The Potential of Electronic Document Delivery Services for Academic Libraries in Etidopia
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Date
2000-05
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
One of the biggest stumbling blocks of e effective resource sharing has been unavailability
of delivery mechanisms in academic institutions in Ethiopia. The actual provision of
information has been slow and inefficient. The academic calendar a lows little or no lag
time in the provision or needed documents. While technology has certainly made
cooperation and document delivery more realistic, it is important to be aware of the role
of IT and communication technology in the effectiveness of access and delivery of
documents. Rap id and easy communication has lowered the geographic barriers that have
of ten prevented or made impossible past attempts to develop resource-sharing programs.
In view or this. the study attempts to explore the potential of electronic document
delivery services or academic libraries in Ethiopia to propose enhanced information
resource sharing in this in visitation . The study particularly focused on the need to share
scholarly valued local and foreign journals and indigenous publications in order to
optimally use these materials which already exist within academic institutions.
Findings from the literature review on technologies, standards and application protocols
available for document delivery system have been discussed. Various electronic
document delivery projects were also discussed in order to propose the appropriate
System for Ethiopia an situations.The current status of academic libraries, their problems particularly in relation to
document deliver services along wit h user requirements were reported. Based on the
existing information and network infrastructure and user requirements identified though
the survey work attempt was made to to discuss the desired features and system (hardware
and so software) requirements that can address the contemplated need
In attempt to use the potential use of Electronic Document Delivery Service (EDDS),
Specific applications were used to develop the prototype. The prototype development was
based on Windows NT server software 4.0 platform, TCP/IP, Internet Information server
( Il S), Cold Fusion web based application development software, access ODBC driver and
Microsoli Access. The proto type database for union lists of serials particularly journals
were designed by Microsoli Access which is supported by cold Fusion. Script codes had
to be developed using coldf usion (version 4.0) application software. This prototype
database and as well as the developed user interface had been discussed . As part of the
final components of document delivery system Viewer paper port scanning software was
used to scan a document. Using Multi purpose Internet Mai l Extensions (MIME)
compliant e-mail software the scanned document was sent as an e-mail attachment and
sent to one of ' the library in Addis Ababa. The steps and its test result was documented.
Finally conclusion and recommendation were also made to synthesize the whole exercise
attempted in this study and to suggest what needs to be done for deployment in academic
libraries in Ethiopia as well as further research area along similar lines.
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Keywords
Information Science