Client-Server Vs. Turnkey Systems

[Stan Furmanak]

Marie-

For a discussion of pros and cons of library systems including
client/server systems, consult Library Technology Reports published by the
American Library Association (ISSN 0024-2586). Issue Vol. 32, No. 2
(March/April 1996) in particular has overviews of client/server library
systems.

A turnkey system simply implies a one-vendor-does-all solution (i.e.
database prep, hardware install and maintenance, wiring or cabling,
software install and maintenance, etc.) where all the library has to do is
"turn the key" to use the system and does not describe a particular
architecture.

Stan Furmanak
Systems and Reference Librarian
Bishop Library
Lebanon Valley College
furmanak at lvc.edu

At  3:22 PM 10/7/96 -0700, Marie Suhre wrote:

>My library is considering converting to a new automation system.  We
>currently have several locally built systems that are several years old.
>They use Clipper, dBaseIII, Excel, and AskSam.  Can anyone recommend a
>recent article that describes the pros and cons of using client-server
>systems (such as Oracle) versus turnkey systems (such as TechLib) for
>automating library functions (things like cataloging, acquisitions, ILL,
>circulation)?  We also have both Web and Gopher servers and would like any
>new system to interface with the Web environment.  Thanks!
>                                                                 Marie
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