This book is based on the York Computer Inventory of Prose Style, which seeks to provide a quantitative description of the syntactic characteristics of the literary language of specific authors over the last 400 years. After a brief theoretical introduction and a description of texts and sampling procedures, the discussion turns to specific…

The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) received a year's grant from the Council on Library Resources to design and develop a library network for 17 western states. During the third quarter, work centered around defining a legal basis, governance structure, role, and appropriate level of program activity for the network.…

Describes the development and use of Mediatron, a multimedia teaching aid, to teach principles of on-line searching, basic command languages, data base structure, and specialized search techniques. An exact replica of a search is displayed on a VDU, accompanied by a voice commentary and visual slide images displayed on a screen. (CWM)

EUDISED is a European information system for education, contributed to by 14 European countries. (MKM)

The problems faced in accessing the contents of online bibliographic data bases are assessed, and current training techniques are summarized and evaluated. A new training program, which delivers training to the trainee's home terminal, simulating interactive retrieval systems that search files and provide messages and displays, is described. (JPF)

Regardless of the inadequacies of the new information retrieval systems, and despite the serious social inequalities which will result from charging fees for information, most libraries are incorporating the computer-assisted bibliographic searching devices into their reference operations, and passing the costs on to the users. (Author)

Case Western Reserve was the first law school in the U. S. to have a practical computerized legal research system used on a daily basis and the first to make instructions on such a system an integral part of the standard law school curriculum. The use of the LEXIS system there is described. nLBH)

The administrative computing strategy that clarified requirements for the access control system and the concepts implemented to ensure a secure information processing environment are reviewed. Implementation at Virginia Tech resulted in the ability to electronically capture a document and route it through channels for electronic signature…

Defines the issue of information liability as it applies to electronic information and suggests ways in which the issue can be addressed and resolved. Discussion of the marketing and legal aspects of the question includes impact of the Dun & Bradstreet Inc. vs. Greenmoss Builders Inc. ruling on libel litigation. (EM)

Intended to assist library educators, vendor representatives, end-user trainers, and experienced searchers, this article examines typical problems encountered by students in learning online searching. Problems with database selection, search tactics, and using the search system are highlighted, and a sample online exercise and search request form…

Discussion of the online information industry emphasizes the effects of non-price competition on its structure and the firms involved. Q-analysis is applied to data on medical databases and hosts, changes over a three-year period are identified, and an optimum structure for the industry based on economic theory is considered. (Author/LRW)

Description of database management systems for microcomputers highlights system features and factors to consider in microcomputer system selection. A method for ranking database management systems is explained and applied to a defined need, i.e., software support for indexing a weekly newspaper. A glossary of terms and 32-item bibliography are…

Describes the ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) system, how it is organized, how to gain access to ERIC, how one uses RIE (Resources in Education) and CIJE (Current Index to Journals in Education), computer searches of ERIC, who publishes in ERIC, and how to learn more about ERIC. A sample ERIC resume is included. (CT)

Describes LOTUS 1-2-3, an advanced spreadsheet with database and text manipulation functions that can be used with microcomputers by librarians to provide customized calculation and data acquisition tools. Macro commands and the menu system are discussed, and an example is given of an invoice procedure. (Author/LRW)

Describes BIBTOOLS, a system of programs for microcomputers that accomplish many of the manual tasks involved in compiling bibliographies. Highlights of the system, which is designed for use with medical databases, include input and output functions, combining the software with online literature searches, parsing, and programs that function as…