Describes an integrated approach to test development and administration called computer-adaptive sequential testing (CAST). CAST incorporates adaptive testing methods with automated test assembly. Describes the CAST framework and demonstrates several applications using a medical-licensure example. (SLD)

Discusses creating and managing an effective library Web site aimed at teenagers. Topics include omitting links to sites teens already know about; links to book review sites where teens can post their own comments; links to local sites; regular updating; use of graphics; and involving teens in the process. (LRW)

Explores library-related implications of the U.S. Department of Justice's investigations into the operations of Microsoft and Intel and suggests that developing a broader understanding of information technology marketing is crucial to the short- and long-term future of libraries. (MES)

Provides a list of companies that offer commercial library software and describes the systems and tools they offer. Integrated library systems, networking systems, bibliographic software, and other library applications are included. (LRW)

Provides an update to the list of companies that offer commercial library software and describes the systems and tools they offer. Integrated library systems, networking systems, bibliographic software, and other library applications are included. (LRW)

Unlike most program assessment systems, Program Assessment using Specified Solutions (PASS), evaluates student C programs by assessing the way a problem was solved by performing a comparison of the submitted program with a solution plan. This article describes PASS, its use of instructor specified solution plans, assessment and feedback systems,…

Evaluates the retrieval performance of an algorithm that automatically categorizes medical documents, which consists in assigning an International Code of Disease (ICD) based on well-known information retrieval techniques. Reports on experimental results that tested precision using a database of over 20,000 medical documents. (Author/LRW)

Describes expert systems and discusses their use in libraries. Highlights include parts of an expert system; expert system shells; an example of how to build an expert system; a bibliography of 34 sources of information on expert systems in libraries; and a list of 10 expert system shells used in libraries. (Contains five references.) (LRW)

Investigates an automatic method for Cross Language Information Retrieval (CLIR) that utilizes the multilingual Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) Metathesaurus to translate Spanish natural-language queries into English. Results indicate that for Spanish, the UMLS Metathesaurus-based CLIR method is at least equivalent to if not better than…

Considers how the implementation of self-checkout systems may affect library management in general and circulation departments in particular, focusing on the impact on circulation departments' workflow and the financial implications involved in implementing it. Suggests an opportunity for libraries to undergo a paradigm shift concerning the…

An upstate New York district became a pilot site for a technology industry initiative to build software systems that eliminate traditional interdepartmental barriers. This article describes interactive software systems (especially the Schools Interoperability Framework) that can transform a district's administrative tasks into a free-flowing,…

In this column, the author relates his experiences in the use of library technology over his 20-year career at Vanderbilt University. He describes how computers in libraries have transformed almost every aspect of how the library provides its services and performs its work behind the scenes. In addition, the author shares a few successful…

Since technology is so expensive, making the wrong purchasing decisions can have severe financial consequences. The purpose of this article is to describe three technology decisions that failed to achieve their original intent. For each of the three, the author's discuss the expectations of the chief information officer, the vendor's sales pitch,…

Library media specialists need tools to help them manage the school library media program. The Internet includes a vast array of tools that a library media specialist might find useful. The websites and electronic resources included in this article are only a representative sample and future columns may explore additional tools. All the tools are…

Virtual reference services seem a natural extension of libraries digital collections and the emphasis on access to the library anytime, anywhere. If patrons use the library from home, it makes sense to provide them with person-to-person online reference. The Library of Congress (LC), OCLC, and several large library systems have developed and…