Reviews the literature addressing description and cataloging. Topics covered in the review include the functions and structures of catalogs; the Anglo American Cataloging Rules; application and extension of bibliographic control; authority control; shared cataloging and bibliographic networks; retrospective conversion; management topics; and the…

A new electronic bibliography, the Eighteenth Century Short Title Catalog, currently contains title and location information for 315,000 English-language books, monographs, and ephemera printed during the eighteenth century. The database is available to scholars on the Research Libraries Information Network and the British Library Automated…

Assesses the current state of reference structures in online public access catalogs (OPACs) in a framework defined by stagnation, progress, and future challenges. Outlines six areas for reference structure development. Twenty figures provide illustrations. (AEF)

Examines bibliographic relationships within the context of a global bibliographic database. Results of this research indicate that a core of works of similar character constitute the bibliographic population of American academic and research libraries (OCLC, Online Computer Library Center members). The size of a bibliographic family seems to be…

Explains a series of 39 slides used in a presentation covering guides to libraries on the Internet computer network; other INTERNET resources, including bibliographic databases, catalogs, and online services; BITNET servers and LISTSERVS, and the MicroUser's computer conference sponsored by the Library and Information Technology Association…

Discusses the need to reassess the objectives of online public access catalogs and how those objectives might be met before costly investments are made in electronic versions of "other data" for online catalogs. Several objectives are outlined and their feasibility in the modern telecommunications environment is examined. (two references) (CLB)

Describes a study conducted to investigate patron use of the online catalog at New York's Nassau Community College. Provides findings related to the number and types of patrons using information terminals, time required for searches, preferred methods for learning to use the terminal, and the most common searches. (MAB)

Describes MARC bibliographic records and presents conversion procedures for microcomputer database programs. Highlights include database design in dBase; format translation programs in BASIC; translating MARC into a delimited record; and writing records from dBase to a delimited file. Five programs are appended. (Contains nine references.) (LRW)

Marking the 25th anniversary (August 26, 1996) of WorldCat (the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) Online Union Catalog) OCLC and the U.S. regional networks sponsored an essay contest for librarians and library users to write essays describing their impressions of the OCLC Online Union Catalog. Four prize-winning essays from Michigan, Kentucky,…

To compare the value of subject descriptors and title keywords as entries to subject searches, two studies were conducted, both concentrating on monographs in the humanities and social sciences held by online public access catalog of the National Library of the Netherlands. (Author/AEF)

Describes the Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) and the inclusion of abstracting and indexing industry databases in OPACs. Topics addressed include the implications of including abstracting and indexing tape and CD-ROM products in OPACs; the need for standards allowing library systems to communicate with dissimilar CD-ROM products; and computer,…

The Simple Index Method overcomes the difficulties in building a core list for serials in interdisciplinary fields by using multiple indexes which cover various aspects of the subject. Collection-development librarians can develop a core list when standard bibliographies or specific indexing and abstracting tools are lacking and can tailor that…

Discusses the lack of catalog access to local journal holdings and the feasibility of improving access by merging citations to journal articles with bibliographic information already included in online catalogs. The advantages of having libraries contribute serials indexing to a national database are discussed in terms of access and economics.…

The role of the legal bibliography and the many resources available in contemporary law libraries are discussed and evaluated in 15 articles. The articles have been placed into categories describing efforts of the past, practices of the present, and goals for the future. (CLB)

The National Library of Portugal undertook a leadership role in the development of the Portuguese Bibliographic database (PORBASE). The National Library defined cataloging standards and circulated them to Portuguese libraries to create a national catalog. PORBASE is a work in progress with ongoing technical projects and collaboration in the…