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The Internet Gopher:John Joseph Small aa Electronic Resources Librarian, Ward Edwards Library,Central Missouri State University, Warrensburg, MO, 64093Published online: 22 Oct 2010.

To cite this article: John Joseph Small (1994) The Internet Gopher:, The Reference Librarian,19:41-42, 47-54, DOI: 10.1300/J120v19n41_05

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The Internet Gopher: A Reference Tool

John Joseph Small

SUMMARY. An overview of the Gopher distributed document de- livery resource. Internet access through various ports are indicated. Usage, set-up, and reference area ideas; the benefits of the client- server protocol; and Gopher strengths and weaknesses are discussed.

INTRODUCTION

Gopher is one of the most powerful Internet tools yet developed, and it offers advantages and benefits that the reference professional cannot, in good conscience, ignore. The interface is particularly easy t o use and requires few computer skills. It has been my experi- ence that even the most computer-phobic librarian can use Gopher to the fullest extent. Gopher was designed as a local document delivery system, and has grown from that point. Gopher itself is a client-server protocol which functions as a worldwide information retrieval system. When you log into a Gopher server you are pre- sented with a menu. Choosing from that menu, the computer can either access a local database or a remote database. Gopher then returns either another menu full of choices, the document requested or a remote database to search. Gopher gives the user a "consistent,

John Joseph Small is Electronic Resources Librarian. Ward Edwards Libmy, Cenaal Missouri State University, Wllrrensburg, MO 64093.

Wawach cc~induiog any nac): "Thc 1nDmct Gopher: A Rcfcrcrrc Tml." Small, J h lose+ Cc~plblishcd rimulranourly in The Rc/mnce Libreicvl ( l b c Hnwach Rur. I=.) Na 41142.1994, W. 47-54: Bd: tibrarim on the latenu(: Impad on Rcfe10vc Scrvicu (cd: Robin Kinda) The Hawaih Ress, h.. 1994 pp. 47-54. Multiple c q k s of this &k/chaptu may be pmbad h Ibc H a w d Donrmcm Dclivcry Center [I-EO%3-HAWORnr: WOm. - 500 p.m. (EST)].

O 1994 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved 47

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48 Librarians on the Internet: Impact on Reference Services

simple menu interface and hides the method used to retrieve" the information.' It is possible to access information stored half a world away by simply following a menu path until you reach a logical conclusion. "Documents reside on many autonomous servers on the Internet. Users run client software on their desktop systems, connecting to a server and sending the server a selector . . . via a TCP connection at a well known port. "2

It is important to keep in mind that since Gopher is being constantly updated, continual searching must be done to make sure information is the most current and applicable. Simply identifying a number of sources and habitually checking those will not always guarantee that you are gening the best information.

There are many differing types of information available through Gopher. Much of the information deals, naturally, with computers, but there are many other subjen areas covered as well. There are "phone books, recipes, resource indexes, scientific data, weather, library databases, books, government information, local trivia, ref- erence and much more."3

GOPHER GENESIS

Gopher was designed by a team of specialists in April 1991 at the University of Minnesota Network Center with the intention of helping University of Minnesota students to answer their computer questions. (E-mail can be sent to the designers at Gopher@Boom- box.Micro.UMN.Edu.) The first attempt at designing an in-house CWIS was a "classic design-by-committee rnonstro~it~."~ The University of Minnesota Gopher team designed a simple interface, and were eventually allowed to proceed with their plans. Gopher development continues, and is available for most platforms with signrt-tcant upgrades being added or worked on. The Gopher design group wanted to allow University of Minnesota departments to be able to "[publish] information from their desktopmachines" and to be able to arrange this information in a simple, logical manner.S

Gopher has evolved, in the two and one-half y e . since its design, into one of the most heavily used Internet tools. The fact that the pmtoml can be tun on so many different systems, and that it can be customized to provide access to many differing types of files and

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Intmducing Internet Services 49

formats is its major stmgth. The same relatively simple software that was designed to link multiple servers at University of Minnesota now links hundreds of servers acms the world, creating a de fado world- wide information system.6 "The fundamental concepts in Gopher are the menu, the link, the document and the index."' The menu is the navigation tool, the link is what allows you to move about within gopherspace, the outside connection is generally a telnet connection, often to a library catalog, and the index is what allows wmhhg.

GOPHER REFERENCE USES

Since Gopher places information hierarchically within the menu sbucture it is far easier to retrieve than if it were located in a number of disparate sources and/or l~cat ions .~ This structure, reminiscent of a f i g cabinet, is one of the major reasons that Gopher functions so intuitively. Since it can be safely assumed that most of the users of a program like Gopher have some experience using a basic document retrieval source like a filing cabinet, the designers created what functions as a giant (even world-sized) virtual filing cabinet.

There are so many different kinds of information contained in Gopher, and so many different locations for the information, that it is possible to have a terminal logged into a Gopher server at the reference desk. When traditional sources cannot find the informa- tion sought, Gopher is a logical alternative. Another strength of the Gopher system is the penchant for today's students to prefer elec- tronic information sources to print resources. I have suggested a publicly available Gopher terminal located near all the other termi- nals at the reference desk for patron use.

One of the reasons Gopher is so useful to the practicing reference librarian is the ability to place "bookmarks" in desired locations, allowing easy recall of specific menus and pieces of information. By placing a bookmark at the main menu of, for example, the on-line version of the Chronicle of Higher Education, the librarian can instantly recall that menu, without going through the mental gymnastics required to find the location again.

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50 Librarians on the Interne!: Impact on Reference Services

EXISTING GOPHERS SERVERS

Many of the pieces of information located on Gopher servers are copied in numerous databases around gopherspace. One of the diffi- culties in accessing information from a Gopher platform is that you can rarely be certain that you have the most current available copy of the work in question. Because of the electronic format, it is possible to update and edit the information placed on a Gopher server with great ease. E-journals are another example. While many Gopher servers simply access a remote database where the most current edition is held, some Gopher administrators try to beat the time lag by loading copies of a journal on their local machine. While this can work out well in some cases, it can also be neglected after the initial load, leading the user to the conclusion that they have copied the most current edition of a journal, when in reality they have only accessed the most current edition available on the machine they were interacting with.

LlBRARY CATALOGS THROUGH GOPHER

Most library catalogs available through Gopher are network telnet connections. Since Gopher cannot yet be truly interactive, built-in telnet links are established to various catalogs so that searching can be accomplished without having to leave the Gopher domain. This is one of the major smngths of the Gopher system, because catalogs can be invoked and searched by a fairly novice IntemetJGopher user without having to learn telnet commands and without learning the actual name of the machine that is to be searched. To telnet to the on-line catalog at Princeton, you need to know the name or logical number of the machine the catalog resides on, but if you're in Go- pher all that needs to be done is a VERONICA search on the name, Princeton. Thii will lead you to a series of menu choices, one of which is the automatic telnet connection to the catalog.

ACCESSING GOPHER

If you have access to the telnet protocols, .you have access to limitkd-use Gophers. While it is infinitely preferable to run your

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Introducing Internet Services 51

own Gopher client software, there are a number of remote log-ins available for exploration and use. A list of some of the more common and accessible sites follows this article. It is important to note that not all information located on a Gopher server is available through the remote log-in. Local databases, UP1 news feeds and other contracted databases are often blocked off unless the user is entering through a locally funded account. A list of sites where Gopher software can be obtained (by the way, it's free) is in the Gopher FAQ located in a number of places both within and without Gopher. The most common place to FTF' the software is in thelpubl gopher directory of boombox.micro.umn.edu?

A short list of public Gopher login sites includes:

Hostname: Login as:

consultant.micro.umn.edu gopher gopher.uiuc.edu gopher pandauiowa panda gopher.sunet.se gopher (Europe) info.anu.edu.au info (Australia)

It is also possible, albeit more complic~ed, to develop your own Gopher server, that is, to offer your own information and informa- tion saucture to al l the other Gopher users. Server software is also available for a number of machines, from a number of locations. This software can also be downloaded from a number of locations.

VERONICAIARCHIE SEARCH ENGINES

Archie is "a network service that allows you to search- quickly the contents of anonymous FTP sites all over the Internet. This is the best way to find elusive shareware or freeware."1°

VERONICA is "a service that maintains an index of titles of Gopher items, and provides keyword searches of those titles."ll VERONICA is one of the key elements in successfully fmding information in Gopher. Limited Boolean searching is available, and enhancements are anticipated.

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52 Librarians on the Internet: Impact on Reference Services

UNIVERSITY OF ZLLJNOIS AT CHICAW GOPHER

The UIC root Gopher format is both logical and intuitive. It sets up its internal hierarchy on concepts that are familiar to all and inherently logical. The initial (root) screen offers basic choices that allow the user to burrow selectively depending on the type of in- formation being sought. It also allows information to be structured without resorting to Dewey or LC breakdowns, an idea many users aren't intimately familiar with and one that the Gopher designers are not in favor of. GOPHER.BIIC.EDU looks like this:

< documenb < documenu < Menw <Menu> < Menu> <Menu> < M e n u < Men- < Menw < M e n u < Men-

UICIADN - INTRODUCTION What's New (date) Search the UIC Campus and Beyond The Administrator The Campus The Classroom The Community The Computer The Library The Researcher The World

Once you have navigated a number of Gopher servers you will become intimately aware of the differences and similarities inherent in the structure of the information. Some structures are logical and a joy to use. Others are, charitably, experimental and erratic. Moving from one server to another the user can begin to see some standard formats developing, but there is still time to develop your own vision for Gopher layouts.

Librarians have had an enormous impact on Gopher use and development. In many universities the Gopher client andlor server is under the control of the library. Since we, as librarians, have the requisite knowledge and experience in storing and organizing in- formation, this is as it should be. One of the problems engendered by this situation, however, is the temptation to use formats designed for print sources in this more fluid environment. As one example, many library science articles, such as this one, delve into the field of computer science. A cataloger would likely place these types of

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Introducing Internet Services 53

information in the library section. Wlth a Gopher, however, you could place pointers in both library and computer science without having to store the information more than one time. This allows us to create as many subject headings as a piece of information war- rants without worrying about overloading a MARC record or pur- chasing multiple copies.

CONCLUSION

"Gopher makes it possible to have one program that everyone knows how to use that allows them access to information from all university departments as well as from outside the university."12 Since you can access many differing types of information and ser- vices using one consistent interface, Gopher is a sound choice for all users, but it is a magruficent tool for beginning Internet users, and further development should allow for simpler net-wide searching abilities.

Gopher functions as a virtual, self-serve reference desk. Many users can navigate Gopher on their own, but it is important for reference librarians to develop their own skills in this area. I have mediated Gopher searches at the reference desk and converted a number of patrons into Gopher users. Much of what is currently available in Gopher is available in other sources, or in other Internet locations. The major difference is that when using Gopher the librarian or patron can locate this information through the use of one technology, with a consistent interface.

REFERENCES

1. University of Illinois. Information Services Document # I 0 (ADN Corn- p u b Center. consult@uic~muic.edu nd).

2 Bob Alberti et al., The Internet Gopher Pmtocol: A Distributed Document Search ond Retrieval Protocol (University of Minnesota: Minocomputer and Wolkstation Networks Center, 1992).

3. University of Illinois. ADN Computer Center. Informotion Services Docu- ment #I00 (consult@uicvm.uic.edu, 1993).

4. Rentice Riddle. GopherCon '93: Internet Gopher Worhhop and Internet Gopher Conference (riddle@isrice.edu. ad).

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54 Librorions on the Internet: Impact on Reference Services

5. Bob Albeni et al. The Internet Gopher Protocol 1992. 6. University of Illinois. "Exploring the Power of the Intanet." UlUCNews 6

(1992): 2-5 ftp cso.uiuc.edu doc/neVuiucnet). 7. Nathan Torkington. Gopher-The lnternet Resource Discoverer (Nathan.

ToTkingtm @MIW.AC.NZ, nd). 8. Paul Gibbs. Gopher or the Universiry of Illinois (gopher@uiuc.edu, nd). 9. Nemews. Frequently Asked Questions on Intenet Gopher (Nemewsl

Usenet Frequently Asked Questions Series, 1993. comp.infosystems.gopher). 10. Joel Coopa. Cumpus ond Worldwide Informotion (University of NOW

Dame Information. Notre Dame Document G2690.1992). 11. Univasity of lllinois at Chicago. Gophering at UIC Quick Facts for On-

line Informtion Services through Gopher ond UICINFO (ADN Computer Center Document #lM)1005 consult@uicvmuic.edu).

1 2 Gibbs. Gopher.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

In keeping with the focus of this issue all the citations and research for this article were taken From various Gopher sources and Veronica searches. Most of the information will come up by searching Veronica with the key word "Gopher." I do, however, suggest that other key words are added to refine your search. In some cases 1 have been able to identify the author of the works cited Where possible this information has been included However, many of the citations are for corporate authors, and it is common for no dates to be made available.

Alberti. Bob et al. 1992. The Internet Gopher Protocol: A Distributed Document Search ond Retrieval Protocol. University of Minnesota Microcomputer and Workstation Networks Center.

Cooper, Joel. 1992. Compus ond Worldwide IMormation. University of Nom Dame Information Nobe Dame Document G2690.

Gibbs. Paul. n.d. Gopher of the University of Illinois, gophe@uiuc.edu Nemews. 1993. Frequently Asked Questions on Internet Gopher. NemewsRlsenet

Frequently Asked Questions Series. comp.infosystems.gopher. Riddle, Rentice. 1993. GopherCon '93: Internet Gopher Workshop ond Internet

Gopher Conference. riddle@is.rice.edu. Torkington, Nathan. n.d Gopher-The Internet Resource Discoverer. NathauTor-

kington@W.AC.NZ University of Illinois 1992 Exploring the Power of the Internet. UIUCneL 6:2-5.

ftp.cso.uiuc.edu Qc/net/uiucnet University of Illinois ADN Computer Center. 1993. Informotion Services Docu-

ment #100. consult@uicvmuic.edu. University of Illinois at Chicago. 1993. W P H E R l N G ot UIC. Quick Focts for

Online Information Sources thmugh Gopher ond UICINFO. ADN Computer Center Document U1001005. consul@uicvm.uic.edu

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