Discussion of selection of the InfoTrac Expanded Academic Index database of journal citations to add to the online catalog at a university library considers access to full text on microfilm, coverage, differences between CD-ROM and tape versions, pricing, search capabilities, printing, and downloading. Comparisons are made with the UMI Data…

Describes and compares several exchange/transfer formats used to upload records into software host programs, including unstructured or plain ASCII; fixed field; delimited ASCII; tagged; MARC (Machine Readable Cataloging); and graphic. It is concluded that CD-ROM producers should strengthen the built-in output management of programs and offer…

Describes a survey of users of ERIC and AGRICOLA databases in a midsized public university library. Statistics on the use of computerized and print resources, user reasons for choosing the computerized databases, and the percentage of inappropriate or borderline searches are presented; and implications for library services are drawn. (12…

Describes the PADOK-II project in Germany, which was designed to give information on the effects of linguistic algorithms on retrieval in a full-text database, the German Patent Information System (GPI). Relevance assessments are discussed, statistical evaluations are described, and searches are compared for the full-text section versus the…

Describes a project that was designed to test the relative efficacy of index terms and full-text for the retrieval of documents in MEDLINE journals. Precision and relevance of citations retrieved from full-text databases versus bibliographic databases is discussed, and the addition of MEDLINE indexing to enhance full-text medical journals is…

This paper is the latest in a series of studies of EIS (electronic information services) usage and information literacy among staff and students at Glasgow Caledonian University and builds on previous work elsewhere. It reports on two surveys conducted in March 2002 and October 2002-February 2003 respectively and thus offers a longitudinal…

OpenURL resolver is the next big thing for libraries. An OpenURL resolver is simply a piece of software that sucks in attached data and serves up a Web page that tells one where he or she can get the book or article represented by it. In this article, the author describes how he designed an OpenURL resolver for his library, the Lewis & Clark…

For the last 58 years, automation has helped to enhance the library system; library operations such as circulation, cataloging, acquisitions, and serials have changed significantly due to technology. Circulation control is often the first activity a library considers automating. In addition to loan transactions, an automated circulation system can…

This exploration of the state of Canadian bibliography in the area of education builds on a paper on the same topic that was delivered at the First National Conference on the State of Canadian Bibliography in 1974, and reviews recommendations made at that time. Information was gathered from key informants, including practitioners and producers of…

This paper is a survey of publications on artificial neural networks published in business journals for the period ending July 1996. Its purpose is to identify and analyze trends in neural network research during that period. This paper shows which topics have been heavily researched, when these topics were researched, and how that research has…

Arguing that recommended lists for hospital libraries are too general, this use study evaluated the journal collection of a small hospital library. It is noted that the literature on use studies indicates that, with the availability of resources through computer searches, interlibrary loans, consortiums and networks, journal evaluation is no…

This guide was developed to support Internet access to library catalogs at the University of Georgia (UGA). Since the UGA Libraries can only connect to the Internet using TELNET 3270 emulation, this guide is restricted to library systems which support that protocol. Section 1 of the guide presents the commands that are needed to gain access to the…

A meta-analytical literature review was performed on the literature in which computerized and paper based information retrieval systems were compared. Specifically, online catalogs were compared with card catalogs, and online bibliographic retrieval was compared with searching printed indexes. Studies which included information on relevance,…

This 13-item annotated bibliography was compiled through a search of the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) database using the following descriptors: Library Automation, Bibliographic Databases, Bibliographic Utilities, Online Catalogs, Machine Readable Cataloging, and Integrated Library Systems. Among the issues addressed are the…

This paper reviews the services provided by the ERIC system and suggests ways to broaden its scope through coordination with other existing education databases. The first of four major sections chronicles the evolution of ERIC and explains why it has not been able to exercise true bibliographic control over the literature of education. The second…