Evaluates usefulness of LegalTrac Database at University of Florida College of Law for information coverage; indexing; ease in locating information compared to online and manual searching; and user reactions. Problems encountered with the system's software and equipment and practical suggestions for its use are included. (CDD)

Describes the planning and implementation of a library automation system which encompasses four campus locations of a community college, and includes automation of technical processes and full access to holdings and circulation records of all the libraries involved. Software and hardware considerations are discussed, and guidelines to automation…

Three currently available technologies--telefacsimile, gateway software, and CD-ROM--are defined, and factors to be considered in selecting these technologies for use in public libraries are listed. Seven references are included. (MES)

Describes and compares three versions of the ERIC database that are available on optical data disks: (1) DIALOG OnDisc ERIC; (2) OCLC Search CD450; and (3) SilverPlatter ERIC. The database contents, software and search commands, hardware requirements, notable features, and costs of each version are discussed. (CLB)

Discusses the George Washington University Library's experiences as a test site for Silver Platter/Psychlit. Advantages of the CD-ROM concept, including visibility, accessibility, costs, and sophistication, are noted; crucial issues in deciding whether to acquire a CD-ROM product are considered; and CD-ROM is described as a means for integrating…

This handbook is designed to provide guidance for someone who wants to create portable multimedia presentations with notebook computers and related technologies. The first section offers technological overviews to help assess needs for: (1) portable computers; (2) software; (3) projection equipment; (4) peripherals; (5) portable storage; (6)…

Discusses the use of optical disk technology in online searching and compares three versions of the ERIC database currently available on optical disk in terms of hardware requirements, ease of installation, scope and cost of the system, search procedures, displaying and printing results, and documentation and user support. (CLB)

Examines technical and support issues that impact on libraries' decisions to provide patrons with remote communication access to CD-ROM local area networks. Areas discussed include licensing costs for CD-ROM, remote control communications software, dedicated hardware, system maintenance, computer security, and the provision of quality, user…

Provides some basic guidelines for converting a card catalog to a computerized catalog in school libraries. The advantages of using the MARC format are discussed, and three conversion methods (on site, records created by the vendor off site, and full vendor conversion off site) are compared in terms of the work involved, costs, and time. (CLB)

Describes the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) efforts in China, Germany, Canada, Scotland, Jamaica and Brazil. Discusses FirstSearch, an end-user reference service, and WorldCat, a bibliographic database. Highlights international projects developing increased OCLC online availability, database loading software, CD-ROM cataloging,…

The following papers were presented at a joint conference of the Mountain Plains Library Association, the North Dakota Library Association, and the South Dakota Library Association in September 1987: (1) "Catalog Backlog Project" (Kay Juricek, Tedine Roos, and Carol White); (2) "How Are We Doing? Using a Materials Availability…

Responding to an informal survey, 96 media specialists named favorite software, CD-ROMs, and online sites. This article lists automation packages, electronic encyclopedias, CD-ROMs, electronic magazine indexes, CD-ROM and online database services, electronic sources of current events, laser disks for grades 6-12, word processing programs for…

One of the most significant decisions in a library administrator's career is the decision to automate one or more of a library's operations. This book describes the present state of local library automation; the planning, selection, and implementation process; and the library administrator's role in the process. The bulk of the text provides a…