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Current Cities Volume 02 Number 09
_Current_Cites_
Volume 2, no. 9
September 1991
Library Technology Watch Program
University of California, Berkeley
Edited by David F.W. Robison
ISSN: 1060-2356
Contributors:
Charles Bailey, Clifford Lynch, Teri Rinne, Vivienne Roumani,
Lisa Rowlison, Mark Takaro, Roy Tennant
Expert Systems
Bielawski, Larry and Robert Lewand. Intelligent Systems Design :
Integrating Expert Systems, Hypermedia and Database Technologies. New
York : John Wiley & Sons, 1991. This work gives a good overview and
discussion of intelligent systems and their design/development. It also
presents the integration of hypermedia into expert system design (and vice
versa)--this in particular, is an interesting marriage of technologies.
Kruger, Myron. Artificial Reality II. Addison-Wesley, 1991. Kruger, one of
the pioneers of virtual reality technology (who appears prominently in
Rheingold's book below) has written an unusual book that, while surveying
the typical VR technology (datagloves, head-mounted displays, etc.), focuses
on the aesthetics of VR as applied to interactive networks. One comes away
from this book with a completely different sense of Artificial Reality than
one gets from reading much of the current rather sensationalistic popular
press coverage. -- Clifford Lynch
Rheingold, Howard. Virtual Reality. New York : Summit Books, 1991. In this
book virtual reality is described and explained by Mr.Rheingold in a non-
technical manner. He tells of his own experiences in discovering VR, and in
this way we come to know of the technology's history and development.
Networks and Networking
Barron, Billy "Another use of the Internet: Libraries Online Catalogs"
ConneXions: The Interoperability Report 5(7) (July):15-19. Written by the
compiler of UNT's Accessing Online Databases, this article describes the
current state and future of network accessible catalogs and databases, as
well as the related issues of software standards. The articles citations are
of special interest, as they include a number of e-mail postings.
The Public Access Computer Systems Review special issue on network-
based electronic serials. PACS review articles are available at
LISTSERV@UHUPVM1.BITNET by sending the commands listed below with
each citation. The descriptions presented below are all written by Charles
Bailey, Editor-in-Chief of PACS Review.
In "The Electronic Journal: What, Whence, and When?," Ann Okerson
surveys current and future e-journal publication activities. She
discusses publishers' visions of e-journals, and she identifies four
major groups of potential e-journal publishers: existing publishers,
intermediary organizations (e.g., ISI and CARL), researchers and
scholars, and universities. She concludes by forecasting how e-
journals may evolve during the next 9 years. (GET OKERSON PRV2N1 or
GET OKERSON PRV2N1 F=MAIL)
In "Online Journals: Disciplinary Designs for Electronic Scholarship,"
Teresa Harrison et al. examine and critique the e- journal concept,
then describe the Electronic Journal of Communication/La Revue
Electronique de Communication (EJC/REC). EJC/REC is a referre[e]d,
bilingual journal dealing with communication. It is part of the
innovat[ive] Comserve service, which provides communication
scholars with a variety of electronic information services (e.g.,
directory information, journal indexes, access to over 1,000 files,
and 20 computer conferences). (GET HARRISON PRV2N1 or GET
HARRISON PRV2N1 F=MAIL)
In "Post-Gutenburg Galaxy: The Fourth Revolution in the Means of
Production of Knowledge," Stevan Harnad discusses the three
historical revolutions in knowledge production (speech, writing, and
print) and the emerging fourth revolution--electronic "skywriting" on
the Net. He examines the limitations of our print-based scholarly
communication system, and describes how electronic communication
can support scholarly skywriting, a process that allows scholars to
get rapid feedback about promising ideas and theories from
colleagues worldwide. He then describes Psycoloquy, a referred
psychology e-journal that embodies the scholarly skywriting process.
(GET HARNAD PRV2N1 or GET HARNAD PRV2N1 F=MAIL)
In "The Journal of the International Academy of Hospitality Research,"
Lon Savage describes a referred e-journal for researchers in hotel,
restaurant, and institutional management and tourism. JIAHR is
sponsored by the International Academy of Hospitality Research and
published by Virginia Tech's Scholarputer conference, e journal. The
authors also discuss the future of e-journals. (GET AMIRAN PRV2N1 or
GET AMIRAN PRV2N1 F=MAIL)
In "New Horizons in Adult Education: The First Five Years (1987-
1991)," Jane Hugo and Linda Newell describe the evolution of one of
the first (if not the first) refereed e-journals on the Net. This unique
adult education journal is edited by graduate students. (GET HUGO
PRV2N1 or GET HUGO PRV2N1 F=MAIL)
In "EJournal: An Account of the First Two Years," Edward Jennings
provides a personal look at his efforts to establish and publish a
refereed e-journal on electronic networks and texts. This behind-
the-scenes narrative reveals some of the trials and tribulations that
may face the prospective e-journal publisher. (GET JENNINGS PRV2N1
or GET JENNINGS PRV2N1 F=MAIL)
In "The Newsletter on Serials Pricing Issues," Marcia Tuttle describes
the evolution and publishing practices of this e- newsletter, which
deals with serials concerns. In addition to BITNET and Internet, the
newsletter is also published on ALANET, DataLinx, and EBSCONET. She
also discusses a variety of electronic publishing issues. (GET TUTTLE
PRV2N1 or GET TUTTLE PRV2N1 F=MAIL)
ARTICLES IN THE COMMUNICATIONS SECTION
In "How to Start and Manage a BITNET LISTSERV Discussion Group: A
Beginner's Guide," Diane Kovacs et al. discuss the steps to set up and
run a computer conference using the Revised LISTSERV software.
LISTSERV is a very widely used software package that supports both
computer conferences and e-serial publication on BITNET (many
existing e-serials are distributed with this software). It runs on IBM
mainframes under the VM/CMS operating system. (GET KOVACS
PRV2N1 or GET KOVACS PRV2N1 F=MAIL)
In "Providing Data Services for Machine-Readable Information in an
Academic Library: Some Levels of Service," Jim Jacobs examines four
types of academic services for machine-readable data files: general
data services, computing services, library data services, and
reference data services. Within each type, he identifies different
possible levels of service. (GET JACOBS PRV2N1 or GET JACOBS
PRV2N1 F=MAIL)
Scientific American Special Issue on Communications, Computers and
Networks 265(3) (September 1991). If you purchase a single issue of a
magazine this year, this should be it. Filled with eleven articles by some of
the biggest names in computer networking, this issue covers all bases and
includes suggestions for further readings on the issues. Included in this
issue are the following articles:
* "Communications, Computers and Networks" by Michael L. Dertouzos
of MIT;
* "Networks" by Vinton G. Cerf, President of the Coalition for
National Research Initiatives, writing about the network as medium;
* "Networked Computing in the 1990s" by Lawrence G. Tesler of Apple
Computer describing how changes in available technology will change
the way computers are used in society;
* "The Computer for the 21st Century" by Mark Weiser, head of the
Computer Science Laboratory at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center,
describes the future filled with smaller and more independent, yet
interconnected computers, what he calls "ubiquitous computing";
* "Products and Services for Computer Networks" by Nicholas P.
Negroponte, also of MIT (and has also been a visiting professor at
Berkeley), shows us a tantalizing vision of networked information;
* "Computers, Networks and Work" by Lee Sproull and Sara Kiesler of
Boston University and Carnegie Mellon University, respectively (and
the authors of ConnectionsQcited here last month), explore the
effects of increased networking on work and workers;
* "Computers, Networks and the Corporation" by Thomas W. Malone
and John F. Rockart both of MIT;
* "Computers, Networks and Education" by Alan C. Kay of Apple
Computer, using elementary education as an example, describes how
computers can amplify many areas of the educational process;
* "Infrastructure for the Global Village" by Al Gore, the US Senator
and author of the 1990 High Performance Computing Act, argues the
necessity of government involvement in the creation of a national
high-speed network;
* "Common Law for the Electronic Frontier" by Anne W. Branscomb of
Harvard University, discusses some of the issues of security and
privacy in a networked environment, as does Mitch Kapor, co-founder
and president of the Electronic Frontier Foundation [see EFFector
Online above], in "Civil Liberties in Cyberspace."
Optical Disc Technologies
"CD-ROM Special" ASLIB Information 19(6) (June 1991). This issue of ASLIB
Information, published in London, is devoted to CD-ROM technology, with six
articles covering a wide range of topics, including hardware selection,
standards, networking, and full-text CD-ROM databases. This proves that
the technology has firmly entrenched itself on the other side of the Atlantic
as well.
King, Alan "Let your fingers do the walking: A guide to information sources
about CD-ROM" Database 14(4) (August 1991):97-99. King provides a
detailed list and descriptions of his favorite CD-ROM information sources
with the caveat that "the amount of information about CD-ROM technology
has exploded almost as quickly as the technology itself." It is encouraging to
note that the two periodicals he deems as key, and when combined "create
the definitive CD-ROM reference" are both monitored monthly in Current
Cites.
General
Miericke, Susan "Creating Hospitable Environments for Technologically Naive
Users: Y'all Come Back Now, Hear!" Library Trends 39(3) (Winter 1991):327-
334. Miericke argues that developing and using "sound communications
strategies" as well as contextual teaching are the key to successful
integration of the technologically disinclined into the information age.
Templeton, Brad "The National Conference on Computing and Values: a
Report" EFFector Online [eff-news@eff.org] 1(10) (August 24, 1991). This
is a brief report on the first conference on computing and values that took
place this past summer.
Woodsworth, Anne. Patterns and Options for Managing Information
Technology on Campus. Chicago : American Library Association, 1991. In
this book Woodsworth addresses the question, "how can visions of the ideal
campus in the information age be realized: through the pervasive influence
of groups of technologically literate leaders on campus? Or through strong
central direction by a chief information officer (CIO)?"
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Current Cites 2(9)(September 1991)
Copyright (C) 1992 by the Library, University of
California, Berkeley. All rights reserved.
Copying is permitted for noncommercial use by computerized
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material. All commercial use requires permission from the editor,
who may be reached in the following ways:
drobison@library.berkeley.edu // drobison@ucblibra // (510)642-7600
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