Huntsville, Alabama - Sirsi Corporation is pleased to announce the release of an Intelligent Interface to provide Sirsi system users with automatic, intelligent online access to NASA/RECON.
NASA/RECON is an online system, based at NASA's Scientific and Technical Information Facility, that allows users to find reference citations to technical publications. The citations primarily cover topics related to aerospace technology, such as engineering, aeronautics, astronautics, and computer sciences. The publications cited include government reports, journal articles, and technical books.
The Sirsi Intelligent Interface to NASA/RECON is accessed by the library patron through the enhanced public access module's Other Databases menu. Using Unicorn or STILAS, the patron is automatically connected to NASA/RECON via Sirsi's multiuser gateway. The telecommunications protocols and linkages are embedded in the software and are invisible to the library patron. Once connected, the Sirsi patron can search NASA/RECON with the same straight-forward SIRSI command language used for searching the local collection, even though the database being accessed is located on the remote NASA/RECON system. Using the Intelligent Interface, the user simply types search terms into the appropriate fields of the Sirsi search screen familiar to the SIRSI user. SIRSI patrons connected with the Intelligent Interface retain the powerful Boolean and hypertext search capabilities of the Sirsi public access catalog.
The Sirsi Intelligent Interface to NASA/RECON is an addition to Sirsi's family of Intelligent Interfaces. Other systems to which Sirsi has developed an intelligent interface are BRS, DIALOG, DRA, DTIC. NOTIS, OCLC EPIC, PALS and other Unicorn/STILAS sites. Sirsi Intelligent Interfaces automatically connect the user to multiple external databases and permit the user to search the remote databases with SIRSI commands. Sirsi Intelligent Interfaces are developed by Sirsi in and for the UNIX environment.
Sirsi Intelligent Interfaces provide users with a consistent interface for searching databases that may not be Z39.50 compatible. To access 139.50-compliant sites, SIRSI has developed UNIX, MS-DOS and Windows clients that use the Z39.58 Common Command language. Sirsi has also developed Vizion, a desktop graphical user interface to Z39.50 servers and other sources, which offers a Z39.50 Windowing client.
Founded in 1979 by information and computer professionals, Sirsi Corporation, based in Huntsville, Alabama, is one of the world's leading suppliers of library automation. Sirsi automates all aspects of information management, from information consortia to the single desktop user. Sirsi systems are installed worldwide in academic, public, law, medical, government, and corporate environments.