Provides an overview of developments in CD-ROM networking technology and describes products offered by Axis, Banyan (VINES--network operating environment), CD Connection, Celerity, Data/Ware, Document Imaging Systems Corporation (DISC), Imagery, Jodian, Meridian, Micro Design International, Microsoft, Microtest, Novell, OnLine Computer Systems,…

This case study describes the use of an information technology vendor conference to assure the smooth opening of a public library in Portland, Oregon. Vendors for hardware, telecommunications, integrated library systems, and networks met with library administration and staff to troubleshoot problems and share information and to ensure a timely…

Discusses the growth of library consortia that has been largely driven by the rise in cost and quantity of electronic journals and products. Highlights include activities in addition to purchasing agreements, including staff development, distance learning, and minority recruitment; national consortia; database pricing; vendor opinions;…

The current status of street children in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, is characterized by marginalization from society through street vending, begging, theft, and prostitution. Evaluation of a drop-in center serving children without family linkages indicates need for needs assessments, follow-up activities, measurement of individual child progress,…

Funding shortfalls in education and commercialism have given rise to vendor-created curricula. Too often values are imposed on young minds, and some vendors have tended to be more concerned with their products and services than with student learning. The rise in popularity of the Channel One in-school news program has set off a nationwide…

Focuses on the three components of legacy in the information industry: data, systems, and human factors. Discusses psychological legacy data; data conversions; characteristics of legacy systems for the information industry; database producers; standards; evaluating legacy from a financial perspective; financial considerations for database…

Edna Chun and Alvin Evans explain how a low-cost application service provider model can benefit institutions looking to streamline and simplify the recruitment and hiring process, yet still attract top talent. They offer tips for selecting a vendor, examine the importance of collaboration between and among different campus constituents in…

The landscape of public education in Michigan has changed dramatically over the last 13 years. Most districts receive a majority of their operating money from state government, not local taxes. Charter schools and nearby districts lure students away from local schools and capture the state money that goes with them. Districts are even subject to…

Numerous easily accessible databases cover almost every subject area in the humanities. The principal database resources in the humanities are described. There are two major database vendors for humanities information: BRS (Bibliographic Retrieval Services) and DIALOG Information Services, Inc. As an introduction to online searching, this article…

This inventory provides profiles, tables, and listings describing automated library activities at 103 Association of Research Libraries (ARL) institutions. The inventory includes analyses of aggregate information from individual library profiles which are then divided into three categories that reflect primarily bibliographic functions: (1)…

This document is a self-paced training packet developed for a pilot project at the University of Houston-University Park to teach pharmacy faculty members to do their own online searching. The training begins with general topics such as the kinds of searches that can be done effectively online, the selection of appropriate databases to search, and…

Discusses the advantages of conducting online computer searches of "Chemical Abstracts." Introduces the logical sequences involved in searching an online database. Explains Boolean logic, proximity operators, truncation, searchable fields, and command language, as they relate to the use of online searches in undergraduate chemistry…

Examines the MARC Archives and Manuscripts Control format as a prototype for the exchange of information among multitype networks including libraries and archives, and discusses existing differences in policy and objectives of libraries and archives that may be reconciled using this format. (CLB)

A series of articles examines the possible role of standards in measuring the performance of automated library systems and in planning the needed capacity of a system. Topics discussed include capacity modeling; response time measurement; system performance from the library, vendor, and consultant perspectives; and development of performance…

Examines some of the fears, frustrations, and misconceptions of library staff and patrons that hamper the effective use of computers in libraries. Strategies that library administrators could use to alleviate stress are outlined, including staff participation in the automation process, well-designed workstations, and adequate training for staff…