European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN)

Institution name: Library contact person: Automation contact person: Aleph configuration:

Major developments since last ICAU meeting

Taken into account that the running version of the ALEPH Library System inspite of some unsolved bugs, is operational, the efforts of the Library and the Support Group during the last year have been used on other activities.

During Spring a test version of ALEPH 3.2_5 has been installed on a Sun computer with the UNIX platform. It's foreseen that the test-phase will result in an operational version before the end of the year.

Major developments planned

Move to version 3.2_5 under UNIX (SUN)

Open problems

  1. Analysis of patron searches
      A logfile:
    1. Days (like 10) option or endless (System Administrator to delete).
    2. Tool-box for analysis of the log to make it possible to study the usage of the system by index (author, title, subject, etc.). Each index log shall be accessible by alphabetical order or by popularity.
    Moreover the presentation shall be in 2 ways: tables or graphical. The values like "days" and "indexes" shall be installation dependent.

    This need has been reported to the ICAU request database in May 1995.

  2. Online verification of input in the Cataloguing module
    Direct verification of data via a code (CSP) before the command INSert in the Cataloguing module. This verification should check, that
    1. the given field codes are valid for the particular subbase of the document,
    2. the given subfield codes are valid for the field code and allowed for the particular subbase of the document,
    3. subfield codes are preceded by $$,
    4. repetition of field codes and subfield codes are respected,
    5. the given field codes belong to a special field type (Numeric, Alpha, or both)
    6. contents of certain field codes will be inserted in a modified form in other field codes (e.g. an author name with full first name(s) will be given with only initial(s) for a special ACCess file),
    7. a field code will be copied over to the Holdings module containing the geographical information of a document,
    etc.
    This program does exist at CERN in the current version as a Local fix.

  3. Enlargement of buffer for printformats
    In the current version the maximum number of lines in UTIL 54 is 4000. This value is far too small in the present setup of ALEPH at CERN.

  4. Sort on any field in the Holdings module
    A more sophisticated technique than ALEPH offers today, to search on and print out any field in the Holdings module, like
    1. Barcodes for Inventory control
    2. Order number for cross-reference information to other database systems

  5. Do corrections from a set (Cumulative cataloguing)
    To make a search in OPAC, which creates a set. This set should than be used by the Cataloguing module for corrections to fields, in each record, not included in the Maintenance module. The system should present one record after the other for corrections until all records in the set have been corrected.

    Maja Gracco, CERN

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