Preparing microfilm targets

UFlorida has a fairly advanced computer system for use in preservation
microfilming.  Other but different systems exist at the National Library
of Medicine and Harvard University for preservation microfilming.

UF's system is home-grown, known as FILMLOG. FILMLOG is a wunderwerke
which tracks materials; generates targets, packing lists, union catalogs
and storage labels.  It even does some of the cataloging, and will sing
and dance as soon as we can teach it.  It compiles statistics on reels,
exposures, and any one or combination of facets recorded.  (It does not
yet keep fiscal/invoice information, but -- hey -- one stop shopping is
around the bend!)  We are currently looking into a NOTIS interface which
should allow us to pull most of the information we need directly
off-line, allow us to automatically charge and discharge materials
through the NOTIS circulation system, and allow us to up-load cataloging
information.  Cataloging conforms (for the most part) to either current
practice or latest USMARC holdings format practice.  Targets are
generated by MAC though the system is loaded on an IBM PC; a recent
software request should allow us to print targets without the MAC
conversion. The system also has numerous help screens -- indeed a help
screen for everything you might want to do (whether you can or not), as
well a "expert system" (or expert system-like) programming that does
most of the work.

We have not yet generated cost savings information.  ...but, we know
that the system is saving us quite alot of time over the manual and
semi-automated systems we were using.

FILMLOG resides inside a Q&A software shell.  Q&A is a registered
trademark of Symantec Corp. and sells in either Mac or IBM format for @
$350. The system and FILMLOG data can be exported to LOTUS123, dBase,
and -- I believe -- PFS file.We will make FILMLOG available upon
request; HOWEVER, UF can not assume any responsibility for local
programming needs.  Whomever uses the system should become familiar with
Q&A commands.  Q&A is one of those wonderful "idiot-savant" programs, if
you will: any idiot with or without programming skills can learn
commands overnight.

UF has approached other NOTIS based libraries and will be developing a
grant request in the near future to take FILMLOG and similar systems
off- shell.  I hope that such a development will make the system more
accessible to anyone.(N.B.: NOTIS interface.  ANSI communications
protocols now make it more likely than ever before that systems will
interface, i.e., what interfaces with NOTIS may soon interface with
Innovative, Carlyle, DOBIS, etc.

Your RLG GCMP2 Project Manager recently attended a meeting in
Gainesville at which the system was demonstrated.

Erich J. Kesse
Preservation Office
University of Florida Libraries
904-392-6962
Fax: 904-392-7251

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 4:48
                 Distributed: Thursday, March 14, 1991
                        Message Id: cdl-4-48-004
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