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Current Cities Volume 03 Number 01
_Current_Cites_
Volume 3, no. 1
January 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
Schank, Roger C. "Where's the AI?" AI Magazine 12(4) (Winter
1991):38-49. This is an excellent article giving a non-technical
perspective on the present state of artificial intelligence
development. Mr. Schank presents four common viewpoints on what
AI is, and gives his opinions on their misconceptions or their
limited implementation value. He concludes the article with a
discussion of what is necessary to produce "real AI." Mr. Schank's
ideas do much to turn old conceptions of AI over on their backside,
but the ideas are clear and well-reasoned. -- LR
Information Transfer
Butler, Brett. "The Electronic Library Program: Developing Networked
Electronic Library Collections" Library HIGH TECH 9(2) (1991):21-30.
Butler, director of development for Memex Research Institute, describes
the Electronic Library Program. The E-Library, "conceived as a
collection within a library organization, not an independent
electronic replacement for a library," uses existing catalogs or
published indexes, scanned published documents, etc. to create a
large, publicly available indexed electronic image collection for
access and retrieval. -- VR
Grotophorst, Clyde W. "CLS: An ILL Management System for User-
Generated Requests." Library Software Review 10(5) (September/
October 1991):320-326. This article describes an ILL system that
promises to reduce ILL costs drastically. By allowing the user
to create ILL requests using an interface to common databases,
the need for staff involvement in verification of bibliographic
information, selection of location, etc. is minimized. -- VR
Hyper- and Multimedia
Tiefel, Virginia "The Gateway to Information: A System Redefines
How Libraries Are Used" American Libraries 22(9) (Oct. 1991):858-
860. A description of the Gateway at the Ohio State University.
Composed of an online catalog, periodical indexes, CD-ROM databases
and special databases, Gateway provides a common interface to these
systems, allowing the user access to multiple sources with a single
search query. Gateway also offers a library guide similar to the
UC Berkeley Library's Hyperguide, but with the addition of an
online catalog. An exciting development in the integration of
hypermedia in bibliographic instruction and as catalog search
engine. -- MT
EDUCOM Review 27(1) (Jan/Feb 1992). An issue
devoted to Multimedia in education featuring the following
articles:
* "Integrated Technologies: An Approach to Establishing Multimedia
Applications for Learning" by Garland C. Elmore where multimedia
projects from Integrated Technologies at Indiana University-Purdue
University are described.
* "Institutional Support for Improving Instruction with
Multimedia" by Fred Hofstetter of the University of Delaware.
Support for Multimedia projects is most effective when integrated
throughout the institution. A coordinating group, the
Instructional Technology Center, provides the leadership and
instruction for an increasing number of campus instructional
applications.
* "Collaborative Design in a Networked Multimedia Environment" by
Geraldine K. Gay and Robert J. Thomas describes the enhancement of
an engineering curriculum through the use of networked multimedia
for design projects.
* "Imaging Systems: An Overview for Management" by Gene Sherron.
Diverse imaging projects highlight the potential for organizational
improvement of catalogs and filing systems. Digitized documents
can enable simultaneous use and make document filing and retrieval
more accurate and less time-consuming.
* "Can Multimedia Instruction Meet Our Expectations?" by Loretta
L. Jones and Stanley G. Smith. A theoretical perspective on the
impact of multimedia on education, weighing the costs and benefits
of the medium in this setting. -- MT
Networks and Networking
"America Online Flap" EFFector Online 2(3) (January 7, 1992). EFF
reports on the reaction of America Online following the report that
someone had loaded "kiddie porn" GIFs on the system. Included in
this article is a letter from Steve Case to AO members restating
their policy on the privacy of e-mail messages, instant messages
and private chat rooms. -- DR
Butler, Brett "The Electronic Library Program: Developing Networked
Electronic Library Collections" Library Hi Tech 34/9(2)
(1991):21-30. As director of development for the Memex Research
Institute at CSU Chico, Butler is one of the few people actually
proposing the establishment of electronic library collections now.
In this article he discusses the possibilities of creating
electronic versions of library collections using a combination of
image databases and indexes. Included here are hardware
specifications, the economic issues, a collection development
strategy, and a list of applications already being implemented. --
DR
Coalition for Networked Information. News and Views from the
Director #2 (8/1-12/31/91)--available from PACS-L@UHUPVM1.BITNET
in two parts. This CNI Director Paul Evan Peters' round-up of the
last four months of activities related to "the network." Among the
highlights: the NREN bill was passed, the Coalition Task Force met
in November, and the Library of Congress Network Advisory Committee
met in December. -- DR
Computer Systems Policy Project "Expanding the Vision of High
Performance Computing and Communications: Linking America for the
Future: a report" (December 3, 1991)--Available via anonymous ftp
to ftp.apple.com in the alug directory or from the Project at
4921488@MCIMAIL.COM. The Computer Systems Policy Project is an
affiliation of major US computer systems companies which has
written this report summarizing its findings and recommendations
on the High Performance Computing and Communications Initiative.
In this report the Project shows how government investments in
higher performance computing and communications can benefit both
the industry and the public which uses the resulting products. The
benefits they list are: better health care; lifelong learning;
improved services for senior citizens, the disabled, and the
housebound; enhanced industrial design and intelligent
manufacturing technology; and broader access to public and private
databases, electronic mail, and other unique resources. -- DR
Godwin, Mike "The CompuServe Case: A Step Forward in First
Amendment Protection for Online Services" EFFector Online 2(3)
(January 7, 1992). CompuServe just won a libel suit in which Cubby
Inc., held CompuServe responsible for libelous material on their
system. Judge Leisure held that CompuServe is more like a
bookstore than a publisher, and is therefore not responsible for
the action. -- DR
Hockey, Susan "Center for Electronic Texts in the Humanities"
Posting on LIBRARY@INDYCMS.BITNET and EXLIBRIS@RUTVM1.BITNET
(January 3, 1992). Hockey, the Director of the Center, provides
and introduction to this new organization established by Rutgers
and Princeton Universities to "become a national focus of interest
for those who are involved in the creation, dissemination and use
of electronic texts in the humanities, and it will act as a
national node on an international network of centers and projects
which are actively involved in the handling of electronic texts."
-- DR
Kalin, Sally W. "Support Services for Remote Users of Online Public
Access Catalogs" RQ 31(2) (Winter, 1991):197-213. Kalin discusses
some of the problems and issues facing library staff in the age of
remote access OPACs. Covered here are such issues as Who Are
Remote Users?, Expectations of Remote Users, Problems Encountered
by Remote Users, and what support services should be offered for
these users. -- DR
Van der Leun, Gerard "EFF Opens Washington Office" Posting on
eff-news@eff.org (January 15, 1992). The Electronic Frontier
Foundation has opened a permanent office in Washington DC headed
by Jerry Berman, former head of the ACLU Information Technology
Project. Berman stated that one of his goals for the organization
is to "enhance First and Fourth Amendment rights" of users of the
NREN. Also included in this posting is an EFF activities update.
-- DR
Optical Disc Technology
Arnold, Stephen E. and Linda Rosen. Managing the New Electronic
Information Products, 2nd ed. Sudsbury, MA: Riverside Data Inc.,
1990. 200p. HD9696.O672.A75 1990 LSL In the first of two
monographs devoted to CD-ROM collection development issues featured
in this month's Current Cites, Arnold and Rosen seek to assist
librarians in making informed decisions regarding CD-ROM
acquisitions and management. The structure of the book follows the
progression of the CD-ROM evaluation and purchasing process,
starting a discussion of the critical first step of developing a
strategic information plan. -- TR
Corty, Brad "Disc-overing Laser" Wilson Library Bulletin 66(3)
(November 1991):26-29. Carty provides an overview of the laserdisc
industry and technology, explaining its many merits over the
conventional videotape format. He outlines numerous arguments in
support of including laserdiscs in library collections, urging
librarians to place themselves one step ahead of marketplace
trends. -- TR
Nicholls, Paul T. CD-ROM Collection Builder's Toolkit: The Complete
Handbook of Tools for Evaluating CD-ROMs. Weston, CT: Pemberton
Press, Inc., 1990. 180p. Z692.O68.N53 1990 LSL Nicholls'
collection development handbook for CD-ROM provides an overview of
the medium and the documentary tools available to support CD-ROM
collection development, evaluative descriptions of
commercially-available CD-ROM databases, a directory of published
CD-ROM product reviews and a selective bibliography of recent
library applications literature. -- TR
Nicholls, Paul T. "Sex, Lies and CD-ROM: The Seven Deadly Sins of
CD-ROM Revisited" CD-ROM Professional 4(6) (November 1991):126-129.
This article examines the so-called seven deadly sins of CD-ROM,
coined in the late 1980s by a "vocal group of devil's advocates
[who] dared to run against the stream and point up a number of
shortcomings of CD-ROM in the midst of a generally mad climate of
optimistic hoopla." The deadly sins are hardware compatibility,
software compatibility, space requirements, training needs,
scheduling and security, hidden costs, and licensing restrictions.
Nicholls re-evaluates each of these sins, and concludes that while
problems still remain, the initial barriers to CD-ROM
implementation have been overcome. -- TR
Rogers, Michael "Sony's Electronic Book: A New Library Format?"
Library Journal 116(19) (November 15, 1991):26-28. Rogers
introduces the latest release from Sony in his "Automation News"
column. Weighing less than two pounds, the Data Discman Electronic
Book Player is essentially a scaled-down, battery-operated CD-ROM
workstation, and the electronic books are equally reduced CDs
(approximately 3" as compared to the standard 4.25" discs).
Acknowledging that a 3.4" screen may be hard on the eyes, Sony has
added a video output jack that would allow the player to be hooked
up to a TV just like a VCR. The Discman, bundled with three titles,
retails for $549.95. -- TR
General
Langschied, Linda "The Changing Shape of the Electronic Journal"
Serials Review 17(3) (Fall 1991):7-14. In this article Ms.
Langschied gives a good review of the current state of electronic
journals. The three commonly cited points in favor of e-journals
(low cost; short or no publication lag; and interactive
communication between scholars/writers) are reiterated and updated
here. She includes an interesting treatment of the concern for the
viability/ acceptance of e-journals and points to the pivotal role
libraries and librarians may have in determining their future. --
LR
Surprenant, Thomas "Can we Afford to 'Have A Nice Day'?" Wilson
Library Bulletin 66(4):82, 84. While the technological future
seems boundless, who will pay? -- DR
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Current Cites 3(1)(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
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