Based on evaluations of 1,025 CD-ROM products, this article summarizes trends in (1) growth of commercially available CD-ROM titles; (2) types and subjects of products produced; (3) update options; (4) hardware systems CD-ROMs are designed to run on; (5) prices; and (6) multimedia products. Possible future developments that could revolutionize…

Reports results of a 1991 survey of vendors, users, and evaluators of text retrieval products. Data are presented and discussed on product revenue trends, sales by industry, individuals responsible for evaluation and purchase decisions, product installations by platform, relative importance of key benefits and functionalities, return on…

Evaluates six CD-ROM products for library users that provide information on companies: (1) CD/Corporate: U.S. Public Companies; (2) Compact D/SEC; (3) Compustat PC Plus Corporate Text; (4) General Business File; (5) Moody's 5000 Plus; and (6) Standard and Poor's Corporations. Information provided includes companies included, online database…

Discusses design objectives for a project under development at Cornell University that will marry high-bandwidth networking to digital hypermedia databases to permit engineering students at distant sites on a single campus to work together concurrently and to improve the quality of engineering education. Pedagogical and technical concerns are also…

Describes the scope and types of information available to potential buyers of CD-ROM products in product directories and review tools. Extensive listings of CD-ROM product directories, journals, newsletters, and product reviews are appended. (16 references) (CLB)

Discusses the factors considered at DIALOG before creating a CD-ROM version of a data file, including increased revenues potential, technical viability, and user expectations. A checklist of questions used to review possible CD-ROM projects is provided. (EA)

Discusses developments in document management systems based on a survey of over 400 corporations and government agencies. Text retrieval and imaging markets, architecture and integration, purchasing plans, and vendor market leaders are covered. Five graphs present data on user preferences for improvements. A sidebar article reviews the development…

Reports on interviews with five CD-ROM producers and vendors about their future plans. Questions are posed in three areas: platforms and standards, such as compliance with the Z39.50 standard; software installation and setup features; and pricing, including costs of print and CD versions, discounts, and networking fees. (KRN)

Describes the following steps in CD-ROM production: (1) information base creation; (2) data preparation, conversion, and verification; and (3) indexing and premastering. Cost factors for each step and overall trends in CD-ROM production costs are also discussed. (three references) (EA)

Reports results of a survey of depository libraries that gathered information on which CD-ROM databases distributed by the Government Printing Office are received and public access to these databases. Addresses and details of equipment used for public access for the 41 responding libraries are provided, and a list of selected databases is…

Discusses emerging portable CD-ROM technology and suggests guidelines for selecting and configuring a cost-effective system. Factors covered include portability, battery life, performance, durability, and display. Connecting the CD-ROM drive to the computer, producing and updating the CD-ROM database, use of the database, and accommodating…

A dial-access, multiuser, multiaccess CD-ROM search system with end-user capability was developed to provide Eastern Oregon State College distance education students with access to the information required by their studies. Based on UNIX, the system provides students with access to 12 databases, an e-mail system for messaging, interlibrary loan…

Describes and compares several exchange/transfer formats used to upload records into software host programs, including unstructured or plain ASCII; fixed field; delimited ASCII; tagged; MARC (Machine Readable Cataloging); and graphic. It is concluded that CD-ROM producers should strengthen the built-in output management of programs and offer…

Describes a survey of users of ERIC and AGRICOLA databases in a midsized public university library. Statistics on the use of computerized and print resources, user reasons for choosing the computerized databases, and the percentage of inappropriate or borderline searches are presented; and implications for library services are drawn. (12…

Describes the capability of printing availability messages for a library's local journal holdings with CD-ROM MEDLINE databases. Results of a survey conducted at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital medical library suggest that users will tend to use only those sources available locally rather than interlibrary loan. (five references) (LRW)