Development of the BISIS 5 Library Information System

The development and improvement of the BISIS 5 library information system are one of the most important and complex national library projects that have been ongoing since 2017. It was started by three parent public libraries: the Belgrade City Library, the City Library in Novi Sad and the Library of Šabac. Since 2020, public libraries from Obrenovac, Lazarevac and Palilula have also joined. So far, five special projects for the development and improvement of BISIS 5 have been implemented:

Development and installation of BISIS 5 in the cloud  – phase 1 /2017/

Within the project’s first phase, a new version of the system was developed in “cloud” technology. The unique use of the system was enabled, with synchronised data exchange in an unlimited number of libraries. The technical prerequisites for the full cooperation of libraries on cataloguing, circulation and reporting have been created. The hardware infrastructure was significantly improved with the purchase of a professional server and its installation in the Data Center of the Rector’s Office of the University of Novi Sad. At the same time, high-speed information flow was ensured by connecting the equipment to the Academic Network.

Development and installation of BISIS5 in the cloud – phase 2 /2018/

Through the implementation of the project’s second phase, the basic functionalities of BISIS 5 were further improved – processing, circulation and reporting. While therefore, in the first year, the system was set on modern technological foundations. In the second, it was improved in a professional sense, according to the needs expressed by library experts. Also, system security was additionally enhanced by: 1) increased security of the technical infrastructure (ADC/WAF and Next-Generation Firewall) at the central location in the Rector’s Office of the University of Novi Sad; 2) provided technical infrastructure (server and hypervisor) for a backup location in the Data Center of the Belgrade City Library, under the ISO 27001 family of standards.

Development of software for the acquisition of library materials, interactive electronic catalogue and unified search in the BISIS 5 system /2019/

The project developed software for the automatisation of the procurement of library materials, created an interactive electronic catalogue and enabled a unified search of the catalogues of all libraries within the system. The complete process of procurement of materials – planning, initiation, contracting and realisation of procurement – can now be done automatically. An innovative interactive electronic catalogue (https://opac.bisis.rs) was created. With a series of functionalities, it provides users with a unique experience and a whole range of new online services: the display of the cover and description of the contents of the publication, the creation of a member’s profile, member’s insight into the history of borrowed materials and membership fee status, design of shelves with chosen titles, reservation of materials, automatic email reminders for returning books and extending membership fees, insight into the availability of reserved titles, the ability to rate titles. The project also produced a kind of mutual catalogue (http://unikat.bisis.rs), which enabled a unified search of all library catalogues in the BISIS system.

Development of software for revision of the library collections, monitoring of reference activities and improved automation of user registration in the BISIS 5 system /2020/

And finally, with this year’s project, the implementation of which is ongoing, new improvements are being made:

1. Software is being developed to automate the process of revision of the library collection.
2. Software for keeping records and reporting on reference activities of libraries is being developed (the first such software in Serbia).
3. Support for the automation of enrollment through electronic ID cards is being developed.

Connection of BISIS 5 to the Cultural Heritage Browser of Serbia /2020/

Through this project, the BISIS 5 system, or rather its records, should be connected to the Cultural Heritage Browser of Serbia – a unified portal for searching the cultural heritage of the Republic of Serbia (https://kultura.srb) managed by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia, by establishing a permanent connection between these two systems. This way, precious collections of libraries using BISIS 5 will become searchable and visible on the Portal.

Project value: 37,000,000.00 dinars
Realization period: Constant since 2017
Donor: Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Serbia