Nevada Academic Libraries Information System
Project Number Twelve – 1992
The Nevada Academic Libraries Information System (NALIS) is being developed by the libraries of the two universities, four community colleges, and the Desert Research Institute of the University and Community College System of Nevada (UCCSN) in cooperation with UCCSN System Computing Services. Funding for the project is provided in part by a College Library Technology and Cooperation Grant from the U.S. Dept. of Education. The purpose of this project is to enhance the ability of Nevada libraries to serve the information needs of students, faculty, and the general public, and to promote increased resource sharing.
NALIS is a statewide information system that provides a single point menu- type access to a broad range of information resources. The first phase of NALIS, which became operational in August 1992, provides access to the UCCSN libraries’ INNOPAC catalogs in Reno and Las Vegas, a selection of remote library resources (Melvyl, CARL, many INNOPAC libraries), OCLC FirstSearch, and CARL UnCover. IAC’s Expanded Academic Index, the first of a series of databases to be mounted locally on a VAX/VMS system using BRS/Search software, will be available to users through NALIS in September. Many more resources will be added to NALIS over the next few years, including the online catalogs of the public libraries in Nevada.
The NALIS menu servers run on two DECsystem 5000-133 computers located in Reno and Las Vegas. The menus were developed locally with standard UNIX tools and the software can be shared with others. A shareware program called EXPECT is used to make graceful connections to remote databases. Authorizations for various client types are handled by the menu servers. For example, only clients originating from UCCSN network addresses are allowed automatic access to licensed databases. The menu servers have been designed to be as easy as possible for people to use without requiring any training.
Access to NALIS is available from any terminal or PC on NevadaNet (an NSF mid-level network), by telephone dialup, from the Internet, and from the terminals in Nevada public libraries which are connected to the Nevada Public Libraries Telecommunications Network. An Internet user may use “telnet” to connect to nalis.library.unr.edu (134.197.60.21).
The initial faculty and student response to NALIS has been overwhelmingly positive. Instructors are already using the information resources available through NALIS in classroom instruction.
Key Project Participants
Donald S. Zitter – NALIS Project Director
- Dr. Zitter is Executive Director of UCCSN System Computing Services.
Carol A. Parkhurst – NALIS Project Manager, Northern Site
- Carol A. Parkhurst is Assistant University Librarian for Systems and Technical Services,
- University of Nevada, Reno.
Myoung-ja L. Kwon – NALIS Project Manager, Southern Site
- Myoung-ja A. Kwon is Acting Dean of Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Carol Parkhurst and Myoung-ja Kwon would welcome the opportunity to present the NALIS project as part of an EDUCOM program. Part of our obligation as grant recipients in the Dept. of Education College Library Technology and Cooperation Grants Program is to widely disseminate information about our project. Please consider us in awarding the scholarships for EDUCOM ’92.
Please respond to:
Carol A. Parkhurst Assistant University Librarian for Systems and Technical Services University Library/322 University of Nevada, Reno Reno, NV 89557 702-784-6566 carolp@unr.edu