Provides current descriptions of some of the major directories that link to library catalogs on the World Wide Web. Highlights include LibWeb; Hytelnet; WebCats; WWW Library Directory; and techniques for finding new library OPAC (online public access catalog) directories. (LRW)

Presents an overview of the Online Computer Library Center's (OCLC) Office of Research; describing its historical development within its institutional context, examining its present status, especially current projects; and predicting its future path. Provides a chronology of people, projects, and libraries involved in the OCLC Office of Research…

This article talks about eProcurement and examines why school districts are so slow to make the transition. Despite the billions of dollars that flow from schools each year in procurement spending, most K-12 districts in the United States, especially smaller ones, persist in using paperbased procurement models in which supplies are identified in…

Most campuses have no real estate to spare for the purpose of housing yet more printed books in their general libraries. Some solutions to this problem entails putting lesser printed materials in less-costly storage facilities; or engaging in cooperative archiving agreements that retain one copy of a title in one of the partner's active stacks so…

The Integrated Library System remains a true innovation that forms the baseline of service provided by the contemporary library. The purpose of this paper is to take a moment and reflect upon this innovation, and also to comment about ways to boost and revive innovative endeavors that can further develop the ILS. (Contains 1 table.)

Twenty-one scholarly papers and fifteen abstracts comprise the content of the tenth annual Brick and Click Libraries Symposium, held annually at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri. The peer-reviewed proceedings, authored by academic librarians and presented at the symposium, portray the contemporary and future face of…

The book has made the transition to the digital age; that much is certain. However, the jury is still out on what form or forms the book of the future will take and how libraries will adapt. This article is a look at the impact of digital books on public library acquisitions, including available formats, purchasing considerations, functional…

A usability study was undertaken at Penn State University to explore how students search the library's online catalog after they have received library instruction. In 2004, eight first-year students received library instruction and were subsequently recruited for the study. Participants were recorded using the online catalog, and a think-aloud…

Discusses recent changes in the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH), arguing that the adoption of the well-recognized codes for thesauri has created confusion because the LCSH is not a true thesaurus. The distinction between subject headings and terms are clarified and a possible solution to the problems with the LCSH is suggested. (5…

Describes PCBIS, a database program for MS-DOS microcomputers that features a utility for automatically converting online public access catalog search results stored as text files into structured database files that can be searched, sorted, edited, and printed. Topics covered include the general features of the program, record structure, record…

Examines the function of an authority file and the application of authority control to microcomputer-based library databases. Capabilities of relational database management systems which allow for an authority control system on the microcomputer level are noted. (10 references) (MES)

The Elmer E. Rasmuson Library at the University of Alaska Fairbanks has a long history of supporting distance education through state-of-the-art, remote access services. Harsh climate conditions (heavy snowfall and icing, high winds, and extreme temperatures), rugged terrain, limited road and telephone systems, and permafrost that prevents the…

Asserts that despite growing awareness of frontline public service concerns in accommodating Spanish speakers, little care is invested in the technical processing side of the library's responsibility to Spanish speakers. Examines the usefulness and accessibility of online public access catalogs for monolingual Spanish readers, focusing on records…

This third in a series of research reports on the topic of bibliographic relationships highlights linking devices used in library catalogs that connect bibliographic records for related items. Devices examined include catalog entries, i.e., main entry headings, analytical entries, cross-references, and added entries; uniform titles; and other…

Describes minimal-level, or provisional, authority records that are constructed from headings in bibliographic records as part of a computer validation process. Two types of references that can be generated automatically for authority records are explained: (1) those based on other data in the bibliographic record, and (2) those derived from the…