DEGREESI a work that provides such a comprehensive reassessment of Information Retrieval (IR) theory, with regards to the user-oriented model. -- Journal of the American Society for Information Science

Let an award-winning school library media specialist who has implemented a local area network (LAN) in her media center help you plan this important addition to your media center while avoiding the pitfalls. This hands-on practical guide contains all the information the network novice needs to plan, fund, create, and maintain a LAN in the media center. Based on the experience of the school library media specialist who received the 1994 Follett/AASL "Microcomputer in the Media Center Award" for creating a local area network in the high school media center, this guide describes the procedures for planning, designing, funding, installing, organizing, training, evaluating, and maintaining a LAN in a library media center setting. Step-by-step nontechnical instructions and advice for creating an information network are presented in an understandable format. How to expand into a school-district wide area network (WAN) and gain access to the Internet are also discussed. This comprehensive work takes the network novice from dream to implementation, maintenance, and evaluation of a local area network. It covers funding sources, tips for writing technology grants, requests for proposals from vendors, staff inservice and student training, evaluation and assessment, student internships, technology teams, troubleshooting equipment, and network administration. Useful forms, simple network schematic diagrams, a model school-board approved electronic resources policy, a glossary of technical terms, and sample assessment tools are included. No other book walks the library media specialist through every step in creating a LAN. Media professionals who want to provide networked electronic information to thestaff and students but are not sure of how to proceed will benefit from this clear, nontechnical guide to the process.

Original articles and excerpts from School Library Media Annual, 1994 (Libraries Unlimited), redefine the role of the school library media specialist in order to meet the challenges of the future.Such notables as Virgil Blake, Roxanne Baxter Mendrinos, Michael Eisenberg, and Daniel Barron discuss topics ranging from CD-ROM, LM_NET, and thinking skills to information curriculum and distance education.

The National Information Infrastructure will bring information to the doorstep of every household. Librarianship must respond to this development through the National Electronic Library. Librarianship as a profession must set the information agenda if it is to be a viable and influential entity in the electronic environment. Traditional library services are being redefined by technology, and the concept of the National Electronic Library must combine the roles of the academic institution, public enterprise, and library education. This professional reference is a guide to assist librarians in planning for the future.

The volume maintains that the growing electronic environment is driving a cultural transformation in which libraries must examine and understand what libraries have been, what they are, and what they need to be. Libraries need to participate actively in this transformation in order to remain the central providers of information and related services. The book explores the National Electronic Library as a concept and formal organization. Library services, collections, and the physical facility are examined in terms of present and future needs based on the rapidly changing electronic environment, and the volume relates the future management of information to administrative structures, constituencies, public and technical services, collection development, education, and strategic planning.

Though computers have become more common, many academic libraries still lack automation of any kind. With the growing importance of the Internet and the proliferation of electronic databases, automation is likely to be an important part of the future of every library. Fortunately, enough libraries have implemented automated systems so that their experiences can inform those libraries only about to engage in automation projects. This professional reference is a guide to the forecasting, planning, implementing, and monitoring necessary for the successful management of academic library automation.

While novices will benefit from this book, the volume will be of special interest to librarians presently engaged in automation projects. The authors of the book's chapters come from all types of academic libraries and offer a wide range of experience and perspectives. The volume focuses on two major areas of librarianship, public service and technical services; and contributors stress the importance of planning, teamwork, and clear objectives. Each chapter cites sources of additional information, and the volume closes with two bibliographic essays.

Written from both the librarian's and scientist's point of view, this book is a comprehensive guide to conducting searches of scientific, agricultural, and technological literature. The beginning user will find the work a valuable introduction to search and retrieval techniques, while the experienced user will welcome the volume's overview of the most recent methods and strategies. Because the library is no longer the only place where a researcher may conduct literature searches, this revised edition gives extensive attention to electronic searches from remote sites, such as computers at the home or office.

Searching for information is changing from the traditional library setting to the remote environment. Written from both the librarian's and scientist's perspectives, this comprehensive guide overviews fundamental and advanced methods of conducting scientific, technological, and agricultural literature searches from libraries and remote sites, such as computers at the home or office. Beginners will find this book a useful introduction to search and retrieval techniques. At the same time, the computerization of libraries has been so rapid that the experienced researcher will also benefit from this work.

The first part of the book overviews and discusses available information sources. The second and third parts examine ways of finding these information sources in the library, and techniques of searching and retrieving this information via computer from outside the library. The volume explains the pathway of information in literature, methods of identifying and citing literature, the usefulness of the online catalog, the special features of abstracts and indexes, the nature of online searching, and the significance of the Internet to users in scientific and research environments. The final chapter gives special attention to the electronic library and the World Wide Web. A concise bibliography directs the reader to some of the most important aids for literature searching.

"Get this book. Read it. Get copies for your board, your administration, and all the other stakeholders in your library... Reach for Future Libraries when they say you don't need staff, space, or collections...that the virtual library will do it all for less...a valuable antidote to the flood of hyperbole about libraries without walls, electronic texts and virtual collections". -- Journal of Academic Libraries

"(A) joy to read...a view of a continuing future in which librarians...play an important role in providing service to people, enhancing access to knowledge and understanding, and defending key ethical concerns". -- Wilson Library Bulletin

This comprehensive manual of operations for managing local history material within the administrative framework of a library covers issues of administration, acquisitions, access, and use of all formats of material. Information on continually changing areas such as preservation, copyright and other legal concerns, computer applications, and national databases is also addressed, along with public relations roles and outreach activities for local history collections. Guidelines for administration of nontraditional library material (e.g., manuscripts) will be especially helpful to librarians. Archivists will value the manual as one of continuing practical education and theoretical development as exemplified by the Society of American Archivists' Basic Manual Series and Archival Fundamental Series. Manuscript curators, students, and administrators will also benefit from this book.

The world has comparatively little knowledge of the Republic of Korea, and only in recent years has the West acquired a knowledge of Korean society and culture. So too, Korean librarianship has been a largely obscure topic. There has been little previous effort to inform the international library community about libraries and librarianship in Korea, and even interested scholars have had trouble obtaining information. This book is the first informative, comprehensive guide to the topic. The volume describes the present state of library development and library services available at the various types of libraries in the Republic of Korea, along with the historical backgrounds of the country and librarianship. Also included are discussions of the activities related to bibliographic control, professional associations and training, and library automation. By examining the operations of some representative libraries, the book further demonstrates how Korean librarianship is a mix of American librarianship and Chinese and Japanese cultural influences.

Novice and advanced online searchers can prepare for cost-effective electronic database searching with this new resource. Starting with approximately 50 typical reference questions, the cases track through the steps and components of successful searches. The process includes conversation and question negotiation, strategy formulation, discussion of alternative approaches, search algorithm, file selection, search results, evaluation, and further steps if necessary. The tone of the work is conversational and advisory, and emphasis is on practical and creative problem solving. A great practice tool for beginners and a valuable supplement to any text (such as "Online Retrieval" by Walker and Janes-see above) or course in electronic information access.

Constant developments in information technology are creating fundamental changes in librarianship. This book challenges the uncritical acceptance of these changes caused by technology. The volume begins by explaining the importance of a critical approach to information technology in librarianship. The first part of the book then explores the fundamental critical issues at the heart of technology in the library. Chapters in this section consider such topics as the neutrality of technology, information technology and censorship, the role of computers in education, and the sometimes critical views of scientists on technology. The second part of the volume looks more closely at issues related to the application of technology in librarianship. These chapters discuss technology and the civic role of libraries, the political apsects of electronic information, and the role of technology in the labor process. A selected bibliography concludes the work.

This book chronicles the attitudes of librarians toward technological innovations that took place between 1860 and 1960. These years saw the invention and subsequent diffusion of electricity, photography, the telephone, the phonograph, motion pictures, the radio, and television. Many of these inventions had a profound impact on society. Some were adopted by librarians and had an equally significant influence on library services, while others faded away at an early stage and now rest peacefully buried in archives. This monograph records the attempts of a few librarians to integrate a number of technological innovations into the library environment and to project their possible future applications. Their education and experience often did not prepare them for a time of rapid change, yet, in spite of these shortcomings, both libraries and the profession managed to survive rather well the onslaught of technology.

This volume uses a social model to analyze issues of database ownership and copyright among automated library networks. It explores the possibility that the barriers to networking regarding database ownership and copyright are not specific to the context of libraries, but are instead part of a larger recurring theme in social groups, organizations, and systems. This social network model is significant because it explains ownership issues as a consequence of the dynamic nature of library network relationships, which have been complicated by environmental forces and a confusion of network roles. The research in this work focuses on the Online Computer Library Center's (OCLC) decision to copyright the database and the reactions of regional networks and libraries. The debate over ownership is a direct outgrowth of issues of centralization between OCLC and regional networks, issues that have strained relationships between OCLC and the regional networks that attempted to develop their own services independently. Resolving the conflict will require overcoming the problems of governance, competition, communication, policy formulation, and role definition that recur in library network relationships. Solutions are required in order to share information internationally and to link national bibliographic utilities and information networks in a common system

This guide focuses on the implementation and management of second-generation automated library systems. It advances knowledge of the field by describing the migration path of library automated systems. Specifically, the book is intended to give practical directions in procuring a replacement library automated system. As such, the text reviews new approaches to library automation which rely on knowledge gained over the past two decades. In charting the procurement process, the book indicates how to migrate the library's database. It discusses state-of-the-art technology such as scanning and imaging devices, and provides descriptions and analyses of telecommunications and networking technology and issues.

This book is intended as an automation planning guide for librarians and library administrators. The book expands the subject to include special, public and academic libraries and takes into account the experience of those libraries which have already automated and are now considering migration to more powerful automated library systems. Special attention is given to integrated library systems and to innovative and still-emerging technologies which complement these systems. No other text exists that is written at a level that acknowledges the increased sophistication of librarians with automation.

Libraries are becoming increasingly automated. Many libraries have already become automated, and librarians have had to confront a new set of problems in their jobs. Many other libraries are not yet automated, but will soon be acquiring new technology and new problems. This book provides detailed techniques for coping with the problems inherent in automation. While other works offer thorough coverage of the library automation process, this volume provides case studies of the personal experiences of librarians who have had to solve problems related to automation. Included are case studies from large academic libraries, special libraries, public libraries, and smaller libraries.

The first section of the book includes chapters on locally developed library automation systems and how those systems have adapted to change. The second section contains chapters on selecting, buying, and installing automation systems. The third section includes chapters on the sharing of automated systems by different libraries. The fourth section, on database maintenance and conversion, contains chapters important to all librarians. The fifth section discusses the management of automated systems. The book concludes with a bibliographic essay that overviews developments in library automation technology and lists sources for further information.

The future of reference librarianship as a viable and essential part of the library depends on developing a proactive, participatory, and hands-on approach to automation. This book pulls together the most important elements of change likely to influence library information services and explains them clearly. It covers both the conceptual context and practical real-life implementations of current automation in reference services. The automation technologies include OPACs, CD-ROM, international networks, expert systems, natural language processing, and virtual reality. In addition to helping people find information, reference librarians also perform another service: the comprehension and understanding of the operative connections between and route to information. It necessitates an unrelenting exploration and immersion within the world information matrix to maintain currency and knowledge. The author shows how reference librarians have in the past and will in the future take a leading role in adapting automation to reference services.

Detailed annotations (100-150 words) on some 500 items focus on articles, books, and book chapters published from 1980 through 1991 and important classic items published prior to 1980. With both scholarly/theoretical and practical how-to perspectives, the book covers material concerning research, university, college, community college, and special libraries. Major chapters discuss an overview of the collection evaluation process, methods and methodology, use studies, availability studies, the RLG Conspectus, serials evaluation (including serials review case studies), citation analysis (including structure of disciplines), journal ranking, standards, and application of automation to the collection evaluation process. The book will be useful to academic library practitioners, students, teachers, and researchers in library and information science education.

Computerized database searching is a common phenomenon in libraries today. Everyone does it, but not everyone does it well, especially when so many options for computerized searching are available. This is not a book about how to search; rather, it is a book about how to integrate computerized database searching into the fabric of library operations. Managers of automated information retrieval services will find practical advice and suggestions for managing an integrated service. Library management will find this book useful for understanding how the various components of automated information retrieval can work together and will find useful suggestions for planning for the future. The first chapter details how to make the options work together, how locally-loaded databases and CD-ROM databases impact on traditional mediated searches, and how end-users affect the librarian-as-search-analyst role. Managing and budgeting for an integrated service are covered in detail in chapters of interest to library managers planning to institute or expand a search service or to managers of existing search services. The special problems of library staff who serve as search analysts, and the special problems of end-users and how they interact with, and how they understand the concept of database searching are discussed in sections dealing with the human side of working with automated information retrieval. The author discusses the hardware and software of searching and the effect of the continuing rapid development of technology on the budget and the future role of libraries. Selected bibliographies direct readers to case studies and articles examining practical experiences of various libraries.

Solutions to the unique problems of academic libraries in urban and metropolitan areas are provided in this professional handbook. Issues faced by the administrators of these libraries can differ markedly from those encountered by their counterparts in residential college towns, with service demands emanating from both the surrounding community and their own academic community. Written by experienced urban university librarians, each chapter addresses issues unique to the "in-city" academic library. Reaching out to their communities to establish links with business, industry, and other libraries, the administrators of the urban/metropolitan libraries require a great degree of diplomacy and management skills. Service demands arising from urban high schools place additional pressures on limited resources. This handbook shows how the use of new technologies can assist the urban academic librarian in fashioning services for a nonresident faculty, as well as a usually older student body, comprised of many international and part-time students. The characteristics of city living and their impact on information-seeking behavior are discussed. Other topics covered are resource sharing, setting fees, staff and collection security, environmental pollution and space requirements.

Databases and public access catalogs are being used extensively by the public and the academic and business communities as major sources of information. Most users want to access these databases directly to locate the information they need. Increasingly, users are demanding user-friendly databases that will assist them in finding conceptual information effectively. The lack of compatibility or standardization among many different indexing vocabularies and thesauri makes it difficult to find related information in information retrieval systems containing many different online databases. This book provides a thought-provoking new perspective on the role of vocabulary control in providing access to the conceptual information found in online databases and catalogs. The first three chapters provide a basis for understanding the structure of vocabulary control systems used for the indexing of conceptual information. Chapters 4 and 5, which deal with thesaural relationship model formulation and investigation, will be of the greatest interest to designers of online databases and public access catalogs who are striving to improve access to conceptual information from multiple databases. Researchers and developers of thesauri, who are faced with the problems of compatibility and convertibility, will also be interested in testing the applicability of the thesaural relationship model for other vocabulary control systems. The findings reported in chapter six will be of particular interest to database producers and vendors. Although switching and frequency online search strategies for database search engines are not yet available, end-users and experienced searchers can still incorporate these concepts to improve the effectiveness of their searches. Recommendations resulting from this investigation are summarized in the final chapters. With the proliferation of online databases and the increasing number of inexperienced users, the development of new search strategies to facilitate easier searches is critical. This book will be required reading for everyone involved in this effort.

This volume is a how-to guide to the use of computers in library-based adult literacy programs. Since the commitment to literacy training has become an integral part of libraries' efforts to offer equal access to information, Linda Main and Char Whitaker provide a comprehensive study of the efficacious role the computer can play in achieving this objective. The problems and successes associated with the introduction of computers into library literacy programs, as well as financial requirements, space, furniture, training, and the effect on other library operations are central to the study. The text also features a design for an ideal computerized literacy lab, an overview of compatible software, both existing and proposed, and a look at the rewards and challenges facing librarians, professional educators, and literacy program directors in the future. Appendixes provide country-wide information on libraries currently involved in automating literacy, main suppliers of literacy software, and consulting personnel.

This well-conceived annotated bibliography of 497 items covers all areas of hypermedia and hypertext through the end of 1989. Though not meant to be exhaustive, it does a very good job of identifying many important books, articles, proceedings and ERIC documents pertaining to hypertext/hypermedia and related issues. . . . This bibliography is the most thorough compilation of works in the field of hypertext/hypermedia and it deserves a place on the reference shelves of any large academic or public libraries. Any individual interested in finding information on this fast growing field will find this book extremely helpful. Choice This is the only comprehensive annotated bibliography on hypertext/hypermedia. Hypertext refers to units of information interconnected with links. Hypermedia involves the extension of this concept to include information units in the form of graphics, music, animation, video, or any type of media that can be digitized. Hypertext/hypermedia systems allow users to access and interact with information. Listing nearly 500 citations, the bibliography represents the work of over 350 authors. Extremely up-to-date, the book is comprehensive through the first half of 1989. Hypertext/hypermedia applications in such areas as education, automobile diagnostic and repair systems, job training, medical diagnostic systems, electronic publishing, and job training are some of the ideas covered in this bibliography. The bibliography contains items in the following formats: books, book chapters, journal articles, conference proceedings, ERIC documents, government publications, and hypertext documents. Dissertations, technical reports, and items in languages other than English are not included. The bibliography is arranged alphabetically by author. Primary access is provided by subject and author indexes. Each entry includes sufficient bibliographic information to locate the item in a library, acquire it through interlibrary loan, or purchase it. The book is suitable for all libraries.

Covers expert systems, software programs, computer assisted instruction, catalog automation, online retrieval use, and applications and management aspects. Price to individuals is $35. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.

Carrying over the reorganization that made the fifth edition such a convenient learning resource for students and working professionals alike, the newest edition of this comprehensive library technology primer is timelier and more compelling than ever. Burke's guide should be at the top of the reading list for any current or future library professional looking to stay at the forefront of technological advancement. Updated with new case studies to illuminate key areas, its incisive coverage includes complete analysis of the librarian's technological toolbox for teaching, security, databases, and more; expert advice on how to compare and evaluate competing technology solutions; social media, streaming media, and educating patrons about digital privacy; makerspaces and other technology programing, including virtual and augmented reality technologies; technology lending programs; open source catalog systems, discovery layers, and related library management systems; websites, web-based services, and free information resources; copyright and licensing as they pertain to the use of digital materials; new technology predictions for the future, with tips on how to stay up to date with the latest developments; and a refreshed glossary of useful terms. Informed by a large-scale survey of librarians across the spectrum of institution types, this guide will be a true technology companion to readers at all experience levels.