Discusses various categories of software that can be applied to the development of in-house databases on microcomputers, and describes the use of a general purpose package with a procedural language to design a small indexing system called Revelation. The description covers data storage and maintenance, database design, file searching, and system…

Assesses bibliographic databases as part of visionary text systems such as hypertext and scholars' workstations. Downloading is discussed in terms of the capability to search records and to maintain unique bibliographic descriptions, and relational database management systems, file managers, and text databases are reviewed as possible hosts for…

Describes MARC bibliographic records and presents conversion procedures for microcomputer database programs. Highlights include database design in dBase; format translation programs in BASIC; translating MARC into a delimited record; and writing records from dBase to a delimited file. Five programs are appended. (Contains nine references.) (LRW)

Proposes a solution to the problem of loading repetitive bibliographic information in a microcomputer-based relational database management system. The alternative design described is based on a representational redundancy design and normalization theory. (12 references) (Author/CLB)

Describes a project at the University of Guelph (Ontario) that combined both bibliographical and archival references in one large machine readable database to facilitate local history research. The description covers research tool creation, planning activities, system design, the database management system used, material selection, record…

Outlines the file structure requirements for a microcomputer-based information retrieval system using FoxPro, a relational database management system (DBMS). Issues relating to the design and implementation of such systems are discussed, and two possible designs are examined in terms of space economy and practicality of implementation. (15…

Describes a study that examined the ability of the dBase database management system to perform secondary key retrieval on multivalued data items. The results are presented as time cost relative to the number of matching records, and situations in which a different management system might be appropriate are identified. (CLB)

This document contains a compilation of overhead projection sheets from an International Labour Office (ILO) Training Course in Micro-ISIS held in March 1988, augmented by explanatory text and applications to a wide variety of databases. It is designed both to provide a visual, didactic approach to Micro-ISIS, and to constitute a quick-reference…

Describes the development of a menu driven database management program to handle online search statistics reporting requirements for the libraries at the University of California, Los Angeles. Advantages of the program are discussed, including cost effectiveness, autonomy of search service reports, meeting the special needs of individual…

In 1988, the Missouri State Library offered microcomputers to Missouri public libraries to help them implement a retrospective conversion of their cataloging system to an online system called Bibliofile. The goal of the State Library was to create and maintain a Union Catalog for Missouri libraries. This guide provides Missouri library personnel…

Discusses the advantages and disadvantages of using dBASE for the storage and retrieval of downloaded bibliographic records, and the problems involved in importing data downloaded from various online systems into dBASE. ASCIIREF, a software program developed to allow users to easily reformat just about any file of ASCII bibliographic records into…

Describes procedures for importing downloaded bibliographic references using Pro-Cite and EndNote software on the Macintosh microcomputer. The need for a link between a bibliographic database program and the text file is explained, an explanation for users developed at Dartmouth College is presented, and benefits of each linking approach are…

This description of the development of an index to periodicals published by New York State agencies begins by discussing the criteria used in determining which titles to index, which years to cover, and what subject headings to use. Recruitment of indexers and the development of indexing guidelines by the Government Documents Roundtable of the New…

This overview of CD-ROM (Compact Disk-Read Only Memory) technology covers technical specifications as well as applications of special interest to teachers, school administrators, and librarians. Materials available on CD-ROM disks are described, including a variety of reference works, and a directory of publishers/producers is provided. Issues of…

The first of two papers discusses natural language searching as a user performance enhancement tool, focusing on artificial intelligence applications for information retrieval and problems with natural language processing. The second presents a conceptual framework for further development and future design of front ends to online bibliographic…