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Introduction to ABCD Software: An Integrated Library Management Tool

Learn about ABCD software, an ISIS- and WWW-based library management tool. Explore its technology, installation, modules, and management functions. Background info, development planning, and technology details provided.

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Introduction to ABCD Software: An Integrated Library Management Tool

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  1. A B C D Introduction to the ABCD software as an ISIS- and WWW-based integrated library management tool

  2. Overview • Background information • Technology overview • Installation issues • Modules overview • Management and planning

  3. Background information 1 • ABCD = Automatisación de Bibliotécas y Centros de Documentación • ABCD = WinISIS + KOHA • ISIS database creation and structures definition • ISIS PFT's creation with testing • ISO-2709 import/export, import from text files and CSV with conversion tables • All main library management functions : cataloguing, OPAC, loans, statistics, serials management, portal, acquisitions

  4. Background information 2 • ABCD is a BIREME initiative supported by VLIR/UDC • BIREME avails not only their best existing web-based ISIS applications (SeCS, EMP, iAH) but also their experts co-ordinated by E. Spinak and hired G. Ascencio (Venezuela) to contribute from her Orbital Documental products • All BIREME ISIS-technology culminates into ABCD ! • VLIR/UDC (Flemish University Development Co-operation) selected ABCD as preferred ILS and contributes funding and will provide French version plus training materials + pilot workshop through DOCBIBLAS project (E. de Smet)‏

  5. Background information 3 • ABCD aims at : • Providing ISIS-users community with an integrated library system • which is suitable also for university libraries as per requirements of VLIR/UDC • e.g. MARC, AGRIS, METS, Z39.50, thesaurus-support • High volumes (at least up to 500K full records)‏ • (close to) state-of-the-art functionality • Which can be(come) an alternative to KOHA c.s. for ISIS-users building on the existing ISIS reality

  6. Background information 4 • Planning of the development : • September 2008 : first beta version distributed for testing at Rio ISIS3 conference, including : • Database management • Cataloguing in MARC + CEPAL structures • OPAC + Serials Management + Portal • End 2008 : full version 1.0 • + Circulation + Statistics • March 2009 : Training materials in English, Spanish and French

  7. Background information 5 • Planning of 1st phase users : • University libraries in Latin-America, e.g. • UMSS (Cochabamba, Bolivia)‏ • UCLV and public libraries network (Cuba)‏ • University libraries in Africa. e.g. • Moi University (Eldoret, Kenya)‏ • Mekelle and Jimma University (Ethiopia)‏ • Sokoine University (Tanzania)‏ • Some 4 – 5 other VLIR/UDC partner universities are queuing (Suriname, Peru, Ecuador, Mozambique)‏ • ... many others for sure ! • => not just a newcomer on the scene…

  8. ABCD Technology 1 • WEB-based : • The software runs as web-pages in a web-browser (IE, FF, Opera, Chrome, Safari...) served by a web-server (Apache, Xitami, IIS)‏ • Client-server can run on 'localhost' (127.0.0.1) on any PC with Windows or UNIX/Linux • Pages are written in PHP (v5.2)‏ • E.g. HTML Editor controls can be used • PFT's can contain all HTML codes as literals, including e.g. JavaScripts (e.g. to create links in OPAC) • Links are web-links (<A HREF>)‏ and multimedia is provided by HTML

  9. ABCD Technology 2 • ABCD is ISIS-based : • All data are stored in ISIS-databases • Until 2009 : 'classic ISIS-technology' upgraded with CISIS extensions, i.e. MST+XRF with 1Mb records upto 4 Gb databases, IF with 60-character keys • From 2009 : 'seamless' migration to NBP • ISIS-Script is used for data retrieval • (C)ISIS Formatting Language is used throughout • Existing ISIS-databases and their structures can be imported

  10. ABCD Technology 3 • ABCD uses PHP : • Current version 5.2 • Free OS software with large developers community and very wide usage • Easy installation, often together with Apache, e.g. WAMP, XAMP, EasyPHP... • Already offers a wealth of 'controls' (existing codes for almost any popular function), e.g. calendar, HTML Editor etc. • Strong links with e.g. (MySQL and) Postgres e.g. to be used in future Loans module • ABCD uses JavaScript and AJAX • as part of its HTML-capabilities • for enhanced interactivity and flexibility

  11. ABCD Technology 4 • Client-server with 2 options : • CGI (Common Gateway Interface) : if $url variable is defined in config.php, this 'classic' protocol will be used to call the wxis-server to serve ISIS-pages • Advantages : widely used, more secure • Direct executable calling : if no $url variable is defined in config.php, PHP will directly 'exec' the wxis-server as a call to the OS • Advantages : (a bit) faster • Disadvantage : less secure, e.g. Windows 'cmd' needs 'executable rights' on WWW-sharing

  12. ABCD Installation 1 • Web-server : Apache • PHP • Both are free OS softwares, most resp. very widely used web-server resp. scripting engine • Both can be installed independently or as part of packages such as WAMP, XAMP, EasyPHP • Apache needs PHP-modules to be included (in httpd.conf)LoadModule php5_module "c:/wamp/bin/php/php5.2.5/php5apache2_2.dll" • Apache needs 'Alias‘ declared in httpd.conf for : • 'abcd' for the folder \abcd\www\htdocs • 'bases' for the folder \abcd\www\bases • ScriptAlias for the folder \abcd\www\cgi-bin

  13. ABCD Installation 2 • If not working : open in your browser \abcd\www\htdocs\php\test\test.php • Test on PHP installation • Test on WXIS being available, executable and having access to users-DB • ABCD-users can/should be created first (by administration super-user : login 'abcd', password 'adm') : • Create user • Link to pre-listed DBs as 1 of 4 possible levels

  14. ABCD Installation 3 • 4 user levels for added security : • System Administrator : 'access to all areas' (superuser, be careful !!)‏ • Database Administrator : can change, modify read and write the given database • Database Operator : can read and write the given database • Loans Operator : can read and write only the Loans database

  15. ABCD Modules 1 • Database management • Creation and modification of database structures • Internal and external database ID • Can be copied from existing WinISIS-databases or from existing ABCD-databases • Can be created 'from scratch' with FDT, FST, FMT and PFT-editors • Updating of created database structures • FDT, FST, FMT, PFT + record validation • Advanced search form (for cataloging) definition • Help files

  16. ABCD Modules 2 • Database management : Utils • Initialise DB • Delete DB • Lock/unlock DB • Help pages and translation editing • Browsing database folder • OPAC configuration for DB

  17. ABCD Modules 3 • Cataloguing with main handy (!) toolbar : • Browsing MFN's • Searching by form, A-Z browser • New or copied record, Z39.50 downloading • Edit, stop edit, save or delete record • Print, tools (import/export, GMOD, locks, IF)‏ • Help pages, Home

  18. ABCD Modules 4 • Serials Management with SeCS module

  19. ABCD Modules 5 • OPAC searching with iAH

  20. ABCD Modules 6 • The ABCD interactive portal : allows ‘localisation’, news/messages • localhost/site/admin/index.php : allows editing of ALL elements of the ‘site’ (portal/home page), e.g. • Which databases to search in meta-search • Which links to provide for external resources for meta-search • Which partners exist in the network with other information resources • Communication : newsletter etc..

  21. ABCD Modules 7 : Loans administration 1 • Configuration screen : • Identify source DB • Configure users DB • User and items types definitions • Loans policy for objects (per user/item type, days/hours, fines, reservation conditions etc.) • Currency + calendar definition • Users management (editing of simple database with names, categories, etc.)

  22. ABCD Modules 7 : Loans administration 2 • Transactions : • Loan or return : • Identification of the user by code (e.g. barcode) • Identification of the object by code (e.g. barcode) • Table display of all object in use by user with immediate options to return • Reports and statistics : not yet available (expected decembe 2008)

  23. ABCD Modules 8 • Statistics and reports : preview

  24. ABCD Modules 9 • Acquisitions management • Not yet available, expected March 2009

  25. ABCD : Management 1 • Timing : • Test version (beta) to be tested September-December 2008 • Loans, Statistics + Acquisition modules to be developed by December 2008 • loans/statistics : 75% ready now (September)‏ • Acquisitions : simple 'pre-cataloguing' module will be produced by end of 2008 • Training materials (in En, Sp, Fr) to be produced by March 2009

  26. ABCD Management 2 • Other additional developments : • Loans module using Postgres with dynamic coupling over LDAP to existing user-registration systems • UMSS (Cochabamba, Bolivia) is interested to do this • French version to be produced (by DOCBIBLAS project from VLIR/UDC)‏ • Arabic version ? => is being planned • ... • ???

  27. ABCD Management • Separate from ISIS co-ordination or not ? • Communication through ISIS-list or dedicated OS-tools ? • Co-ordination through BIREME • Who ? • How ? • Migration to NBP in 2009 : how, guidance ?

  28. ABCD configuration : directory structure • Main subfolders in /ABCD : • apache : the Apache server software • php : the PHP scripting software • www : the application directory • www-subdirectory : • bases (see infra) • htdocs : the ‘home folder’ for Apache • Apache configuration : httpd.conf • ServerRoot "/ABCD/apache“ • Listen 9090 (to use port 9090 instead of 80) • PHPIniDir "/ABCD/php" • DocumentRoot "/ABCD/www/htdocs“ • ScriptAlias /cgi-bin/ "/ABCD/www/cgi-bin/"

  29. ABCD configuration (1) : config.php • Start sequence: index.php includes config.php and calls inicio.php, which includes homepage.php • config.php in /htdocs is crucial file as it contains the main ‘variables’ of the system : • $db_path="/ABCD/www/bases/"; • Also : paths for images, wxis-server and scripts • $lang="en"; • $lang_db="en"; • $wxisUrl=""; //"http://localhost:90/wxis/wxis.exe"; • $institution_name="BIREME in co-operation with VLIR/UOS"; • $distributor_url="www.ua.ac.be"; • inicio.php and homepage.php create the visible pages

  30. ABCD configuration (2) : • header.php : rather standard => don’t change • footer.php : version and year information • the use of CSS : • php/styles : basic.css • php/css : layout.css, styles.css and template.css • But : many other CSS for other modules still to be made homogenous for non-beta version …

  31. ABCD configuration (3) : databases • The folder ‘www/bases’ is the default database-folder for ABCD • A subdirectory ‘PAR’ contains the parameter-files for all databases • E.g. ‘users.par’ : users.*=/ABCD/www/bases/users/data/users.* • In case of ‘exe’ (not cgi) setup : environment variable %path_database% can be used, e.g. dblil.*=%path_database%dblil/data/dblil.*

  32. ABCD configuration (4) : databases • Each database has the following directory-structure : • pfts : for each language-subdirectory PFT’s and TAB’s • def : for each language-subdirectory FDT’s and TAB’s • data : the MST/XRF/IFP files • cnv : for conversion files • ayudas : for help files (for each DB in each language) • bases.dat (in /bases) : text-file with internal/external names • E.g. marc|Marc catalogue • lang.tab : text-file with language codes

  33. ABCD configuration : names, logo’s etc. • Index.php <div header class> header presents heading names : • <div class="institutionalInfo"><h1>BIREME - Centro Latino Americano e do Caribe de Informação em Ciências da Saúde</h1><h2>ABCD</h2></div> • E.g. for main OPAC-portal page : C:\ABCD\www\bases\site\html\en\bvs.html: contains reference to logo’s • E.g. main logo left : <img src="/img/logovliruos.png“ … • E.g. logo’s to UN-bodies right : <img src="../image/public/skins/classic/en/logoOpas.gif" alt="BIREME | PAHO | WHO logo"/>

  34. ABCD main pages • Supposing : localhost:90 • Cataloguing : http://localhost:90/index.php • Loans : idem, login as ‘Loans administrator’ • Portal with OPAC : http://localhost:90/site/(php/)index.php • Portal CMS : http://localhost:90/site/admin/index.php • Serials Control :http://localhost:90/secs-web/index.php

  35. ABCD test passwords • administration of ABCD portal : • http://localhost:90/site/admin/ • user: adm • pass: x • SeCS-Web : • http://localhost:90/secs-web/ • administrador: admsecs/ADM • ABCD : cataloguing + Loans • http://localhost:90/ • administrador abcd / adm

  36. ABCD users management • Before everything else : create your own administrator login and password and delete the default one. • Start from : ‘Data Entry’ (cataloguing) • Each user needs to get assigned all databases to get access to ! • For each database : access level (administrator/db admin/db operator/loans operator) needs to be defined!

  37. The extended FDT of ABCD (1) • Row • Type : • Field or Group (=repeatable field with subfields) • Fixed Field • MARC fixed field and leader • Line or heading • Tag • Name/title of field

  38. The extended FDT of ABCD (2) • I : Identifier field : the field to be used for listing the records in the A->Z list • Only one can be identified as such • Repeatable • Subfield delimiters • Pre-literals : punctuation to replace subfield-delimiters in data-entry • Input type : all HTML types + table, date, password, upload file

  39. The extended FDT of ABCD (3) • Picklist definition : • Type : DB, Thesaurus or table • Name (of DB, thesaurus or table) • Prefix : used to identify index-section • Browse : details of external picklist • Display format : PFT to show items in picklist, can be external PFT (with @), e.g. with ‘select…. endsel’ series to adjust to different fieldtags • Extract as format : PFT to define what to enter • Default value • Help page for use with this entry

  40. Definition of the FST

  41. Creation of PFT’s

  42. Definition of validation rules

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