Ameritech Information Systems and Tacoma Public Library have announced the sale of all rights to the Alice-B software to Ameritech.
Alice-B is an integrated, Tandem-based library system designed by the staff of the Tacoma Public Library. Alice-B uses fault-tolerant, nonstop Tandem hardware and PCs as intelligent workstations to meet the circulation, cataloging, and information retrieval needs of library staff and patrons. Alice-B offers both an online public access catalog (OPAC) and an optional linkage to a CD public access catalog (The Library Corporation's Intelligent Catalog).
The user interface combines LOTUS-style point-and-shoot menus with pop-up windows, pull-down menus, option boxes, and hypertext-linked context-sensitive HELP windows, to provide fingertip access to the information. One universal feature of Alice-B is its ability to switch between functions instantly on demand.
Ameritech has not yet announced what its plans are for the wide range of products it has acquired from various sources, including from the former OCLC Local Systems Division.
[Contact: Ameritech Information Systems, 4950 Blazer Memorial Parkway, Dublin, OH 43017-3384; (614) 764-6039; Fax (614) 764-0723.]
