The First Russian Computerized Library Network
A Description and Perspectives of the LIBNET Project

Presented as a report on the IFLA IT Section small project.

March, 1995

In this decade we have become witnesses of an intensive introduction of computerized systems into Russian libraries. A system of library networks has been formed in the country, though not in the telecommunication but in the organizational and functional sense. Every network has its own leading library (or libraries). As a rule, these are large scientific libraries with impressive collections and well-developed computerized systems. They are either state or branch depositaries responsible for a methodological and consultative guidance provided to other libraries of the network. The Russian National Public Library for Science and Technology, for instance, is the leading library for a network of scientific and technological libraries of the country, the State Russian Library (the former Lenin Library) and the Russian National Library (the former Saltykov-Shchedrin Library) are both the leading ones for the Ministry of Culture libraries, the State Central Scientific Medical Library is the leading one for a network of medical libraries, etc. Interlibrary cooperation has always been in force incorporating ILL services, acquisition coordination, joint updating of the Union Catalog, and information retrieval on query. However, it has been based on traditional technologies. Introduction of the RELCOM e-mail network, a home analog of INTERNET, has drastically changed the situation, though leaving unsolved the tasks of interactive access to electronic catalogs, to the Union Catalog and the National Bibliography System, a query - response mode, and other real-time modes. That is why, a creation of the first Russian computerized library network has become the order of the day.

Thus, a project of the State Federal Library Network was included by the State Council for Informatization into the Informatization Concept of Russia. After that, an interbranch commission was set up in 1992 under the aegis of the Russian Ministry of Culture to develop and introduce a project of a computerized library information network. Experts of six major Moscow libraries formed a development group and, at the end of the same year, submitted a project of the Russian Federal Library Information Network. It was called LIBNET, which is an acronym of the LIBrary NETwork.

The first information on the project was published in [1]. It read that LIBNET would:

• give further impetus to the development of library cooperation and integration on the basis of modern hardware and software,
• considerably update the respective library technologies and improve user service, including real-time access of users to the collections of the participating libraries,
• provide access to foreign networks, data banks, and electronic catalogs of the largest world libraries.

The key idea of the project was to create a ramified network incorporating library information networks, separate computers of Russian libraries, and individual users.

The concept was based on the utilization of:

• a unified LAN environment,
• UNIMARC format that is a communicative environment operating with various types of formats selected by each participating library for computerization of its local technologies,
• a unified distributed electronic catalog of the collections of the participating libraries.

The concept led to a pilot project developed by the Russian National Public Library for Science and Technology and the Institute for Information Transmission Problems in collaboration with the Moscow University Scientific Library and the State Central Scientific Medical Library.

At stage 1 LIBNET was to provide users with online access to electronic catalogs and databases of six major Moscow libraries, including access to the joint product - the Russian Union Catalog of Sci-Tech Publications maintained by the Russian National Public Library for Science and Technology.

The six libraries joining the project at stage 1 were:

• the Russian National Public Library for Science and Technology,
• the Moscow University Scientific Library,
• the State Central Scientific Medical Library,
• the Russian Academy of Sciences Natural Sciences Library,
• the Central Scientific Library of Agriculture,
• the State Public Historical Library.

At the beginning of 1993, at the start of the project's implementation, computer catalogs of the Russian National Public Library for Science and Technology had about one million records. The Library maintained a double-mainframe computer system and NOVELL PC-based LAN. Telecommunication access was provided to the electronic catalog via switched channels, information products could be accessed via X.25 (the Russian "ROSNET" network, international address: 02506100240), and remote order of publications was in operation.

The other participating libraries had electronic catalogs of different sizes. The largest one was in the State Central Scientific Medical Library and had 300,000 records.

Only three libraries, namely, the Russian National Public Library for Science and Technology, the State Central Scientific Medical Library, and the Moscow University Scientific Library, had local NOVELL networks. The rest ones worked with local computerized systems.

That is why, four tasks were recognized as primary at stage 1:

• to install local NOVELL networks in three libraries (the Russian Academy of Sciences Natural Sciences Library, the Central Scientific Library of Agriculture, and the State Public Historical Library) and ensure the operation of their computerized systems in the network environment,
• to generate the NETWARE ACCESS SERVER package in each LAN,
• to examine public telephone channels and select a portion with the highest reception/transmission specifications to be further used as the basic communication environment,
• to purchase telecommunication equipment, install modems, purchase and test telecommunication software.

Fig 1. LIBNET Network

At stage 1 the group was joined by the Institute for Information Transmission Problems that was made responsible for telecommunication tasks. Meanwhile, it was decided that the Central Scientific Library for Agriculture would join the project at stage 2 due to its technological lag.

Stage 1 of the LIBNET project was completed to the June of 1993. Since then, five major Moscow libraries have gained access to the electronic catalogs of each other, over 500,000 records reflecting the electronic catalogs of the participaring libraries became available for many remote users, and every user equipped with an IBM PC or an ANSI terminal, a HAYES-compatible modem, and a telephone can access electronic catalogs of these libraries, search for and request publications, and create personal information files.

LIBNET is the first Russian special library network and its introduction was a true success of Russian libraries (Fig.1).

On stage 2 LIBNET will develop along the following lines:

1. Connection of other Russian and Moscow libraries, so that their number will reach 10 - 15 at the end of this year. Resources of still another large Russian libraries and information centres with well-developed systems of electronic catalogs and databases are planned to be connected to LIBNET at the following stages of the network development. Note should be made that Russian provincial libraries are interested in joining the project as they realize its advantages in distributed bibliographic processing and access to large data banks and Union Catalogs. At the same time, Russian provincial libraries possess unique information on local lore, history, economy, ecology of specific regions, and other data sometimes unavailable in the collections of central libraries.

2. Transition from switched channels to X.25 and TCP/IP communication environments, including fiber-optic and packet-radio channels. Some experience has already been accumulated in this field, as the Russian National Public Library for Science and Technology and the Moscow University Scientific Library are already connected to X.25.

   An intermediate and, later on, an alternative stage at this point will be a connection of libraries to the channels of "ISKRA-2" - a specialized home-made fault-tolerant network.

3. Creation of an interlibrary network supporting electronic catalogs, the National Bibliography System, ILL, and other library functions. Within LIBNET, the libraries will maintain an integrated database for coordinated foreign acquisition (the Russian National Public Library for Science and Technology will be made responsible for database maintenance). The libraries will adhere to the principles of a unified cataloging of foreign publications acquired via online and E-mail access to foreign bibliographic databases or foreign bibliographic CD-ROMs according to the UNIMARC format.

In conclusion, we would like to repeat that LIBNET will considerably improve the quality of services offered to scientists, engineers, students, and all information users in the Moscow region and Russia in general, push up library technologies and ensure the creation of the library computer network of the whole country.

The project will ensure the establishment of modern network infrastructure for information business in Russia and allow Russian holders of information resources to take part in international cooperation in this field, which is sure to meet the requirements of Russian and foreign users.

And, finally, one of the most important and vitally necessary perspectives is mutual online access to and information sharing with foreign libraries and information centres via facilities of the global INTERNET.

Russia and many countries of the world have been looking forward to this perspective and now it is near at hand.

Reference

Shraiberg, Yakov L., Goncharov, Michail, V. "LIBNET - Project of the Major Russian Libraries Network". Abstracts of the 15th Biennial IATUL Conference (July 1993), Technical University Hamburg-Harburg, D-5.