The first half of the proceedings consists of three papers presented during the program session of a Library of Congress Network Advisory Committee (NAC) meeting. The first, a background paper by Robert L. Oakley, identifies some of the problems that modern information technology has created for the intellectual property system in the United…

This study investigated online searching behavior manifested by 39 experienced professional searchers performing their regular, job-related searches in order to uncover the rules they use for the selection of search keys, and to represent these rules in a formal model that could be used in the construction of intermediary expert systems. The case…

This is the third in a series of annual reports summarizing the activities and accomplishments of the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) program, which is funded and managed by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement in the U.S. Department of Education. One of the highlights of 1989 was the establishment of ACCESS ERIC, the…

Based on the document "Final Report on the Study to Develop a Library Automation Blueprint for the New Jersey Library Network" (December 1987) and the reaction to it by the New Jersey library community, this plan was produced to guide the New Jersey State Library in meeting the goal of developing one statewide database containing the holdings…

Reviews six CD-ROM bibliographic databases: BRS/Colleague MEDLINE; Wilsondisc Cumulative Book Index and MLA International Bibliography; Dialog OnDisc ERIC; SilverPlatter Sociofile; CCOHS (Reteaco Findit) CCINFOdisc; and Knowledge Finder MEDLINE. Criteria used include browsing, using menus, refining a search, accessing an online version, and…

Compares "Library Literature" with "Library and Information Science Abstracts" (LISA) and outlines searching LISA on the SilverPlatter CD-ROM. Use of indexes and abstracts to aid information retrieval is explained; abstracting services are described; and five steps in writing an abstract are listed. Abstracts and annotations…

Selected collections of scientific and technical archives and manuscripts described in eight articles include the Edison Archives; American Museum of Natural History Library; MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Institute Archives and Special Collections; National Archives; Dard Hunter Paper Museum; American Zoo and Aquarium Archives; and…

Reviews the implementation of an experimental project in the Pan American Health Organization to disseminate health related information via CD-ROM in Latin America and the Caribbean, and compares the costs and relative advantages of information delivery using online retrieval systems and CD-ROM systems in developing countries. (four references)…

Discusses previous research that examined the effects of different kinds of vocabulary control on retrieval effectiveness, and describes a study that addressed the effects of indexing depth on standard retrieval evaluation measures in the context of a typical commercial retrieval system. It is concluded that controlled vocabularies affect…

Describes the development and evaluation of a CD-ROM local area network that allows multiple users to access the same CD-ROM disk simultaneously. The discussion covers the planning process, administrative issues, reactions of users and staff, and future issues to be considered in expanding CD-ROM access. (CLB)

Describes a study in which users of an academic library search service completed online search request forms which asked open, bibliographic, and structural questions. The discussion covers the effect of the type of question asked on the amount of information elicited from users, searcher behavior, and the relevance of search results. (17…

Describes the development of CONSER, a cooperative effort by libraries to create, maintain, and distribute quality bibliographic and cataloging information that conforms to national standards for serial cataloging. Issues involved in each phase of the project are discussed. (16 references) (CLB)

Discusses results from a 1992 survey of various types and sizes of Canadian libraries that was conducted to establish a baseline profile of libraries contributing to shared databases, and to determine the nature and extent of AACR2R use for creating original records being contributed to bibliographic utilities or other networks. (LRW)

Investigates retrieval performance of controlled and uncontrolled subject representations as a function of retrieval expectation in the cystic fibrosis (CF) database. (Contains 22 references.) (KRN)

Summarizes the findings of a recent study on the indexing practices used in the Library and Information Science Abstracts (LISA) database. Descriptors, or indexing terms, from the thesaurus are analyzed; searching implications are discussed; and the relationship between the classification code and the descriptors is examined. (Contains 21…