The author, a digital access architect in the information systems department of the Orange County Library System in Florida, was given the challenge of creating a library mobile app around the 2009 holiday season. At that time, Sheri Chambers, digital content manager in the information systems department, and Debbie Moss, assistant director of the…

Academic, government, and corporate librarians organize and leverage internal resources and content through institutional repositories and library catalogs. Getting more value and usage from the content they license is a key goal. However, the ever-growing amount of content and shifting user demands for new materials or features has made the…

Technology makes it possible to redefine libraries and make them relevant to the public once again. But how good are the digital services offered by public libraries today? The digital services department team of the Pode project at Norway's Oslo Public Library has spent the last 2 years investigating the possibilities available in order to…

The technology of the 21st century has had no shortage of challenges for libraries, but it has also brought opportunities. Operating systems, databases, and application environments that can use cheap off-the-shelf hardware to scale and handle hundreds of millions of transactions were not developed for libraries. However, libraries have taken…

Given the recent spate of library system vendor acquisitions and consolidations, integrated library system (ILS) migrations have become a hot topic again. Although ILS migrations happen all the time, they tend to be cyclical in nature. Today, people are thinking broadly about what options might be available to them. These include changing vendors,…

This article features MarcEdit, a free, Windows-based, metadata editing software suite that is developed and supported by the author as part of his contribution to the library profession. MarcEdit Suite is a tool that helps one with MARC coding and conversion and to perform database cleanups, to generate temporary electronic journal holdings, or…

Explains a series of 39 slides used in a presentation covering guides to libraries on the Internet computer network; other INTERNET resources, including bibliographic databases, catalogs, and online services; BITNET servers and LISTSERVS, and the MicroUser's computer conference sponsored by the Library and Information Technology Association…

This user ratings survey focuses on bibliographic citation management software; its value to manage citation databases; and its ability to provide reports that adhere to standard bibliographic styles for publications. Service and support, reliability, ease of use, vendor integrity, and user satisfaction are discussed for each of seven software…

OpenURL resolver is the next big thing for libraries. An OpenURL resolver is simply a piece of software that sucks in attached data and serves up a Web page that tells one where he or she can get the book or article represented by it. In this article, the author describes how he designed an OpenURL resolver for his library, the Lewis & Clark…

Outlines the features and drawbacks of Wide Area Information Servers (WAIS). Praises the ease of use for end users and the variety of documents and other information available, but cautions users about searching problems resulting from the use of relevance ranking schemes. Calls for greater librarian involvement. (EA)

Describes the State of Iowa Libraries Online project (SILO) which was developed to demonstrate new information technologies available to libraries. Focuses on two interlinked components of the project: Web-based union catalog development and statewide deployment of the ANS/NISO Z39.50 information retrieval standard. Includes recommendations for…

Presents the results of a study of CD-ROM database use by 100 university students. The students' age, level of study, course of study, and reasons for nonuse are reported. Implications of the study, and suggestions for promoting CD-ROM use and involving faculty in raising awareness are presented. (eight references) (KRN)