Profiles 25 database distribution and production companies, all of which responded to a 1997 survey with information on 54 separate online, Web-based, or CD-ROM systems. Highlights increased competition, distribution formats, Web versions versus local area networks, full-text delivery, and pricing policies. Tables present a sampling of customers…

Libraries in Canada can now access the Telenet and Tymnet networks through a Canadian telecommunications network called DATAPAC. One library's trial use of DATAPAC, USER/network interaction, system messages and meanings, communications costs, impact on online searching in Canada, and the Canadian data bases which will now be accessible to users in…

The personal computer--with its ability to store, sort, and retrieve large amounts of data, generate reports, and graphically present statistical information--is becoming an integral tool in the administration of the modern media center. The need to share and retrieve information beyond the immediate environment of the media center has always been…

Suggests that online searching could ease problems of information access in Trinidad and Tobago and examines benefits of online access to international databases (speed and timeliness, comprehensiveness in retrieval, flexibility in searching, utilization of local collections); costs of online access to international databases; and implications for…

Decision makers must address the issues of (1) just what are electronic communications? (2) how will they help me teach, administer, or survive? and (3) what will it cost in time and money? Electronic mail allows the sending of letters, memos, and messages to anyone who uses the same electronic mail system, and provides most of the options that…

This design phase study concerning the proposed replication of the DOBIS system for the British Columbia Library Network (BCLN) was conducted to determine the preferred strategy for the transfer and loading of the British Columbia Union Catalogue (BCUC) database currently resident at the University of Toronto's UTLAS system. User and database…

Discusses advantages and pleasures of utilizing a personal computer at home to receive electronic mail; participate in online conferences, software exchanges, and game networks; do shopping and banking; and have access to databases storing volumes of information. Information sources for the services mentioned are included. (MBR)

Discusses educational uses, types, operation, advantages, popular features, and subscription rates of electronic communication networks. Factors to consider when choosing a network are described, and a table listing networks designed for educators includes information on the network producer, target audience, features, subscription rates, and…

To meet information needs of teachers and administrators, the Nassau County Board of Cooperative Educational Services in New York State entered into an agreement with the Educational Services Group of Bibliographic Retrieval Services (BRS) which provides access to 30 national databases, and also created a "private" file or database…

Discussion of electronic mail and computer-mediated communication focuses on local bulletin board systems (BBSs) that run on microcomputers. Uses in education and businesses are described, computer requirements and costs are outlined, bulletin board software is discussed, and echo networking is explained. (Four references) (LRW)

Presents interview with Roger Summit, the president of Dialog Information Services, Inc. Highlights include Summit's role as chief architect of the system, the inception of Dialog and its beginnings at Lockheed Missiles and Space Company, services provided by Dialog, a challenge for libraries, and future developments and services. (EJS)

Provides a detailed examination of COMPULINE, British Columbia's telephone reference service designed to assist librarians, archivists, and other information professionals in their use of microcomputer hardware and software by referring them to others in the province who have relevant experience. Expenses, problems encountered, and possible…

With computers rivaling books and journals as information sources, academic libraries must learn to use computers and other technology as information tools. Some colleges have already developed consortia and other intercollegiate arrangements, but costs and the information explosion slow this process for many. (MSE)

After a brief historical review, various aspects of the conversion from card or book catalog to computer output microform (COM) catalog are analyzed, including initial commitments, database management, bibliographic control, costs, and relations with vendors. Outlines of primary decision-making stages are provided. (Author/JL)

Discusses the information database Britannica Online. Topics include compact discs versus online feeds; database delivery via the Internet; use of technology such as hyperlink, graphics, audio, and video; Britannica's search engine architecture; search options; user reactions, and costs. (AEF)