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_Current_Cites_
Volume 3, no. 12
December 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
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Electronic Publishing
Myers, Judy E., Thomas C. Wilson, and John H. Lienhard. "Surfing
the Sea of Stories: Riding the Information Revolution" Mechanical
Engineering 114(10) (October 1992):60-65. These authors present
some ideas about the future of scholarly publishing in the
electronic environment. They argue that the print deluge is
already upon us and electronic publishing and access will provide
some relief for the information weary. Myers, et al. also focus
on some the technical, economic, and social issues that need to be
addressed in order to reach this bright future. The authors, two
of them librarians, devote the last section of the article to the
role that libraries and librarians may play in this future. - DR
Information Transfer
Lang, Laura. "Mapping the Future of Map Librarianship" American
Libraries 23(10) (November 1992):880-883. Libraries are making
electronic maps available to their users through PC's by using
TIGER files, electronic maps distributed by the U.S. Census
Bureau and geographic information system (GIS) technology.
This combination of technology and information allows users to
create thematic maps. "such as population distribution or
transportation routes." - VR
Perez, Ernest. "ZyINDEX: Quick & Not-Too-Dirty Text Databases"
Database 15(6) (December 1992):45-52. In his introduction,
Perez gives an overview of text file index software products
and their capabilities. He then goes on to describe the
ZyINDEX text file index searching and retrieval capabilities in
particular. - VR
Stigleman, Sue. "Pro-Cite 2.0: Steady Evolution" Database 15(6)
(December 1992):68-72. This article thoroughly describes the
new version of the bibliographic software, Pro-Cite. The
changes in the new version include a more convenient procedure
for creating authority lists; more compatibility with
WordPerfect 5.0 and 5.1, and Microsoft Word 4.0, 5.0, and 5.5,
allowing for easier "manuscript searching" (previously known as
"in-text referencing"); and other changes, ranging from the
subtle to the obvious. - VR
Networks and Networking
"Accessing the NSA: John Gillmore Files Suit with the National
Security Agency" EFFector Online 4(0) (December 11, 1992).
Electronic Frontier Foundation Board Member John Gillmore has
filed suit against the NSA to obtain certain documents on
data encryption under the terms of the Freedom of Information
Act. Find out what happens when Gillmore obtained copies of
some of the documents from a publicly accessible library. - DR
Arms, William Y., et al. "The Design of the Mercury Electronic
Library" EDUCOM Review 27(6) (November/December 1992):38-41.
After a year of production, the electronic library at Carnegie
Mellon University is beginning to take shape and fulfill its
promise. Included here are descriptions of the user interfaces
currently available and in the works, the three search engines
that can be used independently or in concert, the way
compression is handled, as well as a sample retrieval of a
scanned document. - DR
Electronic Networking: Research, Applications and Policy 2(3)
(Fall 1992). Special issue on the commercialization of the
Internet. The articles in this issue of ENRAP cover a wide
range of issues pertaining to the ongoing development of the
Internet and its commercialization, one of the more
controversial network issues today.
o Brown, Alison. "Whither Regional Networks" pp. 5-6.
Brown opines that the regional networks will not whither away
and toss their research and education clients to the commercial
providers, but grow and diversify into regional businesses
providing a range of services to both commercial and research
and education clients.
o Eldred, Susan M. and Michael J. McGill.
"Commercialization of the Internet/NREN: Introduction" pp. 2-4.
Eldred (the Guest Editor) and McGill provide a clear and
succinct description of the current mixed public-commercial
environment and introduce some of the issues and concerns
facing users and service providers.
o Estrada, Susan. "Commercialization and the Commercial
Internet Exchange: How the CIX Can Help Further the
Commercialization of the Internet" pp. 24-28. As President of
the CIX, Estrada describes how this commercial trade association
is working to enhance the network environment. Composed of
unrestricted network service providers, the CIX works to ensure
interconnectivity among its member networks and the rest of the
Internet that can be accessed by commercial traffic. The CIX
also works as an advocate for the development of a more robust
network that better meets the needs of commercial users.
o Maloff, Joel H. "Selling Internet Service: An Ancient
Art Form on a New Canvas" pp. 17-23. Maloff argues that selling
Internet services (access, support, information resources, etc.)
requires somewhat traditional sales techniques, but in a
consultative mode. Most business users are unaware of the
Internet and its possibilities, and therefore may not realize
how they might benefit from its use. Like a reference
librarian, the salesperson must listen to the client and read
between the lines to offer the best solution to their data
communications needs.
o Perritt, Henry H., Jr. "Tort Liability, the First
Amendment, Equal Access, and Commercialization of Electronic
Networks" pp. 29-44. Perritt provides a detailed look at
what liability, obligations for equal access, and First
Amendment protections a network service provider may have.
The answers Perritt provides are not definite, as the laws
are not yet codified, and depend on the type and range of
services being provided. Perritt points out that traditional
laws and guidelines for communications and publishing may
be applicable, and new rules should not be laid out until
more case law has been established with respect to the
digital environment.
o Weis, Allan H. "Commercialization of the Internet"
pp. 7-16. While describing the history of the Internet's
development, Weis highlights those aspects of the network that
have made it a success (e.g., Acceptable Use Policies, shared
protocols, etc.). With these aspects in mind, he goes on to
encourage a mixed-use internet that provides economies of scale,
protection for publicly-funded networks, and unhindered
commercial and technological development. - DR
Emtage, Alan. "Musings on the Infostructure" posted on
PACS-L@UHUPVM1 (December 11, 1992) in two parts. Emtage offers
some very interesting thoughts about the future of networked
information, librarians, and technologists. Although he is an
admitted non-librarian, Emtage displays a fairly good
understanding of many of the issues librarians are facing. He
also believes, I think rightly, that technologists and
librarians must establish a more cooperative and robust
relationship. As with most good postings, this one has
generated some response, and hopefully there will be more, just
as the author invited. - DR
Hoffman, Ellen. "National Science Foundation Network Achieves
Major Milestone: T-1 NSFNET Now Part of Internet History" posted
on com-priv@psi.com and nren-discuss@psi.com (December 3, 1992).
Hoffman reports on the final transfer of NSFNET backbone (ANSnet)
traffic to T-3 lines running at 45 Mbps! This is equivalent to
1,400 pages of single-spaced typed text per second, and network
traffic is increasing at a rate of 11% a month. - DR
Optical Disc Technologies
Flanders, Bruce. "Optical Imaging Project Links Spain to Southern
California" Computers in Libraries 12(9) (October 1992):27-28.
Flanders describes a truly impressive and ambitious project
utilizing optical disc storage technology. Housed in Spain's
Archivo General de Indias is a computer-based archiving system
in which over nine million pages of historical documents and maps
are being scanned and stored onto optical discs. The original
documents which represent over 5.5 miles of shelving space will
ultimately be contained on 450 5.25-inch discs. Flanders
discusses the temporary satellite link with the Huntington
Library in Southern California, and outlines the technical
specifications of the project, including a description of
Plasmon Data System's "moth-eye" technology. - TR
Schuler, John A. "Democracy on a Disc" CD-ROM Librarian 7(10)
(November 1992):24-29. This article sets the tone and the
agenda for what is destined to become a lively monthly column
on the pages of CD-ROM Librarian. Schuler will ambitiously
attempt to "examine the myriad of social, political,
technological, practical, and economic debates shaping the
application of CD-ROM technology by public agencies." In this
first column, he poses general questions of philosophy and
public policy. He invites readers to contribute their own
"insights into the struggle for dominance in the new information
order...." - TR
York, Vicki and Audrey Jean Haight. "Government Information:
CD-ROM Roundup" CD-ROM Librarian 7(10) (November 1992):14-19.
In this review of government information CD-ROM products, the
authors describe what is going on in the rapidly expanding area
of government CD-ROM product development. They also suggest
products with the widest applications for non-depository
libraries. - TR
General
Clarkson, Mark A. "The Information Theater: You've Never Seen
Your Data Quite Like this Before" BYTE (November 1992):145-152.
Clarkson describes some of the recent work in data search,
retrieval, visualization, and manipulation coming out of Xerox
PARC. The Information Theater (a GUI) provides users with a
number of impressive search techniques that employ natural
language processing, user disambiguation, and data clustering
to help searchers manage searches on huge full-text databases.
- DR
Hilton-Chalfen, Danny. "Information Technology, Campus Libraries,
and Patrons with Disabilities: Emerging Issues and Access
Strategies" EDUCOM Review 27(6) (November/December 1992):47-49.
The author describes some of the ways IT can assist libraries in
providing users with disabilities with better services. CWISs,
CD-ROMs, GUIs, and full text sources, all made available in a
distributed environment, are fairly easy ways to use what many
libraries already have to maximize access to information for this
clientele. - DR
Lucier, Richard E. "Towards a Knowledge Management Environment: A
Strategic Framework" EDUCOM Review 27(6) (November/December
1992):24-31. Lucier illustrates the rather striking position
that the UCSF Library and Center for Knowledge Management has put
itself in. They intend to became an active part of the creation
of knowledge and its management by employing information
technologies. Lucier writes, "Knowledge management constitutes a
new model for scientific communication in which faculty and a
multidisciplinary team of computer scientists, software engineers,
and research librarians share responsibility for the collection,
structuring, representation, dissemination, and use of knowledge
through the use of information technologies." - DR
Lynch, Clifford A. "Beyond the Ordinary Card Catalog: MELVYL
Learns from Years of Experience" EDUCOM Review 27(6) (November/
December 1992):20-23. Lynch provides us with a quick review of the
history of the MELVYL system, and update of the current status,
and a glimpse at the future of one of the more complex and
powerful information systems around. - DR
NewsBits
"Teaching with Technology" Chronicle of Higher Education 39(14)
(November 25, 1992):A14.
o DeLoughry, Thomas J. "California State University at
Long Beach Is Using Computers to Enable Students of Art History
to Study Drawings More Closely."
o --."Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State
University Has Found That a Computer Program Can Do Better Than
Professors in Turning Freshmen into Computer Users."
o Wilson, David L. "Students at Williams College Are
Participating in Classroom Discussions With Their Counter-parts
in Finland Through Live Television."
Wilson, David L. "Community Colleges Seen Leading in
Instructional Use of Computers" The Chronicle of Higher
Education 39(15) (December 2, 1992):A21-A23.
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Current Cites 3(12) (December 1992) ISSN: 1060-2356
Copyright (C) 1992 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. 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)642-7600
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