As it provides a firm foundation for advancing knowledge, a solid literature review is a critical feature of any academic investigation. Yet, there are several challenges in performing literature reviews including: (1) lack of access to the literature because of costs, (2) fracturing of the literature into many sources, lack of access and…

Purpose: ABCD is a web-based open and free software suite for library management derived from the UNESCO CDS/ISIS software technology. The first version was launched officially in December 2009 with a MARC 21 bibliographic format database. This paper aims to detail the building of the UNIMARC bibliographic format database for ABCD.…

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…

We compiled a geo-referenced bibliography of research including theses, peer-reviewed articles, agency literature, and books having sample collection sites in and around Coos Bay, Oregon. Using Google Earth and GeoCommons we created a map that allows users such as visiting researchers, faculty, students, and local agencies to identify previous…

Librarians build collections. To do this they use tools that help them identify, organize, and retrieve items for the collection. Zotero (zoh-TAIR-oh) is such a tool that helps the user build a library of useful books, articles, web sites, blogs, etc., discovered while surfing online. A visit to Zotero's homepage, www.zotero.org, shows a number of…

James Morrison's interview with Trevor Owens explores Zotero, a free, open-source bibliographic tool that works as a Firefox plug-in. Previous bibliographic software, such as EndNote or Refworks, worked either online or offline to collect references and citations. Zotero leverages the power of the browser to allow users to work either online or…

The Outdoor Resource Library Cataloging System is a computer software program designed primarily for outdoor programs with small to medium-sized resource centers. The software is free to nonprofit organizations and is available from the Idaho State University Outdoor Program. The software is used to construct a database of library materials, which…

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…

Sidebar describes the use of the Biblio-Link software packages to download citations from online databases and convert them into a form that can be automatically uploaded into a Pro-Cite database. An example of this procedure using DIALOG2 is given. (CLB)

Examines problems encountered when setting up a hypertext link, called an identity link, for moving between bibliographic and full text databases. MEDLINE and CCML (Comprehensive Core Medical Library) are used as examples, BRS/SEARCH text retrieval software is explained, and problems with syntax are discussed. (two references) (LRW)

Describes the development and implementation of software that provides a global change capability by allowing correction of a single heading in a large file of bibliographic records through programatic identification and replacement. Specific change processes are described, including name headings, geographic headings, and topical subject…

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…

Describes the software architecture and application of SABRE (Semi-Automated Bibliographic Environment), which is one of the first products to provide a semi-automatic environment for relevancy ranking of citations obtained from searches of bibliographic databases. Features designed to meet the review, categorization, culling, and reporting needs…