Purpose: The purpose of this study is to present an overview of the two open source (OS) integrated library systems (ILS)--Koha and ABCD (ISIS family), to compare their "next-generation library catalog" functionalities, and to give comparison of other important features available through ILS modules. Design/methodology/approach: Two open source…

Considers issues and concerns relating to the integration of archival and manuscripts records into library bibliographic and retrieval systems. Differences in the nature of library and archival materials are discussed, library functions and archival functions are compared, and archival uses of authority files are described. (six references) (LRW)

Discussion of selection of the InfoTrac Expanded Academic Index database of journal citations to add to the online catalog at a university library considers access to full text on microfilm, coverage, differences between CD-ROM and tape versions, pricing, search capabilities, printing, and downloading. Comparisons are made with the UMI Data…

Reports the rationale, design, implementation, and results of an examination of the impact of online subject catalogs on users by comparing their behaviors before and after catalog installation. Evaluation criteria included volume of use, types of searches, use of other catalogs, search time, user satisfaction, and need for assistance. (CLB)

Reports measures of the gains in search time and likelihood of success in known-item searches with the Acorn automated catalog at Vanderbilt University. User time and search success are valued in dollar terms to make the measures meaningful for system design choices. (Author/CLB)

Addresses an article written by Nicholson Baker in 1994 that lamented the demise of the paper card catalog, and points out important aspects of online catalogs and library computerization not discussed by Baker: authority control, collection preservation, collection costs, and access to materials. (JKP)

Describes a survey dealing with academic library provision of electronic journals and other electronic resources that compared ARL (Association of Research Libraries) members to non-ARL members. Highlights include full-text electronic journals; computers in libraries; online public access catalogs; interlibrary loan and electronic reserves; access…

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.)…

In 1990, the Online Catalog Advisory Committee (OCAC) of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) charged a subcommittee with developing and implementing ways to measure the impact of the expanded online catalog on staff, users, collections, and library operations. The UIUC's online public access catalog, ILLINET (Illinois Library and…