Vol. 20, No. 2 • February 2000

Epixtech will continue to provide existing products and services while offering avenues of support to libraries with its newly developed Web-based solutions and services. According to the announcement, while continuing to focus its efforts on automation solutions, epixtech will now explore emerging Web-based trends by establishing a new model for Web services. The company will retain its present headquarters in Provo, Utah.

Source: epixtech, inc., Provo, UT, 800/288-8020; Fax: 801/223-5202; http://www.epixtech.com.

In other news from SLA, Global 2000—The Worldwide Conference on Special Librarianship, is scheduled to begin on October 20, 2000 in Brighton, England. The conference, themed “The Information Age: Challenges and Opportunities,” will focus on the changes in information management due to digital technologies and the barriers that inhibit the flow of information in the digital age. According to SLA, the attendees will represent the entire spectrum of the global information community, from government and academia to virtually every sector of the business world.

Global 2000 will feature a variety of subject-oriented discussions, keynote presentations, and professional learning opportunities. The full registration is $525, which includes courses, breaks, and several meal functions.

Source: Special Libraries Association, Washington, DC, 202/234-4700; Fax: 202/265-9317; http://www.sla.org.

The Report Writer user manual has been designed to assist Q Series users in extracting field-level information from the Q Series database. It also includes a list of the existing Q Series reports that can be used as templates for creating custom reports.

Source: EOS International, Carlsbad, CA, 800/876-5484, 760/431-8400; http://www.eosintl.com.

SIRS says that with this new interface, patrons can easily launch software applications, link to the Internet, or explore a library’s resources without defining search criteria or worrying about exact spelling. Queries, graphics, sound, animation, captions, and descriptions can be easily modified with this fully customizable interface.

Source: SIRS Mandarin, Inc., Boca Raton, FL, 800/232-7477, 561/994-0079; Fax: 561/994-4704; http://www.sirs.com.

In other news from EBSCO Publishing, the company says that it is restructuring some of its editorial procedures and enhancing quality assurance in order to more efficiently and quickly deliver information to its customers. The greatest change is in the company’s procedures involving the processing of Adobe PDF content. Under the new system, EBSCO will process and deliver the PDF content of many titles in just 1 day.

Source: EBSCO Publishing, Ipswich, MA, 800/653-2726, 978/356-6500; http://www.epnet.com.

SIRS Updates and Premieres Databases
SIRS Mandarin, Inc. has announced the addition of two content databases to SIRS Researcher and SIRS Discoverer Deluxe. Campaign 2000 provides a wide variety of full-text articles covering the upcoming primary and general elections, and includes articles profiling the candidates vying for the presidency. Articles in this cumulative database are highly current, enabling users to track campaign developments.

The SIRS Discoverer database for kids will expand its offering of comprehensive reference information with the addition of Current Events, a content database containing full-text articles and graphics with timely information about domestic and international events. Current Events is updated daily, and articles remain in the database for 30 days.

Source: SIRS Mandarin, Inc., Boca Raton, FL, 800/232-7477, 561/994-0079; Fax: 561/994-4704; http://www.sirs.com.

ISI has also announced the release of version 2.0 of ISI Chemistry Server that allows cross-file searching of Reaction Center and the new Compound Center database. The addition of Compound Center increases the utility of ISI Chemistry Server by including structure diagrams and other crucial information on more than 650,000 organic compounds. The database is updated monthly with more than 16,000 new compounds. ISI recently integrated nearly 150 years of additional synthetic chemistry to Reaction Center. The additional information is being provided by the Institut National de la Propriete Industrielle (INPI) and makes the Rxn: Core Reactions database an integrated component of Reaction Center on ISI Chemistry Server.

Source: Institute for Scientific Information, Philadelphia, 800/336-4474, 215/386-0100; Fax: 215/386-2911; http://www.isinet.com.

Source: EBSCO Publishing, Ipswich, MA, 800/653-2726, 978/356-6500; http://www.epnet.com.

According to Bowker, ulrichsweb.com couples an extensive range of data with equally powerful indexing, searching, and browsing capabilities. Users can pinpoint specific journals or conduct broad-based subject or publisher surveys by blending up to 24 different criteria, including title, publisher, editor, subject, format, document type, refereed status, keyword, and more. This service feature hotlinks with all the URLs and e-mail addresses cited in the database. Ulrich’s network includes 80,000 commercial, academic, and professional publishers in 200 countries around the world. Also available are 7,800 objective evaluations from two serials review sources: Library Journal and Magazines for Libraries.

Source: R.R. Bowker, New Providence, NJ, 888/269-5372; Fax: 908/771-8784; http://www.bowker.com.

EMBASE is a comprehensive pharmacological and biomedical database for extensive indexing of drug information. The new EBM product, according to SilverPlatter, is designed to meet the needs of those who need access to proven clinical information to be used in treating patients and diagnosing ailments. EMBASE EBM will allow researchers and clinicians to formulate a clean clinical question from a patient’s problem; search the literature for relevant clinical articles; evaluate the evidence; and implement useful findings in clinical practice. The database, which is only available from SilverPlatter, will be updated quarterly, and includes more than 400,000 records from journals, papers, presentations, and conference proceedings from around the world.

Source: SilverPlatter Information, Inc., Norwood, MA, 800/343-0064, 781/769-2599; http://www.silverplatter.com.

Aries Systems’ Knowledge Finder Provides Links to Biomedical Journals
Aries Systems Corp. has announced an agreement with Academic Press for electronic content linking. The agreement will enable users of Knowledge Finder bibliographic databases on the Web to link directly from their search results to the appropriate full-content journal articles in Academic Press’ IDEAL full-text electronic journal library. IDEAL (International Digital Electronic Access Library) provides access to more than 250 full-content journals on the Internet.

Source: Aries Systems Corp., North Andover, MA, 978/975-7570; Fax: 978/975-3811; http://www.kfinder.com.

Source: Institute of Physics Publishing, Bristol, U.K., 011-44-117-929-7481; Fax: 011-44-117-929-4318; http://www.ioppublishing.co.uk.

According to Academic Press, researchers will be able to move easily from a reference in a journal article to the content of a cited journal article, typically located on a different server and issued by a different publisher. At the outset, approximately 3 million articles across thousands of journals will be linked through this service, and more than half a million more articles will be linked each year thereafter.

Each publisher will set its own access standards, determining what content is available to the researcher following a link (such as access to the abstract or to the full text of an article, by subscription, document delivery, pay-per-view, etc.).

Source: Academic Press, San Diego, 619/699-6233; Fax: 619/699-6380; http://www.academicpress.com.

Winnebago Web Resource Library Integrates the Web into the Curriculum
Winnebago Software Co. has announced the availability of the Winnebago Web Resource Library, a subscription service providing an up-to-date cataloged database of educational Web sites. The Web Resource Library provides access through the Spectrum online catalog. The sites cover curriculum areas including science, math, language arts, social studies, geography, and the arts. Each Web site’s record contains the URL, multiple subject entries, title, author (if available), a complete notes field, curriculum topics, and age-level information. The Web Resource Library will initially contain more than 1,500 Web sites. Quarterly updates will include more than 1,000 new educational sites and will ensure that the previously cataloged sites are still active and relevant to the curriculum.

Source: Winnebago Software Co., Caledonia, MN, 800/533-5430; Fax: 507/724-2301; http://www.winnebago.com.

Ednow.com gives educators access to current education news and trends, lesson plans, curriculum tips, book reviews, and more. It also provides links to industry-specific press releases, trade shows, and a variety of education resources, such as magazines, education associations, and suppliers. The portal also offers search tools for books, software, and videos; an online encyclopedia and dictionary; and free discussion groups that enable educators to share ideas.

Source: Sagebrush Corp., Burnsville, MN, 888/753-7243, 612/890-5484; http://www.sagebrush-corp.com.

CatchWord Adds Scholarly Journals and Databases to Its Online Service
CatchWord has announced an agreement with Brill Academic Publishers to put five of its biology journals online, starting with the 1999 issues. The titles include Amphibia-Reptilia, Behaviour, Crustaceana, Netherlands Journal of Zoology, and Nematology.

CatchWord also will make available Addiction Abstracts Online, published by Carfax Publishing, an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group. This abstracting resource is the third from Taylor & Francis to be made available via CatchWord.

There are currently over 2,400 abstracts from over 150 journals in the database, and updates will be supplied to CatchWord on a regular basis.

Source: CatchWord, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, U.K., 011-44-123-555-5877; Fax: 011-44-123-5536-5000; http://www.catchword.com.

Users can access the list by clicking Electronic Journals and then Complete List of EBSCO Online Journals. It is also available on the EBSCO Online login page. The list is generated dynamically—as new publishers and titles are added to the service, they are automatically added to the list. Users can sort and filter the list in various ways, then print it or import it into spreadsheet software.

Source: EBSCO Subscription Services, Birmingham, AL, 205/991-1368; http://www.ebsco.com.

Cumbre en línea features a clear, simple user interface and help screens; more than 15,000 articles; 7,500 illustrations, fact boxes, tables, maps, and flags; thousands of pre-screened links to sites related to articles in the encyclopedia; and over 15,000 Web links to the encyclopedia’s articles, all with titles and brief annotations in Spanish. Individual articles are updated quarterly.

Source: Grolier Educational, Bethel, CT, 203/797-3500; http://www.grolier.com.

The company says it has developed Yours for the Asking as part of its ongoing effort to build a stronger community with librarians. Every month, the service will list a completely new selection of Web sites, posters, pamphlets, handouts, hotlines, graphics, clip art, and government documents that are available free or at minimal cost. These resources, chosen from a diverse spectrum of reputable sources, should be of interest to both librarians and library patrons. Yours for the Asking can be found at http://www.bowker.com/main/cgi-bin/yfta.

Source: R.R. Bowker, New Providence, NJ, 888/269-5372; Fax: 908/771-8784; http://www.bowker.com.

O’Reilly Publishes a New Guide to Samba
O’Reilly & Associates has announced the release of Using Samba by Robert Eckstein, David Collier-Brown, and Peter Kelly (ISBN: 1-56592-449-5; $34.95). Samba turns a UNIX or Linux system into a file-and-print server for Microsoft Windows network clients. Users may store their files in a single place for easy sharing and backup, protected by UNIX or NT security mechanisms. Samba is proving to be a necessity for many organizations that have an existing UNIX or Linux system and want to tie in PCs running Microsoft software. Samba is also Open Source software, licensed under the GNU General Public License. Using Samba provides examples and covers troubleshooting, security, connectivity, performance, and logging.

Source: O’Reilly & Associates, Sebastopol, CA, 800/998-9938, 707/829-0515; http://www.oreilly.com.

Source: Omnigraphics, Detroit, 800/234-1340; Fax: 800/875-1340; http://www.omnigraphics.com.

Library and Information Science Annual 1999, edited by Bohdan S. Wynar (ISBN: 1-56308-785-5, $65), tracks developments in the library and information science field, from technology advances and heated debates to the profound transformations of the role of professionals in the field. With 588 in-depth evaluative reviews of English-language library and information science literature, an annotated listing of 87 doctoral dissertations in the LIS field, and essays written by some of the profession’s most respected leaders, Libraries Unlimited says this book offers insights and information unavailable in other sources.

Learning and Libraries in an Information Age: Principles and Practice, edited by Barbara K. Stripling (ISBN: 1-56308-666-2, $35), allows readers to explore the structure and theory behind the learning-centered library for the new millennium, where information literacy is an integral component of the instructional program. Blending the latest research and educational theory with sound and effective practices, all discussions in this new collection uphold student achievement as the bottom line.

Emphasizing the dynamic interaction between principles and practice, the book’s six sections examine principles and implementation strategies for the promotion of student learning. Topics addressed include learning methods, collaborative planning and teaching, the specifics of the library media program, involving the community, and research connections, including Web tips.

Source: Libraries Unlimited, Englewood, CO, 800/237-6124; http://www.lu.com.

Source: American Library Association, Chicago, 800/545-2433; http://www.ala.org.

DeLorme Introduces Its New 3-D TopoQuads CD-ROM Map Resource
DeLorme has announced the introduction of its 3-D TopoQuads, mapping software designed for use by anyone, but especially helpful to the information professional who needs detailed topographic maps of any location in the U.S. Features include 3-D modeling of areas; land cover, from swamplands to forest to desert; draw tools, allowing for area and distance measurement and the addition of symbols, lines, polygons, and MapNotes; GPS and hand-held computer compatibility; and the ability to print out as many maps as needed.

3-D TopoQuads provides integration of the USGS series of 7.5-minute quad maps, providing seamless mapping of each state in the U.S. Each CD-ROM features 17 different levels of map detail at a scale of 1:24,000, as well as 80 detail levels of data from DeLorme’s topographic and street-level mapping database.

The product is being sold on a state-by-state basis, with the exception of California and Texas, which will be separated into several sections each.
Source: DeLorme, Yarmouth, ME, 207/846-7000; Fax: 207/846-7050; http://www.delorme.com.

The Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia School Edition CD-ROM contains over 37,000 authoritative, timely articles with 6,000 new and revised entries. Highlights of the product include a 250,000-word dictionary, 1,200 maps, 14 hours of sound, 7,000 images, and more than 150 videos. New features this year include the curriculum-based Research Starters to help students with their research assignments, and a Millennium Feature that traces and elucidates 1,000 years of the most important developments of world history. The title also includes the proprietary Grolier Internet Index, which provides more than 26,000 article-to-Internet links.

Source: Grolier Interactive, Inc., Danbury, CT, 203/797-3530; Fax: 203-797-3835; http://www.grolier.com.

The BNB CD-ROM will include over 1.7 million records for books and the first issues of serials; records cataloged to the international standards; Dewey class numbers and other subject information; advance notice of 40,000 forthcoming titles per year under the Cataloging-in-Publication (CIP) program; and in-depth coverage of publishing in England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

Source: Reed Technology and Information Services, Inc., Horsham, PA, 215/682-5000; http://www.reedtech.com.

Source: ABC-CLIO Interactive, Santa Barbara, CA, 805/968-1911; http://www.abc-clio.com.

SOLINET Is Awarded $152,000 IMLS Grant
SOLINET, the Southeastern Library Network, has announced that the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has awarded it a grant of $152,034 to support the design, implementation, and evaluation of a continuing education institute to develop and enhance leadership among staff of statewide and multi-type library consortia.

According to the announcement, the institute will teach librarians critical skills needed to provide leadership, guidance, planning, financial assistance, resource sharing, technical expertise, problem solving, and consulting to their constituent libraries and organizations. It will also serve as a model for other organizations, states, and regions.

A grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) enabled SOLINET to plan the curriculum for the institute, with the assistance of representatives from a variety of statewide and multi-type consortia. The grant from IMLS supports a test of the curriculum through actual presentation and thorough evaluation.

Source: SOLINET, Atlanta, 800/999-8558, 404/892-0943; http://www.solinet.net.

The multimedia productions will draw on the expertise of The New York Public Library’s in-house conservators, as well as that of consultants in chemistry and forensic science. The training materials will use graphic examples and illustrations, including digitized still images and video clips to present case studies.

Source: The New York Public Library, New York, 212/221-7676; Fax: 212/768-7439; http://www.nypl.org.

TenXpert Lowers NetStor Product Prices
TenXpert Technologies, Inc. has announced new, lower pricing and additional models of its NetStor CD/DVD Storage Appliance products offering up to 70 typical CDs of online, hard disk storage.

The new NetStor-LT offers 36 GB of online, hard disk storage for CD and DVD discs, at a new price of $3,995, a 20-percent reduction from previous similar models. The LT series is a TenXpert-1 Network CD/DVD, NT, Novell, and UNIX server with several disc sizes, bundled with a 6x DVD, 32x CD-ROM drive.

According to the announcement, TenXpert is the only CD/DVD server that supports towers, recording, and the major brands of jukeboxes up to 600 CDs, including Cygnet, Plasmon, Pioneer, NSM, JVC, DISC, Plextor, and Sony.

Source: TenXpert Technologies, Inc., Austin, TX, 877/633-3434; http://www.tenxpert.com.

JVC’s DVD-RAM Libraries are targeted for a wide variety of professional applications requiring backup of images and audio and video recordings. The models feature 50-disc removable magazines, 1x DVD-RAM drives and SCSI-2 interface, and can support up to six drives. Depending on the model, the disc loading time varies from 2.5 seconds to 4.5 seconds. The MC-7000 Series was designed with features including airtight enclosures, disc transport on trays, MTBF of 2.5 million cycles, and support for local/remote diagnostics via RS-232C port.

Available immediately, the MC-7000 Series has a starting price of $14,495.

Source: JVC Professional Computer Products Division, Cypress, CA, 800/488-4353; http://www.jvc.com.

Intended to suppress damaging data Bus spikes from lightning, spherics, or large electrical machinery transients, Laboratory Grade and Industrial Grade RS-232 and RS-485 Bus protectors also incorporate common mode RFI suppression to reduce transmission error.

Prices start at $60, depending on connector, pin-out, and grade.

Source: Electronic Specialists, Inc., Natick, MA, 800/225-4876; Fax: 508/653-0268; http://www.elect-spec.com.

PLA’s Conference Information Is Available
The Public Library Association (PLA) has announced its eighth annual conference, PLA 2000, to be held March 28-April 1, 2000 in Charlotte, North Carolina. More than 100 continuing-education programs will be offered.

Conference participants will be able to build personalized schedules using program tracks that cover several areas of specialization. Tracks include administration, adult services, authors/collection management, buildings, children’s services, marketing/customer services, special population, staffing and staff development, technology, trustees/friends/volunteers/advocacy, and young adult services.

Preliminary conference information, including registration forms, travel, and housing forms, are available at the PLA Web page or from the PLA office at 800/545-2433, ext. 5PLA.

Source: Public Library Association, Chicago, 800/545-2433; http://www.pla.org.

Source: Association of College and Research Libraries, Chicago, 800/545-2433; http://www.ala.org/acrl.

Gale’s ComputerSelect Web Adds Selected Giga Information Group Content
The Gale Group has announced that the new version 1.5 of its ComputerSelect Web (http://www.computer-select.com) adds selected Giga Information Group content plus 100 new publications, more than doubling the total number of titles provided by the subscription-based online technology resource. Version 1.5 features the ability to send alerts that deliver selected IT articles to users’ desktops, to export lists of IT company profiles, and to link articles and specifications by product categories. Users can also save searches and automatically receive the results on a regular basis.

Giga content accessible by ComputerSelect Web subscribers includes one-page, topic-specific briefs and longer reports that provide qualitative analysis on key e-business and information technology topics. Examples of the 100 new publications that have been added include America’s Network, CIO, Satellite Week, Web Techniques, Computer Telephony, Computers in Libraries, Multimedia Week, LAN Product News, Information Today, and UNIX Update.

Source: Gale Group, Farmington Hills, MI, 800/877-GALE, 248/699-4253; http://www.galegroup.com.

“Tech Notes,” conceived and produced by the PLA Technology Committee, were written by GraceAnne A. DeCandido, editorial and Web consultant and ALA council member. Current titles are “Digital Object Identifier (DOI): The Persistence of Memory,” “Intranets: The Web Inside,” “Metadata: Always More Than You Think,” “Video Teleconferencing: Here, There, and Everywhere,” “Electronic Statistics: Counting Crows,” “Wireless Networks: Unplugged, and Play,” “Push Technology: Pushed to the Brink,” “Digital Disaster Planning: When Bad Things Happen to Good Systems,” and “Filtering: No Easy Answers.”

Source: Public Library Association, Chicago, 800/545-2433; http://www.pla.org.