RESEARCH ON AN AUTOMATED STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL SYSTEM FOR LOCATIVE INFORMATION OF ARCHIVAL RESOURCES

日本国立文学研究所历史手写部开发了一套独特的全国档案资源信息卡片编目系统。在这个系统中，每个记录组或手稿集合的基本数据来自档案清单或其他类型的查找工具，这些数据是从各种档案库、图书馆、博物馆、地方政府历史编辑部和其他相关机构收集的；然后将数据转录到专门设计的数据卡上，逐组或逐个收藏。在本研究项目开始时，“数据卡”的数量达到3万多张。本研究项目的目的是利用上述“数据卡”的积累，在全国范围内建立一个关于档案资源所在地的基本信息数据库。在该项目的第一步，我们澄清了“数据卡”上档案信息特有的数据结构；其次，我们确定了将手动“数据卡”转换为机器可读文件的问题。通过准备初始输入文件，我们最终成功地将28,000张SHIRYOKAN“数据卡”转换为机器可读的介质，并开发了一个档案数据库“SINDBAD”(Shiryokan国家档案和文献资源数据库)试验系统。我们用于该系统的软件是DBASE III Plus。我们还开发了另一个数据库SACIS(Shiryokan档案目录信息系统)，用于档案目录或目录的书目信息。尽管有许多不足之处需要改进，但该项目的完成被认为是日本档案发展的划时代之举。

SHIRYOKAN(Department of Historical Manuscripts, National Institute of Japanese Literature) has developed a unique card catalogue system for the information on archival resources of the nation. In this system, basic data of each record group or manuscript collection are derived from archival inventories or other type of finding aids, which has been collected from every kind of archival repositories, libraries, museums, editorial offices of local government history, and other related institutions; data then transcribed onto a specially designed 'data card', group by group or collection by collection. The number of "data cards" amounted to more than 30,000 at the beginning of the present research project.The aim of the present research project was to develop a nationwide database of basic information on the location of archival resources, utilizing the accumulation of abovementioned 'data cards". For the first step of the project, we clarified the data structure peculiar to archival information on "data cards"; secondly, we identified problems in converting manual "data cards" into machine-readable files. These basic studies resulted in our final success in converting 28,000 sheets of SHIRYOKAN "data cards" into iiachine-readable medium by preparing initial input files, as well as in developing a pilot system of archival database "SINDBAD" (Shiryokan National DataBase of Archival and Documentary resources).Software we used for this system is DBASEIII Plus. We also developed another database "SACIS" (Shiryokan Archival Catalogue Information System) for the bibliographyeal information of archival catalogues or inventories. Despite of many defects to be improved, the achievement of the project is believed to be epoch-making in the archival development in Japan.