The CDS/ISIS Users group meet in Bhubaneswar is just over. From the kind of responses at the meet, it is clear that CDS/ISIS still retains its charm.

There are now over 1400 licensed recipients. Even if 25% of these have put the software to some use, the number of active installations would be about 350. With an average 2 to 3 users per installation, the number of regular CDS/ISIS practitioners would be well over 1000. Looking from another angle, about 3500 persons have been exposed to the use of this software through nearly 180 courses sponsored by NISSAT. The net result is quite heart warming. Apart from library functions, CDS/ISIS has been put to a wide variety of applications — database development, patient/hospital records management, personnel management and so on.

So far it has withstood the onslaught of rapid changes in the hardware and software platforms. It has helped converting the computer illiterate library and information professionals of the mid 80s to avid users of information technology. It has been used to manipulate data an CD-ROMs. Now it is being used to search Web-resident databases.

There is a murmur though, not so loud and clear. Is the product well past the peak in its life cycle ? How long the software will be able to hold on to the market ? UNESCO is concerned whether it would be worth making any further investment on its maintenance and further development. NISSAT, naturally has been looking for the logic to sustain an interest.

The Bhubaneswar meet provides the lead that customers are still interested. And NISSAT has to respect the wishes of the customers. That is it !

But it is worthwhile to identify the reasons behind the murmur. Presumably, having learnt to crawl, and then to walk with the aid of CDS/ISIS, the information managers now want to run; the aspiration is not definitely unjustified.

Yes, CDS/ISIS is a generalized database package on which one has to build up ones own applications. That means, one cannot start from the day first, in a more comprehensive tailor-made user friendly environment.

Hunting for the next-stage software therefore, began. The SANJAY and other CDS/ISIS coproducts do not fit the user demands for sophistication. The market now offers a large number of commercial software products with varied level of capabilities. All are expensive. Almost none has a country-wide support network. Conversions required to run on rapidly changing hardware-software regime are not guaranteed. Moreover, usually one has to pay a lot separately for the new releases. How many users can really afford the luxury except for a fortunate few? And don't we need all such sophistications except for faning ones ego?

If we glue our feet to the ground and search our soul, users today do not care much about the libraries. For, the most sophisticated of the library software can only provide a lead to possibly relevant sources, and not the information itself. But the users ultimately need information. The crux of the problems is that transfer of information to electronic media, is a job most needed to be done but a few would want to do. Then why waste money on buying additional frills, if these cannot be used at all?

This brings us back to the old folk wisdom that an old and faithful wife is better than a thousand belles on the street.

— A Lahiri