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Current Cities Volume 03 Number 02
_Current_Cites_
Volume 3, no.2
February 1992
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 & Artificial Intelligence
Krueger, Myron W. Artificial Reality II. Reading, Mass., Addison-
Wesley Publishing Co.: 1991. In this volume Krueger details the
products of artificial reality: video touch, video space, goggles, gloves,
etc. Artificial reality as a new artistic medium is discussed. The
technological representations of perception, space, and objects are
explained. Also included are interesting chapters on applications and
cybernetic society. -- LR
Hyper- and Multimedia
Piette, Mary I. and Nathan M. Smith, Jr. "Hypermedia and Library
Instruction: The Challenge of Design" Reference Services Review
19(4) (Winter 1991):13-20. A description of project FORE (Focus
on Research and Education) at Utah State University. A
bibliographic instruction tool, Project FORE incorporates training
in basic library research techniques in a stylish HyperCard system.
Paying close attention to what facilitates effective learning, the
designers created a varied and lively interactive system that
leads users through the course. Drills, feedback from the system
on answers and increasingly sophisticated exercises enable users
to learn by doing, making their use of the system meaningful for
future library research. -- MT
Rosebush, Judson. "Sounds In CD-ROM--Integrating Audio in
Multimedia Products" CD-ROM Professional 5(1) (January 1992):83-
87. Surveying some new ideas and products in the union of
Hypermedia and CD-ROM technology, the author's enthusiasm seems
justified by the quality of the products discussed. Musicologist Alan
Lomax's Global Jukebox uses a HyperCard interface to access and
control a collection of songs from hundreds of cultures. A Farallon
MacRecorder program called SoundEdit allows for cutting and pasting
of sounds onscreen and includes effects for modifying input signals.
Other Farallon, Voyager,and Chinon products are introduced as well,
making this article a good review of the latest in multimedia audio
technologies. -- MT
Rosenberg, Jason B. and Christine L. Borgman "Report on the Loading
of MARC Format Bibliographic Records to HyperCard" Information
Technology and Libraries 10(4) (December 1991):292-297 and Lee,
Newton S. "Multimedia Visualizer: an Animated, Object-based OPAC"
Information Technology and Libraries 10(4) (December 1991):297-
310. A pair of related articles describing the creation of a
bibliographic database in HyperCard through downloading from
traditional OPACS and using a NeXT system catalog for library access.
The first article contains technical information about the process of
downloading, parsing and uploading to HyperCard of a portion of the
catalogs of UCLA (ORION) and Los Angeles Public Library, creating a
visual catalog for library users. The second article on Multimedia
Visualizer introduces a visually-based OPAC that can access books,
audio recordings and animation (the last not yet implemented) and
allow users to manipulate their chosen works. Forward-looking in
both its front end and its final presentation of materials, Multimedia
Visualizer offers exciting potential for libraries to employ multimedia
technologies for the benefit their users. -- MT
Networks and Networking
Bortman, Henry. "On Beyond E-Mail" MacUser8(3)(March 1992):191-
197. The e-mail of the future in '92? Bortman describes Apple's
plans for Open Collaboration Environment that will allow system 7
users to e-mail from almost any application, that is mail an
application document, and escape the ASCII prison. -- DR
Dern, Daniel P. "Applying the Internet: Corporate, Research,
Educational, Governemental, and Other Real-World Uses" BYTE
17(2)(February 1992):111-118. See what the others are saying
about the Internet. And yes, they know that library catalogs are
available. -- DR
Kehoe, Brendan. Zen and the Art of the Internet: A Beginner's Guide
to the Internet. First ed. January 1992. Available via anonymous ftp
from ftp.uu.net (137.39.1.9) in /inet/doc; ftp.cs.toronto.edu
(128.100.3.6) in pub/zen; ftp.cs.widener.edu (147.31.254.132) in
pub/zen; and ftp.sura.net (128.167.254.179) in pub/nic. This is the
best thing since spliced cable. This easy-to-read, witty guide to
using the Internet and its resources is the best yet. It includes
examples (employing font changes for clarity), a glossary and an
index. It has chapters on network basics, e-mail, ftp, usenet news,
telnet, tools, commercial services, and "Things You'll Hear About," as
well as finding out more. There are two appendices, Getting to
Other Networks and Retrieving Files via Email. Go "get" it! -- DR
Kovacs, Michael J. and Diane K. Kovacs. "The State of Scholarly
Electronic Conferencing" Electronic Networking 1(2)(Winter
1991):29-36. As we all know, electronic conferencing and electronic
journals are increasingly important to our work, both for library-
oriented subjects as well as other subject areas. The authors give a
brief overview of e-conferencing, and give the results of their
preliminary study of the state and effects of e-conferences and
e-journals today. -- DR
Lewis, Sarah. "Are You an Internet Nerd?" EFFector Online
2(4)(January 18, 1992). (Available via anonymous ftp from
ftp.eff.org [192.88.144.3] in /pub/eff.) Take this test and find out
how bad you've got the Internet fever. I scored as a full-fledged
Internet nerd, but only by a hair. I'm only a little embarrassed. --
DR
Lottor, M. "Internet Growth (1981-1991)" Network Working Group
RFC 1296 (January 1992) (Available via anonymous ftp from
nnsc.nsf.net [128.89.1.178] with pathname rfc/rfc1296.txt.) This
article illustrates how the number of Internet hosts has grown in the
past ten years--exponentially. And that's only the hosts, not the
users themselves. Charts of the growth is included, as well as list of
the most popular host names (# 1 is venus). -- DR
Love, James P. "Internet Access to Federal Information" posting on
PACS-L@UHUPVM1 (February 4, 1992) and CNIDIR-L@UNMVM
(February 10, 1992). Love describes the work of the Taxpayer
Assets Project which is supporting the Information Access Act. This
act would amend the Freedom of Information Act and would, among
other things, give "Federal agencies a mandate to provide online
access to information resources through national computer
networks." -- DR
Lynch, Clifford A. "The Development of Electronic Publishing and
Digital Library Collections on the NREN" Electronic Networking
1(2)(Winter 1991):6-22. Lynch describes the current state of
electronic publishing and information resources on the network and
where things may be heading, how the availability of primary
materials in electronic format may lead scholars away from print
sources, and how all of this may force a change in the way we view
libraries. Lynch also looks at electronic publishing from the
perspectives of author, reader, library, and publisher. -- DR
North American Directory Forum. "User Bill of Rights for Entries and
Listings in the Public Directory" Network Working Group RFC 1295
(January 1992) (Available via anonymous ftp from nnsc.nsf.net
[128.89.1.178] with pathname rfc/rfc1295.txt.) This RFC contains a
near-verbatim copy of the text of NADF-265 -- The User Bill of
Rights for entries in the Public Directory. Among other rights, you
have the the right not to be in the directory, and if you are, the right
to examine and correct any inaccurate information about yourself. --
DR
Sobel, David. "Sun Devil Documents Released" EFFector Online
2(4)(January 18, 1992). (Available via anonymous ftp from
ftp.eff.org [192.88.144.3] in /pub/eff.) As a result of the Computing
Professionals for Social Responsibility's request for documents under
the FOIA, it has been discovered that the US Secret Service has been
monitoring communications sent accross the Internet. Read about
such surveillance activities by the Secret Service and the FBI. -- DR
Tennant, Roy. "Internet Basic Training: Teaching Networking Skills in
Higher Education" Electronic Networking 1(2)(Winter 1991):37-46.
Tennant describes how librarians can provide training for users of
the Internet in higher education, including what areas are most
important to cover, how to cover them, and how to keep yourself
current to provide the best instruction [read Current Cites--talk
about recursive reviews!]. -- DR
For more CD-ROM networks, see below.
Optical Disc Technologies
Jaffe, David Lee and Steven G. Watkins "CD-ROM Hardware
Configurations: Selection and Design" CD-ROM Professional
5(1)(January 1992):62-68. Jaffe and Watkins seek to assist
librarians through the maze of CD-ROM hardware installation choices
by providing an overview of the wide array of possible
configurations: single drive workstations, daisychains, jukeboxes,
peer-to-peer networks, networks based on file servers, and networks
with remote access capabilities. Especially useful are the diagrams
accompanying each configuration description. Beyond that, they
delve into selection and design considerations of the system itself.--
TR
Kittle, Paul W. "Networking the Light Fantastic: CD-ROMs on LANs"
CD-ROM Professional 5(1)(January 1992):30-37. Kittle provides a
detailed explanation of the configuration of a Novell-based CD-ROM
local area network (LAN) which provides remote, dial-up access from
both PCs and MACs. He manages to demystify a highly complex
process which has resulted in a system that is becoming a model for
the future. Includes a product list and directory. -- TR
McCabe, Georgia L. "The Photo-CD Strategy: A Revolution in
Imaging?" CD-ROM Professional 5(1)(January 1992):18-24. Kodak's
marketing director provides a behind the scenes look at how the
Photo-CD will be marketed and positioned. Kodak's Photo-CD system
is touted as the first truly new photographic medium since the
invention of roll film over 100 years ago. The system essentially
allows photographs to be stored on a compact disc (up to 100/disc).
These photographs can then be played back on a TV using a special
Photo-CD player or on a PC equipped with a CD-ROM XA drive. One of
the major challenges facing Kodak is convincing the computer
industry that it is the right company to provide leadership in the
emerging field of digital imaging on the desktop. -- TR
Tenopir, Carol "Changes Wrought by CD-ROM" Library Journal
116(21) (December 1991):108-110. Tenopir examines the profound
impact of CD-ROM on collections, patrons, and reference staff of all
types of libraries in this article based upon a speech she gave at the
Department of Library and Information Studies, Northern Illinois
University, DeKalb. --TR
General
Mc Millan, Gail, et al. "The Balance Point: Electronic Journals:
Considerations for the Present and the Future" Serials Review,
vol. 17, no. 4 (1991), pp.77-86. The Library at Virginia Polytechnic
Institute and State University was one of the first to take seriously
this new medium of serials publishing. This article details some of
the important considerations and factors that their Taskforce on
Electronic Journals took into account in deciding the reasons and
methods for making e-journals available to their public. Such
considerations were made from the points of view of reference,
collection development, technical services and systems design &
implementation. -- LR
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Current Cites 3(2)(February 1992) 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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