The first of four articles describes the move by the European Space Agency to eliminate connect time charges on its online retrieval system. The remaining articles describe the pricing structure of DIALOG, compare the two pricing schemes, and discuss online pricing from the user's point of view. (CLB)

Discusses the liability of online information services and presents a study of case law in Europe and in the United States that deals with liability for the provision of inaccurate, incomplete, or out-of-date information. Liability in tort, contractual liability, and strict liability are examined. (18 references) (LRW)

Provides an annotated list of recommended selection tools for children's and young adult materials in Spanish. Commercial vendors, books, older lists for retrospective collecting, and periodicals and journals are among the categories included. (five references) (LRW)

Presents guidelines for effective online searching developed over the last 20 years. Areas covered by the guidelines include preplanning, database selection, cost-effective search techniques, searching for names, awareness of differences between databases and systems, matching search strategies to databases, postsearch routines, and the…

Discusses special problems that the symbols for sharps and flats in music notation present for the retrieval of music materials in online catalogs, and describes the results of a survey of vendors of online systems that was conducted to determine how vendors deal with this notation. (nine references) (LRW)

Describes the efforts at Boston Public Library to recover from serious flooding that damaged computer equipment. Discusses vendor help in assessing the damage; the loss of installation disks; hiring consultants to help with financial matters; effects on staff; repairing and replacing damaged equipment; insurance issues; and disaster recovery…

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)

Discusses netiquette, which refers to etiquette on computer networks. Highlights include ethical or moral issues as well as standards of politeness; specific examples and suggestions; netiquette rules for advertising; influence of online service providers, including acceptable use policies; influence of employers; and influence of governments.…

Discusses interactive systems used for distance learning in corporate settings. Topics include use in professional development and training; the system itself, including vendors, costs, and compatibility; content issues; and the instructor or presenter, including necessary skills and knowledge to be successful in this new media. (LRW)

Describes the features of an e-book, its limitations and technical concerns. Explores the e-book's place in the market and highlights several pioneering companies that have launched, or will soon, a number of e-book readers and e-reading software. Concludes with questions on effects of e-books in academic libraries, the publishing industry and…

Describes the process for outsourcing photocopying including developing a clear request for proposal, monitoring and responding to vendor performance, and ensuring quality controls in academic libraries. (Author/PEN)

The resurgence of interest in e-books, who uses them, and where the technology is headed were among the issues discussed March 16 at the eBooks in the Public Library Conference in New York, sponsored by the Open eBook Forum (OeBF). Roughly 200 librarians, publishers, and vendors braved a winter squall to share their expertise and experiences.…

This study examined the user-interface design characteristics of 107 Fortune 500 B2C e-commerce Web sites and industry differences. Data were collected from corporate homepages, B2C product/service pages, B2C interactive shopping pages, as well as customer satisfaction of 321 online shoppers. The findings indicate that (a) to attract online…

Do vendor reps provide librarians with the information they need in the way they need it? Do vendors feel they are communicating effectively with their librarian clients? A recent survey of North American and European academic librarians commissioned by Jim McGinty, vice chair of Cambridge Information Group, and carried out by consultants David…