Western Illinois University Libraries has cut online serials subscriptions in the past 2 years. The librarians were guided by the statistics for downloads provided by the publishers of the journals. However, questions were raised by both professors and librarians regarding the exact meaning of the statistics. This caused the electronic resources…

Purpose: This paper aims to provide information about various digital initiatives in libraries in Thailand and especially use of Dublin Core metadata in cataloguing digitized objects in academic and government digital databases. Design/methodology/approach: The author began researching metadata use in Thailand in 2003 and 2004 while on sabbatical…

Businesses and higher education leaders are looking for students with the ability to evaluate and analyze information and to use this information to solve real-world problems. These are the information literacy skills students need for the 21st century. However, several recent studies on the ability of college freshmen to handle the rigor of…

This manual is designed to assist librarians in programming unique database applications that meet specific library needs. Chapter 1 goes over the basic functions of working with Windows, describes terms such as multitasking, and shows how to use the menu and tool bars. Chapter 2 covers the basics, defines some useful terms, and presents the steps…

This book is intended to help librarians and others to produce databases of better value and quality, especially if they have had little previous experience in database construction. Drawing upon almost 40 years of experience in the field of information retrieval, this book emphasizes basic principles and approaches rather than in-depth and…

This paper examines the problems involved in subject retrieval from full-text databases of secondary materials in the humanities. Ten such databases were studied and their search functionality evaluated, focusing on factors such as Boolean operators, document surrogates, limiting by subject area, proximity operators, phrase searching, wildcards,…

Meta-analysis is a technique used in a variety of disciplines to combine and summarize the findings of previous research. One step in the production of a meta-analysis is a thorough literature search for relevant studies. A variety of methods can be used to increase the number of studies that are found. This study examines the extent to which some…

Discusses criteria for evaluating microcomputer database management systems (DBMS) used for storage and retrieval of bibliographic data. Two popular types of microcomputer DBMS--file management systems and relational database management systems--are evaluated with respect to these criteria. (Author/MBR)

The Document Delivery Service offered by Chemical Abstracts is described in terms of the DIALORDER option on the Dialog information retrieval system, mail requests, and requests transmitted through OCLC's Interlibrary Loan system. Transmission costs, success rates, delivery rates, and other considerations in utilizing the service are included.…

Review of 17 databases available through BRS (Bibliographic Retrieval Services) and/or DIALOG provides addresses of database producers, beginning date of files, and descriptions, including information which may not be given in database documentation. Two new services provided by BRS and DIALOG and three vendors with wider audiences are also…

Reviews optical technology products currently on the market, including their storage capacities, formats and uses, and outlines the benefits of integrating optical storage devices with online databases. A description of the HAYSTACK system is offered as a model of optical technology for library applications. A suggested reading list is provided.…

This review of new developments and products in online services discusses trends in travel related services; full text databases; statistical source databases; an emphasis on regional and international business news; and user friendly systems. (Author/CLB)

This paper presents an overview of the major Canadian online systems, which account for approximately 5% of information vendors and databases worldwide. Also described is DATAPAC, Canada's national telecommunications network, and DATAPAC's X.75 interface with TELENET, TYMNET, UNINET, and France's TRANSPAC. The online systems described include: (1)…

Describes an integrated online library system developed at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) which incorporates a number of database management features that enhance efficiency, for record retrieval and display. Design features related to record storage and retrieval and the design of linked files are described in detail.…

In the last issue, this journal asked a question on many librarians' minds, and it was pleased with the depth and variety of responses. As suggested by this journal editorial board member Oliver Pesch, readers were asked, "Many libraries have gone to federated searching to win users back from Google. Is it working?" Respondents approached the…