A comparison of records for 217 serial titles (holdings reports, selected bibliographic data elements, supplementary notes) found in both the OCLC online database and "New Serial Titles" (NST) indicates that OCLC is superior resource for current material, while NST is stronger resource for older titles. Five references are included. (EJS)

Discusses a study which examined the disposition, one year after input, of a sample of original cataloging contributed to the OCLC database by the Indiana University at Bloomington Libraries. (Author/FM)

Describes a study of Library of Congress (LC) Subject Headings that examined 1,000 records from the LC BOOKSM database (i.e., bibliographic records of monographs cataloged by LC) to determine current subject cataloging practices at LC. The process of constructing subject headings with free-floating subdivisions is discussed, and recommendations…

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)

Analysis of data on sample of 1980 books in "Small Press Record of Books in Print" indicates that almost half of the books received one or more reviews; small core of journals accounted for most reviews; significant relationship existed between number of reviews received and number of libraries owning book. (EJS)

Explores the 1988 "Books in Print Plus" (BIP Plus) CD-ROM database to determine broad characteristics of material currently in print in U.S. book trade in terms of publication year; price; language; and audience, grade level, and illustration. Accuracy and potential of BIP Plus as a tool for generating data and testing hypotheses…

Describes the results of a survey of Canadian libraries that explored the nature and frequency of use of the Anglo-American Cataloging Rules, second edition revised (AACR2R); the preferred publication formats for acquiring AACR2R; and the contribution of records to a bibliographic utility or other database. (Contains four references.) (LRW)

Provides detailed model to be used to select most effective method for accomplishing library catalog retrospective conversion. The random sample, gathering information, and steps in project to be costed (searching, verification and editing, coding and input of nonhits, and obtaining final records) are discussed. Examples and eleven references are…

Reports on research that examined the clustering of similar books provided by a classification system and ways in which the books that patrons circulate are clustered in a university library. Measures of classification system performance are suggested and used to evaluate two test collections. Consequences for full-text document systems and online…

Describes a project that examined the effects of incorporating subject terms from the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) into a bibliographic database. It is concluded that the incorporation of DDC and possibly other library classifications into online catalogs can enhance subject access and provide additional subject searching strategies. (11…

Describes a study conducted to determine the main differences in online catalog searching styles and results among library staff, faculty, and patrons at Adelphi University (New York). Transaction log analysis, questionnaires, zero hit searches, keyword, author, title, subject, and other search strategies were evaluated to determine patterns of…

Conclusions of surveys (63 libraries, OCLC database, University of Rhode Island users) assessing handling of Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) conference publications indicate that most libraries fully catalog these publications using LC cataloging, and library patrons frequently require series access to publications. Eight…

Describes a study conducted at the University of Illinois to test the effectiveness of subject access in the online bibliographic catalog. Relevance is examined and possible methods of improving subject access are described. Results suggest that significant improvements are not possible within the constraints of existing subject cataloging…