This digest discusses advantages and disadvantages of CD-ROM use in libraries and information centers and lists features of three CD-ROM versions of the ERIC database--Dialog OnDisc ERIC, OCLC Search CD450, and SilverPlatter ERIC. Brief descriptions of these products focus on the differences among them, including equipment requirements, search…

This digest discusses advantages and disadvantages of CD-ROM use in libraries and information centers and lists features of three CD-ROM versions of the ERIC database--Dialog OnDisc ERIC, OCLC Search CD450, and SilverPlatter ERIC. Brief descriptions of these products focus on the differences among them, including equipment requirements, search…

Describes the scope and types of information available to potential buyers of CD-ROM products in product directories and review tools. Extensive listings of CD-ROM product directories, journals, newsletters, and product reviews are appended. (16 references) (CLB)

Presents 103 bibliographies on education arranged by country and by international and regional organizations; 105 national and international databases on education; 17 CD-ROMs on education; a bibliographical list of 30 thesauri; and a worksheet to report current bibliographical sources and databases. (LRW)

Reviews six CD-ROM bibliographic databases: BRS/Colleague MEDLINE; Wilsondisc Cumulative Book Index and MLA International Bibliography; Dialog OnDisc ERIC; SilverPlatter Sociofile; CCOHS (Reteaco Findit) CCINFOdisc; and Knowledge Finder MEDLINE. Criteria used include browsing, using menus, refining a search, accessing an online version, and…

Reviews the implementation of an experimental project in the Pan American Health Organization to disseminate health related information via CD-ROM in Latin America and the Caribbean, and compares the costs and relative advantages of information delivery using online retrieval systems and CD-ROM systems in developing countries. (four references)…

This description of the development of the Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) compact disc by two companies, SilverPlatter and ORI, Inc., provides background information on ERIC and the ERIC database, discusses reasons for choosing to put the ERIC database on compact discs, and describes the formulation of an ERIC CD-ROM team as part of…

Describes variations in current bibliographic databases in such areas as database organization, contents, authority control, and uses. The discussion covers the implications of these factors, optical disk technologies, and the Linked Systems Project for the future of national bibliographic databases. (nine references) (CLB)

Compares LISA (Library and Information Science Abstracts) on SilverPlatter's CD-ROM with its replacement version, Bowker-Saur's LISA Plus. Features reviewed include entry to the databases; use of Boolean search facilities; indexes and browsing; displaying and printing records; subsidiary functions; on-screen help; and interfaces. (Contains eight…

ERIC has evolved from a research database into a multi-faceted information system. At the heart of ERIC is the world's largest education database, providing abstracts of more than 850,000 journal articles and documents from a wide range of public and private sources. The system also features a variety of additional products and services designed…

Discusses issues that must be addressed to determine if a library's cataloging needs are best met with an online system, an optical data disk system, or some combination of the two. The experiences of academic and public libraries in Nevada are used to illustrate issues related to vendors, databases, and system features. (10 references) (CLB)

Description of the ERIC database covers suggested uses for teachers, students, parents, and researchers; information available in ERIC; how to access ERIC, including through the Internet; the AskERIC service that is available through the Internet; and steps for searching the database. A directory of ERIC clearinghouses is also included. (LRW)

Describes research and development of the Mercury Electronic Library Project, which was developed at Carnegie Mellon University Libraries to design an advanced retrieval system. Topics discussed include system architecture; security; performance, including automated and manual assessments; enhanced retrieval, including available databases;…

This followup to a 1981 study presents descriptions of automated projects or activities in academic, public, and special libraries or information centers in the Greater Sao Paulo region that developed from 1981 through 1987. It is noted that an overall increase in the level of automation since 1981 has been observed. (four references) (Author/MAB)

A survey to discover what academic libraries were doing in the area of CD-ROM networking found that (1) all responding libraries utilized CD-ROM technology; (2) great diversity existed in the number of databases and workstation owned; (3) different staffing patterns exist between networked and nonnetworked libraries; and (4) 21 institutions had…