1. WEBLIS An introduction as 'topping up' on the STIMULATE ITP CDS/ISIS lectures by E. de Smet

2. Overview ➲ Introduction ➲ Some background info ➲ Technological platform of WEBLIS ➲ Installation ➲ The WEB-OPAC ➲ Cataloguing and data-entry ➲ Loans circulation management ➲ Problem shooting ➲ Future expectations

3. Introduction to WEBLIS ➲ WEBLIS : web-based library management with ISIS ➲ Functions realised : ● Cataloguing ● OPAC basic, advanced and thesaurus- based ● Loans management (with statistics)

4. Background ➲ Origins reside with FAO ➲ Developed by Henryk Rybinski (Poland) for FAO ● First developed as cataloguing system for AGRIS (and later also ASFISIS) for FAO => integration of thesaurus in data-entry and searching => strong validation features of data-entry to assist 'weaker' Southern agricultural and fishery centres ● FAO libraries and some other libraries (e.g. GTZ, Germany) use it as their own library system ● Experimental implementation in university libraries of SUA (Tanzania) and Mekelle University (Ethiopia)

5. Background (2) ➲ 2004 : WEBLIS handed over for distribution and support to UNESCO / ISIS ➲ WEBLIS is available from http://www.unesco.org/isis free of costs with full working application coming with easy installation tool http://www.unesco.org/isis ➲ At the moment : only Windows {:-( ➲ Support organisation : ● still unclear... ● Should link to world-wide AGRIS support ●... but will be crucial for the success !

6. Technology ➲ SERVER – CLIENT ● Client : any web-browser, focus on non MS IE ● Server : developed with Xitami but also working with Apache and IIS ➲ HTML-forms create CGI-calls dealt with by ISIS3W-server, see 'Publishing ISIS on the Web' ➲ ISIS – server : isis3w.exe (former www-isis) ● ICIE's (Rybinsky) counterpart of wwwisis.exe ● Main difference : uses ISISDLL ● => little bit slower ● => more functions can be embedded easier

7. Technology (2) ➲ Largely using 'HTP'-templates (e.g. search.htp) and advanced PFT-formats ➲ Largely adaptable in all aspects... ●... but risky due to sophistication ➲ The LIBCAT database ● Demo structure of WEBLIS installation set ● Based on 'AGRIS' bibliographic format ● But : simplified, generalised ● Typical : bibliographic levels A/M/S with handy links in between ● Conversion to this structure is, at the moment (limited support !) advised and possible, e.g. CCF2LC.FST

8. Installation ➲ Run setup.exe from installation package ➲ Three main directories created : ● CGI-BIN ● Contains isis3w.exe and ISIS32.DLL ● Contains configuration file : Isis3w.exe.cgf ● DB ● Contains subfolder for each application, e.g. LIBCAT ● This folder contains subfolders for the databases, e.g. ● Auth -> authority files ● Libcat -> the proper own catalogue main database ● Thes -> the thesaurus (e.g. AGROVOC) ● Loan -> database with loans transactions ● Item -> database with items-based info for bibliogr. Records ● Patron -> database with users for loans management ● LIBCAT : main application html-files

9. Installation (2) ➲ The.CGF file : ● Parameters to be set/checked manually : ● DB_name Libcat ● CookieDomain 127.0.0.1 ● EntryAccessFile d:\libcat\Libcat\access.def ● All others path-specifying can be adjusted ● CookieDomain : to be adjusted according to real server-name used in URL ! (error 1028) ● Important : make sure CGI-access rights are properly set and DB-folder can be 'written to' ! ➲ Create 'alias' (Apache : in httpd.conf ) or 'virtual directory' (in IIS) ➲ Replace isis3w.exe in CGI-BIN with version 2003 (not 2004 !)

10. The WEB-OPAC ➲ Comes in three 'interfaces' : ● 'basic search' (based on overall 'basic' index) ● 'advanced search' (field-specifics with Boolean) ● 'thesaurus-based search' (AGROVOC) ➲ Design in 'database.def.eng', e.g. ● Basic search : "Keywords from record(Enter any word(s) from Title, Personal Author, Corporate Author or Subject)", "keywords_record", "K=", "1" ; ● Advanced search fields : "restricted_terms", "keywords_record" "Collection", "rtype", "T=", "11", "5", "0", "8", "MON","Books", "ANA","Papers", "SER","Serials", "MIS","Miscelaneous" "Keywords from record", "keywords_record", "K=", "1" ;

11. WEBLIS Thesaurus search

12. WEB – OPAC (2) ➲ Features : ● Three search-interfaces ● Index consultation from ISIS-IF (with prefixes) ● Search history ● Multi-database searches (new version) ● Help-pages (!) ● Tips : text in HTP\search.htp ● Truncation : on/off switch ('exact match') ● Sorting of output ● Display format selection box ● ISIS-Query Language remains available (no sequential search with '?') ➲ Display : list or full (with links and loan-info!)

13. Data entry ➲ URL : localhost/weblis/de.html ➲ LOGIN for user-control based on access.def ● access.def allows your own definition of user- classes in XML-like style, with identification of allowed forms and access-rights (AMD) setting ➲ For higher security : please move out of website and adjust.CFG accordingly ! ➲ Definition of entry-form : Entry.def ● Worksheets contain pages ( ) ● Pages contain fields ● Fields can contain subfields

14. Data Entry (2) ➲ (Sub-)fields can have : ● Name ● Description (as HTML-link with A HREF) ● Tag from ISIS-database ● Types : ● 1 : text ● 2 : textarea ● 3 : single choice combobox ● 4 : multiple choice combobox ● 5 : check boxes with pre-defined values ● 6 : radio buttons with pre-defined values ● 7 : comment ● 8 : automatic pre-defined, e.g. TRN or accession no. ● Fields can have 'look-up' specs -> “BROWSE” to retrieve lists from ISIS-IF

15. WEBLIS Data Entry

16. Data Entry (3) ➲ Selection of appropriate worksheets ➲ Validation : after submitting a form, all fields are checked against a validation format (actually : a PFT) before being stored ➲ Authority lists are available in demo system for Corporate Authors, Conferences and Journal Titles ➲ Validation lists are available for languages, countries and regions

17. Loans management ➲ URL : http://localhost/weblis/loan.htmlhttp://localhost/weblis/loan.html ➲ Login screen, see Data Entry ➲ Items-database : contain 1 record per physical object representing an instance of the bibliographic record (FRBR Entity- relationship model) item=single exemplar of a manifestation (=the physical embodiment of a expression (=intellectual or artistic creation) of a work) ● To be created, e.g. using ISIS-Pascal 'lib2it.pcd' ● Therefore : Loans management with 4 instead of 3 databases : catalogue, items, transactions, users ● Items can be created on the spot ➲ Transactions by 'patron' or by catalogue item

18. Loans management (2) ➲ Creating a transaction : identification of 1) patron and 2) item (by e.g. Barcodes) and submitting forms ➲ Urgent tasks : ● Overdue loans ● Overdue holds ● Waiting lists ➲ Statistics : using 'statist.exe' in statist- database folder (ISISDLL based) ● Spreadsheet definition with upto 16 columns ● Time-based analysis

19. Loans Management (3) ➲ Advanced features : ● Patron classes creation ● Material types creation ● Overdue notices, using e-mail addresses ● Urgent tasks ● Fully integrated with OPAC-display ➲ Not implemented : ● Fine calculation (but : possible with validation PFT after submitting loans-form !) ● Automated date-due calculation

20. Documentation ➲ WEBLIS is fully documented : ● Www-isis-refman ● Www-isis-techdoc ● WEBLISdoc : ● Loans adaptation ● Loans Technical Doc ● Loans Users Guide ● Tutor for Data Entry ● Tutor for Search ➲ Spanish version is on its way

21. Concluding remarks ➲ Acquisition module is on its way ➲ Support conditions (e.g. by FAO, UNESCO, AGRIS ?) still not clear but crucial for the future ➲ Problems of diacritics still difficult to solve ➲ Linux-version is being prepared (!) ➲ Will be available 'open source' soon ➲ All in all : advanced free library system ➲ Competition : from other free (open source) library systems (PHP/MySQL) or OpenISIS- based solutions (e.g. CLABEL : https://sourceforge.net/projects/clabel/)

22. WEBLIS Loans Management