Web-based access to locally developed databases

The Grainger Engineering Library Information Center at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has implemented Web-based access to locally developed information database resources. The systems use Microsoft Active Server Pages (ASP) technology. ASP is a convenient and powerful alternative to CGI (Common Gateway Interface) scripting, for Web database connectivity. The local databases complement traditional library resources such as the on-line catalog and commercial databases. They also have improved library staff training and knowledge of the collections. This article describes the ASP application, the database structure approach, and the Web technologies for providing Web-based searching of multiple databases.