This paper examines ERIC from a multicultural perspective. The questions guiding the research include: (1) "How extensive is ERIC's coverage of multicultural issues? What are selection policies for 'Resources in Education' (RIE) and 'Current Index to Journals in Education' (CIJE), the two main components of the database?"; (2) "Are…

How to access and search using the Online Library System (OLS) is described. The OLS is a computerized list of bibliographic citations compiled by the library network of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It consists of several related databases and can be used by anyone to search for books, documents, journals, and other materials. In…

This booklet is designed to explain how the ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) and ECER (Exceptional Child Education Resources) databases can be used to find information about the education of children and youth who have disabilities or who are gifted. Chapters cover the following topics: what ERIC is, where ERIC can be found, how to…

The Intergovernmental Records Project (IRP) was established by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) to facilitate the exchange of information about federal records. This report focuses on six categories of intergovernmental records targeted by the IRP for description in the Research Libraries Information Network (RLIN) national…

This document presents the proceedings of a conference on the issues of intellectual property rights in a technology-driven environment. Following an introduction which summarizes the conference presentations and discussions, copies of the five presentations are provided: (1) "The OTA (Office of Technology Assessment) Report on Intellectual…

Suggests ways of using computers to access the periodical literature including integrated public access catalogs; natural language display; network access to area union lists; links between indexing and location tools; access to journal content through the online catalog; broadened search capabilities; and remote user access with document…

The purpose of this study was to examine the inter-indexer consistency in the assignment of selected access points between OCLC and RLIN (Research Libraries Information Network). Both databases are used by many libraries as bibliographic sources for copy cataloging. Access points were compared for differences in wording, MARC coding, and…

An obvious and natural approach to organizing a large corpus of data is a hierarchical index--akin to a book's table of contents. The type of corpus dealt with here is a bibliographical repository, with entries form a limited domain. Given such an index, it is desirable that search results point to relevant locations in the hierarchy, rather than…

This paper provides timesaving tips for information gathering. Part 1 presents the following tips for use of bibliographic databases: (1) read the help screens for the specific database you are using; (2) make use of the different access points and the limit features for the specific database you are using in order to focus your results; (3) learn…

Assesses the current state of reference structures in online public access catalogs (OPACs) in a framework defined by stagnation, progress, and future challenges. Outlines six areas for reference structure development. Twenty figures provide illustrations. (AEF)

Examines the different concepts and orientations of the two major approaches to the role of metadata in the digital library (library science-oriented bibliographic control and computer science-oriented data management), and proposes an integrated concept of metadata to facilitate the merging of these two approaches. Discusses ongoing efforts to…

Describes the usability evaluation of the CUNY (City University of New York) information system in Web and Graphical User Interface (GUI) versions. Compares results to an earlier usability study of the basic information database available on CUNY's wide-area network and describes the applicability of the previous usability instrument to this…

Evaluates the Library and Information Science Abstracts on optical data disk available through SilverPlatter Information Inc. The criteria discussed include installation instructions; ease of use; retrieval facilities; the results of a test search; the screen display; documentation; characteristics of the database; and cost and updating. (CLB)

Reviews the history of the network that supports the MELVYL online union catalog, describes current technological and policy issues, and discusses the role the network plays in integrating local automation, the union catalog, access to resource databases, and other initiatives. Sidebars by Mark Needleman discuss the TCP/IP protocol suite, internet…

This article briefly describes the development of bibliographic retrieval systems in the Instituto de Beneficio di Minerales (IN BE MI) in Salta, Argentina, using the Mini-micro CDS/ISIS software developed by Unesco. (LRW)