Institute of Computer Science

Head: Doc. RNDr. V. Račanský, CSc.

Botanická 68 a, 601 77 Brno, Phone. 41 512 210, 111

In 1996 the Institute continued to provide services as before. The most important event was that the Institute moved into a building at Botanická 68a as well as the main node of the computer metropolitan network which ensures the linking of Brno universities to CESNET. The metropolitan network was expanded and improved. The Institute of Computer Technology in collaboration with VUT Brno is in charge of the network which has more than 20 kilometres of optical fibres and devices which allow transmissions at high speeds and the creation of virtual networks (ATM). Masaryk University has more than 1 500 computers linked and registered. The Institute successfully runs a supercomputer centre which is used predominantly by the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Informatics.

A new group of WWW and multimedia systems started its work by developing an Internet presentation of MU, offering information about employees, students, study, research, publications, etc.

The majority of the activities are supported by grants which amounted to 44.3 million CZK.

The Institute was also developing a project aimed at the centralisation of school management and faculty libraries.

Library and Information Centre

Head: RNDr. M. Bartošek, CSc.

Botanická 68 a, 601 77 Brno, Phone 41 512 214

The Library and Information Centre (KIC) was established by the Rector's decision in February 1996 as a university department for co-ordination and development of library and information services. It has three full-time workers, members of the Institute of Computer Technology. Other members are directors of libraries at faculties. The assignments of KIC can be divided into 3 categories. The first category is computerised cataloguing of resources using the TINLIB system. New accessions are catalogued by this system at all faculties. Author cataloguing was completed and first steps were taken in the coordination of subject cataloguing. Two relatively small faculties (Faculty of Economics and Administration and Faculty of Informatics) already completed retro-cataloguing. The other faculties only started this project. The main problem is the lack of human resources for this time-consuming activity.

The second category is the development of central information systems. KIC provided a complete catalogue of MU accessible through the Internet network (67 000 entries so far). A project FRVŠ "CD-ROM server at MU in Brno" was defended and at the end of the last year the server was already installed. KIC funds were used to purchase 7 key titles. This was the groundwork of the University database centre. Through WWW server the first version of a library WWW site providing information about MU libraries was made accessible.

The third category encompasses organising training courses, lectures, workshops and research visits to other countries for librarians. KIC prepared a proposal of systemisation of librarian posts. KIC MU participates in all major library-related activities. Dr. M. Bartošek, head of KIC, is the manager of MOLIN (Moravian regional library network) project sponsored by The Mellon Foundation. This project brought a large sum of money, which was used for the purchase of computers and other equipment.