LIS and Y2K Compliance

LIS Companies and Y2K Compliance

The Y2K "problem" is a problem for the LIS community. The problems are not life-threatening as the threats to the power grid, the financial community, or the medical industry are, but they could cause institutional and personal disruptions to service and research.

Every organization, LIS or not, will confront general office automation concerns in operating systems, financial and budget systems, personnel systems and the like. Some of the more specialized problems that library and information organizations will face include serials prediction in serials systems, circulation records and systems, searching and sorting of bibliographic information from personal as well as CD-ROM and online databases, and processing of interlibrary loan requests.

This page identifies LIS-related companies that, according to their websites, are working on the problem or have solved it, and those that do not have any information about what they are doing regarding their systems. Links are directly to their Year 2000 statements if available. "LIS companies" are those that work with bibliographic information or provision of services to libraries and information centers. While libraries and information centers use generic software such as word processing programs, databases, and full-text retrieval sytems, the companies that produce these programs are not covered here.

Learning More About Y2K

There are two extremes in the assessment of Y2K, not just for the LIS community but for us as a global community. The "end of civilization as we know it" interpretation is best seen at Gary North's site; the "biggest marketing hype in the history of mankind" approach is exemplified at the Millenium Bug Hoax site. A more balanced treatmentis at Peter de Jager's Year 2000 site, which includes a list of vendors and their Y2K status (note this is a list of sponsors of that site), and the Educause site, which lists university web pages on the subject. Note particularly the "personal to-do list" from Iowa. Other names you will see in the press are Ed Yardini, Chief Economist and a Managing Director of Deutsche Bank Securities (North America) and Ed Yourdon, author of Time Bomb 2000!. Mark Frautschi's Bookmarks are extensive but unannotated.

The CNet site has good general information.

Local and State: Progress is reported in the State of Tennessee's page; other state IT sites are listed at the NASIRE page (National Association of State Information Resource Executives). The UTK Y2K site is present but out of date. CAS, however, has an interesting software complaince chart.

For Knoxville itself, there is no overall, community-based planning or preparedness: governments and businesses are responsible for their own systems. On September 10th of this year, the Mayor sponsored a Y2K Forum, and a member of the President's Council urged a community-level meeting. Apparently there will be one in October, the date to be determined.

National and International: The Articles from Year2000 offer current news from around the world. The Sanger's Review of Y2K News Reports attempts to provide a balanced summary of news around the world.

The Senate Special Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem is headed by Senator Robert Bennett (R, Utah). John Koskinen heads the federal President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion, and its website is an excellent resource, presenting resources by sector. Note also the product compliance section. The State Department issues travel warnings, and is including Y2K concerns in its briefings.

The United Nations response encourages member states to take notice of the issue, and reports on its own efforts.

Specifics: Learn more about date management at Dr. Dobbs.

Computing in General

Hardware: All Macs have been compliant until 2040 since 1984; current Macs are fine until 29,940: see Apple Computer. Pentium-based machines are in general in decent shape; others may require some adjustment. Gateway has advice and instructions. PC users should read the State of Tennessee's Hardware Compliance Research and Recommendations.

Operating systems: As noted above, the Mac OS is fine. Microsoft, including Windows 98, has some problems. See Microsoft for further information.

Applications software: Your individual programs will need to be investigated on an individual basis. See for example Sun Microsystems and Microsoft, and the CAS software complaince chart

Personal Preparedness

You will find advice ranging from "head to the hills" to "don't worry about it." The best advice is somewhere in between. The Cassandra Project.com represents the dried food and guns crowd; the Cassandra Project.org contains more information and advice, as a community-based preparedness organization.

On a more balanced note, the personal to-do list from the University of Iowa provides some sound advice. But I'd gas up the car before New Year's Eve.

Testing your PC

For software to test your own pc, see Test2000 from RightTime. This software (and a good technical discussion of some of the issues) is also described at the State of Tennessee's discussion on hardware. Another testing program is at Year 2000 Test.

NetscapeWorld's article on three tests to run is also very useful (but their interpretation of Windows as compliant is a bit optimistic - check the Microsoft site above for details); good resources as well. The University of Nebraska's PC Test Information offers links to vendors. The PC Week article on Y2K for VB Developers focuses on Visual Basic, but the introductory information on dates and Microsoft operating systems is very useful.

There are more personal tests at CNet. They also have a nice countdown clock.

LIS Companies Working on or Compliant with Y2K

ALEPH (Israel): As of 26 August 99, ALEPH330 and ALEPH500 are ready to go.
Ameritech Library Systems (DYNIX): Offers Y2K tools and information to others, including the "ALS year 2000 Readiness Matrix". Compliance assumed.
Aurora (Australia): As of 31 August 1999, MagnaData is scheduled to have all Y2K problems solved no later that September 1999.
Automated Library Systems International (Meritus Six) (UK): Software upgrades for Y2K compliance were available as of 1998.
Baker and Taylor: As of 1998, final Y2K readiness testing phase was to begin in July of 1999.
Balboa Software: Versions of Library Master since 1.0. All dates stored internally in "full".
Bestseller (CA): As of 1998.
Blackwell's Book Services: Has received certification from the Information Technology Association of America; progress well under way.
BLCMP (Talis) (UK): Talis stores dates in four-digit format.
Brodart: PC Rose software is compliant, ahead of schedule. Dates stored as four integers.
CARL Corporation: Seventy-five percent of systems and software are Y2K compliant as of the end of the second quarter of 1999.
CASPR Library Systems: Core technology has always stored dates in four-digit format. Lists of software compliant and being worked on.
COMPanion (Alexandria): All versions of Alexandria store dates in four-digit format.
Cuadra Associates.: Compliant since 1982, when STAR was first built.
Databasix (ADLIB) (Netherlands): ADLIB dates stored as the number of days since 1 January 1990. However, some applications used two-digit format--provides list of those compliant.
DIALOG: Majority of products are compliant as of 10 August 1999. Those still in the testing stage are expected to be compliant by December 1999.
DS Ltd (UK): DScribe and Calm2000 are complaint; information document gives details of internal date format (good until 32,767) and leap year algorithm. No information on Galaxy.
EBSCO: Subscription services were fully compliant by August of 1997; Publishing services by the end of 1998.
Eloquent Systems: Dates are stored as integer values. "The integer storage value is the number of days that have passed since the system's "zero date" (December 31, 1967)." The software will handle dates properly for the next five million years. That oughta do it.
EOSi (DataTrek): GLAS and Q Series products are Y2K compliant, but text-based products are not.
Faxon: Expect complete finalization of all Y2K-relavant projects by the end of September 1999.
Follett: All software developed after 1 January 1999 and all Windows products are compliant. Mac platforms require an update (available as of 1999) for compliance.
Fretwell Downing (UK): OLIB7 and VDX are fully compliant.
Gaylord Information Systems: GALAXY uses Julian dating with a base date of 1 January 1961.
Geac Computing: As of 26 August 1999, compliant versions of most Geac software are either available or will be made available by the end of 1999.
GRC International: The company is providing Year 2000 services to others; we trust that their LaserQuest and other software is compliant as well.
Inheritance Systems (UK): Heritage IV is fully compliant--dates are stored in four-digit format.
InMagic: Always could enter 4-digit year; can specify 100-year data range for 2-year date management.
Innovative Interfaces Inc.: INNOPAC is compliant with the release of INNOPAC12. Other systems are based on the Unix timestamp, and thus compliant.
Institute for Scientific Information: List of products compliant and being worked on.
International Library Systems (SydneyPLUS) (Canada): SydneyPLUS uses four digits in all date fields.
Kelowna Software (Canada): As of 26 August 1999, Library 4 Universal is compliant.
Libero (Australia): All windows-based bersions of LIBERO software have been Y2K compliant since the mid-1980s.
Niles Software (Endnote): EndNote is Y2K compliant.
NOTIS/Ameritech Library Services: Dates are stored as a sequential number; also notes from IBM and ...
OCLC: As of 23 July 1999, Y2K changes had been made to most products and services. See list for those still in testing.
OVID Technologies: As of 12 July 1999, OVID anticipates full readiness by the third quarter of 1999. Compliant software already available.
PICA (UK): As of 1 Febuary 1999, All Y2K problems were to be resolved with the releases of new software in the summer of 1999.
Precision Computer Service (Surpass/2): All Surpass products currently sold are Y2K ready.
RIS Inc (Pro-Cite, Reference Manager, Bookwhere2000): List of RIS Research Soft products currently compliant.
Sagebrush Technologies (formerly Nichols Advanced Technologies): Athena is compliant as of 26 August 1999.
SilverPlatter: Provides frequently updated list of products compliant and those being worked on.
SirS: All electronic databases and software are compliant with Spring 1999 releases. Library Automation software, versions 2.80E and M3, is also compliant.
Sirsi: Compliant since 1996. Includes general list of links to Y2K issues, updated August 1997.
SISIS (Germany): Dates stored in four-digit format. Notes on associated software used with product.
SLS (LIBERTAS) (UK): Dates stored as the number of days since 1 January 1990; software is good til 2027. Includes text of British Standard document DISC PD2000-1.
Softlink (Australia): All Softlink Windows products use four digit years. DOS version is compliant with version 4.
Soutron (UK): Versions of DB/TextWorks 2.1 and above are compliant.
Stowe Computing: Use "Back" to see other documents related to the issue. Looks like it took them about five months. Compliant as of June 1998 releases.
Swets and Zeitlinger: Compliance announced September 1997.
The Library Corporation TLC (BiblioFile): All TLC developed software sold in 1999 is Y2K compliant.
VTLS: All VTLS software is Y2K compliant with 1998 upgrades.
Winnebago Software: They've never used a two-digit date (but they don't explain what they DO use).
Yankee Book Peddler: As of May 1999, YBP was seeking year 2000 certification from the Information Technology Association of America.