In a year when a difficult economy presented fewer opportunities for immediate gains, the major industry players have defined their business strategies with fundamentally different concepts of library automation. This is no longer an industry where companies compete on the basis of the best or the most features in similar products but one where…

This article describes the Project Lefty, a search system that, at a minimum, adds a layer on top of traditional federated search tools that will make the wait for results more worthwhile for researchers. At best, Project Lefty improves search queries and relevance rankings for web-scale discovery tools to make the results themselves more relevant…

It is easy to lament the shortcomings of traditional online public access catalogs (OPACs) in the Google Age. Users cannot, for example, usually input a snippet of a long-forgotten pop song's chorus into an online library catalog and almost instantly retrieve a relevant result along with hundreds of other options. On the other hand, should OPACs…

This paper presents a comparative evaluation of Google Scholar and 11 other bibliographic databases (Academic Search Elite, AgeLine, ArticleFirst, EconLit, GEOBASE, MEDLINE, PAIS International, POPLINE, Social Sciences Abstracts, Social Sciences Citation Index, and SocINDEX), focusing on search performance within the multidisciplinary field of…

Compares and evaluates three CD-ROM products for the ERIC database: (1) DIALOG OnDISC; (2) OCLC's Search CD450; and (3) SilverPlatter. The focus is on search capabilities and features. (1 reference) (MES)

Describes the Pro-Cite database management system and its uses in searching RLIN, OCLC, DIALOG, BRS, etc.; downloading results on a floppy or hard disk; converting downloaded records into Pro-Cite databases; and editing, selecting, indexing, and printing out the selected records in a variety of bibliographic styles. (DMM)

Examines trends in World Wide Web searching; reviews new search services; and describes changes in major Web search services. Highlights include commercial sites, subject access, target audience, custom interfaces, concept searching, and results lists. (LRW)

Reviews "robot" search engines specifically developed for information retrieval on the World Wide Web, examines automated and designated robot searching tools, and offers tips to help users judge the usefulness of Web search engines. Discusses sample searches of automated and designated search engines and presents example computer…

Provides a guide to online search strategies for information about software packages and software reviews, including descriptions of appropriate databases and search access points for databases. (CLB)

Evaluates TRADEMARKSCAN image retrieval using DIALOGLINK communications software. Factors discussed include TRADEMARKSCAN's composition, retrieval methods, file size, downloading and printing time and costs, and database applications. Software requirements and functions relevant to image retrieval are also discussed, and suggestions for…

Reviews ConSearch 3.0, a product that provides flexible searching of electronic files, allowing the location of related meanings as well as exact matches. ConSearch 3.0 differs from other file retrieval approaches by relating words in search phrases of questions to the "meaning" of the words, which are stored in a "conceptual…

Presents a computer software review of the graphical online interface, Ovid client for Windows. Evaluates the following system options: database choices, graphical interface, index browsing, searching, topical limiting, term mapping, displaying, printing, and downloading. Sidebars display product information and feedback from Ovid Technologies in…

These three articles discuss communications software that is designed for use in online searching on a personal computer. Highlights include criteria for choosing software; a review of general purpose communications software packages and their suitability for online searching; software for end users; future possibilities; and five experts' top…

Arguing that much of the information needed in the future will be available only online, using computers, modems, and telephone lines, this four-part guide is designed to provide the basic information on online communication that is needed by beginners. The introduction to the guide includes a definition of online communication, a rationale for…

Defines the American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) full text, and reviews its past, present, and future uses in libraries. Discusses advantages, disadvantages, and uses of searchable and nonsearchable full-text databases. Also comments on full-text CD-ROM products and on technological advancements made by library vendors. (JMV)