Discussion of the future possibilities of digital library systems highlights digital projects developed at Tilburg University (Netherlands). Topics addressed include online access to databases; electronic document delivery; agreements between libraries and Elsevier Science publishers to provide journal articles; full text document delivery; and…

Discusses results from a 1992 survey of various types and sizes of Canadian libraries that was conducted to establish a baseline profile of libraries contributing to shared databases, and to determine the nature and extent of AACR2R use for creating original records being contributed to bibliographic utilities or other networks. (LRW)

Reviews ConSearch 3.0, a product that provides flexible searching of electronic files, allowing the location of related meanings as well as exact matches. ConSearch 3.0 differs from other file retrieval approaches by relating words in search phrases of questions to the "meaning" of the words, which are stored in a "conceptual…

Describes the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lexical Dictionary (NLD), a machine-aided indexing system used online at the NASA Center for AeroSpace Information (CASI). The functions of NLD system components are described in detail, and production and quality benefits resulting from machine-aided indexing at CASI are…

Investigates retrieval performance of controlled and uncontrolled subject representations as a function of retrieval expectation in the cystic fibrosis (CF) database. (Contains 22 references.) (KRN)

Discusses the results of modeling the performance of searching large text databases via various parallel hardware architectures and search algorithms. The performance under load and the cost of each configuration are compared, and a common search workload used in the modeling is described. (Contains 26 references.) (LRW)

Provides an overview of HYTREM (Hybrid Text-Retrieval Machine), a high-performance, cost-effective text-retrieval machine that handles information in large textual databases. Describes HYTREM's software and hardware design principles and presents an evaluation of system performance in relation to user demand and access versus system capacity. (JMV)

Discusses a method for organizing and augmenting the data in a complex database to make automatic retrieval possible. Presents an example of the method using a database of information on the nature and use of fungicides. Initial results of trials with potential users suggest that the system can produce relevant responses to queries. (Author/AEF)

Presents a computer software review of the graphical online interface, Ovid client for Windows. Evaluates the following system options: database choices, graphical interface, index browsing, searching, topical limiting, term mapping, displaying, printing, and downloading. Sidebars display product information and feedback from Ovid Technologies in…

Describes ArcView, a Geographic Information System (GIS) that enables K-12 classrooms to access electronic maps and information databases for specific communities. Presents actual applications of ArcView at an elementary school and a high school. Finds that students are using GIS technology to collect, analyze, and apply local data to real…

Summarizes the findings of a recent study on the indexing practices used in the Library and Information Science Abstracts (LISA) database. Descriptors, or indexing terms, from the thesaurus are analyzed; searching implications are discussed; and the relationship between the classification code and the descriptors is examined. (Contains 21…

Summarizes alternatives to using live animals for the teaching of veterinary medicine both currently and over time. Advantages of using teaching alternatives include low cost, accessibility, completeness, psychomotor skill training, ease of repetitive use, and humanness to both the animal and the person. (Author/MDH)

This last article in a series which reported results of a software evaluation project done by the Netherlands Association of Users of Online Information Systems (VOGIN) focuses on how to select appropriate software. Topics discussed include price considerations; user needs; and types and quality of information. (Contains 11 references.) (LRW)

The authors of EC 610 840 reflect on their use of data from the federally developed National Education Longitudinal Study for their research. They identify specific weaknesses of their study stemming from use of this database (such as lack of severity data) as well as strengths (use of a national sample). Researchers are urged to utilize such…

Comparison of 19 national data collection programs found significant variability in the disability categories used. Discussion focuses on issues related to improving disability identification in large-scale data collection programs and the effects of these issues on reporting policy-relevant information. (Author/DB)