THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF THIS DOCUMENT: Today there are over 900 on-line data banks available for public access. Most microcomputers can use them through the aid of a modem and communication program. Major public information utilities that offer access to these on-line data bases are growing and expanding. The Source, a data base utility…

Describes the experience of the University of Pennsylvania Libraries with computerized searches. (PF)

When a small agriculture research library initiated computer-based retrospective literature searches, there was a significant increase in the library's interlibrary loan activity. Results of a study to determine the extent to which interlibrary loan activity was affected by the implementation of this service are reported. (JPF)

Describes EasyNet, a gateway system to multiple online vendors. It allows occasional access without learning each system's commands or contracting with each vendor, with either the searcher selecting the database or letting the system select one. Costs are described and various special option plans for specific types of libraries are explained.…

A search of two major English language databases, Library Literature and LISA (Library and Information Science Abstracts) for 1990-2000 was undertaken for the latest reports pertaining to literacy, including major surveys, evaluation studies, manuals on libraries and literacy, and recent major national or regional literacy movements that involved…

The article discusses some of the problems of introducing machine-readable data bases into the library service environment. Authors describe diverse approaches used in making tapes of the 1970 Census of Population and Housing available to users through the library. (JB)

Examines use of online access to bibliographic files in library reference service, focusing on two systems: OCLC and Research Libraries Information Network (RLIN). The development and current status of each system, differences between systems, search examples, user expectations, and advantages of online access are noted. Twenty references are…

Discusses basic information services and resources available to business educators. Describes library resources, encyclopedias and other reference works, ongoing published indexes, and automated databases. (GC)

Discusses the benefits to patrons and librarians of integrating online database searching with traditional reference services, and makes recommendations for maximizing those benefits. (Author/JD)

Outlines the history, form of membership, legal incorporation, and technical aspects of the College Libraries Activity Network of New South Wales (CLANN) and describes Insearch DIAL (Division of Library and Information) Services and its place in the information services network. (RAO)

This study examines the extent to which databases support student and faculty research in the area of public administration. A list of journals in public administration, public policy, political science, public budgeting and finance, and other related areas was compared to the journal content list of six business databases. These databases…

This column describes a new teaching tool, BrainPOP, which is a database that blurs the distinction between classroom and library media center. This collection of more than 300 short, concept-based, animated movies is intended primarily for use by teachers in classroom instruction. It is reminiscent of the single-concept film cartridges that used…

One critical role of the catalog is to help librarians manage and track their inventory, whether it's books, videos, journals, microfilm reels, laptops, or even access to study rooms. The phrase, "if you can't track it, you don't own it," is quite real for the library that is trying to monitor thousands or millions of items. In the last decade,…

Libraries must increasingly accommodate bibliographic records encoded with a variety of standards and emerging standards, including Dublin Core, MODS, and VRA Core. The problem is that many libraries still rely solely on MARC and AACR2. The best-trained professionals to lead librarians through the metadata maze are catalogers. Catalogers…

Catalogers, catalog managers, and others in library technical services have become increasingly interested in, worried over, and excited about FRBR (the acronym for Functional Requirements of Bibliographic Records). Staff outside of the management of the library's bibliographic database may wonder what the fuss is about (FERBER? FURBUR?), assuming…