Acquaints information professionals with Digital Equipment Corporation's compact optical disk read-only-memory (CDROM) search and retrieval software and growing library of CDROM database publications (COMPENDEX, Chemical Abstracts Services). Highlights include MicroBASIS, boolean operators, range operators, word and phrase searching, proximity…

Discusses basic features and functions of spreadsheet programs and describes additional capabilities (editing, windowing, graphics, and word processing) of two second-generation spreadsheet programs: Lotus 1-2-3 and Symphony. (MBR)

Reviews current technologies for electronic imaging and its recording and transmission, including digital recording, optical data disks, automated image-delivery micrographics, high-density-magnetic recording, and new developments in telecommunications and computers. The role of the document automation systems integrator, who will bring these…

Presents an overview of the mass storage market and discusses mass storage systems as part of computer networks. Systems for personal computers, workstations, minicomputers, and mainframe computers are described; file servers are explained; system integration issues are raised; and future possibilities are suggested. (LRW)

Discussion of the factors that should be considered when purchasing or upgrading a microcomputer focuses on the MS-DOS and OS/2 operating systems. Macintosh purchasing decisions are discussed in a sidebar. A glossary is provided. (CLB)

What's the worst thing that can happen to your computer? Worse than a hard disk crash, virus infection, spam assault, denial-of-service attack, hacker take-over, fire, flood, or other human, mechanical or natural disaster is a faulty backup when you really need it. If the computer blows up, as long as your data is backed up securely, you can…

According to InfoTrends/CAP Ventures, by the end of this year more than 55 percent of all U.S. households will own at least one digital camera. With so many digital cameras in use, it is important for people to understand how to organize and store digital images in ways that make them easy to find. Additionally, today's affordable, large megapixel…

There are described methods used to minimize data files dimension. There are defined indicators for measuring size of files and databases. The storage optimization process is based on selecting from a multitude of data storage models the one that satisfies the propose problem objective, maximization or minimization of the optimum criterion that is…

Floppy diskettes used with Apple computers were analyzed in terms of each component of bibliographic description, and comparisons were made between Anglo-American cataloging rules and materials in hand. Suggestions emerged for different treatment of Chief Source of Information, General Material Designation, Edition, Material Specific Details,…

Follows the history of Battelle Memorial Institute, the largest private research organization in the world, highlighting the institute's beginnings, Xerox Corporation connections, lawsuits, information systems (including new Videotex applications for BASIS), Battelle's data management system, and new applications for memory cards. (EJS)

Discusses problems in using ASCII for data communications and computers and provides a historical perspective on the development of Unicode, a new universal encoding scheme. The future of Unicode is considered, implications for libraries are discussed, and a sidebar explains how computers store textual data. (LRW)

In this article, the author shares some notes from her own experience of supporting and delivering many hands-on datalogging workshops and using a variety of datalogging systems. She hopes they will be useful to those with less experience. She has broken down the notes into two main areas: the practicalities and learning about datalogging.…

Describes a public library's newspaper index which provides unique genealogical and historical information, and supplements or replaces lost official records for local counties in the form of a printed index. The process of database design, staffing, software and hardware requirements, working with a programmer, and data entry are explained. (EM)

Describes the advantages of optical data disk-based storage systems including cost, performance, and space required. Conversion from tape-based to optical disk-based data management via a flexible, hardware-based optical archiving system is discussed. (Author/LRW)

The Compact Disc-Read Only Memory (CD-ROM) data format is explained and illustrated, noting current and potential applications. The "5-inch" compact laserdisc is described and photographs of an IBM PC/Hitachi CD-ROM system adopted by Library Corporation to support its MARC database--BiblioFile--are presented. Screen displays for…