Describes a study conducted at Jacksonville State University (Alabama) that compared the ERIC print index, "Resources in Education" (RIE), to the ERIC index in CD-ROM format. Accuracy of results, time savings, and user satisfaction are discussed, and copies of the questionnaire and survey are appended. (Author/LRW)

This 2-year project at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) was conducted to determine the feasibility of providing online periodical indexing to the journal holdings of the UTA libraries by demonstrating an extended use of the libraries' NOTIS Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) to provide better access to local resources. Three approaches…

This study investigated the use patterns of four CD-ROM systems--Newsbank Electronic Index, SilverPlatter's ERIC and PsycLIT, and Dissertation Abstracts Ondisc--and their print index counterparts in the University of Georgia (UGA) Main Library, which houses collections and provides library services for the humanities, the social sciences, and…

This paper provides a brief comparative summary of the results of U.S. and European studies on the use of CD-ROM and other optical products in all types of libraries and information centers. In 1987 and 1988, questionnaires were distributed to academic, public, and special libraries in the United States and to libraries in 18 European countries:…

Discusses the use of optical disk technology in online searching and compares three versions of the ERIC database currently available on optical disk in terms of hardware requirements, ease of installation, scope and cost of the system, search procedures, displaying and printing results, and documentation and user support. (CLB)

Discussion of the use of CD-ROM databases focuses on a study conducted at Russell Sage College (New York) that examined user attitudes toward CD-ROM technology and shifts in journal usage patterns. Highlights include previous studies, comparisons of print indexes and CD-ROM databases, and suggestions for future research. (LRW)

Describes a model enumerating cost factors for comparing costs for paper, online, and CD-ROM indexes and abstracts. The model is applied to start-up and annual costs, and to the cost of storing and providing access to ERIC, Applied Science and Fisheries Abstracts, and Excerpta Medica, based on anticipated academic library usage. (MBR)

Reports on a study of the impact of CD-ROM on online searching at an academic library. Data are presented on online connect time, numbers of online users, and types of users of various services. The effects of library policy and fees are discussed. (MES)

Describes a pilot project at the Department of Commerce Mountain Administrative Support Center Library that compared the cost effectiveness of CD-ROM with that of other media and examined the acceptability of CD-ROM by staff and users. A list of the CD-ROM products evaluated and the evaluation form used are appended. (CLB)

The result of a comprehensive search for writings about the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) published between 1985 and 1988, this annotated bibliography lists 107 documents and journal articles about ERIC that were entered in the ERIC database during that period. The 1964-1978 edition cited 269 items. The 1979-1984 edition cited…

Describes use studies of CD-ROM products in American and western European academic, public, and special libraries. Comparative results of the surveys are reported, including effect of CD-ROMs on library use of online databases, difficulties with different vendors' search techniques, and desired subjects of optical products. (10 references) (LRW)

Describes study that was designed to assess user interaction with InfoTrac, a computerized periodical index on optical disc that is accessed through workstations consisting of a microcomputer and printer. Use in three types of libraries--an undergraduate academic library, a graduate-level academic library, and a public library--is examined. (LRW)

Offers a model for choosing among CD-ROM, end user access, mediated online searching, or locally mounted files as alternatives for extending online catalogs and replacing printed indexes. Estimates of demand and comparisons of costs made at Trinity and Clemson Universities provide a quantitative framework for selection. (Contains four references.)…

Describes the experiences of high school students using microcomputers to access an electronic version of an encyclopedia in the school's media center. The topics discussed include hardware and software requirements of the CD-ROM format, information seeking strategies and problems observed, student satisfaction with the system, and recommendations…

This purpose of this study was to determine which periodical index--InfoTrac or EBSCO Magazine Article Summaries--is the most appropriate for use by middle school students preparing required research projects. The study population consisted of randomly selected sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students (N=50) in a Cobb County (Georgia) middle…