ELMESO: a joint project for the development of library information system of three universities in Hungary

Abstract

With the objective to improve information technology, three Hungarian universities, Roland Eötvös University (Budapest), Miskolc Technical University (Miskolc), and Semmelweis Medical University (Budapest) have formed a cooperative library network called ELMESO, an acronym made of the two-letter Hungarian abbreviations of the respective universities. The joint project to establish a common library automation and information system has been supported by the European grant called FEFA (Catching up with European Higher Education Fund) providing the necessary tunds to purchase and install an appropriate software and hardware tools for the participating universities. A new product of Dynix, the Marquis system has been selected. The client-server architecture of Marquis is based on the Sybase database management system; it is characterized by excellent graphic user interface and flexibility for special requirements, and it is suitable to handle large collections and extended library networks. Marquis belongs to the latest generation of integrated library systems, due to traditions and experiences in library automation of the creators. Following the selection of the system for ELMESO, the server and library workstations were purchased. Presently, the Hungarian version is under development and, together with customization to individual needs, system operation training and acquisition of other necessary devices is under progress.