[Web4lib] Fwd: [eIFLfoss-coordinators] ABCD 1.0 official mrelease is announced

[Amos Kujenga]

Dear All,

FYI

Amos

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Tigran Zargaryan <tigran.zargaryan at eifl.net>
Date: Sat, Dec 5, 2009 at 12:11 PM
Subject: [eIFLfoss-coordinators] ABCD 1.0 official mrelease is announced
To: eiflfoss-coordinators at lists.eifl.net


Dear FOSS coordinators,
most of you must be familiar with CDS/ISIS software, which is widely in use
in many libraries, archives, information resource centers all over the
world.
Today BIREME has launched a new product, named ABCD, which is FOSS and is a
totally redesigned version of the CDS/ISIS (WinISIS) family products.
See the message from BIREME below.
Thise of you who still are in search for FOSS ILS product, I will recommend
to download ABCD1.0  package and start working with it.
I believe that this new FOSS ILS product could be a good replace for
proprietary ones, and also those of you who still are using CDS/ISIS or
WinISIS systems, will be able to migrate their data to this new system
without a trouble.
The system is also well documented.
Tigran

*BIREME presents the ABCD software officially.*

 More then 160 participants from at least 6 countries attended - in a hall
which was too small, so giving proof of high interest again in this exciting
new software based on the ISIS-technology – the official presentation
on 3rdof December 2009.

Mr. Abel Packer, BIREME's director, introduced the audience to BIREME's
long-standing commitment to the ISIS database technology for semi-structured
data, which it not only adopted from UNESCO but also started developing up
to higher levels in order to cope with the high volumes and expectations of
its own applications (ScIELO and the Virtual Health Library model).

Prof. Egbert de Smet, the project-leader of a VLIR/UOS (Flemish
Interuniversity Council) project 'Development Of and Capacity Building in
ISIS-Based Library Automation Systems' which co-sponsored the ABCd
development, co-supervisor of the development team and also representing the
'International Co-ordination Committee on ISIS', emphasized the special
relevance of ISIS for libraries in the South with its librarian- and
self-support oriented approach., combining special technological options
with a specific social profile as a software.  He also listed some of the
remaining challenges, e.g. the need to reconcile the high-technology
involved with the low technical profile of many expected users and the need
to continue development within hopefully one integrated ISIS-family along
with other interested parties.

Mr. Ernesto Spinak – who lead the BIREME development team – and mrs. Guilda
Ascencio, two other key players in the large international group of
ABCD-contributors (over 60 members of 19 countries), presented the ABCD
suite with its powerful modules for database administration & cataloging,
Serials Control, Site&OPAC and Advanced Loans.

Mr. Renato Murasaki of BIREME's IT-team presented the newly developed
ISIS-technology named  'Network Based Platform', in which the old ISIS-ideas
are combined with state-of-the-art software concepts, ensuring ISIS will
technologically survive another generation of softwares and expand into the
full-text document databases era.

At the end of the event some participants in the audience praised the
efforts and results of the team and pointed to the need to keep convincing
the world that even if the chosen technological options are not popular (in
current computer science and commercial practice), still quite remarkable
results can be achieved and deserve continued support.

The ISIS community, lead by BIREME, finally has its full-blown integrated
system for automation of libraries and documentation centers with some
unique features (e.g. the capability to design and adapt to any data
structure without giving up on advanced functionality, opening doors to
integrated management of museum/archive catalogs as well as virtual
libraries) on top of joining some highly respected and successful Free and
Open Source Software competitors for the information professionals, while
building on the vast experience of the existing ISIS-community. There is
reason to be proud of it indeed !

The ABCD main website, from where the version 1.0 can be downloaded :
http://bvsmodelo.bvsalud.org/php/level.php?lang=en&component=27&item=13

------------------------------
Sincerely
Egbert de Smet
posted by Ernesto Spinak
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