Telnet and Library Services
In this lesson we will focus on techniques to connect to libraries worldwide. Two popular tools for searching the world's libraries via the Internet are via Telnet and Libweb. First, let's look at Telnet.
Telnet is a method of connecting to a remote computer so that you can use the resources or services located there. It's a way for you to fool the computer into thinking that you're located at the institution where the computer is. The term "telnet" refers to both the client/server protocol and is the name of a piece of software. When you use the application program NCSA Telnet (most often just called Telnet), the remote computer thinks (if I can say that 8-) ) that you're either dialing in from home or using a computer connected to the local network. We have already used Telnet in an earlier lesson. You may also have used Telnet when browsing other parts of the Internet. This lesson will demonstrate do-it-yourself telneting on the Mac.
(A Windows version of a telnet client is QVT Term. QVT Term and links to other software is available at http://www.augsburg.edu/it/downloads.html.)
How Telnet Works
Telnet works under the same client/server model we've seen with the WWW. The telnet client allows you to connect to other computers which have telnet servers. CLICNet is a telnet server (telnet://clicnet.clic.edu), as is Lumina (the Univ. of Minn.'s library system), and CAT and PAT, the catalog and patron records servers for the Minneapolis Public Library system. There are thousands of telnet sites all over the world. As you can see from my examples, many are libraries, but many other sites such as NASA, Bulletin Boards, FreeNets, and government records archives are also available via telnet.
What You Do to Telnet
Here's how to establish a telnet session. You have to have a few of things before you begin. First, you'll need a copy of a telnet client (one or another telnet clients is already on all Augsburg network computers--in this lesson we'll illustrate using NCSA Telnet). Next you'll need the address of the telnet site you wish to access. You may become aware of a telnet site from a listserv posting, or you may wish to consult a telnet site directory (more on these later).
Next, you'll need to know if there's a login command or password that accompanies the site address. Depending on the site, there may be a set of messages very similar to those you see when you login to CLICNet. Many sites will ask you to enter a terminal type before you can access material at the site. Play it safe and choose (or type) VT100. This is the generic terminal type your communications software should be emulating. It controls how the text at the site will be displayed to you. Below is a script for a generic telnet session using NCSA Telnet:
Double-click on the NCSA Telnet iconChoose "Open Connection..." from under the File menu.
type the host/session name (for example, the Minneapolis Public Library): mpls.lib.mn.us
or its Internet Protocol (IP) address (for the Minneapolis Public Library): 198.174.51.2
You may leave the window name blank, or name the window whatever you wish (e.g., Minneapolis Public Library). The window in which you perform these steps looks like this:
Then hit the [CONNECT] button. Once connected, you may need to hit the return key for the remote server to acknowledge you.
When you connect to the site, choose Terminal Type: VT100
Following a successful login sequence, you'll be presented with whatever source or service you're after. The telnet server will present a menu-driven interface which were the standard for computer interfaces only a few years ago. The sample above works for most telnet servers. Help screens can usually be invoked by typing "?" or the word "help." Logging off usually involves either choosing a logoff menu choice, or typing "bye" or "end" and hitting the return key.
Once you have successfully logged on to a telnet resource (or sometimes even before you actually log on), you can save a "script" of your connection, making the next log in a little easier. In Telnet, these scripts are called "sets," and can be saved by choosing "Save Set..." from under the File menu. The next time you want to use this set, either double-click on the saved Telnet Set icon or choose the set from the dialog box which can be invoked by choosing "Load Set..." from under the File menu.
In order to print your Telnet work, you need to highlight the text you wish to print. Drag the cursor over the text of the document or citation you wish to print (see image below). Then choose "Print Selection..." from Telnet's File menu.
Alternately, you might wish to save the results of your research in a text file for later printing. After highlighting your text, choose "Copy" from the Edit menu. Then paste your selection into the body of an open word processing document (e.g., Microsoft Word).
Some telnetable resources such as full text documents are too long to fit on one computer screen, making quite difficult the "cut-and-paste" method mentioned above. Also, sometimes you just want to keep a transcript of your entire work session so you have a record of all your choices and discoveries. When faced with this situation, you may wish to "capture" your work session to a text file. This involves invoking the menu choice "Capture Session to File" from under the Session menu. The text file Telnet creates during the capture session can be edited later using a word processor.
Telnet typically does not quit after you have logged-off from your telnet session. This is also true when Telnet is called in to be a helper application by Explorer or Netscape. This is not a problem, per se, but it does tie up RAM (memory), so be sure to also quit Telnet (choose "Quit" from the File menu) after you're done telneting.
Telnettable Libraries
As I mentioned above, library catalogs are the most common type of source that you can reach via Telnet. Hundreds of libraries of all types, academic, public, school, and special, can be accessed using Telnet. You can find addresses for these sites spread across the 'Net, or you can try a central collection that lists a majority of the sites. One such collection is located at the University of Saskatchewan. This service is called Hytelnet.
Hytelnet
Hytelnet was developed by Peter Scott, formerly of the University of Saskatchewan Libraries, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada (pscott@library.berkeley.edu), as an attempt to streamline finding and logging-in to telnetable Internet resources. With Hytelnet, you can search for information and resources located in:
The word hytelnet is a hybrid of Hypermedia and Telnet, and that's pretty much describes how it works. Hytelnet is on the WWW. Its URL on the web is:
http://www.lights.com/hytelnet/
Using Hytelnet is easy. Search for a resource in which you're interested. Hytelnet will return thorough descriptions of resources fitting your search parameters. When you think you've found a server to which you'd like to visit, you can immediately log into that resource (using Telnet, of course). Logins and passwords (if necessary) are provided by Hytelnet. Hytelnet uses Telnet as a helper application, so there's usually no need for you to start Telnet yourself.
Hytelnet has its own Usenet newsgroup and listserv, HYTEL-L, which updates Hytelnet users regarding changes to the database and sites at which they can search the database.
Hytelnet is available in versions which run on PCs, Macs, Unix workstations, and even the now-defunct Amiga computer. These shareware programs can be downloaded by FTPing (Hang-on, we'll do FTP in the next lesson!) to various servers on the Internet.
webCATS
webCATS (Library Catalogues on the World Wide Web) is Hytelnet's relative (I haven't figured out whether it is a sibling or child). It, like Hytelnet, is housed at the University of Saskatchewan Libraries and developed by Peter Scott (busy guy, huh?).
http://www.lights.com/webcats/
webCATS is constantly updated and has a massive database of all sorts of libraries and archives from around the world. It also has a powerful search engine with which to query the database.
Libweb
Libweb (Library Servers via WWW) currently lists over 2000 libraries in over 70 countries on 6 continents. Its URL is:
http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/Libweb/
Libweb is another very popular tool for finding library resources on the Internet. In many cases, Libweb will share its work with Telnet, about which we have learned earlier in this lesson.
Conclusion
Telnet is a tool about which you should know because it's fairly common on the 'Net. Telnet eliminates the need for long distance phone calls to remote libraries previously accessible only via regular telephone lines.
Have fun and keep your questions coming.
Internet Lessons version 1.5. Copyright of lessons (C) 1999 by Joseph A. Erickson, All Rights Reserved. Permission Granted for Individual Usage.
If you plan to distribute multiple copies of this work, please contact the author.
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