SpaceCat: an online union catalogue for space science serials in India

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to describe SpaceCat, a centralised and distributed online information system based on open source software (GSDL) and its use for the space science community in India.

Design/methodology /approach

The system is based on open source software (GSDL, Apache, PERL, and GRE). SpaceCat gathers collections of space science serials, indexes them and offers them to the space science community.

Findings

The findings of the study suggest that SpaceCat can serve as an ideal access tool for space science serials holdings information in India and will enhance space research activity by providing information accurately, exhaustively and expeditiously.

Research limitations/implications

This is an experimental prototype study and only a few samples have been considered. This will be investigated further with a wider population, which will improve the SpaceCat System.

Practical implications

These results suggest that a system like SpaceCat could be applicable to space science libraries, which would help to serve the students and scientists working on space science research in quickly accessing information from other institutes.

Originality/value

The paper describes the application of open source software (GSDL) as a form of resource‐sharing tool and a single authoritative source of space science serials holdings information in India.

Citation

Alam, N. and Pandey, P. (2010), "SpaceCat: an online union catalogue for space science serials in India", Interlending & Document Supply, Vol. 38 No. 4, pp. 200-209. https://doi.org/10.1108/02641611011094329