Reports on educational information services developed by the Bibliographic Retrieval Services (BRS)/Education Service Group (ESG): School Practices Information Network (SPIN) and School Practices Information File (SPIF). Background and history of the services, a description of each service, and illustrative material are provided. (EJS)

The Boreal Institute for Northern Studies was established in 1960 at the University of Alberta with the major objective of "acquisition and dissemination of knowledge of the North," accomplished by a threefold programme: development of an information centre, provision of training and instruction, and implementation and encouragement of…

Describes the meaning of the term multimedia database and presents a model of its potential role in aiding message creation for the purposes of communicating educational material using many parallel channels. Some of the problems associated with the implementation of such systems are outlined. Seventeen references are listed. (Author/LLS)

Describes a study conducted at the Drexel University Library assessing the ability of the ERIC and Library and Information Science Abstracts (LISA) databases to support the research needs of library science students. A list of search topics and strategies is appended. (Author/LLS)

Describes the nature and function of source and reference databases in the geosciences and discusses current trends in the development of such databases. A 32-item reference list and a directory listing geoscience databases from around the world (including information on organizational sponsors and online accessibility) accompany the text. (JL)

Summarizes the first phase of a federally funded study of 157 clearinghouses that store data on human services. Factors addressed include the tasks of a clearinghouse, its potential for overlap, its relationship to its parent organization, the types of product and services it provides, and how it uses its database. (FM)

Describes an online library catalog in which bibliographic references have been compiled by simply transcribing the descriptive data found on the title page and elsewhere on the documents, and discusses the wider implications of the use of natural language descriptions without modifications. Eleven references are listed. (FM)

Discusses how historians can use computer searches to obtain bibliographic information. Historical databases which allow online searches are described. Sample searches are used to illustrate the characteristics of and processes involved in computer searching. (AM)

Describes the use of IBM's Storage and Information Retrieval System (STAIRS) in the development of an online catalog for the Business and Technical Library of the Cummins Engine Company. The functions, advantages, and disadvantages of the system are outlined. A reference list and three sample searches are attached. (JL)

Describes the replication agreements between WLN and replicating institutions such as the National Library of Australia and the University of Illinois whereby use of WLN software is permitted on the basis of reciprocity of bibliographic information by the contracting parties. (RAA)

Describes the methodology and results of a study comparing the overlap of Enviroline, Pollution, and the Environmental Periodicals Bibliography files through searches on acid rain, asbestos and water, diesel, glass recycling, Lake Erie, Concorde, reverse osmosis wastewater treatment cost, and Calspan. Nine tables are provided. (RBF)

Describes a 1975 project conducted by the Oregon State University (OSU) library with online vendors to identify problems in obtaining data directly in machine readable form. Producer views on data reuse, data users' reactions, and suggested solutions to legal and procedural problems are discussed. Provided are 15 references. (RBF)

Suggests a unified concept of a lexical subsystem as part of an information system to deal with lexical problems in local and network environments. The linguistic and control functions of the lexical subsystems in solving problems for large computer systems are described, and references are included. (Author/BK)

Reports the findings of a study which examined the question of submitting error reports to OCLC for the purpose of database quality control, and describes ENHANCE, a program that would provide online error correction capability for member libraries. Eight references are cited. (FM)

Examines the effectiveness of online searching for embedded stories, poems, essays, and other literary works in the Magazine Index and Modern Language Association Bibliography databases. Strategies and results of 16 test searches set up to test the access capabilities of the two databases are profiled. (SW)