This list of 101 compact disc jazz recordings recommended for library acquisition includes brief annotations. (MES)

Discussion of laser videodiscs for library collections covers selection, finding reviews, suppliers, cost, preservation, and security. Sidebars define laserdisc terms and list several recommended titles. (MES)

Compares current problems with optical disks to errors made with past technological innovations in libraries. Lack of hardware standardization, software incompatibility, and high prices are discussed. Widespread library commitment not to purchase optical disc systems until both technical standards and price guidelines are established is advocated.…

Discusses DVD (digital video disc) technology and considers its future possibilities. Highlights include laserdiscs, DVDs in academic-library collections, public-library experiences with DVDs, and problems with changes in video formats and technological obsolescence. (LRW)

Reports results of a survey of public libraries that investigated trends in audiovisual materials. Highlights include format issues; audiobooks; media budgets for various formats; video collections; DVDs; circulation; collection sizes; music CDs; and future possibilities. (LRW)

If the CD-ROM revolution is likened to gambling, players are information providers and consumers; the stakes are development, production, distribution, hardware, and software costs; and betting is represented by the costs of updating disks and hardware and software maintenance, and by pricing. Strategy should take into account cost savings,…

Provides an annotated list of 30 recommended reference books and 7 CD-ROMS released in 1994 on a variety of topics. A sidebar presents a discussion of reference publishers's market demand for print versus electronic formats. (JKP)

Describes the Tacoma Public Library's experience with "BIP Plus," the CD-ROM version of Books in Print. Memory requirements, search capabilities, automatic ordering, and the library staff's response are discussed. Keyword searching is explained as the system's most used feature, and price the area of most serious concern. (EM)

Discusses issues which will have an impact on database searching for the next five years: (1) quality control; (2) more inhouse databases; (3) changes in database visuals; (4) pricing policies; and (5) market changes. A number of favorable and unfavorable changes unlikely to occur within five years are also noted. (MES)

Explores the meanings that have been attached to the term "archival" and concludes that librarians participating in the national preservation effort use this term to mean permanent. Permanence is practically defined as storage for upwards of 100 years. Given this definition, the merits of microforms and optical disks as archival storage materials…

Discusses proposals for more standardized practices in CD-ROM development, sales, and distribution. Topics discussed include availability of trial copies; pricing policies; installation, including software, instructions, and compatibility; interface procedures; manuals; and vendor support services. A sidebar discusses proposals being addressed by…

This report of the events at the American Library Association annual conference summarizes presentations and debates on several social issues as well as a manifesto addressing social and ethical problems that was presented at the conference. A list of officers and awards is provided. (CLB)

Describes optical data disk products currently on the market and discusses publishers to users' needs. Ways in which librarians can influence product development and design are suggested. (CLB)

The most significant reference sources of 1993, including 30 books and 7 CD-ROMs, are presented in this annotated bibliography. A sidebar entitled "The Reference Medium of Choice: Print or Electronic" (Pat Ensor) is also included. (SLW)

Compares two approaches to document delivery and storage--microform and CD-ROM--in terms of storage capacity, accessibility, production, and cost considerations. Strengths and weaknesses of each medium are noted. It is concluded that libraries should select, integrate, and explore the different features of both technologies. (12 references) (MES)