Search

Presents a list of reference materials on science and technology. "American Inventions: A History of Curious, Extraordinary and Just Plain Useful Patents"; "The McGraw-Hill Concise Encyclopedia of Science and Technology"; "Encyclopedia of Caves and Karst Science."

Reports that EBSCO Publishing is marketing SocINDEX and SocINDEX with Full Text. Statement that the index features more than 1.3 million records with subject headings from a sociology-specific thesaurus; Report that the full text edition includes full text for 241 core journals, 72 priority journals, 545 books and monographs, and 6,711 conference papers.

The author reports that EBSCO Publishing Inc. has become the exclusive distributor of the historical digital archive and genealogy database www.footnote.com. The database includes 55 million images that are not available other locations online. The author states that the images include historic documents such as historical newspapers, material relating from the Civil War and naturalization papers.

The article rates intergovernmental information resources. Most researchers, and possibly many librarians, turn to government documents only when they need certain information: census data, Supreme Court rulings, or a passport application. Likewise, international intergovernmental documents (IGOs) typically drift into the research picture only when someone has a very specific document or agency in mind. The array of resources evaluated here makes it clear, however, that IGOs are researching, compiling data, and publishing reports, articles, studies, and statistics on, quite literally, everything in the world. It's equally clear that this material has the potential to make vitally important contributions to research projects that have little or nothing to do with governments, international politics, or the workings of international bodies. The ratings include include Global Development Finance (GDF) Online, LexisNexis Statistical: Index to International Statistics, SourceOECD, United Nations Common Database, UN Commodity Trade Statistics Database (UN Comtrade), World Bank e-Library and World Development Indicators (WDI) Online.

The article looks at the development of The Vietnam Project, which provides digital information resources. Texas Tech University (TTU), Lubbock, is ramping up The Vietnam Project (www.vietnam.ttu.edu/vietnamcenter) with several massive digitization initiatives that will make major resources far more accessible. Launched in 1989, the project consists of two units, The Vietnam Center and The Virtual Vietnam Archive, along with smaller subdivisions: The Oral History Project, The Vietnam Archive, and The Teachers' Resource Web. The project was the brainchild of TTU history professor and navy veteran Jim Reckner, now its director, and a group of local Vietnam veterans, who approached the Board of Regents, which embraced the project. After existing on paper for more than a decade, the project began incorporating a virtual archive in 2001 using a collection management system called STAR/ Museums from Cuadra Associates (www.cuadra.com). The project continually receives materials from veterans -- roughly 1500 total, including 465 in the last year alone.

Discusses how libraries can strengthen their role in online learning. Way that the Internet has transformed how people obtain information; Opportunities available to libraries who use the Internet and its resources to their advantage; Need for librarians to develop content and services that have more affinity with the style of people who work in a multimedia world and spend much of their communication and work time online; How some libraries encourage community through their web sites; Assertion that libraries should increase the visibility of their content and services.

Discusses the change in information resources available to students due to the Internet, how this has changed education, and what colleges and universities need to do to adapt. The pitfalls of Internet research for students; Emphasis on information literacy; Examples of several universities and how they reflect new patterns in education.

Presents listings and brief reviews of resources for women about finances and money. Basic guides; Investing; Marriage & divorce; Widowhood; Older women; Retirement & estate planning; Psychology; Periodicals; Videos; Web sites.

The article focuses on blogs and other digital content, as well as using blogging software as a tool for other proposes. Particular attention is paid to the blogs of people in the public sphere. The article suggests that historians of these people would have to take their digital ephemera into account, and suggests that we still don't quite have the tools or the trained staff to do this sort of thing well.

The article examines how Phil Davis, life sciences bibliographer at Cornell University, is shaking up the scholarly community with his discovery of duplicate articles in Emerald/MCB University Press journals. According to Davis, he has found hundreds of examples of the same article published in more than one journal in at least 73 Emerald/MCB journals over 30 years. In response to Davis's allegations, Emerald undertook its own study and identified 560 republished papers from 1989 to 2004, about 1.1 percent of its total database content. Emerald promises it is "updating the database to ensure all attributions are fully visible [including] notification of subsequent publication as well as first publication" and has addressed in-depth Davis's findings and allegations.

Presents a list of best selling reference materials in 2004. "Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary"; "MLA Handbook for Writer's of Research Papers"; "The American Heritage Dictionary."

The article discusses ProQuest Information and Learning's Historical Newspapers project that was introduced in 2001. The project has made admirable progress, with 125 million documents expected to be digitized by June. The company's purpose, however, is not just to push content out onto the web in hopes that libraries can use it. ProQuest's philosophy is to take the end user into the creation process. Publications in the program include the New York Times (1851-2001), Wall Street Journal (1889-1997), Washington Post (1877-1988), Los Angeles Times (1881-1984), Chicago Tribune (1849-1984), Boston Globe (1872-1922), Atlanta Constitution (1868-1925), and Christian Science Monitor (1908-91). Rod Gauvin, ProQuest's senior VP, marketing and publishing, told LJ that the quality of the source material sometimes proved challenging as not all of the microfilm was in pristine condition, forcing ProQuest often to use multiple sources to produce a publication's complete run. Librarians had repeatedly told ProQuest they wanted a digitized newspaper project, recalled Joe Mills, ProQuest VP of manufacturing operations, but before tackling it the company had to look at the big picture and think through all implications.

The article presents a list of library reference materials, including the book "Atlas of the World," 17th ed., the encyclopedia the Britannica Online Academic Edition, and the book "Genealogy Basics in the Modern World."

The article reviews the web site Applied Science & Technology Index (AS&TI), located at www.hwwilson.com, from the H. W. Wilson Co.

In this article the author discusses a 2008 American Library Association publication that lists and reviews notable U.S. government documents of 2007. Provided is a list of government organizations that issued documents dealing with federal, state and local issues and also with international topics.

The authors compare the consolidation of information industries with that of agribusinesses. Small businesses stand out because they offer high quality or special themes to maintain their customers. There are growing concerns about free internet services such as Google Scholar and Microsoft Windows Live Academic taking over traditional journal indexes. The problem with large acquisitions is that they focus on quantity instead of quality of access to information, state the authors.

This article discusses visualization software, which is designed to help users get a "picture" of the meaning behind the words. With visualization software, students could see their search results clustered to represent the different aspects of nanotechnology. When confronted with thousands of search results on Google, we rely on its sophisticated ranking algorithms to bring the most important items to the top of the list. Publishers such as the Institute of Physics and platform hosts such as HighWire have already incorporated visualization software to display their search results.

Presents a directory of the products and services offered in this issue and the page numbers where they can be found in this resource guide.

This article presents more than 1200 recent and forthcoming titles, as of November 2004, from over 280 publishers, organized by category and keyed be product format, with grade levels for easier selection.

Discusses the database industry in relation to libraries. Description of the Dialog database; Databases which have failed; Popularity of bibliographic databases; Comparison of various databases and their products; Details on pricing; How a United States Supreme Court case concerning freelance writers is affecting database content; Profiles of database companies.

Focuses on usability testing to determine the effectiveness of Web sites. Factors of usability, including ease of use for beginning and experienced users; Importance of reviewing other Web sites; Definition of users; Objectives and aims of the Web site; Administration of the tests. INSETS: What's Going On in Libraries?;Resources.

Presents reviews of electronic databases and CD-ROM programs. American Government by ABC-CLIO; EGems Collector Pro 1.0; Frontline Diplomacy: The U.S. Foreign Affairs Oral History Collection from the Association for Diplomatic Studies & Training; The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians by Grove's Dictionaries, Inc.; Success in the World of Work by Meridian Education Corp.; Others.

This article focuses on the plan of Bowker Business Research (BBR) to help solicit corporate funding for a library collection of Envirofiche, a BBR microfiche subscription service of major journals, speeches, conference proceedings, symposia papers, reports, and studies covering environmental topics. Blighted by the Exxon Valdez disaster, corporations have been seeking to improve their image with today's green consumer, and BBR believes libraries which are facing increasing budget cuts of specialized information sources provide the perfect outlet for image enhancement. It is a benefit of major corporations to establish a positive presence in the public according to BBR vice president and publisher Ralph C. Ferragamo. Local corporate sponsors donate Envirofiche text from 1971 to the present as well as its print and CD-ROM indexes. BBR contributes fiche cabinets to house the collection. BBR will also conduct training seminars for library personnel. The sponsorship remains somewhat flexible. Elizabeth Wachendorfer, a campus development officer at the University of Houston in Texas expressed her interest in the BBR plan, but would like to have sponsorship of a continuing subscription and computer equipment compatible to the current library system.

Reviews texts, magazines, and papers currently available for library professionals reviewed by library professionals. Periodical called "Magazines for Libraries," edited by Bill Katz and Linda Sternberg Katz; Handbook called "Personnel Needs and Changing Reference Service," by Rosemarie Riechel; Handbook called "Personnel Administration in Libraries," by Sheila Creth and Frederick Duda; Essay entitled "Intellectual Property Issues in the Library Context," published by the Network Advisory Committee of the Library of Congress; Guide book called "Sci-Tech Archives and Manuscript Collections," edited by Ellis Mount.

This article reports that the Dial-up Catalog at the Cleveland Public Library has allegedly been well received that the library has expanded the service to include new features, as of February 1989. First of the features is that callers can order a title and specify the branch which it is most convenient for them to pick it up. Second, callers can connect with an electronic news board that relates information on Cleveland PL services, programs and events. Third, patrons who need in-depth research can call with a request, leave their phone number, and be called back with the information. Also, anyone that does not have a Cleveland or CLEVENET library card can get an application via computer. On the other hand, the Cuyahoga County Public Library has begun its own 24-hour dial-up service called the Easy Access Catalog. The online catalog includes a complete collection of books, records, tapes, compact discs, videos, films, and filmstrips. Meanwhile, the Cuyahoga PL Board of Trustees passed a resolution to place a five-year one mill levy renewal issue on the May 2, 1989 primary election ballot.

Presents the best reference sources for 1996. Including title, synopsis, and cost; Such titles as `American Folklore: An Encyclopedia,' edited by Jan Harold Brunvand; `American Indian Quotations,' edited by Howard J. Langer; `Oxford Encyclopedia of the Reformation,' four volumes, edited by Hans J. Hillerbrand; Other titles. INSETS: Best reference Web sites, by Cynthia Etkin and Brian E. Coutts.;Best reference CD-ROMs, by Cheryl LaGuardia and Ed Talent..

This article examines he role of the public and private sectors in disseminating government information, particularly in the agricultural sector, in the United States. When private firms began to offer farmer information that had previously been distributed by the government, farmers were burdened with prohibitive fees. Since the promulgation of guidelines by the Office of Management and Budget for managing federal information resources in 1985, farmers and other citizens have had no alternative to buying their information from the private sector at far steeper prices. Circular A-130 sharply reduced the federal government's efforts to collect and disseminate information to the public, and accelerated the trend toward commercialization and privatization of government information. Empirical evidence is presented, gleaned from a specific government database, the Electronic Dissemination of Information database of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Librarians must recognize that they are stationed on the front line of the fight for public access to electronic information produced by the government. If they are to win the battle, librarians must stand firm and be persistent as well as consistent on this issue.

This article examines the role and the problems surrounding prison libraries in the U.S. during the 1980s. Since 1970, prisoners have been provided with books and libraries, staffed with professional librarians, have been in prisons since the beginning of this century. Prison libraries have developed in parallel to all other types of libraries and have also evolved with changes in correctional philosophy and procedures. Defining the role of libraries within such an ill-defined establishment is in itself a problem. The assumption underlying the establishment of prison libraries is that the prison's purpose is to rehabilitate and prepare the prisoners for return to society. However, the aims of imprisonment are clearly under discussion and revision in relation to the administration of prison library. The goals stated by each prison administration must be used as a basis for the decision making of prison librarians. The predominant model for prison libraries has been based on the public library. Since the prison library is the only information resource that inmates have access to, it must attempt to meet all the needs of its clients by broadening its focus. Faced with limited funds and few supplemental resources for materials, prison libraries have often been unsuccessful in accomplishing this task.

The article presents news items on information technology that are of interest to libraries and librarians. EBL has launched a computer interface with direct table of content links. Elsevier has partnered with the PureDiscovery Corporation to develop the semantic Internet search tool KnowledgeGraph. WilsonWeb has developed a an article translation Internet tool that translates articles from foreign language databases.

A review of the Spanish language information resource "ClasePeriódica" is presented.

Licensed databases are easier to use, their functionalities are expanding, and their content--especially full text--continues to grow. For one thing, the library must build trust with its customers, who, once accustomed to online research through the library. If the MARC record is merely a representation of an item the library owns, then the library, catalog can also be a discovery tool that offers links to e-content. INSET: Two Campaigns That Worked.

Presents tips for using search engines to access the so-called invisible web, or information which is available but not easily accessed by the average Internet user. Reasons why standard search engines cannot find this information, including hindrances by sites which require registration; Search assistance by librarians; Other methods of searching for information. INSETS: Keeping Pace with the Invisible Web;Some Invisible Web Examples.

Reports on the crisis facing reference librarians in the late 1990s. Efforts of reference librarians to remain educated on Internet resources; Questions regarding whether Internet search engines will ever replace reference librarians; The overall importance of library patrons interacting with librarians in their search for resources.

The article discusses the important of curiosity in learning process and need for library tools focusing on leveraging curiosity. It discusses Professor Dan Kahan and his colleagues at Yale Law School's Cultural Cognition Project, which recognizes scientific curiosity as a key to overcoming cognitive biases in evaluating information.

The article presents an evaluation of Web sites offering free reference services for libraries including ala.org.au, extension.org and mashable.com.

Presents a collection of web sites that are designed to teach children about the inner workings of computers. Web sites that are designed with information catering to children in grades four through eight; Sites that contain information designed to educate students in grades 9-12; Sites that present instruction on web site building; History of the Internet that is also published; Other resource material in the field of computer technology that is on the web.

Focuses on the dependence of libraries on metadata. Role of metadata granularity; How digital data is sorted and tagged in a database; Way that granularity makes it possible to distinguish one piece of metadata from another; Issue of compliance with standards.

Provides results of a questionnaire which was given to librarians regarding remote access reference services. Description of changes in reference services as a result of remote access; How electronic resources have impacted library services; Decrease in total questions asked at reference desks; Increase in numbers of remote access users; Virtual and electronic mail reference use.

Provides information resources about energy which may be accessed by primary and secondary education students. Fairness in Web site coverage; Various types of energy which may be researched; Evaluation of Web sites for students.

Presents a collection of reviews of Web sites which offer free information resources for libraries. Online translation service offered by AltaVista; Online encyclopedias and archives; Sites which offer information about specific topics, including science, art and history.

Discusses the effect of the high costs of journals on libraries in less developed nations. Meeting of the International Federation of Science Editors in 2000 in Brazil, which focused on scientific communication and publishing; Efforts to make journals available online made by Bioline, the Electronic Publishing Trust for Development, the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications, the Scientific Electronic Library Online, and the National Institutes of Health.

Introduces a series of reviews of the best reference databases and CD-ROMs of 1999 according to 'Library Journal' magazine.

Reports on issues discussed at the Online World conference held in October 1999. Keynote address given by Eugenie Prime, manager of libraries at Hewlett-Packard; Topics discussed such as knowledge resource management; News of new products being released in late 1999 and 2000 including Lexis-Nexis Company Dossier.