Canterbury Library’s system
The Canterbury Public Library, after aborting plans to install a DataGeneral machine to run the Christchurch developed software generator, Exsys, has contracted to buy the Atlas system. The Manakau City Library was the first to buy the system, and a third library is negotiating a contract with Datacom Systems, the New Zealand agent. Atlas (A Total Library Automation System), has been developed over 15 years in the United States. The . development was started by a librarian, James Michael, and a software expert, Michael Mellinger. Since the first Atlas system was installed in 1977, it has been adopted by more than 60 American libraries.
; A turnkey system, Atlas uses hardware from Digital Equipment Corporation. The focal point is Marion, the MARC information, on-line database manager.
Modules available include circulation, acquisitions, community information, cataloguing, newspaper indexing, union list of serials, audio-visual material boooking, public access catalogue, and offline back-up for circulation.
Atlas incorporates access to a bibliographical network, such as the New Zealand bibliographic network, which allows users access to MARC records for copy cataloguing. The Canterbury Public Library has 240,000 titles, a strong New Zealand collection, widespread regional membership, and a formidable trade and commercial information directory. The Christchurch City Librarian, Mrs Dorothea Brown, says Atlas will give borrowers the opportunity to be more selfreliant. “They won’t have to be sent from desk to desk seeking information,” said Mrs Brown. “They will be able to find out at a terminal whether a book is in or out. If it is out, they can place a reservation for it. "Borrowers will also be able to check whether we have cassettes, records or computer programmes and request them at a terminal. They will also have access to extensive bibliographical data from databases in New Zealand and overseas.”
Mrs Brown says the system will give the library information about borrowing patterns which will influence book purchases.
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Press, 14 October 1986, Page 25
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315Canterbury Library’s system Press, 14 October 1986, Page 25
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