1. January 24 th 2006 | pag. 1 Automating the library of UONBI stefaan.renard@vub.ac.be

2. Automating the UONBI libraries | pag. 2 Contents Background The first phase: from manual to automated The second phase: the hybrid library Conclusion

3. Automating the UONBI libraries | pag. 3 Background Spring 1999: our former rector professor Witte meets the UONBI librarian Ms Mathangani in Nairobi and promises to help automate the library On her return she talks to professor Georges Eisendrath and Marc Verpoorten (then librarian of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and one of the originators of VUBIS) They decide to use VUBIS for the library automation as part of the VLIR ICT project

4. Automating the UONBI libraries | pag. 4 VUBIS An integrated library automation system Initially developed by the library of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel: 1974-1983 Second version jointly developed since 1984 by the libraries of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Technische Universiteit Eindhoven in the Netherlands The two universities own the system, Geac the commercial partner does the world-wide commercialization of VUBIS Together we develop new releases

5. Automating the UONBI libraries | pag. 5 From manual to automated VUBIS was installed on a new server at UONBI (2001) The library staff got a cataloguing training and started the conversion of the manual catalogue To speed up the cataloguing a WWW interface was created the next year: RetroCat

6. Automating the UONBI libraries | pag. 6 RetroCat Queries: done by ad interim staff 5 persons – approx. 1000 queries per day Searches in 3 databases: –Vrije Universiteit Brussel –Royal Library of Belgium –Library of Congress (US) Approx. 250.000 records were created via this interface

7. Automating the UONBI libraries | pag. 7 WWW interface

8. Automating the UONBI libraries | pag. 8 The hybrid library Giving access to the printed and electronic collection of the UONBI libraries: –VubisSmart was installed together with other modules and training was given –WWW tools: website software: the library gateway online catalogue for printed and electronic material V-link: link generator ADB: toc database –New library staff functions

9. Automating the UONBI libraries | pag. 9 The way forward There is still a lot of work but the UONBI libraries have now tools to tackle the challenges of the hybrid library These tools need maintenance and upgrading New modules will be installed Expand the automation to the branches Strengthening the infrastructure and the human resources More details about the accomplishments will be shown by the library staff