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Svenska Biblioteksbolaget
- the Swedish Library Company is a newly founded
software company that specialises in developing software for libraries and offers a variety of services and products that are specially adapted to the library sector. It was founded in the end of 1999 by two
systems librarians who were working at Stockholm University Library. They have both the experience and the knowledge of programming and real library work - an unusual combination. Their key idea is, as
trained librarians, that they have a special knowledge and a unique experience to develop software for the library sector.
Freeware Library System Project - FSLP is a project with software based on various free resources which is very much under development.
Need now is some input to get this product developed the right way - i.e. a library who needs our product.
The goal is that the final product should be a complete library system with all modules necessary (except acquisitions). This will be achieved step by step
The project consists currently of a fully configurable WebOPAC and a Z39.50-server. The next step is to develop a catalogue and circulation
module.
Technology
The technical foundation is the relational database MySQL developed by the Swedish company TCX/MySQL AB. It is freely accessible from
their website.
The database is superior in performance to for instance Oracle or Sybase, but it is lacking some of their functionality. Among those who use MySQL for their web applications are Yahoo and Tucows. As well as the RDBMS there is a search engine - PLWeb/CPL - which is a free free-text search engine used to create the indexes
needed. No library system of today wants to be without a Z39.50-server and this has been developed to run under NT.
With that as a technical foundation the company has developed the following components:
- MARC Loader - loads MARC-records into the MySQL-database
- Pac server - a multi-threaded COM-object for Microsoft Transaction server.
- The Web application - that consists of asp-scripts and configuration files.
- Coming soon: SBBPLZ - multi-threaded Z39.50-server - also an NT-service - providing Z39.50 access to the Biblioteksbolagets OPAC. A test
version will support Search and Present and it will also support all the attributes in bib-1 by mapping the attributes to field definitions in PLS (eg. 4=TitleWords).
Features of Z39.50 server
- Protocol version: 3
- IP-address: www.biblioteksbolaget.se
- Port: 210
- Database: boras
- Services: INITIALIZE, SEARCH, PRESENT, CLOSE
- Type: 1 (RPN)
- Attribute set: Bib-1
- syntax: USMARC, SUTRS
- Character set: ISO 8859-1 (Latin-1)
There is no charge for these software products - they are licensed as freeware to participants of the project.
Costs
Although there is no software licence, there are costs associated with any freeware. Here is just an example of what you might have to pay for.
- A server with Windows NT. It does not need to be a new fast one - the system is currently running on a three year old Dell, pentium II,
266 MHz with no problems at all.
- Windows NT which is about a $1.000.
- support licence (Basic) for the MySQL-database costs 170 euro - probably a good investment.
- For the initial loading of data and possible conversion
- You can also get a support agreement with Svenska Biblioteksbolaget
Future developments
Svenska biblioteksbolaget would also like to develop modules for normal daily workflow administration - for example;
Cataloguing,
Circulation, Interlibrary loan administration, Booking module. Note that Acquisitions and Serials and ruled out at this stage.
What you might need to participate
- a collection of bibliographic records - in MARC- or another format
- need a web OPAC for a fair price
- interested in developing the product further on a local plane.
- technical competence within your organisation.
- have an interest of and be willing to work with the software, to configure and design and not afraid of beta testing.
Those librarians or individuals that are interested in the project are invited to contact Svenska Biblioteksbolaget with comments on how you would use the WebOPAC and what technical qualifications your organisation has.
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