This report is the fourth in a series of reports which the PLATO Services Organization publishes to keep users up to date on curricular developments on the PLATO system. Materials are listed here under 71 subject areas. The report first presents all subject areas in which PLATO lesson development is in progress; it then provides a summary of…

This catalog provides information on the 159 vocational/career education programs which have been funded by the 1968 Vocational Amendments and Wisconsin's 16 vocational technical and adult education districts to provide services to special needs students. The preface indicates that many innovative methods and techniques for training special needs…

A FIPSE-sponsored National Task Force on Better Information for Student Choice identified three broad areas of information needs: costs and financial aid; academic offerings and requirements; and the outcomes or results of attendance. These are discussed in terms of graduate programs within the pharmaceutical sciences. (LBH)

Explores the potential usefulness of the Library of Congress Classification (LCC) system as a tool in online retrieval. Unique features of LCC are described and a theoretical analysis of its potentials and limitations in terms of subject browsing, enhanced vocabulary, and class number searching are presented. (CDD)

Reports results of a survey of online catalog users in an academic library in Saudi Arabia that examined search patterns, levels of satisfaction, and user attitudes toward the online catalog. The special problems encountered when searching in a foreign language are discussed, and systems improvements are suggested. (CLB)

Describes the use of PC FOCUS, a database management package for IBM microcomputers, in the creation of an online catalog and index for a management library and information service. The programing and input required and system performance are discussed in detail. (CLB)

Analyzes English program catalog descriptions at 81 four-year colleges. Concludes that the English major has changed little since 1965-68, with literature remaining at the core of the program. (MM)

This review of the literature on the effect of information overload on users' information-seeking behavior focuses on librarians' opinions about the number of references that constitute too many, and users' preferences for maximum numbers of references from online searches, online public access catalog postings, and manual indexes. (35 references)…

Describes the history and current status of bibliographic control in Japanese libraries, including the necessity for standardizing the combination of Japanese phonetic script and Chinese characters. The results of a survey of bibliographic activities and library automation are presented, and a developing plan to establish Japanese bibliographic…

Reports the design, methodology, and results of a research project which examined the effectiveness of bibliographic displays produced by online catalogs. A means of testing displays against several hundred thousand records at a reasonable cost and using that to test several display possibilities is described. (CLB)

Proposes a rationale to be used in comparing and evaluating alternative library computer catalogs, based on varieties of bibliographic data processed, kinds of indexes constructed, and desired search strategies. A glossary of terms related to computerized catalogs is appended. (Author/CLB)

Describes Vannevar Bush's vision of memex, a mechanized private file and library, and suggests that the ability of users to download library online catalogs and manage the information on personal computers will realize Bush's vision. Current software packages are described, and the possible implications for libraries are explored. (CLB)

Reach for a Book is the theme for Children's Book Week 1986, and book presentations, activities, and exhibits to emphasize the joy of reading are listed. A Book Week Puzzle Packet provides two puzzles designed to reinforce the idea of using the card catalog to find materials on specific subjects. (EM)

This investigation of the effects of age, gender, college status, and computer experience on students' attitudes toward an online catalog measured student attitudes on three subscales--computer anxiety, computer confidence, and computer liking. Results of analysis of variance showed that computer experience was significantly related to computer…

Describes problems in the current state of library automation, including too much jargon, excessive costs, excessive implementation time, and systems that don't work. An example is given of one public library's conservative approach to library automation which husbands resources for the maintenance and expansion of print collections and…