ABCD: Sustaining and Extending the Capabilities of ISIS Software by

Authors

  • Ernesto Luis Spinak Fontan Universidad Oberta de Catalunya
  • de Smet Egbert

Abstract

The paper presents the aims, objectives and capabilities of ABCD, the last in the ISIS-Software family meant for automation of libraries and documentation centres. ABCD software repackages different modules of BIREME documentation technology, as a suite. It is a DBMS with capabilities to manage all database functions in an information handling scenario similar to what (Win)ISIS did on earlier computing systems. It provides for definition of database structures, indexing, searching and formatting output and covers library housekeeping operations like acquisition and circulation. So there is no need for existing ISIS-users to migrate to non-ISIS solutions. Being 'free' and open source, ABCD is expected to become the most used package in the knowledge management scenario. The paper also discuss major functional upgrades in ABCD 2.0 facilitating use of numerous features of the underlying CISIS-technology, the power of ABCD as a digital library solution to retrieve specific piece of information instead of a document, and its UNICODE (UTF-8) compliance that will enable use in non-Latin alphabet environments such as Arab, Sanskrit, Amharic, Persian etc. The severe challenges that projects like ABCD which work for the target group of small organisations in very-low-resources environments may face; both in finances and skills are also outlined.

 

Author Biographies

  • Ernesto Luis Spinak Fontan, Universidad Oberta de Catalunya

    Ernesto Luis Spinak Fontan: took Masters in Information Society from Universidad Oberta de Catalunya, Barcelona. Has served as Computer Science Engineer; Professional Librarian, Engineer in Land Surveying and Professor of Library Science under Universidad de la República, Uruguay. Taught Computer Networks, Data Processing, and Statistics. Provided consultancy to and conducted numerous workshops on library automation and reengineering of information services in 19 countries. Publications include 2 books, 7 manuals, 3 dissertations, and about hundred conference presentations and research papers.

  • de Smet Egbert

    Egbert de Smet: has PhD in Information Science. Worked for INASP, UK for the promotion of electronic information use and skills. Was mandated by the Flemish Interuniversity Council to lead the project for developing information management solutions for Southern university libraries. Lead DOCBIBLAS project (Development of and Capacity Building in ISIS-Based Automation Systems). In association with BIREME (WHO-Brazil) developed ABCD System. Coordinating projects that use ISIS technologies in South Africa. Conducted numerous training sessions on ABCD System in Southern hemisphere. Authored papers on history and philosophy of the ISIS-technology.  Is presently with University of Antwerp, Belgium.

References

Bibliothecca Virtual em Saude (2013a). ABCD Project. Retrieved: May 20, 2013. http://reddes.bvsaude.org/projects/abcd/wiki

Bibliothecca Virtual em Saude (2013b). ABCD- Main Features. Retrieved: May 20, 2013. http://reddes.bvsaude.org/projects/abcd/wiki/Features

Bibliothecca Virtual em Saude (2013c). Features and Modules of ABCD. Retrieved: May 20, 2013. http://reddes.bvsaude.org/projects/abcd/wiki/Features

Breeding, Marshall (2013). Library Technology Guides: Key resources in the field of Library Automation. Retrieved: May 20, 2013. http://www.librarytechnology.org/libwebcats/

de Smet, Egbert & S. Dhamdeere (2012). Publishing and sharing library resources with the ABCD site. Information Development, -2012. Retrieved: May 20, 2013.

http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.1177/0266666912451187

de Smet, Egbert (2005). The essence of ISIS : an analysis on some of its core characteristics. Proceedings of 2nd World Congress on CDS/ISIS, UNESCO, Salvador de Bahia, Brazil, 21-23 September 2005. Retrieved: May 20, 2013. http://w2isis.icml9.org/activity.php?lang=en&id=45

de Smet, Egbert (2008). The ISIS-software family : from 'Free and Open' to 'Free and Open Source Software'. Innovation: Journal of Appropriate Librarianship and Information Work, June 2008

de Smet, Egbert (2009). ABCD: A new FOSS library automation solution based on ISIS. In: Information Development, 25(1), p. 61-67.

de Smet, Egbert (2010a). Some ISIS-software history and technical background to the new FOSS integrated library system 'ABCD'. Liber Quarterly: The Journal of European Research Libraries, 19(3/4), 324-335

de Smet, Egbert (2010b). ABCD : An open source automation tool for libraries. Pearl Journal of Library and Infomation Science, 4(4), November 2010.

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de Smet, Egbert (2012b) ABCD fas a digital library tool. Advances in digital library development / Jose, Antony [edit.]. New Delhi: MacMillan, 135-145

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Rajasekharan, K. Raman Nair, R and Nafala, KM (2010). Digital Library Basics: A Practical Manual. New Delhi: Ess Ess.

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Published

2018-01-19

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 1 (2016): Informatics Studies

Section

Articles

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