1. Institution
University of Maribor Library
Gospejna ul.10
2000 Maribor, Slovenia
1.1 Institution type: University Library
1.2 Mission
The University of Maribor Library is the central Library and Information Center of the University of
Maribor. It cooperates in the shared cataloguing system (the COBISS) together with nearly all
libraries from Slovenia. Its role is to offer students, researchers and visitors as much informations
as it can. With its fund of materials, in-house and on-line databases the Library covers all of studying
programs at the University of Maribor and literature for the public interest.
Library has very important and large local documentation department, which collects local
documentation of the North-Eastern part of Slovenia. Materials which are not available in the Library
itself could be ordered from abroad in the Interlibrary Lending Department.
1.3 Service provider
Institute of Information Sciences Maribor - IZUM
2. Computer networks and Internet connectivity
2.1 In general HW, SW
All of the computers are connected to the computer network of the University of Maribor and
through it to the Internet (via Slovenian Academic and Researching Network-ARNES).
We use Cisco 35xx switches to connect them to the Ethernet network and one Cisco 3512 switch
with optical link to the University network. There are still some computer terminals
(Digital DEC VT510 and VT420) for browsing our catalogues, connected to the terminal servers and
these to the Ethernet network.
For browsing through the Internet and for the e-mail we use Netscape Communicator 4.7 or higher.
2.2 New HW, SW
Last year we replaced network hubs with Cisco switches.
We have got 1Gb optical connection to the University computer network.
3. Library automation
3.1 In general HW/SW
- Compaq DS-20 Alphaserver 1GB memory, 6x9.1GB discs + DLT tape unit
30 Digital DEC VT510 or VT420 terminals connected via terminal servers
Alphaserver is working on VMS 7.2-1 operating system
- 1x double PentiumPro200MHz 18GB disc capacity WinNT 4.0 CD-ROM server
- 1x double Pentium 100MHz 8GB disc capacity WinNT 4.0 server
- DELL server Pentium II 500MHz 18GB disc capacity WinNT 4.0 Citrix MetaFrame
terminal server
- 1 Apple PowerPC and 1 PowerPC G3 computer
- 30 printers, mainly HPLaserJet printers, 2 STAR TSP200 printers for the circulation,
3 FARGO Allegro thermal transfer printers, 3 scaners (UMAX S8, HP Scanjet 5100C
and 3100C) and 7 barcode readers (SYMBOL)
- 60 personal computers Pentium Celeron 400 or 600 MHz 6.3GB disc, 15" or 17" screen,
sound card, 10/100 Ethernet card
- 2 Etherminals with NOKIA 15"LCD screen
On Alphaserver for the purposes of library we use COBISS aplication system.
On personal computers we use Windows 98, Windows NT on servers and application software
Ultranet 2000 for the purpose of the CD-ROM network server.
For the access to the main COBISS server we use Reflection 2 terminal emulating software
and Ultranet 2000 client for the access to the CD-ROM network server.
3.2 New HW, SW, other
In last year we bought 10 new personal computers (Celeron 600), 2 STAR TSP200 thermal
printers for the circulation and 2 new in-table mounting barcode readers also for the circulation.
Also new was bought the 3M security system, to protect books in the open access with magnetic
stripes.
There was also installed new COBISS3 graphical based client software for the interlibrary loan
application installed on server at IZUM (Institute of Information science). This year the acquisition
department is also testing the new graphical interface.
4. Union Catalogue
4.1 Software used
General by the COBISS system, developed by the Institute of Information science, is used.
It represents the national system. The library can use data for the following purposes: public
accesible databases for display of various bibliographies (national, university, special, author),
online monograph catalogues, online serial catalogues, source of information for the circulation,
source of information for acquisition of library materials, source of information for the local
functions of libraries, source of information for building specialized databases.
5. Digital Library
5.1 Databases mounted in-house
Application software Ultranet 2000 offers databases copied from CD-ROMs to the disks to all users
equiped with personal computers connected to the University Network. There are about 30 titles
of databases installed on CD-ROM server.
To the users there are accesible some titles of databases, such as Chemical Abstracts (CAon CD),
Current Contents CC/Agriculture, Engineering, Life Sciences and WBI (World Biographical
Index on some personal computers in the Information Service.
Users have also access to the European and international patents databases, such as
ESPACE ACCESS, ESPACE EP-A, ESPACE EP-B, ESPACE WORLD and ROMARIN.
These databases are accesible on a certain personal computer.
5.2 Full text web based databases
Certain registered personal computers can through web page of IZUM (Institute of Information
Scinece) provide access to the full text databases such as ABI/INFORM Global, Social Sciences
Abstracts, Digital Dissertations, OCLC FIRSTSEARCH-Electronic Collections Online,
EBSCO EIFL Direct, Web of Science.
Users can browse some of the electronic magazines certain publishers, such as
MCB-Service EMERALD, ELSEVIER SCIENCE, CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS...
Access to some titles of magazines is free for all of the users, but some could be accesed only on
registered computers.
6. Research and other projects
Our librarians are included in many projects developing new modules in the COBISS system
(such as the new COBISS3 system with graphical interface), which are performed by the Institute of
Information Sciences.
7. Activities
Our librarians are regularly educated about COBISS, creating records, new modules about circulation,
and lending activities, new computer technology, about databases we use ourself and for the library
users. The Library publishes The List of newnesses (new holdings in the Library) four times a year.
8. Future plans
We are planning to buy info-terminals with touch screen to present on them our library itself, the
informations how the COBISS system can be accesed, how the materials can be found in OPAC
and many other informations about the activities for the users of library. We also plan to buy a new
microfilm reader connected to the personal computer, for the purpose of getting a electronic
document from the microfilm document for the more comfortable handling with these documents
(sending documents to the users via e-mail, building an electronic archive, and so on).
Maribor, May 2001
Prepared by Vitodrag Vodnik (vito.vodnik@uni-mb.si)