The problems most frequently encountered in subject searching of the NY Times Information Bank are currency, multiconcept terms, generic descriptors, and verbosity. Vocabulary modifications are proposed and suggestions offered to help searchers overcome these problems and reduce their online connect time. These suggestions decreased the New York…

Based on manual observation of 187 zero result online searches at a university library, this article addresses three types of problems that can produce such search results: multiple database searching, topic negotiation, and database availability. A summary of conceptual and practical recommendations for searchers are provided. (6 references) (EJS)

Duke University's Perkins Library (North Carolina) tests electronic resources and services for remote accessibility by examining capabilities on various platforms, operating systems, communications software, and World Wide Web browsers. Problems occur in establishing connections, screen display, navigation or retrieval, keyboard variations, and in…