4 Systems Developments
4.1 Restructuring of the Systems Support Unit
Following Philip Snoxall's retirement as Manager of the Library's Data
Processing Unit, after 29 years service, the EDP Group was combined with the
previously separate Systems Group to form a single Library Systems Support Unit.
PC support greatly improved, due to the introduction of a Help Desk, new
staffing arrangements, establishment of a database for recording problems and
faults and improved provision of user feedback.
4.2 ISB Installations
In January and February, Library Systems staff installed more than 120 PCs in
the Information Services Building, including 70 PCs in the Technical Services
Division and the remainder in the Library's Administration, the Rare Books
Library, the Music and Multi-Media Library, the Information Technology Training
Room and the Asian Studies Research Library. In the latter case this involved
installation of special software for the processing of text in Chinese, Japanese
and Korean (CJK) scripts.
4.3 MONET to Ethernet Migration and Ethernet Growth
Simultaneously with the move to the ISB, the Library and Computer Centre
completed the Library's migration from MONET to Ethernet. This required the
solution of several major telecommunications problems due to the incompatibility
of the PALS library software with Ethernet. The Library acknowledges with
gratitude the enormous assistance it received from the Computer Centre in
bringing this project to a successful conclusion. Demand for additional Ethernet
connections in the Library continues to grow. During the year additional
connections were installed in all Branches, in particular H&SS (Serials and
Student reading), Caulfield, Peninsula and Law.
4.4 Electronic Reserve
Software for the past examination papers imaging project that was developed
jointly by the Library and the Computer Centre was extensively rewritten during
the first half of the year. The new version of the system was ported to other
branch libraries and made available in full production mode from 1 September.
Work has commenced on developing the software further for the Library's
"Electronic Reserve" system. This work is funded with a special
University allocation of $300,000, particularly because of its relevance to the
Berwick campus, where the system will be made available as from Semester 1,
1996. Eventually the system will also be available in the other Monash
libraries.
4.5 Electronic Publishing Project
In February the AVCC made a research grant to Monash University Library to
conduct a pilot project in the transfer of an existing conventional journal to
electronic media. The project involves the Library, the Unit of Medical
Informatics and the Unesco Supported Institute of Engineering Education
(USICEE), in the Faculty of Engineering. The journal chosen for the project is
the Australasian Journal of Engineering Education. During 1995 two
electronic issues were published (in September and December) in parallel with
the paper version. It is available for viewing on the World Wide Web. A
questionnaire was issued to all readers asking for comments on the electronic
publication. Most were favourable and it is planned to expand the project in
1996.
4.6 National CJK System
Monash University Library is one of the eight consortium members of the National
CJK (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) System. The CJK system will provide a database
of bibliographic records for Chinese, Japanese and Korean material with full
support for CJK scripts. It will be the Australian national union catalogue for
CJK items.
4.7 DITS
A further allocation of $69,000 was made to the Library and this was
supplemented with a contribution of $57,520 to achieve 100% DITS compliance for
Library staff PCs. ($40,500 of the Library's contribution are loan funds which
have to be paid back to the University over two years.)
4.8 PALS
The Computer Centre provided $20,000 from its equipment allocation for the
purchase of additional disk storage for the U2200 mainframe computer that runs
the PALS integrated library system. In the short term there will be a need to
further upgrade the hardware configuration to cope with the ever-increasing
transaction rate (which at Easter peaked at 26,500 transactions per hour). In
the longer term (ie. in the next three to four years) it will be necessary to
replace the system entirely, both because of the mounting maintenance costs
associated with an ageing mainframe system, and to take advantage of the
enormous developments in library software that have occurred since the
University purchased the PALS system in 1988.
4.9 Campus-WIde Information System
The Library's pioneering role and the work of the Systems Librarian, Sue Steele,
in these areas was acknowledged when she was invited, together with the
University Librarian, to become foundation members of the University's new
Communications and Multimedia Advisory Board.
The PC Training and Support Librarian, Deidre Schutz, assisted Branches and
Departments of the Library in setting up WWW Home pages. Training of Library
staff and academic staff in the use of electronic mail and Internet resources
and software continued. 41 demonstration sessions and 65 hands-on training
sessions were held.
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