What is UNESCO CDS/ISIS exactly?
Jean-Claude Dauphin (pictured, right) has been working as a program specialist and project manager in software development for UNESCO for many years. For over two decades, UNESCO has been a pioneer in supporting the development of advanced multilingual software that is distributed free-of-charge around the world. Starting with the development of CDS/ISIS, which is a generalized information storage and retrieval system for bibliographic information in the 1980’s, activities have gradually expanded to include support for the development of free and open source software, culminating in the launch of UNESCO’s Free & Open Source Software Portal in 2001. These software tools, including the related multilingual documentation and training materials, are aimed at being accessible to Member States, while enabling them to be active and equitable partners in their development. This is particularly important for those who cannot afford to buy commercial software. Of all the software tools developed
