[36] in Information Retrieval
WAIS and library access (LIBTEL) - alt.wais #217
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (rcharbon@Athena.MIT.EDU)
Thu Dec 12 08:28:38 1991
From: rcharbon@Athena.MIT.EDU
Date: Thu, 12 Dec 91 08:27:45 -0500
To: elibdev@Athena.MIT.EDU
In article <1991Dec9.215634.17721@samba.oit.unc.edu>, pjones@samba.oit.unc.edu (paul jones) writes:
|> LIBTEL is a UNIX shell script that provides menu-ed access to over 200 libraries
|> and public access databases around the world. The basic script is available
|> via anonymous ftp from ftp.oit.unc.edu in pub/docs as libtel.unix. A vms sister
|> that does much the same thing is available ffrom the same address as libs.com
|> (thanks to Mark Resmer of Sonoma State for that one).
|>
|> We're looking at redoing LIBTEL and placing it in a client-server
|> environment. As it stands now, we've taken the basic script and enhanced it
|> quite a bit. We've also added a scripted version of telnet that will do a
|> good part (if not all) of the complex connections for you. (This version is
|> available for testing on bbs.oit.unc.edu--just login as bbs and create your own
|> id).
|>
|> We're now pretty close to being able to distribute the scripted version,
|> though there is a lot of work that must be done to keep it up to date.
|> What this means is that LIBTEL will nearly always be lagging (just as its vms
|> sister will be). Further, the organization of the information is at present
|> geographical except in a few cases where databases are lumped into the
|> meaningless MISC category.
|>
|> As more and more libraries with special collections and specialized databases
|> come on the net, how do folks find which library has, say, a Southern Historical
|> Collection or a Dante project? Just as LIBTEL and network connectivity changed
|> our way of accessing on-line catalogs, we need to change again to provide more
|> flexible access to more varied information.
|>
|> What we really need is to have the library descriptions on WAIS (as seen at
|> think.com). Then you could search for the state, country, special collections,
|> or institution in a much more sane manner. That's a good first step, but you
|> still have to connect (do the libtel job). We could do as hytelnet has done and
|> simply place the connection info in the WAISed database as part of the first
|> step, but the real way to handle things is to: 1) create the WAISed database
|> including connection information in a form usable by scripted telnet; then 2)
|> create WAIS clients that let you query the database, read the library
|> descriptions, AND connect (via button or command) using the downloaded script
|> and a local version of telnet that can read such a script. This means that
|> updates to the database will be instantly available to everyone running clients
|> anywhere on the net, thus eliminating the lag and the pain of having to keep up
|> with new versions.
|>
|> We will be doing a UNIX version of such a client and setting up an experimental
|> version of the database soon, but we will need folks who will build or modify
|> existing WAIS clients to make this work. If you are interested in working on
|> this project, please contact me at the address below (or on the From: line). If
|> you or your library organization are interested in helping fund or eventually
|> run the project please contact me as well. (Discussion of X.500 alternatives is
|> also welcome).
|> ---------
|> Paul Jones
|> <pjones@samba.oit.unc.edu>
|> Office FOR Information Technology
|> University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
|> 310 Wilson Library
|> Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3460
|> (919) 962-9107
--
Ray Charbonneau | I feel so inar-inar-inar-inar tic-u-late
rcharbon@athena.mit.edu | -- Roger Taylor (Queen)
MIT and the Library Systems Office are glad that I'm posting my opinions
here so that they don't have to listen to them anymore.
