A definition of fiber art, its history, materials and techniques, vocabularies, and creators and users of those vocabularies offer background for understanding the problems in preparing surrogates of this relatively recent art form for text and image databases. Four examples of fiber image information systems are described. (32 references) (EAM)

Traces the development of "The Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms" from its roots as a term list through six editions to a sophisticated searching and indexing tool, and describes the process for determining controlled vocabulary and forms of display. Features designed especially to assist novice users and nonpsychologists are also…

This paper provides a historic overview of the evolution during the last century of gray literature in the knowledge society. The first section presents some definitions of gray literature and the stages of its development from the beginning of the 20th century to the present. Some institutions that played a key role in the administration of this…

Describes the history, scope, and applications of the Chemical Abstracts Service Chemical Registry System, a computerized database that uniquely identifies chemical substances on the basis of their molecular structures. Explains searching the system is and discusses its use as an international resource. (66 references) (Author/LRW)

This report provides a brief history of the design and development process that the Syracuse University Kellogg Project followed in creating the Kellogg Library and Archive Retrieval System (KLARS), an information storage and retrieval system designed to computerize archival research. This system was developed to preserve, organize, and facilitate…

This discussion of copyright protection for computer programs focuses on the "first sale doctrine" and "shrink wrap" licenses, copyright of databases, copyright ownership, and copyright notices. (EM)

Provides an overview of the legal nature of copyright, its history, and present status. Current issues of concern to information professionals are then discussed, including reproduction and distribution of copyrighted material, interlibrary loans, the "Five-Year Review" of the current law, technology, nonprint materials, and databases.…

Discussion of electronic resources in the humanities highlights the history and development of the Thesaurus Linguae Graecae, an electronic data bank of ancient Greek literature from the classical and postclassical periods. Data entry is discussed, hardware is described, and implications for the humanities and other disciplines are suggested. (LRW)

This paper begins with an overview of ERIC that provides background on the system's decentralized structure, the bibliographic database, document availability, and ERIC publications. The historical development of ERIC from the early 1960s is described and illustrated with a chronology of selected major ERIC events from 1965 to 1991 and a table…

Describes the current activities of 11 individuals who were prominent in the information industry at the time of Online Magazine's debut. Included are the founders of Congressional Information Service, New York Times Information Bank, Data Courier, Inc., Predicasts, Bibliographic Retrieval Services, Dialog, LEXIS and NEXIS. (EM)

The history of "The Engineering Index" (Ei) and its parent organization, Engineering Information, Inc., is traced from 1884-1984, drawing parallels between the 100-year evolution of Ei and the 75-year development of Special Libraries Association. Ei's future plans for expansion are defined with emphasis given to special librarian's role.…

Provides a historical review of EBSCO Industries' development and services and discusses future directions. Highlights include serials subscription services; the influence of technology; library standards; a new company division, EBSCO Publishing; CD-ROM products; full-text documents; and a cooperative project with the British Library. (LRW)

This account of the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) provides information on its background and origin, and traces the development of the system from initial planning in 1962 through mid-1979. Although this is essentially an overview of the growth of the system, some of the more complex aspects of the ERIC story are included in the…

Reviews the creation and evolution of ERIC, and describes changes being implemented in the system as a result of a recently concluded redesign study. Areas of change discussed include clearinghouse contract procedures, ACCESS ERIC, ERIC partners, and adjunct clearinghouses. Conclusions about the future of ERIC are offered. (five references) (CLB)

Discusses the acquisition of CD-ROM products for local area networks based on experiences at the Ohio State University libraries. Topics addressed include the historical development of CD-ROM acquisitions; database selection, including pricing and subscription options; the ordering process; and network licensing issues. (six references) (LRW)