Describes the evaluation of four relational database management systems (RDBMSs) (Informix Turbo, Oracle 6.0 TPS, Unify 2000 and Relational Technology's Ingres 5.0) to determine which is best suited for library automation. The evaluation criteria used to develop a benchmark specifically designed to test RDBMSs for libraries are discussed. (CLB)

This article details a collaboration between the fyw program and the library at the University of Nevada, Reno. The departments share a goal of helping students develop better research-writing skills; however, institutional and disciplinary boundaries presented well-known challenges. To surmount these challenges, the cross-disciplinary team…

This article discusses best practices for evaluating open source software for use in library projects, based on the authors' experience evaluating electronic publishing solutions. First, it presents a brief review of the literature, emphasizing the need to evaluate open source solutions carefully in order to minimize Total Cost of Ownership. Next,…

This discussion of library software packages includes guidelines for library automation with microcomputers; criteria to aid in software selection; comparison of some features of available acquisitions, circulation and overdues software; references for software reviews; additional information on microsoftware; and a directory of producers and…

Leadership abilities of male and female chief executive officers (CEOs) of 54 Ontario public libraries were evaluated by 272 board members and management or professional staff. CEOs generally rated high on all criteria; they were evaluated more highly by board members than by staff. Male CEOs were perceived to be more effective at securing…

Reports on an evaluation by the University of California at Berkeley Library of five vendors providing preservation microfilming services. Data are provided on technical criteria and cost. Other factors of vendor evaluation, including location, turnaround time, and communication, are also discussed. A list of questions used to gather background on…

Self-study reports of four academic libraries which had varying experiences with the regional accreditation self-study process were analyzed and compared with their annual reports. No relationships were found between success and resources, capabilities, products, services, classes of evaluation addressed, assessment measures included, and extent…

Describes a pilot project at the Department of Commerce Mountain Administrative Support Center Library that compared the cost effectiveness of CD-ROM with that of other media and examined the acceptability of CD-ROM by staff and users. A list of the CD-ROM products evaluated and the evaluation form used are appended. (CLB)

Evaluates "Booklist,""Choice,""Library Journal," and "the New York Times Book Review" by measuring and comparing (1) total number of adult books reviewed, (2) total number of juvenile and young adult books reviewed, (3) percentage of randomly selected Notable Books reviewed, and (4) how quickly those Notable Books were reviewed. (Author)

The purpose of this study was to compare the quality of information service provided in Swedish and Chinese medical libraries and to judge the information gap between China and Sweden. Two libraries of key Chinese medical universities and a Swedish medical library were selected for the study. Based on the number of databases, print journals,…

Describes a project in which graduate students with knowledge engineering experience used five different microcomputer-based shells to build a prototype application of an expert system to assist library patrons with business reference questions. The strengths and weaknesses of each product are discussed and compared. (seven references) (CLB)

Evaluation of data from assessments of full bibliographic displays in academic library OPACs (online public access catalogs) and World Wide Web catalogs against a checklist of desirable features found that OPAC displays scored 58% and Web displays scored 60%. Discusses weaknesses, focusing on those found in the majority of the displays…

This report describes a project which evaluated five IBM and Macintosh bibliographic formatting software programs--ProCite, Sci-Mate, Reference Manager, Notebook II, and Bibliography--and which was conducted by the Health Sciences Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill at the request of the campus microcomputer support center.…

Outlines the evaluation criteria used by the reference department at the Williams Library at the University of Mississippi in selecting databases and hardware used in CD-ROM workstations. The factors discussed include database coverage, costs, and security. (CLB)

Recognizing that the major technical direction of this decade is toward proximity of computing function to its users, the Research Libraries Group (RLG) is moving to distribute its processing capabilities. The goals of this study were to formulate an architecture for an RLG distributed system, to identify pre-existing components appropriate for…