The First Library WWW-server in Russia

In 1986 the first system of remote user service was introduced in NPLS&T. At that time it was the only real system of access to bibliographic information arrays. Certainly here should be mentioned the systems of major information centers of the USSR, primarily All-Union Institute for Sci-Tech Information (VINITI), Institute for Social Sciences Information (INION), Scientific Production Amalgamation "Poisk", All-Union Sci-Tech Information Centre (VNTITs) and other leading organizations which supplied information to users but which were not the library bodies.

The above system was based on application of domestic computers and telecommunication facilities of EC-type which were very close to IBM/360/370 systems. Users of this system were provided with access via switched channels and the channels of VNIIPAS network using X.25 protocol - the only telecommunication network in the USSR which was in a way accessible to organizations engaged in activities in the field of sci-tech information.

Other significant steps were made by NPLS&T in 1992 when STD-2 teleaccess system was installed. It provided access to the NPLS&T databases via the switched channels, the channels of X.25 network, noise-immunity channels of a specialized network ISKRA-2. The above system was based on Novell hard- and software as it was the time when Russia initiated the transfer to much cheaper and simple-to-use LAN-based systems. Remote-user access was provided in the terminal mode.

The work of users with telecommunication networks (using X.25 protocol as there were no TCP/IP networks in Russia at that time) was hindered and for many users practically impossible due to many engineering and organizational problems. Therefore the majority of users worked through the switched channels.

It goes without saying that the transfer rate of the switched channels was low. Nevertheless that period still may be considered as first significant steps on the way to "large-scale online" because the achieved results were satisfactory and remote users could access more than 40 databases maintained by the NPLS&T.

In October 1995 NPLS&T got its Internet IP-address which allowed NPLS&T not only access the Internet but also be its full member. From the engineering point of view access to the Internet was provided via switched noise-immunity channels of ISKRA-2 network and later via leased two-wire channels. ZyXEL U-1496E modem was used for communication. The maximum transfer rate was 16800 bps.

During the first month the NPLS&T specialists accessed and worked in the Internet using MS Windows and Netscape software. Still our Library has always seeked to solve the task of providing remote access to its resources. Therefore the Library specialists were to solve another task of developing a system (WWW-server) which would provide remote users with access to the NPLS&T information resources on the one hand and users from the Library to the information resources of NPLS&T and other information centers on the other hand. Now we can state that this task was successfully solved by the NPLS&T specialists.

Together with this activity we solved the tasks of great importance from the point of view of the NPLS&T user service and its technological processes. The access was ensured to the Document Delivery system to select requests for literature as our Library is the only official STN Document Supplier in the CIS countries covering the whole flow of current primary sources. We have settled the task of ensuring an efficient access to and use of OCLC PRISM for cataloguing automation, FirstSearch for user service. These activities are of great importance to the whole Russian library community as there are no other official OCLC member libraries and users in Russia. Besides, within the framework of the cooperation with major foreign library centers, the access was provided to electronic catalogs and services of the Library of Congress, university libraries, etc.

Now we would like to speak in detail about the activities carried out by the Library and the results of these activities. The NPLS&T specialists have accumulated rich experience in development of the software to support the Internet hosts which can be regarded as typical for many libraries of Russia and other countries of the former socialist camp.

It should be mentioned that at all the stages of automated and telecommunication systems development in the Library and despite the drastic changes that took place in the field of the hardware, system software and telecommunication infrastructure, the basic element of the automated library system has remained invariable. It is CDS/ISIS software package. This software is developed and distributed free of charge by UNESCO as a specialized library-oriented package which is now wide spread in the countries of the FSU, Western Europe, Italy, Spain, Latin America and others.

The first problem which we faced was to choose soft- and hardware. Our capabilities were restricted due to a number of reasons.

1. Underfunding
   
2. Successfully operating library system IRBIS (developed by the NPLS&T specialists on the basis of the CDS/ISIS/M software package).
   
3. The accumulated data arrays in the CDS/ISIS/M format.

Thus the fulfillment of this task had to ensure the compatibility of the operating system and the system under development at the level of data arrays since the transfer to a new format, platfor and the change of the system in general would require much financial resources and time. NPLS&T as the official CDS/ISIS distributor in the CIS countries had at its disposal a copy of CDS/ISIS/UNIX software package provided by the package developers. Therefore we had to choose only those UNIX versions which could support CDS/ISIS/UNIX. Besides the above problems, there was another one. The accumulated data arrays were placed on the file servers run under Novell 3.12 operating system. It would be very expensive to store 2 copies of large arrays and it was desirable to use data arrays stored on Novel file servers. There were two ways to fulfill this task.

1. NFS installment on Novell file servers
   
2. Including support of IPX protocol in UNIX operating system.

NFS is not very efficient due to the low transfer rate, so it is preferable to use the IPX protocol support in UNIX OS.

Taking into account all the above NPLS&T specialists have chosen LINUX operating system. It might seem strange that a library has chosen the product of public domain. Nevertheless our choice has a number of undeniable advantages.

1. LINUX is a public domain product available in initial texts which allows to adjust and make alterations in its modules.
   
2. LINUX is supported and maintained by a great number of programmers so one can find an answer to practically any question.
   
3. Any library having highly-qualified programmers can afford free-of-charge LINUX. In conditions of Russia of early 90s, when the average yearly salary of a programmer could be compared with the price of a PC or, say, SCO UNIX, this has been one of the decisive factors.
   
4. To install UNIX no specific hardware is required. This system successfully operates on the platform of Intel company.

Having determed the soft- and hardware, NPLS&T specialists embarked on solving the problem. At the first stage, in November, 1995, LINUX was installed and the software was adjusted to support communications via the ISKRA-2 noise-immunity switched channel and using PPP Protocol. Several days later the software of WWW-server NSCA httpd and proxy server were installed which allowed to provide access to the Internet from many NPLS&T workstations on one hand, and simultaneously to provide all the Internet users with the access to our Library's WWW-server, on the other hand.

The transfer from the already existing switched channel to a leased one was the next step. In March 1996 the server was replaced, and now the server of Compaq Proliant 1500 is used. Since April NPLS&T has been using the radiochannel to use the radiomodem at 2.42 Hhz. The NPLS&T WWW-server IP address is as follows: gpntb.ippi.ras.ru (194.88.3.39). Today the laying of fiber-optical channel with the capacity of 256Kb/sec. is in progress. Such a channel will enable NPLS&T to obtain a network of C class (256 IP addresses) and to organize a more flexible system of telecommunication access to domestic and international information resources. Undoubtedly it will cause changes in the IP addresses about which the users will be informed.

Now in detail on the changes in the software. Unfortunately there is no single coding for information in Russian. Today at least 4 different options are used - for MS-DOS, MS Windows, UNIX and ISO coding. Existence and use of these coding systems present problems for Russian-language information storage and supply. The major storage problem is existence of three copies of a document. Delivery problem is the need for user to choose between 3 coding variants.

NPLS&T specialists have successfully solved the above problem. We made alterations in the initial WWW-server texts so to define a browser type and OS as certain coding is used for a each OS type: MS Windows, OS/2 and MS-DOS - as an alternative, and UNIX - KOI-8-p. Thus the type of coding used by user is automatically defined by the WWW-server. At present the activities are carried out to represent Russian-language information in a transliterated form.

Another characteristic feature of NPLS&T WWW-server is the existence of a technology of search in the NPLS&T databases. This technology is a unique one developed by the NPLS&T specialists. At present the search can be performed in the databases of Union Catalogue on sci-tech literature as well as in the NPLS&T electronic catalog.

The search technology in the NPLS&T databases is worth mentioning as it is a so-called gateway between a database and WWW-server in practice. The possibility of using such a technology allows to state the realization of a full-fledged library retrieval system using conventional WWW-browser of Netscape or Mosaic type as a client. Today majority of analogous retrieval systems use as client the terminal programs of tenet type which decrease the security of the information system, on the one hand, and impedes user work on the other hand. WWW-browsers provide a possibility of using all the advantages of graphic interface, scanning illustrations, listen to audio information, and watching video clips. In brief the search technology developed by NPLS&T makes it possible to consider it as one of the world leading libraries in the field of information delivery using WWW-servers.

Another significant feature of the NPLS&T system of access to bibliographic information is that users can access the "live" working database permanently updated by entering new data into the information arrays.

Summing up all the above it should be mentioned that NPLS&T has developed and implemented the system of access to information arrays maintained by the Library on the basis of the existing library system using the CDS/ISIS/M package, LINUX, network Novell 3.12. Our development can be. regarded as a standard for all the organizations having CDS/ISIS/M package-base information systems.

Besides the technological aspect of providing remote users with access to the information arrays there is a problem of the resources information contents. There is no secret that users are extremely interested in full-text data arrays. NPLS&T does its utmost to satisfy these demands. However filling the systems with full texts is hampered not only by technological but also legislative problems. NPLS&T publishes in electronic form only those documents it has the right to publish. At present "Sci-Tech Libraries" journal, "OCLC NewsLetters" digest in Russian, translated and published by NPLS&T, International "Crimea 94", "Crimea 95" and "Crimea 96" Conferences proceedings are available in the electronic form. Besides, NPLS&T strives to produce information on Russia and Moscow oriented in general on foreign users. These data are delivered to users free of charge.

Now in detail on bibliographic arrays accessible via the Internet.

Another online catalog is NPLS&T's electronic catalog containing information on the NPLS&T collection and its acquisitions since 1993. Its volume exceeds 100.000 records.

Besides access is provided to more than 40 various subject and problem-oriented databases within the NPLS&T acquistions profile.

Access to the catalogs and databases is free-of-charge. At present NPLS&T specialists has been carrying out activities to provide access to other NPLS&T information arrays, to develop advance query system, the technology of query and document delivery via ILL and the Internet channels.