Electronic documents: the most labour intensive document type

Abstract

The method described here aims at a complex approach of registering, organísing and províding access to electronic documents in a library envi-ronment. Registration of available electronic documents from subscribed databases, electronic journals to free Internet documents of higher edu-cational and scientific value is based on the cataloguing services of the ILS. The catalogue records - in addition to bibfiographic information - contain subject classification numbers, subject headings, exact description of the availabiüty of the documents with URLs if relevant. The documents thus become available through the online catalogue, which presents them mérged into the generál col-lection of the Übrary. For those looking for electronic documents only and prefer gateway type access to them automated processes create al-phabetic and thematic lists based on the MARC records and place them on the library home page. The items on the lists select somé of the information present in the bibliographic record concen-trating on titles, summaries, contents and above all URLs and other availabiüty information. The sys¬tem is made complete with a URL checking mechanism, which warn cataloguers of changes in the availabiüty of documents. The URL and data maintenance work is again done in the MARC records with normál cataloguing tools. (http//www.HbMnideb.hu - both for the catalogue with electronic documents and the web lists.)