Library Network in Indonesia

Ismail Fahmi, Onno W. Purbo
Computer Network Research Group (cnrg@itb.ac.id)

Mahmudin, Nanan Hasanah, Studiati Suwandi, Onno W. Purbo
Central Library (library@itb.ac.id)
Institute of Technology Bandung

Abstract

This paper emphasis on the our effort & current status of the Indonesian library network. The Indonesian AI3 Network supported by AI3 Project, become the main backbone of the network. Freeware library database CDS/ISIS from UNESCO http://www.unesco.org is used and developed to suit the need of the Indonesian libraries. FreeWAIS (downloadable from http://www.lib.itb.ac.id/isis/resources.html) is used to link these CDS/ISIS databases into a WAIS search engine network accessible from the Web (http://www.lib.itb.ac.id/isis/). Currently the library network consists of 15+ CDS/ISIS Indonesian library databases. Currently, there are three (3) major CDS/ISIS Web servers link into the WAIS search engine network in the Indonesian AI3 Network, namely, Institute Technology Bandung (ITB), Pusat Dokumentasi Informasi Ilmiah - Lembaga Ilmu Pengetahuan Indonesia (PDII LIPI) & Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM). While other institutions that hosting their CDS/ISIS databases at ITB are Universitas Atmadjaja, Universitas Lampung (UNILA) & Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB). To facilitate discussion platform among Indonesian librarian pustakawan@itb.ac.id an open Internet mailing list is used. While library-network@itb.ac.id open mailing list is used to facilitate discussion among Indonesia - international librarians for possible linkages between Indonesia and international library network. Currently, an effort is underway to link the Canadian library network into Indonesian library network. Mailing list subscription through majordomo@itb.ac.id.

Keywords:
Library network, mailing list, CDS/ISIS, WAIS, ISIS-FreeWAIS, Z39.50, AI3 Indonesia, AI3 Project, Knowledge Management, Knowledgebase, CDS/ISIS Hosting, SIPISIS, EIUDP.

Introduction

Resources is an important thing for communities if they want to keep alive. One of the most valuable resources for today and future is knowledge which is accumulated from pieces of data and information. They are located on every head of people, papers, disk, film, etc. Gathering them in a place is a kind of problem. While finding which resources that we need is another problem to solve.

Universities, companies, organization, even families have collection of information stored in various media. That are stored in a place called library. In Indonesia, we can easily find library at every universities and research institutions. 

Collection of books, magazines, films, cassettes are stored and provided for students and researchers. Their thinking and research result in a form of paper, report, etc also stored in the libraries.  

Indonesian libraries seem left behind from the development of information technology which grow very fast. Currently at most libraries, we have to go to the libraries location or send a fax or mail to the librarian if we want to find and borrow a book. Often the books we mean is not available and we don’t know which libraries have it. 

At the opposite site, with information technology such as internet, we can find any information right now, and the information often come to us any time without our command. We call it push technology. 

It is a pity if the library keep lack of speed and ability to serve as much as people needs in the information era. The have to take a leap frog by adopting the growing fast information technology. To minimize the fund needed they can use their current available resources. For this purpose, internet is the best choice. It’s mean that the libraries should open their doors to internet, to serve as much as people, to create a network with other libraries, and to extend their abilities and services.

That is what Indonesian libraries should do to prepare their readiness for the future challenges and if they still want to be a knowledgebase for Indonesian National Information Infrastructure vision: Sharing Resources toward Indonesian Knowledge Based Society.

Databases and Services in Indonesian Libraries

Most university and governmental libraries in Indonesia have been using database to store their collections. There are several kind of database softwares installed, but the most used is CDS/ISIS from Unesco. This is a free and cheap software which require very low specification of computer. Most librarians have been trained to operate this software for their purposes. 

To break the CDS/ISIS limitation of services, librarians at Institut of Agricultural Bogor (IPB) have build a Library Information System based on CDS/ISIS software, named SIPISIS. This system has been installed at 23 libraries in Indonesia. The fully library automation can be achieved using the system. The contact person is rahman@ipb.wasantara.net.id. 

Another software is Dynix. It has more capabilities and services than CDS/ISIS. Because of its expensive price and maintenance, this software is only implemented by few libraries which were supported by World Bank loan. Any catalog database formats can be converted to Dynix, but not vice versa.

Currently, the databases are operated locally by each library.  To find a books in a library’s collection, you should go to its OPAC (Online Public Access Center). You should do the same thing for another libraries. 

Interlibrary loan service also available if you didn’t find the book in a library. This service is done by fax or mail. Of course it takes time. 

AI3 Project Connecting Universities

On September 1996, Institute of Technology Bandung (ITB) installed a Ku-Band earth station equipment to access JCSat-3 satellite which was supported by AI3 Project from Japan. This is a big leap for Indonesian educational institutions to connect them to Internet. 

We widen the services which currently covering more than 25 educational institutions at national level, stretching from Sabang through Manado. At 1998, this network was known as AI3 Indonesia network with the contact address: ai3@itb.ac.id. 

A successful strategy we always suggest in developing network at every university is to give students a chance and faith to develop and maintenance the network at technical level. This strategy is proved. The students which have more time, spirit, and energy always learn new technologies and implement them for their network. 

Movement to help Indonesian libraries can be started from here. We thought to connect the libraries using AI3 Indonesia network as the main backbone, and bring this work as the students ‘homework’. They can learn the technology and help librarian to install, operate, and train them to maintain this services.

Developing Library Network

Internet access provided by AI3 Project guide us in finding software which suit Indonesian libraries need to extend their CDS/ISIS database. Our requirements in choosing the software are:
1.	It should have good functionalities, such as able to access the existing CDS/ISIS databases, have a fast enough access speed, could be accessed using widely used internet application (web browser), and could create network with other systems.
2.	It should be cheap and easy to be implemented. This is very important because most of Indonesian libraries don’t have much money except from loan or grant. 
3.	The possibility to develop it in the future is opened.

We found some free softwares from internet that were created to make CDS/ISIS database could be accessed on line from internet. Among them, only one software which fulfill our requirements, that is ISIS-FreeWAIS which was originated from FreeWAIS-sf search engine. This software runs on most Unix operating system such as Linux and FreeBSD, our favorite OS. An ISIS-FreeWAIS server can communicate with other ISIS-FreeWAIS servers, thus creating a search engine network. The communication is using a well known protocol, Z39.50. Most international libraries search engine using this protocol, i.e. used by Library of Congress.

To access the search engine using web browser, people in internet have make a CGI program named YNISisis. We open the source codes, and add/remove some lines according to our needs. 

And finally our first CDS/ISIS search engine on internet could be established and accessed at http://www.lib.itb.ac.id/search.html. For the first time, several existing CDS/ISIS databases owned by Central Library of ITB were transferred from their server (Novell) to Unix FreeBSD machine where the search engine installed. We also installed another server on a Linux machine at CNRG using the same database to make an experimental network. The third server than was connected  which location was at OAT Library in Italy. The network was running very well. Currently almost all of Central Library of ITB CDS/ISIS databases are provided on line and can be accessed by people from internet. 

We gain much enough experiences during developing and maintaining the AI3 Indonesia network. We saw possibilities to integrate the search engine system with other internet based applications to extend the services. Using Apache web server, we developed on line ordering and messaging services to provide communication between visitors and the librarians, using another database server named MySQL and an HTML scripting language, PHP. We installed this services for the first time at the fourth server located at PDII LIPI, http://202.46.12.145/search.html. After visitors find the book then they can fill an order form. The librarian will receive notification via email, write their feedback via web and automatically sent to visitors’ email if available.

Not all libraries have dedicated internet connection, computer skilled  human resources, and enough money to invest a server (although cheap enough compared with other commercial software such as Dynix). For them, we have developed a hosting service. They can store their CDS/ISIS database into ITB’s server, freely. With little effort of configuration, the databases can be accessed by people from internet, at http://www.lib.itb.ac.id/isis. Currently there are some libraries hosted their CDS/ISIS database at ITB, namely: University of  Lampung, University of Atmadjaja, University of Indonesia, and Institute of Agricultural Bogor. 

Another server has been installed which location is at University of Muhammadiyah Malang, http://www.lib.umm.ac.id. While University of Lampung is on the way to install their server. Both are done by students of each university with the help of CNRG members. 

Searching cross libraries and cross database is available now. From http://www.lib.itb.ac.id/isis you can jump to select library that you want to search, or type a keyword and let the server search all libraries for all databases and bring the results to you. You don’t have to visit the libraries as long as you have an internet access, wherever you are.

This service is relatively new for most librarians. We always use any moments to promote the Library Network idea. We have sold this idea at Library Workshop Oct ‘98 in Bandung for Eastern of Indonesia Universities which supported by EIUDP Canada. The results were:
1.	Developing virtual communities for the development of Indonesian library. 
2.	Using mailing list for media of communication. There are two mailing list, pustakawan@itb.ac.id which special for Indonesian librarian and library-network@itb.ac.id for Indonesian and international (Canadian) librarians. The subscription is to majordomo@itb.ac.id.

Future Direction: Library as the Knowledgebase

We plan to develop a Knowledge Management system for education and research communities. A new group has been established, named KMRG (Knowledge Management Research Group), which some members also come from CNRG. The job is to develop a KM tool which able to gather, organize, and process data, information, and knowledge from communities member. People will be able to find the information and knowledge which communities have using search engine and other retrieval system provided by the tool.

In KM context, there are knowledgebases which act as resources or reservoirs of  knowledge. This function is very important in term of knowledge process. We see a possibility to put libraries on this position. Of course some efforts should be done to help them go to internet and share their valuable resources for communities.

The tool should be based on freeware and shareware application and cheap enough to be implemented by universities and research institution under AI3 Network, especially in Indonesia. To fulfill this requirements we have researched some existing internet based applications.  The operating system is Unix FreeBSD with MySQL database engine, Apache web server, PHP scripting language, Perl and gcc programming language, ISIS-FreeWAIS and other search engines. The tools will be a suite of applications and services which are presented as an integrated KM system.
Conclusion
AI3 Project in Indonesia has given a huge evident for education and research institution. Thousands of people can now access and learn from the internet. They have brought some innovation from internet to their environment, such as helping libraries to implement current information technology and making them available on internet.

A new Indonesian library network has born which is expected to give librarian idea, support, and spirit in developing larger library network. We still have to do much perfection on this job and a good strategy is to give students chances and faith to settle it. Librarian should meet these AI3 Network driven forces and work together developing the library network.

The waiting job is to develop a Knowledge Management tool for education and research communities. Library on another side really have to prepare himself to become a knowledgebase of the communities or he will disappear.

Important URLs and Mailing Lists:

1.	Central Library of ITB Catalog search engine, http://www.lib.itb.ac.id/search.html
2.	CDS/ISIS search engine on the web resources, http://www.lib.itb.ac.id/isis
3.	University of Muhammadiyah On line library, http://www.lib.umm.ac.id
4.	PDII LIPI on line library, http://202.46.12.145/search.html
5.	Mailing list of Indonesian librarians, pustawakan@itb.ac.id
6.	Mailing list of Indonesia – International (Canada) librarians, library-network@itb.ac.id
7.	Subscription through majordomo@itb.ac.id