A new electronic bibliography, the Eighteenth Century Short Title Catalog, currently contains title and location information for 315,000 English-language books, monographs, and ephemera printed during the eighteenth century. The database is available to scholars on the Research Libraries Information Network and the British Library Automated…

Describes the processes involved in producing databases based on observations at the H. W. Wilson Company, Information Access Company (IAC), and UMI/Data Courier. Collection development decisions are discussed; serials ordering and receiving procedures are reviewed; and the indexing process is described, including abstracting, quality control, and…

Describes TEPACIS, a computer-aided instruction package to train users of the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization)-developed CDS/ISIS software, which is used to support the development of computerized textual databases. Discussion covers the structure of TEPACIS; development plans; hardware requirements; and…

A hypertext-based thesaurus is proposed as a navigational aid to the subject domain of a bibliographic database. Implementation of a hypertext version of the "Thesaurus of ERIC Descriptors" with database linking strategies is discussed. (44 references) (EA)

Examines the cooperative efforts of the Western Library Network (WLN) and its members to maintain authority control over its central bibliographic database. The first section describes authority maintenance activities performed by WLN centrally, and the second describes the contribution of an individual member library--the Washington State…

Describes a prototype system--GeoMatch--that allows users to interactively define geographic areas of interest on a background map and to define, qualitatively or quantitatively, the relationship between the user-defined area and the map coverage. The knowledge discovery in database (KDD) factor is analyzed in the retrieval process. The MARC…

The internal motivation to learn sets adult learners apart from children. Self-directed learning is associated with adult learners with the maturity to realize what they need to know and the internal motivation to learn it. This article provides sites to learn more about adult learning and resources to help support one's own informal,…

This paper begins with an overview of ERIC that provides background on the system's decentralized structure, the bibliographic database, document availability, and ERIC publications. The historical development of ERIC from the early 1960s is described and illustrated with a chronology of selected major ERIC events from 1965 to 1991 and a table…

This digest discusses advantages and disadvantages of CD-ROM use in libraries and information centers and lists features of three CD-ROM versions of the ERIC database--Dialog OnDisc ERIC, OCLC Search CD450, and SilverPlatter ERIC. Brief descriptions of these products focus on the differences among them, including equipment requirements, search…

This digest discusses advantages and disadvantages of CD-ROM use in libraries and information centers and lists features of three CD-ROM versions of the ERIC database--Dialog OnDisc ERIC, OCLC Search CD450, and SilverPlatter ERIC. Brief descriptions of these products focus on the differences among them, including equipment requirements, search…

Data quality and speed in data processing profoundly affect service provided to the Educational Resources Information Center's (ERIC's) broad audiences. With these factors in mind, a new technology infrastructure for processing records has been acquired and is scheduled for implementation. The story of how the ERIC database is being constructed is…

This paper establishes a classification for the different types of ephemeral publications that are common in museums (e.g., educational, commercial, internal). To this purpose, it sets forth an elementary system of automated technical treatment that provides a secure system for storage, retrieval, and diffusion of this data by using MARC format in…

Describes UNIX, a computer operating system that supports multi-task and multi-user operations. Characteristics that make it especially suitable for library applications are discussed, including a hierarchical file structure and utilities for text processing, database activities, and bibliographic work. Sources of information on hardware…

Provides an overview of the Canadian business environment and online sources of business information. The databases described cover the following areas: directories, financial information, stock quotes, investment reports, industrial and economic information, magazines, newspapers, wire services, biographical information, and government…

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)