Advantages of the Berkeley Mass Storage System (MSS) for information retrieval other than its size are: high serial-read rate, archival data storage; and random-access capability. By use of this device, the search cost in an SDI system based on the Nuclear Science Abstracts" data base was reduced by 20 percent. (6 references) (Author/NH)

Activity in the United Kingdom in the field of Selective Dissemination of Information is discussed and the approach of one industrial library to the problem is described. (1 reference) (Author)

Causes of Boolean failures to retrieve relevant MEDLARS index references are: search formulator failed to include important terms, indexer failed to include important terms, and misunderstanding of user's needs. On the evidence of this test the Probabilistic search is at least a partial solution to these problems. (8 references) (Author/NH)

A system that actually teaches the student how to think about vocational choices rationally and systemtically is described. (BY)

A study to determine the information required by superintendents for decisionmaking in educational administration. (RA)

Interactive systems must be designed to furnish error information to the user and must be able to accept a modification to the input and continue to cycle until convergence on the desired output is reached. (10 references) (Author)

The entire issue is devoted to reporting the Eighth Annual National Information Retrieval Colloquium, which was held in Philadelphia on May 6-7, 1971. (NH)

Pilot for computerizing financial information may also be used for personnel, students, facilities, curriculum and instruction. The project uses the Generalized Education Management System software (GEMS) developed by Oregon Total Information System (OTIS) and modified by AGT Data Systems Ltd. of Toronto. (DE)

The pressures that force a company to plan its information systems strategy help determine the shape its plan will take. (Author)

It is imperative that stringent protective devices be included in each information system to involve limitations upon the scope and character of the data that are collected, their dissemination, and their use. (Author)

The three conclusions of this study are: (1) major Federal agencies need comprehensive and integrated information systems, (2) very few Federal agencies have libraries with the capacity to administer comprehensive information programs and (3) libraries can make a greater contribution to agency information programs if they were given the resources.…

Using 20 question-document pairs and the document corpus that had been searched to find them, a small-scale study was made of how effectively answer-providing documents can be retrieved by text searching. (MF)

The discussion of factors inherent in future transmission network operations includes a review of some of the quality and economic trade-offs of facsimile systems in library applications. (NH)