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Current Cities Volume 02 Number 03
_Current_Cites_
Volume 2, no. 3
March 1991
Library Technology Watch Program
University of California, Berkeley
Edited by David F.W. Robison
ISSN: 1060-2356
Contributors:
Teri Rinne, Vivienne Roumani, Lisa Rowlison, Mark Takaro, Roy Tennant
Expert Systems
Harmon, Kenneth. "Software for Expert Systems." Expert Systems In
Libraries. Norwood, New Jersey: Ablex Publishing, 1990. Chapter 2,
pp. 12-23. After a clear and quick review of the fundamentals of
expert system architecture, Mr. Harmon summarizes the 3
techniques of ES development: 1) programming the system in Prolog,
Lisp or Smalltalk; 2) using an ES environment (basically a large ES
shell used mostly for large computers) and 3) using one of the many
PC shells: Expert-Ease, ESP advisor, VP-Expert, etc. It is this last
option which is the most feasible for expert system development in
libraries.
Smith, Karen. "POINTER: The Microcomputer Reference Program for
Federal Documents." Expert Systems In Libraries. Norwood, New
Jersey: Ablex Publishing, 1990. Chapter 4, pp. 41-50. This program
offers its users minimal level reference assistance in federal
government documents. Although POINTER has sometimes been
called an expert system, Ms. Smith explains that it is not. Despite
the fact that POINTER does not reason independently (a key feature
of an expert system) it is likely to be a valuable reference tool -
especially in settings where Reference Librarians are not always
available. Furthermore, through this paper Ms. Smith illustrates,
though perhaps not intentionally, the differences between
conventional programming and an expert system.
Hyper- and Multimedia
Cisler, Steve. "Sound Advice: New Uses for Audio on the Macintosh."
Online 15(2) (March 1991):84-86. An often-overlooked aspect of
multimedia technology receives treatment here in the MacMonitor
column authored by Apple's Librarian Steve Cisler. Several
sound/audio applications are discussed, opening up the possibilities
of annotating voice mail, creating audio dictionaries connected to
the print or online forms and storing audio data in digital form on
hard disks. Compression technologies present one obstacle to mass
storage of sound, but the potential for sound to become a
manipulable form of data similar to text and graphics presents
exciting new prospects for audio technologies to begin catching up
to their print counterparts.
Nairn, John. "The Proposed Disk Description Protocol (DDP) Standard:
Background and Overview." CD-ROM Professional 4(2) (March
1991):56-57. DDP is a proposed standard for the submission of
multimedia data to CD-ROM disk mastering facilities. While the
method for submitting text, record and still-image data is fairly
straight-forward, multimedia data is more complex in its structure.
As no common format exists, the current process is difficult and
error-prone, necessitating a standard before the diversity of ad-hoc
submission methods become too entrenched.
Oberhauser, Otto C. "Multimedia Information Storage and Retrieval
Using Optical Disk Technology: Potential for Library and Information
Services" Osterreichisches Institut fur Bibliotheksforschung,
Dokumentations- und Informationswesen, 1990. Beginning with a
thorough overview of optical disk technologies, this comprehensive
monograph surveys applications of multimedia optical disk media in
Europe, Asia and North America. The focus is on current projects
from libraries and museums, but extends also to projects that are
related to the work of reference librarians in many fields. The
well-organized study includes some local projects and provides a
glimpse of the type of work that these paired technologies make
possible.
Networks and Networking
Flanders, Bruce L. "KICNET: Interlibrary Loan in a Wide-Area Network
in Kansas" Online 15(2) (March 1991): 55-60. The Kansas State
Library system found that creating and managing their own e-mail
network for interlibrary lending requests was both easier and
cheaper than using OCLC, phone, fax, or mail (or a combination of
these modes of communication). The software they selected,
cc:Mail, seems to have been a key part of their success. KICNET
currently handles an average of 1,600 messages daily for 150
libraries. The cost per message is approximately $0.05.
Malkin, G. and A. Marine "FYI on Questions and Answers: Answers to
Commonly asked 'New Internet User' Questions" Network Working
Group RFC 1206 (February 1991): 32 p. The goal of this paper is to
document the most commonly asked questions and answers in the
Internet. And that it does. This document can also be useful to
those with some Internet experience but want more information.
Also included are a glossary and list of suggested readings.
Available via anonymous ftp from nnsc.nsf.net (128.89.1.178)
with pathname rfc/rfc1206.txt.
Optical Disc Technologies
Jensen, Mary Brandt. "CD-ROM Licenses: What's in the Fine or Non-
Existent Print may Surprise You" CD-ROM Professional 4(2) (March
1991):13-16. This article provides a concise overview of CD-ROM
licensing agreements. As most CD-ROM products are licensed rather
than sold to users, rights and obligations differ quite dramatically
when compared to the purchase of printed products. This article
explores the restrictions associated with control of the disks and
software, back-up copies and warranties, down-loading, multiple
user access, and confidentiality. The author points out that the
terms in the standard CD-ROM agreement are merely an offer made
by the producer, and all the terms should be negotiable.
Kesselman, Martin "CD-ROM Trends" Wilson Library Bulletin 65(5)
(January 1991):84-86. This article outlines recent trends and
developments regarding CD-ROM and other optical media. Among the
newest optical consumer products, slated for release this
Christmas, is the Sony Data Discman. The postcard-sized Discman
includes a 3-inch CD-ROM player, keyboard, and liquid-crystal
display screen. It also includes a video adapter that allows the data
to be displayed on a TV screen and an earphone for listening to
conventional audio CDs.
LaGuardia, Cheryl, et al. "CD-ROM Networking in ARL Academic
Libraries: a Survey." CD-ROM Professional 4(2) (March 1991):36-39.
This article presents the results of a survey conducted by UCSB
Library staff. While all responding libraries have some CD-ROMs in
place, ranging from 2-85 workstations, a relatively small number of
local-area networks were in place, 21 out of 78 responses.
However, 50 libraries not currently networking CD-ROMs, plan to do
so by 1992 at the latest. Only five libraries have definitely decided
against networking: one because of cost considerations, while the
other four plan to mount databases on their local mainframe instead.
General
Pollack, Andrew "Universal Computer Code Due: Rivals Join Forces to
Design Standard for All Languages"New York Times 140(48,517)
(February 20, 1991):1, 5. Twelve companies, including IBM, Apple,
Microsoft, Sun and Xerox, are joining forces to create a universal
computer code that will allow computers using any (human) language
to communicate. The first release of Unicode should occur this
spring with a limited set of 27,000 of characters. Eventually, this
code system will be able to accommodate any language in existence,
including those that use ideograms and those that are no longer
spoken.
News Bits
Hughes, Carol. "Opening a Universitywide Dialogue about Electronic
Information Resources" College and Research Libraries News
52(2)February 1991:84-87.
McMullen, Barbara E. and John F. McMullen. "Xerox Introduces Network
Fax Server" Computer Currents. 8(19) (February 26, 1991):6.
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Current Cites 2(3) (March 1991) ISSN: 1060-2356
Copyright (C) 1992 by the Library, University of
California, Berkeley. All rights reserved.
Copying is permitted for noncommercial use by computerized
bulletin board/conference systems, individual scholars, and
libraries. Libraries are authorized to add the journal to their
collections at no cost. This message must appear on copied
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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