Provides an overview of 50 bibliographic databases and library cataloging services currently available on CD-ROM. Entries include the name of the database; producer; frequency of updates; period covered; number of items included; subscription price; and a summary of the contents. Addresses of producers are also provided. (MES)

Given the recent spate of library system vendor acquisitions and consolidations, integrated library system (ILS) migrations have become a hot topic again. Although ILS migrations happen all the time, they tend to be cyclical in nature. Today, people are thinking broadly about what options might be available to them. These include changing vendors,…

Discusses the actual and potential impact of local shared automated library systems on the development of a comprehensive nationwide bibliographic database (NBD). Shared local automated systems are described; four local shared automated system models are compared; and the current interface between local shared automated library systems and the NBD…

This workbook for participants in a 1988 Texas State Library workshop is designed to provide a step by step outline for the full process of bibliographic, item, and patron conversion from paper files to an online environment; to orient participants to various methods and major vendors of bibliographic retrospective conversion; and to provide a…

Two articles describe computerized reference systems created for college libraries in New York (Cornell and SUNY Binghamton) and at the University of Virginia, respectively. (TE)

Reports information gathered from eight vendors on the preparation of bibliographic data for CD-ROM public access catalogs: (1) sources of bibliographic records; (2) duplicate record handling; (3) holdings and location information; (4) maintaining the database; (5) authority control; (7) record corrections; (7) extraction of subsets; (8)…

Discusses four kinds of computerized access tools: online catalogs; computerized reference; online database searching; and compact disks and read only memory (CD-ROM). Examines how these technologies are changing research. Suggests how research instruction in advanced writing courses can be refocused to include the new technologies. (RS)

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…

Describes the Utlas database with specific reference to its design, file structure, and content. Features discussed include access to the database, products and services supported by the database, interfaces to local systems, the interactions between bibliographic and authority records, and Japanese language processing. (Author/CLB)

This article discusses the Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR), a plan that is quickly gaining the support of library organizations around the globe. The FRBR Study Group was appointed by International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) and issued its final report in 1998. The report redefines the basic unit of…

This document contains a compilation of overhead projection sheets from an International Labour Office (ILO) Training Course in Micro-ISIS held in March 1988, augmented by explanatory text and applications to a wide variety of databases. It is designed both to provide a visual, didactic approach to Micro-ISIS, and to constitute a quick-reference…

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 Structured Query Language (SQL), the result of an American National Standards Institute effort to standardize language used to query computer databases and a common element in second generation database management systems. The discussion covers implementations of SQL, associated products, and techniques for its use in online catalogs,…

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…

A group of 36 campus administrators, publishers, librarians, and association leaders have identified nine principles to radically change the scholarly publishing system, seen as necessary due to the continuing escalation of prices and volume. Principles focus on creating alternatives to high-cost journals, de-emphasizing publication quantity in…