Describes the development of a system to retrieve images for an international project that is producing a pictorial dictionary of classical mythology, the Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae. Applications to other types of information are discussed, two classification systems for Art History are described, and design principles for…

Discussion of the newly developed USMARC Format for Classification Data covers online classification applications, format development, fields in the format, and implementation prospects. Research currently being conducted at the Library of Congress to evaluate the new format and the editing process necessary for its implementation is described.…

Defines information tectonics as the organizing of information in structures and good information tectonics as being adapted to the needs of the user. Topics discussed include the influence of electronic information technology and electronic databases; hypertext; hierarchical information structures; cross-graining, e.g., the Dewey Decimal system;…

Discussion of individual rights and privacy in Japan focuses on the Privacy Protection Act, which acknowledges the threat posed by government databases to the individual's right of privacy. Characteristics of the Japanese legal system are described, origins of privacy in Japanese law are examined, and privacy and government databases are…

Describes a general framework for the evaluation of sets of links for user navigation between images in pictorial data banks and gives an example of the construction of a connection graph in a large image bank. A study of user navigation behavior in this set of links is described and the results are discussed. (18 references) (LAE)

Describes the Perseus project, a hypertext database of textual and visual materials for the study of classical Greek civilization. The anticipated needs of users are considered; current and potential capabilities of information technology are discussed; and the selection, organization, and presentation of materials are described. (seven…

Describes a simple method to enhance the teaching of protein structures and function by analyzing amino acid sequences using word processing programs. (ZWH)

Discusses vendor approval plans for library collection development and describes uses of various vendor plans by public libraries. Opening day collection services are described, vendor's book inventory databases are explained, title selection and the use of book reviews is discussed, and problems with out-of-print titles are considered. (LRW)

Traces the increasing use of databases and computerized records of government agencies in newsrooms during the 1980s. Reports on a national survey showing that most journalism education programs do not prepare students to use these rich sources of information now routinely used in the newsroom. (SR)

In a pilot project, computer-assisted bibliographic retrieval from MEDLINE was taught to an entire entering medical school class (n=112), followed by incorporation of a MEDLINE searching exercise into an early phase of the curriculum and monitoring of subsequent spontaneous use. The method was seen as useful and effective. (Author/MSE)

This symposium issue presents nine articles that discuss the U.S. Air Force STINFO (Scientific and Technical Information) Program, which was developed to improve the effectiveness of collecting and disseminating scientific and technical information concerning Department of Defense, Army, Navy, and Air Force research and engineering efforts. (LRW)

Discussion of the role of Boolean logic in the information retrieval process focuses on a study that investigated the optimization of search logic for the MEDLINE database. Measures of retrieval effectiveness are discussed, the relationship of weighting schema and the logical schema is considered, and further investigations are suggested. (17…

Discusses problems that new information technologies have created for intellectual property concerns. Digital sampling devices used in music are described, downloading from large databases is discussed, the problems with derivative works are considered, outdated copyright laws are discussed, and ways that librarians can help protect intellectual…

Review of developments in databases highlights a new emphasis on accessibility. Topics discussed include the internationalization of databases; databases that deal with finance, drugs, and toxic waste; access to public records, both personal and corporate; media online; reducing large files of data to smaller, more manageable files; and…

Compares two methods of information retrieval--one that rates documents according to a query and another that uses relevant documents to find further relevant documents (i.e., neighboring documents). Highlights include experiments at the National Library of Medicine; feedback; vector cosine retrieval; and a measure of retrieval effectiveness…