ABCD, as an integrated package for library automation (both traditional but also digital/virtual libraries) and a tool for documentation centers, is the culmination of several technologies developed by BIREME (OPS/PAHO, Brazil). These technologies support their online information services and have been developed over many years, involving many experts. The package contains an advanced database management (both creation/definition and data-entry/cataloging) module, an OPAC integrated into a ‘library portal’ page with meta-search functionality for either local or remote databases (iAH), a Serials Control module (SeCS), a module for Circulation and Statistics, a Thesaurus Manager and – to be added later – an Acquisition module. The software heavily relies on ISIS-database technology (developed by UNESCO, and BIREME, http://bvsmodelo.bvsalud.org/php/level.php?lang=en&component=31), currently in an advanced release (with 1MB max. record size and 60-characters index keys) and migrating to the new ISIS technology (ISIS-NBP, http://reddes.bvsalud.org/projects/isisnbp/) in the course of 2009.
ABCD’s technology can be summarized as follows : fully web-based, ISIS-based, using PHP, ISIS(-Script), JavaScript? and AJAX programming, multi-platform and multi-lingual.
The proposal for the development of ABCD is being promoted by BIREME during the last years. The actual conception, design and development of the system started in 2007, when BIREME established an agreement with MSINFO of Venezuela, to have its Orbita_Documental as the basis of the ABCD by adopting the technological platform of the Virtual Health Library and the FOSS development. In 2008 teh development of ABCD received financial support from the Flemish Interuniversity Council – University Development Co-operation section (VLIR/UOS, http://www.vliruos.be) as ABCD has been selected as the solution for the project ‘Development Of and Capacity Building in ISIS-Based Library Automation Systems’ (DOCBIBLAS), for being offered to university library partners in the South. For a list of collaborators involved in the development of ABCD see Hall of Fame.
Overview of the ISIS family up to ABCD
The aim of the DOCBIBLAS project, specifically in view of a need for sustainability, is to fully hand over ABCD to the ISIS users’ community and both UNESCO and BIREME for continued technical development and promotion.
Currently the development is solely done by volunteers in several countries but not enough thanks can be given to G. Ascencio and E. Spinak.
A new version 3.0 is being developed by UCI, Cuba.
Features and Modules of ABCD
Description of the basic modules
| Administrator | Management of User accounts Full database creation process Backup/Restore Inverted file generation/update Database reinitialization Record/database unlocking Maintenance of Messages database and translation to other languages Creation of Help-in-context pages Management of z39.50 (protocol for searching and retrieving information from remote databases) Management of OAI (the Open Archives Initiative protocol for metadata harvesting) Quality and consistency controls |
| Technical processes | Data entry Creation/editing of worksheets Creation/editing of formats for quality control Linking to Authority files Management of the Acquisitions module Import/Export (Isis, MARC, XML, etc.) Global changes |
| Statistics | Pre-defined basic package with the most frequently used statistics Ad-hoc reports generator, with direct output to graphs and export to Excel-like spreadsheets |
| Services | Print generation (on demand or scheduled) Printing of barcodes and spine labels Selective dissemination of information through profiles Online services by demand (photocopies, reference, etc.) |
| Loans circulation | Databases for identification of loan objects and users Definition of service policies or rules Multiple display formats Pre-defined calendar for calculating suspensions, reservations and loans Assignation of different functions to different operators Definition of lending slips and other prints Detection of inconsistencies in transactions Statistics on all types of transactions Loans Devolutions Reservations Verification of user and/or object Administration of fines Administration of suspensions Administration of reservations and waiting lists Listings of printed forms and e-mails |
| OPAC (iAH) | Simple editor for ABCD-Site administration, modelled on BVS Site Editor for parameter definition (.def files) Editor for display formats Editor for indexing techniques (.FST) Web service connecting the OPAC with the loans system Editor for shortcuts (calls to external applets through .pft) |
| Kardex Periodical Control (SeCS) | Title creation according to the ISSN standard Import of titles from .ISO MARC/ISSN formats or native SeCSCreation of frequency masks for automatic generation of new issuesGeneration of collective catalogues with multiple collections Entry of new issues, manually or automatically through barcode reading Export of full or selective collections Control listings of missing or duplicated issues Hypertext navigation between different versions of families of titles |
ABCD structure
