First experiences with ELSA (Electronic Reference Library for Southern Africa) Available to Purchase

The paper gives a brief introduction to the Electronic Reference Library concept, which enables LAN and WAN access to compact disc databases using client/server technology. Its introduction to South Africa in the project known as ELSA is related and the interaction between SilverPlatter as technology provider, SABINET as the network supporter and CD‐ROM Information as manager of the project, is outlined. Technology and network requirements for participants are listed. As a first in the world, ELSA was launched on 1 November 1994, serving 26 university and Technikon libraries on an experimental basis throughout South Africa. On going commercial on 1 March 1995, the service had been introduced to the all major libraries in Southern Africa that have the required networking capabilities. The paper gives performance figures for ELSA under test and operational conditions, and concludes with a description of the application of ELSA technology in mounting organisations' own databases on the network enabling joint access to purchased and in‐house databases from a compact disc or hard disk platform.