System : UNIX SVR 4.0 or above.

c. Main Memory : Minimum 16 MB RAM.

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d. Disk Space : 120 MB - 170 MB.

e. Media : 150 MB Cartridge

ii)BASISPLUS Client

a. Hardware platform : Intel 80386, or above.

b. Windows : MSWINDOWS 3.1 or above.

c. Main Memory : Minimum 4 MB RAM, 8 MB preferred

d. Disk Space : 16 MB -20 MB.

e. Network and Shared : TCP/IP - PC-NFS File Service.

BASIS WEB Servier Benefits

BASIS WEB server provides new powerful tools for use on WWW, while also improving some existing tools.

Addition of BASIS plus capabilities to the INTERNET tool set

Some highlights of BASIS Plus features in the areas of searching, displaying and data management are described below:

Searching

The amount of information available on the INTERNET is staggering, and it is growing by leaps and bounds. With such a large amount of data, it is necessary to have sophsiticated tools that make searching for information for efficient and accurate. Although WWW and Gopher have searching capabilities, they are in practice primitive compared to the BASIS Plus FIND command which offers the following:

Phrase searching - searches for a specified list of terns

Proximity searching - searches for a list of terms within a particular portion of text such as a sentence, paragraph or section

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Intelligent Search Assistants - provides suggestions on possible terms to search for.

Relevancy ranking - sorts retrieved documents according to the matches found in each.

Display:

Skimming through retrieved documents is simple with BASIS Plus hit-to-hit scrolling feature. With a click of the mouse, one instantly scroll to the text containing the next or prior hit. Hits are words in the document text that match one’s search terms. BASIS plus highlights all the hits so that one can see at a glance the mostrelevant portions of the text. One can also display the next, prior, first and last document in the retrieved group of documents with a click of the mouse.

Data Management and Validation:

For information providers, BASIS Plus consolidates all data in an easily located repository as opposed to having the data scattered all over the system. In addition, BASIS Plus manages this data to preserve its integrity during updates. One can be sure that the information retrieved from the database is always valid.

Making URLs Easier and More Powerful

When defining a hypertext link, one must know the address of the file to which one wants the link to point. BASIS WEBserver eliminates this requirement by allowing to specify an URL that contains a BASIS plus FIND command to retrieve the document. One no longer have to be bothered with remembering the addesses of files or updating the URLs when the files are moved. As information is loaded and updated into BASIS Plus databases, these URLs sustain living links that will always return up&ate information.

In addition, with a FIND command for an URL, the link can point to numerous relevant documents. In fact, the link taps into the power of the BASIS plus engine to retrieve all the pertinent documents on a subject. Thus, it is not necessary to know a specific relevant file, let alone an address, to create hypertext links. Since these URLs can be queries to BASIS WEB servers at other sites, the wealth of information becomes more manageable and easier to access.

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Transferring Large Documents Piece by Piece

When one accesses a document via a standard WEB server, it transfers an entire copy of the document to the desktop computer. This canbe undesirable when the document is very large. The BASIS WEBserver resolves this problem by transferring only the document piece currently displayed.

BASIS Plus Access via WEB Browsers

For existing BASIS Plus sites, the BASIS WEB server provides the opportunity to use any of the many available WEB browsers as the interface for their BASIS plus databases. In other words, one can use a single, familiar interface for all the information gathering on the INTERNET - including the information in BASIS Plus databases. Because WEB Browsers support numerous platforms they may great tools for corporate wide information services. As the WEB continues to grow in popularity, more and better WEB browsers will be developed.

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Annexure- 10

Flow Charts of Automotion Steps Recmded by he INFUBNET Inter-Agency Wqrking Group

( Source: Report of the Inter-Agency Working Group ‘Development of an Information at-d library Netwod)

Start

New Document Information

Books, Serials, NBM

1

Search local cl Catalogue

( Interactive )

Catalogue

document using standard format

0 updot local

Catalogue

bvnload RC

cdEi%ue a

i

1. FLOW CHART FOR AUTOMATION OF CATALOGUING SERVICE

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0 Smp

FOWld Y Q- 0 SW

N

* FCUnd

Y Q- 0 Skp

N

Utlrati&d

I

nqu**

0 s* 2. FLOW CHART FOR AUTOMA.~ OF CATALOGUE/DATAfMSE SEARCH

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Y c

0 1

3. FLOW CHART FOR AUTOMATION OF BOOK PROCESSING/PREPARATION 4. FLOW CHART FOR AUTOMATlON OF INTER-LIBRARY LOAN REQUESTS

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APaputoboObainad.

5. FLOW CHART FOR AUTOMATION OF DOCUMENT THROUGH FAX 6. FLOW CHART FOR AUDudlON OF COUECtlON DNnoPMENT

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DIRECTORY OF ACRONYMS

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A&I

AALDI

AASSREC

ACS

ADNET

ADONIS

AGRIS

AGROVOC

AIOCD

APINESS

ARIC

ASTINFO

ATIRS

BANNET

BHEL

BIS

BONET

BRS

BTIS

DIRECTORY OF ACRONYMS

Abstracting and Indexing

Association of Agricultural Librarians & Documentationists of India

Association of Asian Social Sciences Research Councils

Asynchronous Communication System

Ahmedabad Network

Article Delivery Over Network Information Service

Agricultural Information System (FAO)

Indexing Tool for AGRIS

All India Organization of Chemists & Druggists

Asia Pacific Information Network in Social Sciences

Agricultural Research Information Centre

Regional Network for the Exchange of Information

Ahmedabad Textile Industries Research Association

Bangalore Library Network

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited

Bureau of Indian Standarads

Bombay Library Network

Bibliographical Retrieval Services (USA)

Bio-Technology Information System

.

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C-WEB

CAD/CAM

CALIBNET

CBT

cc

cc

ccc

ccrI-T

CDC

CDL

CDMA

CDRI

CDROM

CDS

CENDIT

CFIRI

CGIN

CHIN

I CIL

ah6

Centre for World Wide Web Service over NICNET

Computer Aided Design/Computer Aided Manufacturing

Calcutta Information and Library Network

Computer Based Tutor

Current Contents

Colon Classification

Classification Catalogue Code

International Consultative Committee for Telephones and Telegraph

Control Data Corporation

Centralized Department Library

Code Division Multiple Access

Central Drug Research Institute

Compact Disc Read only Memory

Computerized Documentation System

Centre for Development of Instructional Technology

Central Food Technological Research Institute

Chemical Information Network

Chemcial Information Network

Current Leather Literature

Counectionless Network Layer Service

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CLRI

CMFRI

CMTIKMTRI

CNLS

CONPOLIS

CONS

CSIR

CTIC

CUG

DAE

DBT

DCA

DDC

DDN-NIC

DELNET

DESIDOC

DEVINSA

DEVSIS

DIALOG

DIC

Central Leather Research Institute

Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute

Central Machine Tools Research Institute

Correctionless Network Layer Service

Committee on National Policy on Library and Information System

Connection Oriented Network Layer Service

Council of Scientific & Industrial Research

Central Technical Information Centre

Closed User Group

Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India

Department of Bio Technology

Diploma in Computer Applications

Dewey Decimal Classification

DDN Network Information Centre

Delhi Library Network

Defence Science Information & Documentation Centre, New Delhi

Development Information Network on South Asia

Development Science Information System

Lockheed Online Information Retrieval System

Distributed Information Centre

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DLA Delhi Library Association

DM Database Manager

DNS Domain Name System

DOCFINDER Document Locating Software of DRTC

DOD

DOE

DOT

DPS

DRDO

DRTC

DSIR

DST

DTE

ECIL

ED1

EMS

ENVIS

ERNET

. ESA

FA0

Department of 3cean Development

Department of Electronics, Government of India

Department of Telecommunications

Document Preparation System

Defence Research and Development Organization

Documentation Research and Training Centre

Department of Scientific & Industrial Research

Department of Science & Technology

Data Terminal Equipment

Electronics Corporation of India Ltd

Electronic Data Interchange

Electronic Message System

Environmental Information System

Education & Research Network

European Space Agency

Food and Agricultural Organization

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FAX

FID

FQM

FRI

FSTA

GATT

GB

GIIS

GILA

GPSS

GRIP

HMT

HYLIBNET

IAB

IAEA

IARI

IASLIC

IBM

ICAR

Facsimile

International Federation of Documentation

Fundamental Query & Manipulation

Forest Research Institute

Food Science and Technology Abstracts

File Transfer Protocol

General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs

Gigabyte

Germplasm Introdcution information System

Government of India Library Association

Gateway Packet Switched Service

Genetic Resource Information Project

Hindustan Machine Tools Ltd

Hyderabad Library Network

Internet Architecture Board

International Atomic Energy Agency

Indian Agricultural Research Institute

Indian Association of Special Libraries & Information Centres

International Business Machines Inc.

Indian Council of Agricultural Research

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ICL

ICLISR

ICMR

ICRISAT

ICSSR

IDMA

IDU

IFIS

IFLA

IFRI

IGNCA

IGNOU

IIM

IIP

11s

IIT

ILA

INB

. INDONET

INET

International Computers Limited

Indian Council of Library & Information Science Research

Indian Council of Medical Research

International Crop Research Institute for Semi Arid Tropics

Indian Conncil of Social Science Research

Indian Drug Manufacturers Association

Indoor Unit

International Food Information Service

International Federation of Science Associations

Imperial Forest Research Institute

Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts

Indira Gandhi National Open University

Indian Institue of Management

Inter-Governmental Informatics Programme of UNESCO

Industrial Inquiry Service of INTIB

Indian Institute of Technology

Indian Library Association

Indian National Bibliography

Datacom Network of CMC Ltd

Datacom Network of DOT

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INFLIBNET

INIS

INSAT

INSDOC

INSPEC

INTERNET

INTIB

IOC

IODE

IP

IPAG

IRPTC

IRTC

ISA

ISDN

ISDS

ISIS

IS0

ISOC

ISONET

Information and Library Network

International Nuclear Information System

Indian Satellite

Indian National Scientific Documentation Centre

Information Services in Physics, Electronics & Computing

An International Network

International Technology Information Board

Inter Governmental Oceanographic Commission

International Oceanographic Data Exchange

Internet Protocol

Information, Planning and Ananysis Group

International Register of Potentially Toxic Chemicals

Industrial Toxicslogical Research Institute at Lucknow

Indian Science Abstracts

Intergrated Services Digital Network

International Serials Data System

Integrated Set of Information Systems

International Standards Organization

Internet Society

International Standards Information Network

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ISSN

IT

ITI

ITU

IV&V

JOCLAI

KAULIBNET

KBPS

L&IS

LAN

LIC

LNB

MAILNET

MAN

MARC

MB

MBPS

MCA

MECON

MEDLINE

International Standard Serial Number

Information Technology

Indian Telephone Industries

International Telecommunication Union

Information Dissemination and Processing

Joint Council of Library Associations of India

Karnataka State University Library Network

Kilo bits per second

Library & Information Science

Local Area Network

Local Information Centre

Low Noise Block Counter

Mangalore Library Network

Metropolitan Area Network

Machine Readable Catalog

Megabyte

Mega bits per second

Master of Computer Applications

Mechanical Engineering Consultants

MEDLARS Online

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MHRD

MSDOS

MX

NADCLSI

NAL

NASDOC

NATIS

NBPGR

NC

NCC

NCERT

NCL

NCSI

NCST

NEHU

NIC

NICFOS

NICHEM

NICLAI

NICMAP

Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India

Microsoft Disk Operating System

Mail Exchange

National Agricultural Documentation Centre Library System of India

National Aerospace Laboratry

National Social Science Documentation Centre

National Information System

National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resource

National Centre

Network Control Centre

National Council of Educational Research & Training Centre, New Delhi

National Chemical Laboratory, Pune

National Centre for Science Information

National Centre for Software Technology

North Eastern Hill University

National Informatics Centre

National Information Centre for Food Science

National Informatics Centre for Chemicals and Allied Industries

National Information Centre for Leather and Associated Industries

National Information Centre for Machine Tools and Production

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NICNET

NICTAS

. NIMHANS

NIO

NISDB

NISIET

NISSAT

NISTADS

NLB

NLFIC

NLM

NRSA

NSC

NSF

NSFNET

NSL

NTIS

NUCSI

OCLE

NIC Network

National Information Centre for Textile and Allied Industries

National Institute of Health and Family Welfare

National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Science

National Institute of Oceanography

National Information System and Databank

National Institute of Small Industry Extension and Training

National Information System for Science and Technology

National Institute of Science, Technology and Development Studies

National Library Board

National Forest Library & Information Centre

National Library of Medicine at Bathesda

National Remote Sensing Agency

National Science Library

National Science Foundation, USA

NSF Network

National ScienceLibrary, INSDOC

National Technical Information Service (USA)

National Union Catalogue of Scientific Serials in India

Online Computer Library Centre

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OCR

ODC

OLTP

OPAC

OPPI

OS1

PAD

PGI

POPIN

PPP

PRL

PSE

PSTN

PUNENET

RC

RCC

RENNIC

RINSCA

RO-VSAT

Optical Character Recognisation

Oxford Decimal System of Classification

Online Transaction Protocol

Online Public Access Catalog

Organization of Pharmaceutical Producers of India

Open System Interconnection

Packet Assembler and Disassembler

General Information Programme of UNESCO

Population Information Network

Point to Point Protocol

Physcial Research Laboratory

Packet Switching Exchange

Public Switched Telephone Network

Pune Network

Regional Centre

Regional Computer Centre

Research and Education Network of NIC

Regional Information Network for South and Central Asia of UNESCO

Receiver Only VSAT

RRRLF Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation

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SAARC

SAC

SAIL

SASMIRA

SC1

SD1

SENDOC

SGML

SIC

SIRNET

SLIP

SMIC

SPIN

SSDC

SSMA

STD

STIS

TAC

TCP/IP

TDMA

South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation

Space Application Centre

Steel Authority of India Limited

Silk and Art Silk Mills Research Association

Science Citation Index

Selective Dissemination of Information

Small Enterprises National Documentation Centre

Standard General&d Markup Language

Sectoral Information Centre

Scientific and Industrial Network

Serial Line Interface Protocol

Sorghum and Millets Information Centre

Inter-Governmental Conference on Stratepics and Policies in Informatics (1978)

Social Science Documentation Centre

Spread Spectrum Multiple Access

Subscribe Trunk Dialling

Science and Technology Information System

Technical Advisory Committee

Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol

Time Division Multiple Access

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TERI

TIB

TIFR

TIUG

TYMNET

UDC

UGC

UGC- IC

UGC/SIC

UL

UNBIS

UNDP

UNEP

UNDO

UNIFY

UNIMARC

UNISIST

UUCP

VECC

VINITI

Tata Energy Research Institute

Technology Information Bank

Tata Institute of Fundamental Research

Textile Information User’s Group

Network operated by Timeshare Inc

Universal Decimal Classification

University Grants Commission

UGC Information Centre

UGC Science Information Centre

University Library

UN Bibliographic Information System

United Nations Development Programme

United Nations Environmental Programme

United Nations Industrial Development Organization

Relational Database Management Software

Universal MARC Format

World Science Information System, UNESCO

Unix -Unix Protocol

Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre

All Union Institute of S&T Information

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VSAT

VSL

VSNL

WAN

WHO

WILL

WIPO

Y

Very Small Aperture Terminal

Vikram Sarabhai Library, KIM (Ahmedabad)

Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited

Wide Area Network

World Health Organization

Wireless in Local Loop

World Intellectual Property Organisation

World Wide Web

Yes

292

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ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY ON THE INDIAN LIBRARY MOVEMENT & MODERNIZATION

I. BOOKS AND REPORTS ON HISTORY & POLICY

The evolution of a National Policy, though has not led to a de-jure framework, has however, given a de-facto set of guidelines. For a proper comprehension of the status, the reader is referred to the following reports:

1. S.R. Ranganathan, ‘Post-war Reconstruction of Libraries in India’, Madras, 1944.

2. S.R. Ranganathan, ‘Library Development Plan: Thirty Year Programme for India’, Delhi University, Delhi, 1950.

(These two classic reports are available for reference in the Library of DRTC, Bangalore).

3. Ministry of Education, Government of India, New Delhi, ‘Model Public Libraries Bill, 1961.

4. Ministry of Education, Govenment of India, New Delhi, ‘Report of the Advisory Committee for Libraries, 1961’

5. Planning Commission, Government of India, New Delhi, ‘Re- port of the Working Group on Modemization of Library Services and Informatics’, July 1984 (Chairman: N. Seshagiri; Member Secretary: Prof. P.B. Mangla)

6. Department of Culture, Government of India, New Delhi, ‘The National Policy on Library and Information System - A Presen- tation’, 1986.

7. S.R. Ranganathan and A. Neelameghan, ‘Public Library Sys- tem’, published by Sarada Ranganathan Endowment for Library Science, Bangalore, 1972.

8. B.P. Barua, ‘Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation - Objec- tives and Implementation’, in Souvenir Published by Bengal Library Association, IASLIC, Calcutta, 1988.

295 -~- _ .IIvp- -----. I--,- -... ̂ .-.- -- _..---

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9. The Proceedings of the XXXVII All India Library Conference held in IIT, Madras, Dec. 4-7.1991 was on the theme ‘National Information Policies and Programmes’, published in 1991 at New Delhi by the Indian Library Association (Number of pages : 463). This is a fundamental document on the policy framework with a large number of good papers devoted to policy aspects of the Library System and its Modemization. Typical papers, some of which are referred in the Text, are by:

9 B.P. Barua, pp. 5-14 ii) K. Vijayalakshmi, pp. 22-27 iii) N.V. Sathyanarayana, pp. 71-91 iv) P.S.G. Kumar, pp. 384-392 v> M.K. Mohandas & K.C. Shet, pp. 408-412 vi) M. Srinath & K. Nithyanandam, pp. 413-

418

II. BOOKS & CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS ON OR DEALING WITH MODERNIZATION

Only a few books have been published which touch upon modemizaion of Libraries in India. The more representative ones are the following:

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

S.P. Agarwal, Development of Library Services in India, Con- cept Publ., New Delhi, 1989.

R.K. Sharma & B.P. Tripathi (ed.), Informtion Handling in Libraries in the 21st Century, Ess Ess Publns., New Delhi, 1989.

R. Subbaiah, Agricultural Libraryship in India, Metropolitan Publ., New Delhi, 1988.

H.K. Kaul, Library Networks - An Indian Experience, Virgo Publ., New Delhi, 1992.

N. Seshagiri, Globalized Computer-Communication for Asia and the Pacific, ROSTSCWUNESCO, New Delhi, 1994.

B. Guha (ed.), The Library and Information Science Horizon, Allied Publ., New Delhi, 1986.

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16. Document No. UNESCO/CON/NET/IGNCA/93 Published by ROSTSCA/UNESCO, New Delhi & IGNCA, New Delhi 1993.

Three major conferences were held in India dealing with various issues concerning modemization. Many of the papers in these proceedings deal with the specific problems of modemization of libraries in India.

17. C.P. Vashishth (ed.), Proceedings of the XXX111 All India Library Conference on the theme ‘Modemization in Libraries*, held at Tiruchirapalli Dec. 28-3 1,1987 and published by Indian Library Association, New Delhi, 1988 (477 pages). (Papers by B. Saibaba pp. 299-304 and S.P. Agarwal, et&, pp. 349-356 are referred in the main text).

18. C.P. Vashishth (ed.), Proceedings of the XXXIX All India Library Conference on the theme, ‘Standardization in Library and Information Work and Services’, held at University of Poona, Pune, Nov. 7-10, 1989, and published by Indian Library Association, New Delhi, 1989 (426 pages).

19. S.S. Murthy, et.al. (eds.), Proceedings of the International Con- ference on the theme, ‘Bibliographic Databases and Networks’, held under the auspices of DESIDOC 8~. AGLIS, New Delhi, Febr. 22-25,1989, and published by Tata McGraw Hill Publ. Co. Ltd., New Delhi, 1990 (Papers by A. Lahiri, etal., pp. 1-41 to l.- 66, and V.M. Podshibyakin, pp. 2-41 to 2-50, are referred in the main text.

20. C.V. Subbarao, et.al (eds.), Proceedings of the XXXX All India Library Conference on the theme, ‘Preparing Libraries for the Twenty First Century’, held at Goa University, Goa, Jan 5-8, 1995, and published by Indian Library Association, New Delhi, 1995 (597 pages).

A nu mber of other conferences were held in India which indirectly contributed to the understanding of the problems of modemization using Computers and Computer- Communication Networks. Some of these areas are outlined below:

21. N. Seshagiri, I. Ravichandra Rao, N.V. Satyanarayana (eds.), Proceedings of the International Conference oon the theme,

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‘Database Production and Distribution’, held at Bangalore, 28 Nov. - 1 Dec. 1993 under the auspices of INFOTEX ‘93, and published by Tata McGraw Hill Co. Ltd., New Delhi, 1993. (Papers by N.M. Malwad, pp. 126-138 and N. Kapila, pp. 403- 413, are referred in the main text).

22. N. Seshagiri, A. Akopov, R.A. Schware (Eds.), Proceedings of the International Conference on the theme, ‘Globalization of Computer & Communication’ held at Bombay, India, in Nov. 1993, under the auspices of INFOCOM ‘93, and published by Tata McGraw Hill Co. Ltd., New Delhi, 1993.

23. P.K. Gupta and U. Pawan (ed.), Procedings of the Conference on the theme, ‘Library and Information Science : Current Trends in India’, held at Jaipur in 1986 and published by RBSA. (Paper by P.S.G. Kumar, pp. 35-40, referred in the main text).

III. PERIODICALS PUBLISHED IN INDIA DEALING WITH PAPERS ON MODERNIZATION OF LIBRARIES IN INDIA

Research papers and reviews on topics related to modemization appear in a few L&IS journals published in India. A Journal with quality level comparable to some of the good international L&IS journals is ‘Library Science - with a Slant toDocumentation and Information Studies’, or, more popularly known as ‘Library Science’, is published under the sponsorship of the Sarada Ranganathan Endowment for Library Science, Bangalore, by the Editor, Institute of Information Studies, Bangalore, India. Current editors are A. Neelameghan and M.A. Gopinath. Some of thepapersreferred toor having a bearing on the main text are given below:

24. Prem Singh, Vol. 28, Nov. 4, pp. 137-149, 1991

25. S. Chandhok, Vol. 31, No. 2, pp. 66-86, June 1994

26. N. Laxman Rao, Vol. 30, No. 4, 146- 15 1, Dec. 1993 pp.

27. M.A. Gopinath, Vol. 30, No. 1, 17-24, March 1993 pp.

28. R.S.R. Varalakshmi, Vol. 31, No. 2, 91-110, June 1994 pp.

29. S. Deshmukh &H. Mehta, Vol. 30,NO.4,pp. 160-172,Dec.1993

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30. K.K. Manjunatha, Vol. 28, No. 4, pp. 150-159, Dec. 1993

31. Y.P. Dubey, Vol. 28, No. 2, pp. 82-86, June 1991

32. M.V. Palaniyandy & I.K. Ravichandra Rao, Vol. 29, No. 4, pp. 183-189, Dec. 1992

33. B.M. Meera, Vol. 31, No. 2, pp. 59-65, June 1994

34. A Jambhekar&N. Mehta,Vol. 28, No.4,pp. 160-164,Dec. 1991

There are few newsletters and bulletins issued from Organizations and Associa- tions which give a broad perspective of modemization, especially achievements, plans and projects. Four of the more important ones are listed below:

35. NISSAT Newsletter issued from the DSIR, New Delhi (Quar- terly)

36. INFORMATICS - Quarterly Newsletter of National Informatics Centre, New Delhi.

37. ILA Bulletin issued by Indian Library Association, New Delhi.

38. IASLIC Bulletin Issued by the Indian Association for Science Libraries and Information Centres, Calcutta.

IV. Meta-Information & Source Books

39. P. Dhyani, Directory of Information Services and Computer Application - Indian Libraries, University Book House Pvt. Ltd., Jaipur, 1994.

40. UGC, Development of an Information and Library Network - Report of the Inter Agency Working Group, publshed by UGC, New Delhi, Dec. 1988 (Chairman: Prof. Yash Pal). (This report of the Inter Agency Committee of which the author was a member is repeatedly referred and quoted in the main text).

41. B.M. Gupta, etal. (eds.), Handbook of Libraries, Archives and Information Centres in India, Volumes I toXIII, AdityaPrakashan, New Delhi. (This is the richest source of primary information. It gives information on various sectoral libraries as well as prob- lems of transition to modemization, especially in Vol. VII. Several articles referred have a direct bearing on the themes of the main text.)

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For further contact

Readers of this report who would like to have further information or clarification on any of the points dealt with in this report may contact the author at the following address:

Dr. N. Seshagiri Director General, National Informatics Centre &

Special Secretary, Planning Commission, A-Block, CGO Complex,

Lodi Road, New Delhi-l 10 003 India

Telephone: 9 1 - 11-4361504 91-11-4361447

Telex: 031-61274 NICS IN FAX: 91-1 l-4364873

INTERNET EMAIL: [email protected] UUNET EMAIL: uunet!nicnet!dg!nsg

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