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Early library management systems (LMS) in the UK

Lucy A. Tedd, Lecturer, Department of Information Studies, Aberystwyth

Editor: Program: electronic library and information systemsNovember 2006

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Experimental systems – early/mid 1960s

Evolved from 80-col. punched card systems (which had been invented by Herman Hollerith for processing information from 1890 US census)

Idea given to Hollerith by Billings - the Library of the Surgeon’s General Office ( now NLM)

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Some libraries and computer applications

Southampton U. – Woods et al.- circulation

Newcastle U. – Line et al. – acquisitionsLancaster U. - serialsCamden Libraries - Maidment et al.-

cataloguingWest Sussex Libraries – Bearman et al.-

loans

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Memory from Exeter City Libraries

“When I first started working in libraries, we had a punched card system. I left in 1969, but I remember the clunky sorting machine which needed a room of its own (a small room!)”

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Challenges

Computers were large and expensive and owned by the parent authority

Programmers were needed to write the appropriate software for each application

It was all new – computer people thought they knew what library staff required and library staff weren’t always too sure about what was possible

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Program- News of computers in British university libraries

Founded in 1966 by Richard Kimber, then a Lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast

“A new wave of enthusiasm is sweeping over the world of libraries in Britain. Librarians see that it is possible to use computers for most clerical operations in libraries.”

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Range of computers and working parties

Elliott Automation 803, 903 and 905English Electric and KDF9IBM and 360 seriesICT ( later ICL) and the 1900 series

There were various working parties of librarians involved in using these.

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Aslib Computer Applications Group (CAG)- 1968

Promote use of computers in librariesAssess existing or evolving systems

with aim of developing common systems

Communicate findings – by publication, meetings, courses and conferences

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Comparison of computer-based loans systems - 1969

• Atomic Weapons Research Establishment

• Atomic Energy Research Establishment

• Southampton U. • West Sussex

(results published in Program 3(3/4)

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Findings - why were computers used ?

To produce accurate record of items on loan

To produce recall/overdue notices automatically

Save time at the issue counterProduce statistics of use of stockTo give added benefits at lesser cost

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VINE- Very Informal Newsletter

Started in 1971

Edited by the Library Automation Officer

based at Southampton University and

who visited libraries and their computer

systems and ‘wrote them up’. Funded by

Office for Scientific and Technical

Information (OSTI) – then British Library Research and Development Dept.

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Numbers in loans systems

In the early 1970s not many loans systems were closely linked to catalogue system.

(An overdue notice could be of the form: Dear 1432 . Please return 218689 -X)Need for accurate recording of the unique nos.

for books and borrowersCheck digits usedSome libraries developed complex numbering

to enable analyses to be made of stock issues, and ‘type’ of borrowers

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Development of data collection devices for loans

ALS – Automated Library Systems Original ‘card-based’ system (1967) and then ‘label-based’ system (1974)

Plessey Library Pen (1972) – Camden (Kentish Town)

Telepen – from SB Electronics also for barcodes

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Memory from Elliott Automation

“Whilst working at Elliott Automation in the 1960s I remember, when working late, meeting at the coffee machine a colleague (Frank Gurney- who then founded ALS) who was developing a system for libraries”

(Elliott Automation had been commissioned by West Sussex to investigate developing a computer-based circulation system)

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MARC – Machine Readable Cataloguing

1965 – format for catalogue records originally developed at Library of Congress

1968-1974 – MARC tapes available in UK via BNB – 20 libraries

1974 – British Library formed and formal MARC service offered

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Methods of computer processing in the 1970s

Batch – jobs were processed one after another ‘in a batch’ – used for catalogue production, order notes to booksellers, overdue notices

Online and time sharingRemote job entry – online terminal used to

enter a job into queue for batch processing – saved physical transportation of files (punched card or paper tape) from library to computer

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Memory from Havering Libraries

“Havering was the first public library authority in the UK to make use of an on-line systems for circulation control. I was the library end of the system design for the product and I remember vividly the reaction we first received from Plessey about our need for something better than the off-line system they were offering.  Their indifference, and the much more welcoming approach of ALS brought us to the point where we were about to sign with ALS.  Next thing, cars screeched to a halt outside the Central Library and various "suits" descended on us, full of promises . . . and thus history was changed!”

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Local systems – 1970s

Several instances of successful use of parent-body computers

Improved computer technology- rise of minicomputers which could be acquired by the library

Used experiences of those involved in experimental phase

Better communication between librarians and computer people

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Operational cataloguing and circulation systems in the

1970s CAG surveys

1973 – 135 responses indicating a working system

1976 – 170 responses. Standard descriptions of all applications

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Bath University

Catalogue – variable field records – short average length (123 ch.)

Author, Title, Classified, and Keyword out of Context (KWOC) catalogues

Circulation – use of Burroughs computer shared with administration for an online system

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Memory from Bath U.

“The Library and the Finance department jointly commissioned systems from a firm called Burroughs.. .. and when finance were doing big tasks like payroll, the circulation system ran very slowly (up to 3 minutes per transaction). The library, under Maurice Line, devised a 'short form' of catalogue record. Catalogue cards were marked up by library staff and taken to the computer unit, where data entry staff put the data onto punch cards.”

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Co-operative systems

Funded by OSTI and then BLR&DD for much of the 1970s

Birmingham Libraries Co-operative Mechanisation Project (BLCMP)

Aston U., Birmingham U., Birmingham PublicSouth Western Academic Libraries Co-

operative Mechanisation Project (SWALCAP) Bath, Bristol, Cardiff and Exeter universities

+++

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Memories - SWALCAP

“Cataloguing was done via a dumb terminal and a set of microfiche was produced from this every 3 months. Inputting the records was monotonous and error-prone and there was no error-checking. One day a senior subject librarian got impatient just before a new run of the fiche and decided to put in a batch of records in a hurry. Unfortunately she forgot to check her records before submitting them so she managed to get part of the MARC coding confused with the title. Hence for the next 3 months we had Twelfth Night by a certain William O'Shakespeare on the fiche!”

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Bradford University – 1973/4

“Book and reader tickets were half 80-column cards, reader ticket being laminated, both read in slots in the counter but by light rather than pins. One reader had trimmed the sides of his ticket to make it fit his wallet – so of course it slid around in the slot and couldn't be read.”

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Sussex University – 1975/7

“Patching up paper tape and using a wonderful plastic gadget with rotating dial to calculate check digits of rogue records, before the reel of tape was taken across campus to be read in the computing centre.  (ALS issue system)”

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University of Wales Aberystwyth – late 1970s

“We chose SWALCAP because it offered a circulation system, which BLCMPthen did not.  We quickly realised we needed one when several smalllibraries were amalgamated in 1976 and we tried to scale up the manual Browne issue systems. Cataloguing was a lower priority, although our ancient tape-typewriter that produced catalogue cards was on its last legs, so needed to be replaced with something.”

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Problems

Hardware – failure of suppliers to provide necessary items in working order, in time and at agreed cost

Software – not adequately designed, implemented and tested and documented

People – new LMS not always designed to meet the real needs of users

Financial – inadequate

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Late 1970s – computer developments

Mainframes – IBM 370 series, ICL 2900, Honeywell 6000, CDC 7600

Minicomputers – DEC, Prime 500, Hewlett Packard, Texas Instruments

Microcomputers – Apple, Commodore PET, IBM PC

Decrease in size of hardware

Increase in processing/storage capacity

Decrease in cost

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Early 1980s

Development of ‘turnkey stand-alone’ systems- mainly for circulation control

e.g.ALS – System 4 and System 5BLCMP – CIRCOCLSI – LIBS 100 – from USGEAC – from Canada Plessey Module 4Telepen Library System

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Online Public Access Catalogues

Appeared in early 1980s

Linked to computer-based circulation systems

First generation provided access points similar to those on cards and COM fiche/film

Good for ‘known item’ searching

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Library (and Information) Technology Centre

1982 – Polytechnic of Central London

Later at South Bank University

Software demonstrations

Enquiry and advice

Vine and Library Micromation News

Workshops and seminars

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Integrated library management systems – key features

Integrated modules for:

Cataloguing materials

Using the catalogue (OPAC)

Circulation control

Acquisitions and order processing

Serials control ( possibly)

Interlibrary loans (possibly)

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.. And some more

Consistency and integrity of data across all applications

Transactions (e.g. recording a loan) should update ‘status’ and be immediately viewable

Should be ease of movement between functions

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Some LMS in the late 1980s

ALS – System V/88

BLCMP – BLS

Databasix – ADLIB 2

DS – Module 4

Dynix

Geac

IBM – DOBIS/LIBIS

Logical Choice – BOOKSHELF

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.. And more

McDonnell Douglas – URICA OCLC - LS/2000

Pyramid – CALM

SWALCAP – Libertas

Sydney – Micro Library

Library systems : a buyer’s guide

Juliet Leeves – 1987 and 1989

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By the end of 1980s

The use of computers in libraries was commonplace and librarians, in general, were becoming well-used to the changing technology.

“I suppose one thing I'd say, looking back, is that if we'd really known what we were doing we'd probably have been too scared even to try.”

Thank you

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