Is a free alternative to CDS/ISIS available?

`CDS/ISIS' is a database application. Details are at

http://portal.unesco.org/ci/ev.php?URL_ID=2071&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_S...

Also see http://www.bib.wau.nl/isis/intro/ and http://www.bib.wau.nl/isis/brandon.html

This Software is non-free freeware. Institutions need to enter into an agreement with UNESCO to distribute it.

An educational institution I know is creating a bibliography, which will be distributed on CDs. They are creating a searchable list of authors, publishers, editions, and abstract of articles / books and journals on a particular subject to be distributed on a non-profit (apparently) on a stand alone CD.

The work is in very preliminary stage of digitsing and we) might be able to influence the institution into using a free alternative.

But, is a free alternative available?