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Current Cities Volume 04 Number 06
_Current_Cites_
Volume 4, no. 6
June 1993
Information Systems Instruction & Support
The Library
University of California, Berkeley
Edited by David F. W. Robison
ISSN: 1060-2356
Contributors:
Teri Rinne, Vivienne Roumani-Denn, Lisa Rowlison, Mark Takaro, Roy Tennant
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Note From the Editor: Current Cites, along with a number of
other databases are being made available for online searching
using the BRS Search system by the Coalition for Networked
Information. To access the system, telnet to a.cni.org
(URL=telnet://brsuser@a.cni.org) or go through the Coalition
gopher (gopher to gopher.cni.org 70, select Coalition BRS-
SEARCH Services, Search Coalition Databases; URL=gopher://
gopher.cni.org 70/Coalition BRS-SEARCH Services?Search
Coalition Databases) and login as "brsuser." From there you
may select from the seven databases currently available:
Current Cites; postings from PACS-L@UHUPVM1, NETTRAIN@UBVM,
CNI-BIGIDEAS, CNI-COPYRIGHT, CNI-DIRECTORIES; and the TOPNODE
Directory Resource. This implementation of the BRS Search
system supports menu-driven searching, command-line searching,
and printing and e-mailing of search results.
Current Cites is also implementing Uniform Resource Locators
(URLs). These labels are intended to provide information on
the location of electronic resources at the time of the
writing of the citation. URLs will be indicated by the
notation: "URL=". The source for the definition of the URL
is the Internet Draft of 30 March 1993 written by Tim Berners-
Lee and published by the IETF URL Working Group [available via
gopher as text and PostScript (draft-ietf-uri-url-00.txt and
draft-ietf-uri-url-00.ps) by searching Veronica using the term
"URL"]. For those who are unfamiliar with URLs, they provide
information on the location of an instance of a networked
document. They are formulated so that they may be easily
readable by computer and human alike. Simply, the URL is the
concatenation of the access scheme, the host location, the file
or path, and any mode of access, (such as "search"). - DR
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Hyper- and Mulimedia
Lemke, J. L. "Hypermedia and Higher Education" Interpersonal
Computing and Technology 1(2) (April 1993) [available via e-mail
from LISTSERV@GWUVM.BITNET with the command GET LEMKE IPCTV1N2].
The author provides a useful perspective on the "possible futures
for scholarly hypermedia literacy" and suggests the range of
impacts that hypermedia may have on education. This insightful
paper explores the changes brought on by scholarly dialog about a
subject as opposed to the present "curricular" models of learning.
- MT
Information Transfer
Brody, Roberta. "End-Users In 1993: After a Decade" ONLINE 17(3)
(May 1993):66-69. Database producers, software publishers, and
information professionals are developing systems in response to
the "end-user revolution in information access." Two corporate
librarians have designed and developed a multifunction front end
system using Lotus Notes (described in this issue). - VR
Delfino, Erik. "Getting an Electronic Bulletin Board System Up
and Running" ONLINE 17(3) (May 1993):106-108. Among the issues
to consider when selecting an electronic bulletin board system
(BBS) software are the skill level of the intended audience,
the purpose of the bulletin board, security requirements, menu
design, file transfer protocols, maintenance and backup. A
selected list of BBS software is provided.
Liberman, Kristen and Jane L. Rich. "Lotus Notes Databases: The
Foundation of a Virtual Library" Database 16(3) (June 1993):33-
46. Liberman and Rich have developed a virtual library
environment for the end-user using Lotus Notes, a workgroup
software product. With Hoover (SandPoint Corporation), a Lotus
Notes add-in program, and Company Profiles Plus, a Hoover-
enabled product, end-users are able to access, track, and
organize information, including search databases, retrieve
documents, and create on-demand profiles of companies. - VR
Krumenaker, Larry. "Virtual Libraries, Complete with Journals,
Get Real" Science 260(5111) (May 21, 1993):1066-1067.
Krumenaker describes the CORE system for electronic retrieval of
journal literature as an example of a virtual library (or at
least a pat of one). The text of articles stored using CORE can
be searched, but graphics are also included, though stored
separately on optical discs. Included in this discussion is an
examination of some of the pros and cons of such a search and
display system. - DR
Stigleman, Sue. "Papyrus: Good Bibliographic Value at a
Reasonable Price" Database 16(3) (June 1993):82-87. By making a
plea to developers to create more flexible bibliographic
software, Stigleman provides us with more than a review of this
bibliographic formatting software package and its CD-ROMs
importing functions, its Boolean searching capabilities, and its
word processors support. - VR
Stover, Mark. "PsychNet: A Niche Network for Psychology" ONLINE
17(3) (May 1993):74-81. PsychNet, a software package which
combines a telecommunications module, a text editor, e-mail,
and database search capabilities, provides information services,
forums, and document retrieval in the field of Psychology. While
still underdeveloped, and the information it provides is
available online from other sources, Stover describes it as an
"innovative and promising concept...in the future of information
retrieval and document delivery." Will these kinds of customized
packages be the wave of the future? - VR
Networks and Networking
"Accessing the Federal Government" EFFector Online 5(10) (June
11, 1993) [available via anonymous ftp, URL=ftp://ftp.eff.org/
pub/EFF/newsletters/effector5.10]. This issue of EFFector
Online is devoted to the recent announcements of e-mail access
to the President, the Vice-President, a number of congressional
representatives. There is also information on accessing other
government agencies and information via the Internet and BITNET
and a list of frequently asked questions (FAQ) about accessing
the Federal government electronically. As expected, the
President's address actually is "PRESIDENT@WHITEHOUSE.GOV". - DR
Anderson, Christopher. "The Rocky Road to a Data Highway" Science
260(5111) (May 21, 1993):1064-1065. Anderson provides a brief
analysis of the National Science Foundation's (NSF) plans for the
NSFNet backbone which, if implemented, would preserve the high-
speed backbone to high-end users who require very high bandwidth.
This would mean that the typical member of the research and
education community would need to rely on a commercial network
service provider. [Before pandemonium erupts, it should be
remembered that most research and education users do not pay the
existing fees to the regional networks, but rely on their
institutions to do so.] In answer to concerns this proposal has
raised, Stephen Wolff, director of the NSF, explained that the
NSF might allow researcher to charge networking costs to their
NSF grants and institutions to bill their indirect cost accounts.
- DR
Atkinson, Ross. "Networks, Hypertext, and Academic Information
Services: Some Longer-Range Implications" College & Research
Libraries 54(3) (May 1993):199-215. Atkinson provides a
fascinating examination of the effects of a fully mature
networked hypertext system of scholarly communication. Atkinson
contends that librarians and other information professionals must
plan and act now to participate in the developing networked
environment. Among the developments the author foresees are:
three dimensional texts, the network as textual canon, an
increase in unreferreed publishing, and the necessity of
information services to provide selection and evaluation of
documents. - DR
Bauwens, Michel. "Corporate Cybrary Networks: An Idea Whose Time
Has Come?" The Internet Business Journal 1(1) (June/July 1993):
25-27. Baumens describes the model of a virtual library system
that he has begun implementing at BP Nutrition. In this model,
the cybrarian (librarian in cyberspace) places him or herself in
the center of a collaborative environment, providing information
to user where and when desired. In this way, the cybrarian can
fully participate in an innovative and user-centered
organization. - DR
Caplan, Priscilla. "Cataloging Internet Resources." The Public-
Access Computer Systems Review 4(2) (1993): 61-66 (available by
sending the following e-mail message to LISTSERV@ UHUPVM1.BITNET:
GET CAPLAN PRV4N2). Caplan describes the work of MARBI, the
American Library Association committee which has been revising
USMARC rules to accommodate networked resources. In addition to
describing these new rules, Caplan also explains how the Internet
Engineering Task Force Uniform Resource Numbers, Identifiers, and
Locators (URN, URI, and URL) relate to the new USMARC format.
Clearly this is an issue crucial to the ongoing development of
libraries. - DR
Cozzolino, Thomas J. and Thomas H. Pierce. "Internet User Survey
Results" The Internet Business Journal 1(1) (June/July 1993):23-
24. The authors present their survey of Internet use in business
(primarily chemical companies). Not too surprisingly, those that
responded to the survey felt that the Internet was a very
valuable tool in their work. - DR
DeLoughry, Thomas J. "NSF Releases Long-Awaited Plan to Reduce US
Role in the Internet" The Chronicle of Higher Education 39(38)
(May 26, 1993):A17. DeLoughry describes the NSF solicitation for
bids from network service providers that would change the funding
model of research and education networking in the US. In the
proposal, regional networks would no longer use the NSFNet
backbone, but contract lines from commercial telecommunications
providers. The NSF would provide funding directly to
institutions to help pay for networking and reserve the NSFNet
for supercomputing applications (its original intended purpose).
- DR
DeLoughry, Thomas J. "Regional Networks Prepare for change in the
Internet" The Chronicle of Higher Education 39(40) (June 9,
1993):A16. Regional networks respond to the change in NSF
networking policy by joining forces and creating their own
commercial network service - the Corporation for Regional and
Enterprise Networking (COREN). Since these networks have long-
standing relations with research and education networkers (in
some cases, they are one and the same), many believe that the new
company will be more attractive to educational institutions than
traditional commercial providers. COREN has reached agreement
with MCI Telecommunications for backbone service that will
include asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), a key method for
providing high-bandwidth service. - DR
"EFF Comments to the NIST (the National Institute of Standards
and Technology)" EFFector Online 5(9) (May 28, 1993) [available
via anonymous ftp, URL=ftp://ftp.eff.org/pub/EFF/newsletters/
effector5.09]. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)
expressed its concerns about the Clinton Administration's
"clipper chip" proposal, a voluntary, government controlled data
encryption system. Among their concerns are questions about
whether the system will in fact remain voluntary (that is, will
it become the only legal encryption scheme for US users), and if
not, would the government then be imposing unconstitutional
restraints on speech. In addition, the EFF has 4th and 5th
Amendment concerns, as well as concerns about the involvement of
the National Security Agency in the proposed scheme. - DR
Feeney, Ann. "Internet Applications: Stumpers-L" Computers in
Libraries 13(5) (May 1993):40-42. Feeney founded the electronic
conference STUMPERS-L as library school student as a forum for
solving really tough reference questions. In this article the
founder describes the success of the list and notes that as the
Internet reaches more people, the possibilities for its use
increase. - DR
Larribeau, Robert, Jr. "The Rise of Commercialization of the
Internet" The Internet Business Journal 1(1) (June/July 1993):10-
12. An independent network consultant, Larribeau provides a very
lucid description of the development of commercial network
service providers and services. Not only is this information
interesting in its own right, but it also helps inform the
current discussion of the future of the Internet. - DR
Locke, Christopher. "RFC/FYI - Editorial" The Internet Business
Journal 1(1) (June/July 1993):3-4. Locke introduces the premier
issue of The Internet Business Journal by making the argument
that businesses that want to remain competitive must participate
in the developing communications revolution. According to Locke,
this means that they will need an Internet address: "Companies
that have no presence in this new arena will quickly fade from
view." - DR
Nickerson, Gord. "The Virtual Reference Library" Computers in
Libraries 13(5) (May 1993):37-40. Nickerson describes the
history of the highly successful Internet Hunt which is issued
each month by Rick Gates of the University of California at Santa
Barbara. The Hunt is a list of could-be reference question that
participants vie to be the first to answer. Also included in
this account is information on locating previously issued Hunts
and their answers. - DR
"NIST Crypto Resolutions" distributed on CPSR@GWUVM.BITNET (June
4, 1993). The Computer System Security and Privacy Advisory
Board of the National Institute of Standards and Technology says
that the Clinton Administration's "clipper chip" proposal has too
many unresolved issues to be implemented beyond the executive
branch of the US government. They also recommend that there be
further investigation and discussion of the public policy and
technology issues surrounding this particular encryption scheme
as well as others. - DR
Notess, Greg R. "Using Gophers to Burrow Throughout the Net"
ONLINE 17(3) (May 1993):100-102. Notess describes how using the
Internet Gopher can make an Internet connection more valuable.
Unlike most articles on the subject, however, Notess provides
constructive criticism of the interface. - DR
Roberts, Michael M. "A Two-Lane Road Is Not a Superhighway"
EDUCOM Review 28(3) (May/June 1993):12-13 [available via
anonymous ftp, URL=ftp://educom.edu/pub/EDUCOM-Review-1993/
EDUCOM-Review-May93-Roberts]. Roberts argues that the push to
make ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) service
ubiquitous is misguided and that the public policy effort to
create a national data superhighway should be focused on ATM/
SONET (Asynchronous Transmission Mode/Synchronous Optical
Network) technology. While ISDN can be made available sooner to
a larger number of users, Roberts writes that the improved
bandwidth of ATM/SONET (2,000 times greater) more than makes up
for the delay in implementation of a digital network. - DR
Sakkas, Lee. "Politics on the Internet" Interpersonal Computing
and Technology 1(2) (April 1993) [available from LISTSERV@
GUVM.BITNET by sending the e-mail message: GET SAKKAS IPCTV1N2].
In what many consider to be an important change in political
history, the 1992 US Presidential campaign went online. One
instance of this was the establishment of three BITNET
discussion lists: CLINTON, BUSH, and PEROT. The founder of
these lists describes the motivation behind them, their history,
and ongoing development. In addition, Sakkas describes the ways
in which various list subscribers participated and benefited from
the lists and writes that "We were witnesses to the beginning of
what I believe will be recognized as a communications
revolution." - DR
Stockman, Bernhard. "EBONE: The European Internet Backbone"
ConneXions 7(5) (May 1993):2-8. Stockman describes the newest
addition to European networking: the IP-based EBONE, the European
Internet backbone. Started in 1992 with the full participation
of commercial providers, EBONE has been so popular that certain
sections of the network have already experienced service
degradation due to excess traffic. This article covers the
history, organization, and future plans of the backbone. - DR
Wilson, David L. "Array of New Tools Is Designed to Make It
Easier to Find and Retrieve Information on the Internet" The
Chronicle of Higher Education (May 26, 1993):A17-A19. Telnet,
FTP, Gopher, Archie are all familiar names which this article
describes and explains thoroughly. - VR
Optical Disc Technologies
Atkinson, Roderick D. and John R. Yokley. "Multiplatform CD-ROM
Networking" CD-ROM Professional 6(3) (May 1993):73-81. This
article describes how the Naval Research Laboratory Library
successfully implemented a campus-wide multiplatform CD-ROM
networking system, utilizing both a Novell Access Server and
a UNIX Access Server. Descriptions of six other alternative
solutions are also included. It is encouraging to note that
each of the seven scenarios integrated commercial, off-the-
shelf hardware and software products. - TR
Davis, Denise and Ruth Hennessy. "PAIS on CD-ROM: Compliance
with Sigcat's CD-CINC Guideline" CD-ROM World 8(5) (June 1993):
18-22. Sigcat's CD-CINC (CD-ROM Consistent Interface Committee)
recently released its guidelines for a consistent CD-ROM
interface, divided into three general categories of functions:
top level, operational, and navigation. Davis and Hennessy
critique two different versions of PAIS on CD-ROM, published by
PAIS, Inc. and SilverPlatter, respectively, according to the
basic functions outlined in the CD-CINC guidelines. - TR
Davis, Trisha L. "Acquisition of CD-ROM Databases for Local Area
Networks" The Journal of Academic Librarianship 19(2) (May 1993):
68-71. This article examines the factors involved in the
acquisition of CD-ROM databases for local area networks (LANs),
written from the perspective of an acquisitions librarian. The
marriage of LAN technology and CD-ROM products, the author
contends, provide the opportunity for the acquisitions librarian
to develop a new role that links collection development,
technical services, and CD-ROM publishers. Among the new
challenges that need to be faced are the widely varying
subscription and pricing options, complicated licensing issues
that extend the order process, and a thorough understanding of
CD-ROM networking technology. - TR
Dyson, Rick and Kjestine Carey. "User Preference for CD-ROMs:
Implications for Library Planners" CD-ROM Professional 6(3) (May
1993):86-89. The authors examine how the CD-ROM revolution is
changing the nature of patron-librarian interaction, especially
with regard to the appropriateness of library users' selection
of CD-ROM databases. - TR
Grossman, Becky Lockwood. "The Next Generation of CD-ROM Drives:
Profiling the Toshiba 3401 Series" CD-ROM Professional 6(3) (May
1993):137-139. Grossman profiles the newest generation of
"double speed" CD-ROM drives which have the ability to spin the
compact disc twice as fast as prior models. - TR
LaGuardia, Cheryl and Chuck Huber. "Tomorrow's CD-ROM: Realizing
Progress" CD-ROM Professional 6(3) (May 1993):90-95. LaGuardia
and Huber poll several of the leading CD-ROM vendors to find out
what new developments and improvements are in store. Among the
subjects covered by the questions posed include standardization
of user interfaces, network applicability, Z39.50 compliance, and
print vs. disc issues. - TR
Parker, Dana J. "A Rainbow of Standards" CD-ROM Professional
6(3) (May 1993):151-154. Parker provides a coherent overview of
the "bewildering array of standards" and platforms that
characterize the optical disc technology industry. Perhaps most
helpful is the author's elucidation of the often confusing areas
of overlap between the standards. - TR
Terbille, Charles. "Cheaper than College?! CD-ROM Sources in the
Humanities: A Crash Course" CD-ROM World 8(5) (June 1993):55-61.
Terbille reviews major CD-ROM resources in the humanities,
considering the content, retrieval engine, and the effect of the
two in combination. Among the databases described are MLA
International Bibliography, Dissertation Abstracts Ondisc, the
British Library General Catalogue of Printed Books before 1975,
and the Oxford English Dictionary. - TR
Worrell, Diane. "End-User Database Aids: How to Create Guides
That Get Used" CD-ROM Professional 6(3) (May 1993):82-84.
Worrell provides tips on creating quick reference guides or
"cheat sheets" for CD-ROM database searching. Types of
information to include are outlined, the basic principles to
adhere to are articulated, and a helpful list of dos and don'ts
conclude the article. - TR
General
Berlis, Jane, ed. "Special Theme: Adaptative Technologies for
Accomodating Persons with Disabilities" Library Hi Tech 11(1)
(1993):29-80. This special section of Library Hi Tech examines
the progress being made in the area of adaptative technologies
for persons with disabilities. This is a particularly valuable
collection of articles in light of the recent Americans with
Disabilities legislation. - TR
EDUCOM Review 28(3) (May/June 1993) special section devoted to
EDUCOM's Bill of Rights and Responsibilities for Electronic
Learners which is still under development [availabe via
anonymous ftp, URL=ftp://educom.edu/pub/EDUCOM-Review-1993/].
These articles are intended as an investigation of the ethical
issues surrounding electronic learning and the ways that the
Bill addresses them. EDUCOM plans to formally adopt the Bill by
the end of this year.
o "Bill of Rights and Responsibilities for Electronic
Learners," pp. 24-27. An introduction to the Bill and a copy
of the complete text of the Bill as it stands to date. Very
briefly: article I states that all individuals have the right of
access to information and computing resources and the required
training to use such resources; article II states that
individuals are responsible for their own actions; article III
states that educational institutions must have access to
information resources in the way that individuals do; and article
IV states that institutions have the responsibility to exercise
their rights in a way that promotes their own mission as well as
the values of society at large.
o Connolly, Frank W. and Chuck Schneebeck. "The Community
of Electronic Learners," pp. 36-37. Connolly and Schneebeck
explain what the community of electronic learners is, and the
implications of the community of some of the ethical issues that
come to the fore in such a community.
o Connolly, Frank W. and Sally Webster. "New Policies for
an Evolving Future," pp. 28-30. Connolly and Webster, co-chairs
of the EDUCOM committee that developed the Bill, provide and
introduction to the Bill and explain the reasons behind its
various parts.
o Spetalnick, Terrie. "Privacy in the Electronic
Community," pp. 38-40. Spetalnick notes that the shift of
personal and professional data from print to electronic format
brings a whole slew of privacy issues with it. In the academic
community this issue is complicated by the fact that most of this
information is created and stored on institution-owned equipment.
Spetalnick examines how the EDUCOM Bill addresses these issues so
as to protect individual rights.
o Stager, Susan. "Individual Rights Versus Institutional
Responsibilities," pp. 41-44. Stager examines areas where the
rights and responsibilities of individuals might clash with those
of the institution of learning. Her intent is to provoke a
discussion that will help make the Bill a document that helps to
resolve such conflicts.
o Tannenbaum, Robert S. "A Code of Rights and
Responsibilities for Access to Computing Resources," pp. 19-22.
Tannenbaum, the editor of this section of the Review, describes
the work of a task force he chaired at the University of Kentucky
that was charged with developing a local code of computer ethics.
o Van Bergen, Marilyn. "Electronic Citizenship and Social
Responsibility," pp. 45-47. Van Bergen begins her examination of
social responsibility by warning readers that the seeming
ubiquitousness of technology should not taken as reason to rest
easy. Van Bergen writes: "As an electronic citizen, each of us
has the right and the responsibility to create a technology and a
society that reflect our values."
o Webster, Sally, and Frank W. Connolly. "Responsible
Citizenship in the Electronic Community," pp. 32-35. Webster and
Connolly explain how the Bill works to preserve what are
considered traditional values in education: equality of access to
resources; active, responsible citizenship; control over personal
information; freedom of speech; respect for the work of others;
responsibility to conserve and protect limited resources. - DR
Gleick, James. "The Telephone Transformed - Into Almost Anything"
The New York Times (May 16, 1993):6:26-29, 50, 53-56, 62, 64.
Gleick examines some of the social issues surrounding the
convergence of the telephone, computer, television, and other
related appliances. Already e-mail and voice mail have
transformed much of American business, and along the way have
created new styles of communication. Glieck covers the broad
range of modern communications services without missing important
details. - DR
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Current Cites 4(6) (June 1993) ISSN: 1060-2356
Copyright (C) 1993 by the Library, University of
California, Berkeley. All rights reserved.
All product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of
their respective holders. Mention of a product in this publication
does not necessarily imply endorsement of the product.
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. An archive site is maintained at
ftp.lib.berkeley.edu in directory /pub/Current.Cites. 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)643-9494
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