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Public-Access Computer Systems News Volume 4 Number 03
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Public-Access Computer Systems News
Volume 4, Number 3 (1993) ISSN 1050-6004
Editors: Dana Rooks (LIBL@UHUPVM1) and Linda Thompson
(LIB1J@UHUPVM1).
Issued on an irregular basis by University Libraries, University
of Houston, Houston, TX 77204-2091.
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CONTENTS
OCLC REDUCES TELECOMMUNICATIONS CHARGES, 1
OCLC ANNOUNCES INTENT TO ACQUIRE INFORMATION DIMENSIONS, INC., 2
OCLC SITESEARCH SOFTWARE PROVIDES SEAMLESS INTERFACE TO REFERENCE
DATABASES, 2
DOCUMENT ORDERING DEBUTS ON FIRSTSEARCH, 3
JUDGES NAMED FOR "OCLC ON THE FRONT LINE" AWARD, 3
RLG'S NEW SEARCH SYSTEM DEBUTS AT DARTMOUTH, 4
DRA TO ACQUIRE INLEX, 5
DATABASE DIRECTORIES MERGE, 5
DRA TO ACQUIRE AUSTRALIAN LIBRARY AUTOMATION SYSTEM, 6
DRA ENTERS STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH TACOMA PUBLIC, 6
OCLC REDUCES TELECOMMUNICATIONS CHARGES
Effective January 1, 1993, OCLC has reduced its
telecommunications charges by an average of nine percent. The
reduction will save OCLC member libraries in the U.S. and Canada
some $3 million over the next 18 months. The telecommunications
charge reductions will appear as credits on members' monthly
telecommunications bills, beginning with the March invoice. The
individual decreases will range from five to 12 percent. OCLC
estimates that users will save approximately $78 per dedicated-
line workstation for the current fiscal year, and $156 in fiscal
1993/94. Dial-access users will see similar reductions in their
per-hour charges.
For additional information contact Nita Dean, 614-761-5002
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OCLC ANNOUNCES INTENT TO ACQUIRE INFORMATION DIMENSIONS, INC.
OCLC has announced that it and Battelle Memorial Institute have
signed a letter of intent that, following the successful
completion of a 90-day due diligence process, could lead to the
acquisition by OCLC of Information Dimensions, Inc., a subsidiary
of Battelle.
Information Dimensions, Inc. (IDI) was founded in 1986 as a for-
profit subsidiary of the not-for-profit Battelle Memorial
Institute. It has offices throughout North America and Europe
with its headquarters being located in Dublin, Ohio. IDI
develops and markets computer software products for managing
electronic documents and text on leading mainframe computers,
microcomputers, and workstations. Its two major software
products are BASISplus and ZyINDEX. IDI software enables
individual electronic documents to be transformed into
information databases that provide systematic access to large
amounts of data. Coupled with OCLC's telecommunications network
and electronic journal interface, IDI's software will provide
OCLC with the capability of delivering all kinds of electronic
information to users.
For additional information contact Nita Dean, 614-761-5002.
OCLC SITESEARCH SOFTWARE PROVIDES SEAMLESS INTERFACE TO REFERENCE
DATABASES
Libraries can now augment their own locally-mounted reference
databases and consolidate them under a single user interface with
the OCLC SiteSearch system, a site-mounted version of the OCLC
FirstSearch Catalog. This flexible new system links a variety of
user workstations to a library's unique offerings of
bibliographic, citation, and full-text databases, as well as
databases available on OCLC's FirstSearch Catalog.
The OCLC SiteSearch software runs on UNIX systems, includes the
FirstSearch user interface and database search engine, and uses
the Z39.50 protocol. It enables libraries to build and maintain
databases on their own computers and provides seamless
connectivity to the FirstSearch Catalog for access to reference
databases that are not held locally.
Future SiteSearch enhancements will include increasing the number
of information sources and services available, adding a graphical
user interface, and augmenting the data capabilities of the
system with respect to full-text and images.
For additional information contact Taylor Surface, 614-761-5145,
or Nita Dean, 614-761-5002.
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DOCUMENT ORDERING DEBUTS ON FIRSTSEARCH
The first phase of the new OCLC Dispatch Service, which was
implemented in January, is a document ordering option that gives
library patrons using OCLC's FirstSearch Catalog the ability to
order serial articles found in the ArticleFirst and Periodical
Abstracts databases and receive them via fax, overnight mail, or
regular mail. Initially, documents are being supplied by UMI
Article Clearinghouse. Over the next few months, more suppliers
will be added, allowing users to choose among several suppliers
offering the same article. The document ordering option will
later be expanded to include additional FirstSearch databases.
FirstSearch document ordering will enable patrons to compare
prices online for documents available from more than one supplier
and make their selection based upon their needs. The price
displayed in the online order form is set by the suppliers and
includes processing, delivery, and copyright and royalty fees.
To prevent patrons from unknowingly buying information housed in
their libraries, FirstSearch displays a capitalized message, YOUR
LIBRARY (ABC) OWNS THIS ITEM, at the top of the full record
display. The message displays when a library has attached its
holdings to the CONSER record in the OCLC Online Union Catalog.
Later this year, OCLC plans to implement the second phase of its
Dispatch Service, an optional link from FirstSearch to OCLC PRISM
ILL with its Document Supplier/Resource Center Program. Patrons
will be able to place online requests that are reviewed by
library staff and then activated.
For additional information contact Daviess Menefee, 614-764-4358,
or Nita Dean, 614-761-5002.
JUDGES NAMED FOR "OCLC ON THE FRONT LINE" AWARD
Three prominent experts in reference services have been named
judges for the third annual OCLC On the Front Line award: Michael
Koenig, Nancy Melin Nelson, and Marydee Ojala. The award, to be
presented at the National Online Conference in May, recognizes an
outstanding librarian who makes effective use of electronic
reference products in his or her daily work. The award recipient
also must have demonstrated knowledge, creativity, and good humor
to patrons while on the job. The winner will receive $1,000 and
a memento of the achievement. Nominations for the 1993 award
must be received by OCLC by March 15.
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Michael Koenig is dean and professor of the Graduate School of
Library and Information Science at Rosary College in River
Forest, Ill. Nancy Melin Nelson is vice president of Information
and Technology and director of Electronic Publishing at Meckler
Corporation of Westport, Conn. Marydee Ojala is an information
consultant from Park City, Utah, providing business research,
competitor intelligence, and other information consulting
services.
For more information on nominations, or to receive an application
for the OCLC On the Front Line award, write to OCLC, Attn:
Reference Services Division, MC 236, 6565 Frantz Road, Dublin OH
43017-3395.
RLG'S NEW SEARCH SYSTEM DEBUTS AT DARTMOUTH
Eureka, the new patron-oriented search service from the Research
Libraries Group (RLG), began its initial preview at Dartmouth
College on January 15, and will be put through its paces by
campus users for the next six months. Dartmouth users will have
access to Eureka through the Dartmouth College Information System
which is available campuswide on the campus network and over the
Internet.
Eureka is a new interface to the RLIN database and provides easy
searching by author, title, and subject and by more specialized
elements, like CODEN and ISBN and ISSN. Users can expand or
narrow searches using Boolean operators and view search results
in a choice of long or short formats. Online help guides users
through searches step-by-step; no training or documentation is
needed.
Eureka has been designed for easy integration into existing local
online library and campuswide information networks. It is
accessible from any terminal or personal computer with VT100
terminal emulation; telecommunications options include the
Internet, SprintNet, and the RLIN X.25 network.
Six-month previews of Eureka also are being conducted at Columbia
University, Emory University, Rutgers University, and the
University of Pennsylvania.
By spring 1993, Eureka will also enable users to search CitaDel,
RLG's article-citation and document-delivery service. Eureka
will be available for general use in September 1993 at rates
comparable to RLIN searching fees.
For additional information contact Bruce Washburn, Research
Libraries Group, 415-691-2272; email: bl.btw@rlg.bitnet or
bl.btw@rlg.stanford.edu; fax: 415-964-0943.
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DRA TO ACQUIRE INLEX
Data Research Associates, Inc. has announced that it has signed a
Letter of Intent for the purchase of the library automation
systems and other related assets of Inlex, Inc. DRA intends to
purchase the assets for an undisclosed cash amount, subject to
the execution of a definitive asset purchase agreement and other
conditions.
The proposed assets to be purchased include Inlex's automation
systems software; all rights for the sales, licensing and
distribution of Inlex's third-party products; all rights and
obligations under each of Inlex's support agreements; and all
intellectual property rights related to Inlex's automation
system. Inlex's automation system is installed at more than 110
customer sites.
DATABASE DIRECTORIES MERGE
Directory of Online Databases, Directory of Portable Databases,
and Computer-Readable Databases have merged to form a
comprehensive new source, Gale Directory of Databases. The new
directory's two-volume format groups database products by media.
Volume 1: Online Databases provides descriptions and contact
information for more than 5,300 online databases. Volume 2: CD-
ROM profiles some 3,000 database products offered in "portable"
formats such as CD-ROM, diskette, magnetic tape, and handheld,
and through batch processing services offered by the database
producer. Each volume includes geographic and subject indexes,
as well as a Master Index which organizes information by
keywords, and product and organization names.
The first issue of both volumes is available as of January 1993
and will be updated in a replacement issue every six months.
Each update will list new entries and completely revise entries
that appeared in the previous issue. An annual subscription to
both volumes is available for $280. The cost of an annual
subscription to each volume is as follows: Volume 1: $199; Volume
2: $119.
The Gale Directory of Databases is published by Gale Research
Inc. For additional information call 800-877-4253, or contact
Jenny Sweetland, 313-961-2242.
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DRA TO ACQUIRE AUSTRALIAN LIBRARY AUTOMATION SYSTEM
Data Research Associates, Inc. has announced that it has signed a
Letter of Intent for the purchase of the Starlite Library
Management System and certain related assets of Praxa Ltd by Data
Research International (Australasia) Pty Ltd., a wholly-owned
subsidiary of DRA. Data Research intends to purchase the assets
for an undisclosed cash amount subject to the execution of a
definitive asset purchase agreement and other conditions.
Praxa is headquartered in South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
The Starlite system is installed in 38 libraries in Australia and
Indonesia.
DRA ENTERS STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH TACOMA PUBLIC
Data Research Associates, Inc. has announced that it has signed a
strategic partnership agreement with the Tacoma Public Library
(TPL) for the design and development of client/server workstation
enhancements to the DRA software package. Tacoma Public Library
has previously developed two software packages, Uniface and
Alice-B, which were subsequently marketed and sold to the library
marketplace. TPL and DRA expect development of a circulation
workstation to be the first joint project of the partnership.
For additional information contact Joe Bonwich, 800-325-0888 or
314-432-1100.
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