Y2K Resources for Public Libraries
Janet Foster, Contributing Editor
Ready or not, here it comes! Y2K (or the year 2000) is coming soon to a computer near you and along with it a cyber phenomenon called the Millenium Bug. As the next century approaches, computers programmed to interpret four-digit years using two-digit codes (95 instead of 1995) will not be equipped to display dates after the year 1999 and on January 1, 2000, those computers might stop working entirely. Computer-related vulnerabilities are bound to affect libraries, their computerized catalogs, and other systems. Though the prospect of facing the Y2K challenge may seem daunting, helpful sites abound and can easily be found in any major Web directory or search engine.
General Y2K Information
The year 2000 (Y2K) or Millenium Bug refers to the inability of some computer systems to distinguish between dates from different centuries. Despite the debate as to when the new millenium actually begins—2000 or 2001—Y2K computer problems are predicted to occur on January 1, 2000. The term “bug” was coined in 1945 when a moth was discovered in a malfunctioning computer at Harvard. The Y2K bug problem began in the early days of computing when storage space was limited and programmers elected to omit century identifiers from dates. This simple solution to digital storage worked well for many years. As the twenty-first century looms, however, computers that were programmed to understand the two digit codes will view the year 2000 as 1900 instead.
Though the Y2K bug is relatively easy to fix, it is inordinately time consuming. The problem can be corrected by looking at the millions of lines of code that make up computer programs and making the necesary changes. Programmers must examine every line of code, then test individual computer programs. For the past few years, computer scientists have been working on ameliorating the Millenium Bug problem. Excellent Web Sites offering general Y2K information and how-to advice about coping with the digital challenges can be found on the Internet.
Will the Year 2000 Bug Affect Your PC?
Web Novice, has an informative article presented in full text with explicit instructions on how to test computers to see whether they are Y2K ready or need to be upgraded before January 1, 2000. Written in nontechnical terms, Web Novice is a good place to start learning about Y2K and a continuing source of computer information.
CNET.com, the Web site for the Computer Network, has created a special report on the Year 2000 Bug and PCs titled, “Everything You Need to Beat the Y2K Bug.” CNET.com is a respected authority for computer information in the Internet community. The special report includes links to Y2K resources covering topics such as hardware, operating systems, software, and Internet issues. In addition, the site includes two video reports from CNET’s Y2K television special, links to other CNET news stories about Y2K issues, and links to more than thirty other sites containing Y2K information.
A concommitant report titled, “Y2K: The Bug of the Century,” adds more information including an in-depth look at the problem and possible solutions. Feature articles in the report include “The Millenium Infestation,” “Y2K and Your PC,” and “Will Your Software Fail?” The CNET article features a diagnostic test for PCs running Windows 95 that can be used to test individual computers. Or check out the PC Magazine Online “Year 2000 Resource Center”, which includes a diagnostic test for PCs running Windows 98.
Another excellent resource in the quest for Y2K information is Yahoo’s “Year 2000 problem” portal page that includes links to current news stories, Web sites, and message boards. In addition, the site is fully searchable. Bookmark this excellent resource and refer staff and patrons who might be in a quandry about this preplexing issue to the Yahoo! directory.
Many millenium guidebooks are hitting the bookstores, and more titles can be found at Amazon.com on the Web. The Y2K Survival Guide: Getting To, Getting Through, Getting Past the Year 2000 Problem by Bruce F. Webster is a good reference. Webster dispels many of the Millenium Bug Myths, explains the factor behind the Y2K problem, and outlines a commonsense approach to Y2K preparedness. This book is a good selection for your Y2K library collection.
Y2K Sites for Librarians
The American Library Association is collaborating with the United States General Services Administration in a Web site project for local communities to use in educating the public about Y2K and its possible impact. The “Community Guide to Y2K” Web site provides information on the current status of Y2K preparations as well as guidance for individuals and communities in how to prepare for possible problems related to Y2K. Libraries are encouraged to join in announcing the site to their users, local community groups, and other organizations.
“Public Libraries and the Year 2000 Readiness Kit,” can help public librarians deal with Y2K issues. This Web Site addresses questions such as what steps your library should take to become year 2000 ready and where to find help in the local community.
“Public Libraries and the Year 2000 Readiness Kit” is a thorough and comprehensive compendium of Y2K information for cyber librarians. Another directory, “Y2K and Libraries” contains a compilation of resources regarding year 2000 contingency planning. Topics such as the history of Y2K, library vendor sites, and millenium news as well as references to print resources make this a valuable aggregator of information for librarians coping with the year 2000 changes.
The Ameritech Web site provides excellent resources for librarians. Ameritech Library Services has created a list of inventory forms to use in gathering data about the devices in your library that may be affected by the year 2000 date change. These Ameritech “Library Services Year 2000 Inventory Forms” are also available in PDF Format. To convert the Y2K Forms for Libraries into a printable format, download the Adobe Acrobat Reader free from www.adobe.com.
BRASS, the Business Reference and Services Section of the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), has created a Y2K Resource Site for Business Librarians. The information is designed to serve as a librarians’s ready-reference for the myriad of Y2K questions that will come to reference desks. RUSA encourages business-reference librarians to share this information with their colleagues.
Baker & Taylor, a major library book vendor, has been dilligently pursuing the Y2K issue and describes its progress in a year 2000 letter in which the new millenium’s impact on customers is discussed. Baker & Taylor has instituted rigorous testing of systems and software. Based upon the progress of its Y2K readiness efforts, the arrival of the year 2000 is not expected to have a negative impact on the company’s performance. Questions and concerns can be addressed to: Baker & Taylor, Inc., Year 2000 Office, Attn: Daniel Johnson, 2709 Water Ridge Parkway, Charlotte, NC 28217.
OCLC and USMARC
The Online Computer Center has prepared a Y2K readiness disclosure document stating that systems that are year 2000 compliant will be able to process date data accurately from, into, and between the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, including leap-year calculations. The OCLC Web site includes specific topic pages dealing with Y2K problems in libraries. You can find a menu of choices that lists topics about how the Millenium Bug will affect MARC records and a sheet of frequently asked questions.
Because USMARC changes due to Y2K are out of the realm of OCLC, a link to the Library of Congress is also available where MARC and the year 2000 is discussed. The Library of Congress document explains how the different date formats will be handled in light of the century change and includes a list of data elements that are defined to include dates divided into three categories: formatted dates with two-digit dates; formatted dates with four-digit dates; and textual dates. The Library of Congress also has published information concerning changes to the LCCN.
OCLC has been working on the year 2000 issue for the last two years and plans to implement changes necessary to allow business as usual in the year 2000 and beyond. OCLC will modify, test, and reinstall approximately 7.2 million lines of code and change all non-USMARC dates to conform to ISO Standard 8601 (Representation of Dates and Time). This site also discusses a proposed minor change to the structure of the date recorded in field 263 to make it Y2K conformant. Technical services and cataloging personnel will find valuable information at this site.
Concurrent with these changes, libraries need to ensure that their local systems are year 2000 compliant and compatible with any outside systems with which they exchange electronic data (including OCLCs) and should contact specific vendors with which they have contracts. Stay tuned for Y2K library updates via a Millenium Newsletter, via the OCLC Web Site.
Y2K: A Cyber Oddysey
As the cyber clock ticks inexorably towards the next century, plans are underway for year 2000 celebrations around the globe starting at the Prime Meridian at Greenwich, England. The White House Site includes a millenium countdown clock and lists programs marking the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the new millenium. Visit this site to celebrate past accomplishments and view a glimpse of what the future might hold.
Though the Y2K Bug Problem may seem like the Achilles’ Heel of the Information Age, it is clear that most organizations are working in concert with one another to assure the integrity of computer systems affected by the impending date change. And librarians are networking with each other and major vendors as well as OCLC and USMARC to ensure a seamless transition. Keeping apprised about the Y2K Bug problem via the web, online journal articles, books, and computer vigilance should allay Millenium anxieties.
Libraries for the Future is a Web site that keeps cybrarians apprised of technological developments on an ongoing basis. Libraries for the Future should be bookmarked and considered regular cyber reading now and beyond the new millenium.
Web Sites and Y2K Resource List
Ameritech Library Services Y2K Web Site: www.als.ameritech.com/y2kwelcome.htm
Baker & Taylor Y2K Letter: www.baker-taylor.com/whatsnew/Y2KLetter.htm
Baker & Taylor Inc.
Year 2000 Office
Attn: Daniel Johnson
2709 Water Ridge Parkway
Charlotte, NC 28217
“Community Guide to Y2K” Web Site: www.itpolicy.gsa.gov/mks/yr2000/community/community.htm
“Happy New Year? Preparing for the Millenium OCLC”: www.oclc.org/oclc/new/n232/index.htm
Libraries for the Future: www.lff.org
MARC Records FAQ sheet: www.oclc.org/oclc/faqs/y2k/toc.htm
OCLC Web Site: www.oclc.org
“Public Libraries and the Year 2000 Readiness Kit”: www.library.on.ca/helpdesk/Y2K/y2k.html
“Special Reports: Everything You Need to Beat the Y2K Bug”: www.cnet.com/Content/Reports/Special/Y2K
Web Novice: www.webnovice.com
Webster, Bruce F., The Y2K Survival Guide: Getting To, Getting Through, Getting Past the Year 2000 Problem. (New York: Prentice Hall, 1999), 544.
“Will The Year 2000 Bug Affect Your PC?”: www.webnovice.com?Y2K_test.htm
“Y2K: The Bug of the Century”: www.cnet.com/Content/Reports/Special/Y2K
“Y2K and Libraries”: www.realtime.net/~tashley/Y2KLib.htm
Yahoo’s Y2K Site: www.yahoo.com/computers_and_internet/year_2000_problem