Judging by the number of prototype systems shown at Januarys Midwinter Meeting of the American Library Association, 1985 may well be the year in which digital data publication on videodisc and CD-ROM-compact audio discs encoded with machine-readable data-receives a realistic test in the library and information marketplace.
Carrollton Press, vendor of the REMARC bibliographic data base, again demonstrated its videodisc-based reference support system, first shown at the June 1984 ALA Conference. MARVLS-the MARC and REMARC Videodisc Library System- offers subject access to a file of machine-readable MARC and REMARC records stored on videodisc. The system shown at Midwinter used videodiscs premastered by RTI, an approach that requires the use of RTI's customized videodisc player. The 6 million MARC-formatted records and accompanying indexes are expected to occupy two single-sided videodiscs. The data are accessed using proprietary search software that includes Boolean capabilities. The system is capable of being configured to support up to 12 user stations.
Carrollton also showed two new prototype systems-DisCon and DisCat. Both are designed for cataloging support and utilize CD ROM as the storage medium.
DisCon is aimed at the retrospective conversion market. Some 6 million MARC and REMARC records are stored on eight 4 3/4-inch CD ROM discs. The records are stored in LC Classification Number order, a format chosen to maximize system performance for conversions based on shelf- list files. In addition to being accessible by LC classification number, records can also be retrieved by other keys such as author-title, title, and Library of Congress card number. Qualifiers such as place, date, pagination, and language can be applied to narrow a search.
DisCat is a current cataloging tool that provides access to recent MARC records. The production of card and spine labels will be supported.
Carrollton has not yet finalized its product and marketing plans. The applications software for all products is currently encoded on floppy disks. Hardware configurations are still to be determined, as is pricing. Publicity material suggests that MARVLS might be made available to libraries under a lease arrangement, and DisCon on a lease arrangement plus a separate per-record charge. Possible pricing approaches for DisCat are not clear.
Library Systems and Services, Inc. showed the videodisc-based enhancement for its MiniMARC cataloging support system. MiniMARC was described in detail in the March 1984 LSN. The Library Corporation also displayed its system at ALA.
Whereas Library Systems and Services, Inc. and the Library Corporation initially undertook joint development of a videodisc-based product, the two companies now have different approaches. The Library Corporation has developed a cataloging support system that utilizes MARC records stored on CD ROM.
In The Library Corporation system, known as BiblioFile, LC MARC records for English-language materials are stored on two 4 3/4-inch CD-ROM discs. In addition to the LC MARC English-language data base, the disks also contain the ANYBOOK acquisitions data base of some two million inprint and recently out-of-print English-language books. Price, binding, discount, and availability data are included. A publisher data base of more than 19,000 names, addresses, phone numbers, and SlWs is also published on the discs. This file has been designed to be accessed by publisher number and ISBN prefix. The MARC records for the period through 1974 are stored on one disc, records from 1975 are on the second disc.
The Library Corporation is marketing BiblioFile as a catalog production system using the IBM PC with one floppy disk drive and 256 KB of memory, or the OCLC M300 workstation. It is promoted for both retrospective conversion and current cataloging. In addition to a CD RON drive, the company provides BiblioFile access software and catalog production system software. The software enables a library to retrieve a MARC record by title, author, Library of Congress card number, or ISBN and ISSN. The search may be qualified by date and other parameters such as place and pagination. The retrieved record may be edited online and the resulting record stored on floppy disk for later conversion to tape. The software also allows the printing of catalog cards and spine labels. The system also supports original cataloging and provides for the preparation of orders for MARC or REMARC records from other, external sources. The additional files-information on books in print and publishers- are stored on the second disc. The Library Corporation has not yet developed applications software to utilize the ANYBOOK and publisher data bases.
The Library Corporation's Catalog Production System is available for a one-time purchase price of $2,930. This covers a Hitachi compact laser disc drive, the access software, and the Catalog Production System software. An annual subscription to the LC MARC English-language records on compact laser discs, recompiled and replaced quarterly, is $870. No per-record usage charges are levied. By July 1985, it is expected that the data base will be updated weekly rather than quarterly. The cost of a subscription will then rise to $1,000 per annum. The initial discs were produced by Hitachi (Denon) in Japan. The Library Corporation intends to have the discs produced in the U.S. once production facilities become available.
Information Access Corporation (IAC) demonstrated a prototype of its videodisc-based InfoTrac system, which will be available for purchase in March. InfoTrac combines videodisc storage and microcomputer technology to provide access to an index of the contents of more than 1,000 business, technical, legal, and general interest publications.
The index is arranged by Library of Congress Subject Headings and covers the period 1982 to date. The subject headings, personal and corporate name headings, and authors and titles are arranged in a single alphabetic sequence. Cross references are included.
The machine-readable index is stored on one side of a 12-inch videodisc. LaserData techniques are used in premastering the disc. The index will be updated monthly. This will be achieved by issuing a new, cumulative videodisc each month.
The system can support up to four simultaneous users. The hardware configuration consists of up to four IBM PC microcomputers (one for each user station), each with 225 KB of memory, one videodisc player, one videodisc interface unit, and a printer. All system components are secured to protect against theft. Individual workstations may be located up to 100 feet from the disc player. The retrieval software is distributed on floppy disk.
The retrieval software is designed for ease of use. The searcher responds to menu prompts to define the information required. The user may choose to view either a display of headings, subheadings, and cross references, or the full index with headings and citations. Citations give full bibliographic details and are selfexplanatory; no abbreviations are used. An accession code is included in the citation if the full text of the indexed article is available on one of IACs companion products-the microfilm Magazine Collection and Business Collection.
Movement to and from the index term only and the citation listing is accomplished by a single keystroke. The system allows the user to browse, and printing may also be accomplished with a single keystroke. The system does not utilize either keyword or Boolean searching.
IAC promotional literature indicates that "references can be retrieved in less than 10 seconds." Although no attempt was made to confirm this, the editors' experience in using the prototype system suggests that response time is adequate, even with multiple users.
As currently implemented, InfoTrac does not include the text of the document indexed. Nor has IAC yet configured a companion microform publication that matches the coverage of the index. Libraries wishing to use IAC services to provide access to the indexed documents would need to subscribe to both the Business Collection and the Magazine Collection. Future developments will depend upon users' reactions to the InfoTrac system.
A full InfoTrac system-the hardware for four user stations and a videodisc updated monthly-is priced at $16,000 per annum. Subscribers have the option of configuring systems with fewer than four user terminals, and of including additional printers. After five years of annual payments, the purchaser owns the hardware and needs only to pay the $8,500 subscription for the monthly data base distribution. Institutions with access to IBM PCs may opt to purchase the printer, player, controller, and interface cards and cables only for a one-time charge of $7,000. Such organizations would be provided with the data base for the annual subscription of $8,500.
[Contact: Carrollton Press Inc., 1611 N. Kent St., Arlington, VA 22209, (800) 368-3008; Information Access Corporation, 11 Davis Dr., Belmont, CA 94002, (800) 227-8431; The Library Corporation, P.O. Box 40035, Washington, DC 20016, (800) 624-0559; Library Systems & Services, Inc., 1395 Piccard Dr., Suite 100 Rockville, MID 20850 (301) 258-0200.]
