There are several ways to connect to library catalogs on the Internet: telneting, links via home pages, and online directories. This article discusses Hytelnet and Libgopher, online directories which list available catalogs and make telnet connections to them. Hytelnet is a good resource for OPAC statistics and Libgopher provides keyword…

Describes a study that examined the effectiveness of implied boolean searches using personal author surnames plus first and/or last title words to retrieve an entry from a simulated online public access catalog (OPAC). Implications for the design of OPACs are discussed, and further research is suggested. (LRW)

Describes a transaction log analysis of the New York Public Library research libraries' OPAC (online public access catalog). Much of the remote searching occurred when the libraries were closed and was more evenly distributed than internal searching, demonstrating that remote searching could expand access and reduce peak system loads. (Contains…

Discusses the shortcomings of present online catalogs and some concepts and implementations for hypercatalogs. A prototype for a hypertext-based library catalog, HyperKGB, is described and its design principles and functionality are outlined. (Author/AEF)

Assesses the current state of reference structures in online public access catalogs (OPACs) in a framework defined by stagnation, progress, and future challenges. Outlines six areas for reference structure development. Twenty figures provide illustrations. (AEF)

Discusses some problems in accessing the microform collection of the Research Libraries of the New York Public Library using the library's printed and online catalogs. Creation of an in-house automated microforms database is described, including software, selection and downloading of records, updating, and searching the database. (MES)

Discusses the traditional alphabetical arrangement of library card catalogs and suggests this order should be reconsidered in online catalogs. Online searching in library catalogs is described; the ordering of records in online catalogs is examined; and filtering is considered as a method to order retrieved sets of bibliographic records. (Contains…

A study was conducted that used transaction logs to identify the characteristics of the most complex or problematic user queries. Enhancements are recommended in the design of online catalogs that use search trees to control system responses and to determine appropriate subject-searching terminology and technique. Contains 21 references and 12…

Discussion of online public access catalogs focuses on a study that evaluated 3 different systems in Great Britain. Comparative evaluations were made using structured exercises to determine searching techniques and transaction logs to investigate user behavior. Comments on future research are also given. (12 references) (LRW)

Thirty-one public library users were observed searching the Web and/or a Web-based on-line catalog. Four user categories were identified, distinguished by number of search approaches employed. Results indicate experience and motivation, elements of situational goals and mental models, work in tandem to determine search approaches, Web sites…

Presents results of experiments conducted on four versions of the Science Library Catalog (SLC), a Dewey decimal-based hierarchical browsing system implemented in HyperCard without a keyboard. The SLC approach helps children overcome problems with typing, spelling, vocabulary, and Boolean logic. (70 references) (AEF)

Reviews the characteristics of the Cheshire II system that is being used to implement full-text and fielded searching of bibliographic information for the University of California Berkeley Digital Library Initiative. Examines its performance when applied to a collection of large full-text documents in the TREC Interactive Retrieval Track and its…

One of the recent innovations attempting to catalog Internet resources is a standard for resource description called the Dublin Core metadata set. Discussion includes application of library standards; development of metadata elements; ongoing refinement of the elements; and applying the Dublin Core. (AEF)

Examines some of the incentives behind cataloging on the Internet. Discusses the Dublin Core metadata elements set which attempts to apply traditional cataloging practices to new technologies. Looks at the practicalities of such a system, including three obvious benefits to mapping Dublin Core elements to MARC fields. (AEF)

Describes an online public access catalog for children, called the Kid's Catalog. Design objectives include eliminating the barriers to information retrieval outlined in the research literature; being fun, interactive, and respectful of children's intelligence and creativity; motivating children with an expansive range of subjects and search…