Based on Metrics Group's Citation Indicator Analytics database, Citation Alerts can scan an investor's or a company's patents against the patents listed in the references section on newly issued U.S. patents. If there is a match, Metrics Group automatically sends an e-mail notification. 

A 1-year subscription to Citation Alerts costs $49.95 and includes the tracking of up to 50 U.S. patents. More information, including details about a free 3-month trial subscription, is available at the company's Web site. 

Source: Metrics Group, Falls Church, VA, 866/PAT-CITE; http://www.metricsgroup.com.
 

Systems Tools

Free Software Toolkit Diagnoses Monitors
MonitorsDirect.com is offering the MonitorsDirect ToolKit to evaluate computer monitors, which are difficult to troubleshoot and which often fail in stages. This Web-based application displays full-screen test patterns without the need to download or install any software. 

Using the MonitorsDirect ToolKit, administrators can identify dead pixels and pixel response time on LCD monitors, poor convergence on CRT monitors, streaking problems, color purity and consistency; can properly adjust the brightness and contrast; and can evaluate monitor focus and geometry. 

The ToolKit is available at http://www.monitorsdirect.com/toolkit. It uses Macromedia's Flash and runs on Internet Explorer 5.0. 

Source: MonitorsDirect.com, Fremont, CA, 510/580-3385; http://www.monitorsdirect.com.
 

ITT, Cannon Introduces Optical Connectivity Solution for High-Bandwidth Communications 
ITT Industries, Cannon has introduced PHD system, a multi-channel optical interconnect system with high-density performance for high-bandwidth communications systems and data communications equipment. 

According to the announcement, the PHD system significantly improves signal integrity. Through optical technology that utilizes light instead of copper, the PHD system is designed to enable roll-out of dense wavelength division multiplexing optical networks that can today transmit as much as 40 Gbps of data. PHD technology will enable such high-bandwidth applications as streaming video and real-time videoconferencing. 

Source: ITT Industries, Cannon, Santa Ana, CA, 714/557-4700; http://www.ittcannon.com.
 

eCM 2.0 Alerts Admins of Equipment Failure
SmartSignal Corp. has announced Equipment Condition Monitoring (eCM) 2.0, a new upgrade to its early-warning product. 

SmartSignal's eCM fault-detection software provides organizations with advanced early warning of abnormal machine and process behaviors that lead to failure. In addition, rules methodology in version 2.0 enables administrators to embed their expertise into the software, so that problems can be identified quickly and false alarms can be avoided.

eCM 2.0 also includes Workbench, an analytical and administrative tool that automates the installation and deployment process. Using this tool, organizations can define their assets, input data, and create and test models, as well as set tolerances through a Windows-based interface. Workbench can also be used to configure a WatchList to identify known problems as well as to exclude abnormal but benign changes in equipment operations.

Source: SmartSignal Corp., Lisle, IL, 630/245-9000; http://www.smartsignal.com.
 

Meetings, Workshops

IL 2002 Conference Convenes in Palm Springs
Information Today, Inc. (ITI) has announced that the sixth annual Internet Librarian Conference and Exhibition will take place November 4­6, 2002, at the Palm Springs Convention Center in Palm Springs, California. This year's theme is Navigating in Turbulent Waters. 

The program will encompass managing content; Web tools; Internet, intranet, and extranet services; managing knowledge assets; e-learning; case studies of Internet and intranet librarians; Web development and management; digitizing resources; distance learning; streaming multimedia; school librarians; and more. 

For more information, visit the Internet Librarian Web site, https://www.infotoday.com/il2002/default.htm. 

Source: Information Today, Inc., Medford, NJ, 800/300-9868, 609/654-6266; https://www.infotoday.com.
 

You Can Attend the WebSearch University
Your next opportunity to join the experts at the WebSearch University is on September 23­24, 2002, at the Crystal City Marriott in Arlington, Virginia. 

Featuring search notables Gary Price, Greg Notess, Mary Ellen Bates, Amelia Kassel, Reva Basch, Chris Sherman, Ran Hock, and Marydee Ojala, at WebSearch University attendees can update and improve their Web search skills and strategies, learn how to make decisions between "fee" and free sources, and find out how to dig for the right information, as well as how to calculate time vs. money. 

To register, visit http://www.websearchu.com.

Source: Online, Inc., Wilton, CT, 203/761-1466; http://www.onlineinc.com.
 

International Summer School on the Digital Library Begins in July in Netherlands
Ticer B.V. (Tilburg Innovation Centre for Electronic Resources), in cooperation with Tilburg University, the University of Leeds, and the European University Institute, has announced that the International Summer School on the Digital Library will be held for the seventh year in a row. This year, the Summer School will consist of four 1-week courses: Two courses will be held at Tilburg University, the Netherlands, one at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy, and one at the University of Leeds, U.K. 

Courses include The Management of Change; Digital Libraries and the Changing World of Education; and Electronic Publishing: Libraries as Buyers, Facilitators, or Producers. Courses will deal with the following themes: changes in the information chain, new roles for publishers, the library as an information gateway and publisher, the economics of journal publishing, copyright, licensing and library consortia, the art of negotiation, electronic preprints and document servers, preservation and digital archiving, and reference linking. A detailed program is available on Ticer's Web site: http://www.ticer.nl/summer02. 

Source: Ticer B.V., Tilburg, Netherlands, 011-31-13-4668310;Fax: 011-31-13-4668383; http://www.ticer.nl.
 

OCLC and Information Institute of Syracuse Co-Sponsor Virtual Reference Desk Conference
The OCLC Institute and the Information Institute of Syracuse at Syracuse University are co-sponsoring the 2002 Virtual Reference Desk (VRD) Conference, Toward a Preferred Future: Charting the Course for Reference, November 10­13, 2002, in Chicago. 

Initiated in 1999 by the Virtual Reference Desk Project, the VRD Conference has become a leading professional conference dedicated to the rapidly changing field of reference systems, standards, and practices, OCLC representatives have said. The theme of this year's session emphasizes planning and direction founded on practical experience, research, or trend analyses. Presenters and participants will examine issues, identify practices, and propose organizational and technical systems, standards, and practices that advance the state of reference librarianship in a digital environment.

For more information or to submit proposals for papers and presentations, visit http://www.oclc.org/institute. 

Source: OCLC, Dublin, OH, 800/848-5878, 614/764-6000; http://www.oclc.org.
 

Sign Up for Digital Tool Kit This Summer
The University of Michigan has announced that registration is underway for its Digital Tool Kit (DTK) professional development courses offered by the University of Michigan School of Information. 

Nearly 30 1-, 2-, and 3-day courses are offered until August. DTK courses cover such topics as Web design and usability, strategic marketing, information technology management trends, and database design. Continuing education units and certifications for completing special course groupings are available.

Complete registration details and a course list are online at http://www.si.umich.edu/dtk. For additional information, call 734/647-7650. 

Source: School of Information, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 734/763-2285; http://www.si.umich.edu.
 

Index/Search Tools

Data Harmony Updates Its Content Tools
Access Innovations, Inc., creator of the Data Harmony suite of content management, taxonomy, and indexing tools, has created single user versions of its Thesaurus Master (TM) and Machine Aided Indexer (MAI) software for small and solo users. The company also said that both the network-server and single-user versions reveal extensive improvements in functionality and a revamped user interface for greater efficiency and ease of navigation.

Data Harmony consists of modules designed to assist corporate libraries and records centers with creating, storing, updating, searching, and reusing their full-text and bibliographic databases. Its two primary components are MAI and TM. Java APIs enable TM and MAI to work with installed relational database management systems. MAI is a natural-language processing tool that uses an expert system for the interactive assignment of indexing terms to individual documents. TM is used for the creation and maintenance of a thesaurus or controlled vocabulary. Both use XML to store and transmit data and to configure each database, making them compatible with any Java-enabled server. Data Harmony's core modules now unite the tools and capabilities in a single-screen format. 

As with the network-server version, the Data Harmony suite can be supplemented through the licensing of Knowledge Domains: load-ready, amendable term lists cross-referenced and expressed in hierarchical form. Clients may use any of the 44 Knowledge Domains already available, including Agriculture, Business, Education, Political Science, and Psychology, or they can order customized domains to suit their particular needs.

Source: Access Innovations, Inc., Albuquerque, NM, 800/926-8328, 505/998-0800; http://www.accessinn.com.
 

Convera Releases Version 7.0 of RetrievalWare 
Convera has announced RetrievalWare 7.0, the newest version of its search, retrieval, and categorization system that combines multimedia and multilingual search capabilities. 

Among the new features in version 7.0 is enhanced semantic network-based categorization; the product now supports multilevel categories and taxonomies. Also, RetrievalWare 7.0 introduces unified multimedia search and categorization functionality that enables users to search, retrieve, categorize, and view video files as well as over 200 proprietary document formats from a single user interface. For example, a user can perform a single search and receive text, video, image, and audio files in his search results list. The new version also includes enhanced security features and XML support. 

Source: Convera, Vienna, VA, 800/788-7758; http://www.convera.com.
 

CSA Introduces RefWorks Bibliographic Tool 
RefWorks, a new Web-based bibliographic management tool, is now available from Cambridge Scientific Abstracts (CSA). This tool is a service that allows users to create a personal, searchable online database of references. 

These references can be imported into RefWorks from a variety of platforms and sources. Then the RefWorks program can be used to format a manuscript and create a bibliography instantly. RefWorks is compatible with nearly all major online services, including CAS SciFinder, California Digital Library, CSA, EBSCOhost, Institute of Physics, ISI, NLM PubMed, OCLC FirstSearch, Ovid, ProQuest, and SilverPlatter WebSPIRS. Additionally, users can import and export references from a number of other commercial bibliographic software products. 

Other features of RefWorks include pricing models offering unlimited sitewide or departmentwide access, easy sharing of data via the Web, automatic upgrades, browser independence, and access for remote users. 

Source: Cambridge Scientific Abstracts, Bethesda, MD, 800/843-7751, 301/961-6700; http://www.csa.com.
 

New/Enhanced Databases

ProQuest Introduces Asian Reference Source
ProQuest Company's Information and Learning division has released the first module of ProQuest Reference Asia, a comprehensive, Web-based resource. 

According to ProQuest, Reference Asia is a full-text product, available by subscription, that seamlessly integrates reference publications from Asia and around the world—many that were previously unavailable in electronic format. The product will be released in regional modules, with the Greater China module (covering the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan) available now. The South East module will be available later this year, and the final modules, covering North Asia and South Asia, will be released next year.

Each module of ProQuest Reference Asia will cover news and current awareness information, country information and statistics, people and institutions, policy and analysis, and Web links. The full file will comprise full text from approximately 300 titles licensed from official government, commercial business, and scholarly publications, plus publications from intergovernmental agencies, think tanks, and research institutions worldwide. The first module contains publications from Beijing Review, Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (Beijing), University of Hong Kong's Centre for Asian Studies, and the World Bank.

Source: ProQuest Information and Learning, Ann Arbor, MI, 800/521-0600, 734/761-4700; http://www.il.proquest.com.
 

Dialog Makes Two New Content Agreements
The Dialog Corporation has announced that it has enhanced its portfolio of health sciences and medical information sources with the addition of 26 full-text newsletters published by NewsRx, a health news publisher based near Atlanta. 

The NewsRx newsletters focus primarily on pharmaceutical and biotechnology topics as well as diagnostics and medical devices, and are organized around therapeutic categories. In addition to newly published editions of the weekly newsletters, updated in the Dialog database concurrently with print publication, an archive of past issues starting from 1995 is also available for online searching and article retrieval. NewsRx titles now available include AIDS Weekly, Bio-Terrorism Info, Health & Medicine Week, Medical Devices & Surgical Technology Week, Obesity Fitness & Wellness Week, Virus Weekly, and Women's Health Weekly. 

In a separate announcement, Dialog announced an alliance with BioSpace, Inc., provider of a site for information and resources for professionals in the life sciences area. Through the alliance, Dialog has made portions of its content available through BioSpace's public Web site http://www.biospace.com. 

From anywhere within the BioSpace site, users can click through to the Dialog site where they may search for articles, reports, and documents published in dozens of relevant databases maintained by Dialog. Users may purchase the full text of desired documents online using credit cards. The initial Dialog content available to BioSpace users includes clinical databases, worldwide patents and related intellectual property documentation, world news focused on the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, and an array of scientific literature. 

Source: The Dialog Corporation, Cary, NC, 800/3-DIALOG, 919/462-8600; http://www.dialog.com.
 

STN Now Offers BLAST Searching Capability, Plus a New Patent Look-Up Tool
Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) has announced that users of STN on the Web can apply BLAST searching to the sequence information on the CAS Registry file and document records in their STN databases. After identifying a sequence similar to a queried sequence, a user can view associated published research and patents in a range of bioscience-related databases on the STN network and link out to the full text of the documents via ChemPort. 

Users can access STN on the Web to search 18 million publicly disclosed nucleotide or protein sequences in the CAS Registry database derived from patents, journal literature, and GenBank. Users can also identify a sequence similar to a queried sequence and retrieve the associated literature or patents. 

For more information on BLAST searching, contact the National Library of Medicine or see http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/BLAST. 

In a separate announcement, CAS reported that a new STN Easy Patent Tab provides fast patent look-up for Web users. 

This new tool is designed especially for those who are not patent search experts but who can benefit from the scientific information contained in patent records. Users of STN Easy can select the Patent Tab and search for patents by inventor, patent assignee, patent number, keywords, and more, in a patent-centered research environment. Online help messages and examples are available to assist in choosing search terms specific to patents. 

Source: Chemical Abstracts Service, Columbus, OH, 800/753-4227, 614/447-3600; http://www.cas.org.
 

Gale Releases Opposing Viewpoints Resource
Gale Group has announced that its Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center, in development since the acquisition of Greenhaven by Gale in November 2000, is now live. This database allows high school and undergraduate students to explore both sides of 170 important, often controversial, social issues in a safe online environment. 

Greenhaven's At Issue and Current Controversy series play a critical role in the product's content, and this new resource marks the first time data from these series have been available electronically. In addition to Greenhaven content, Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center includes core references from other Gale and Macmillan Reference USA sources, including Bioethics for Students. Content from Gale's Information Plus reference program of statistics, government data, and relevant legislation, as well as digitized primary documents from Primary Source Media, provides context for each issue. In addition, libraries subscribing to Student Resource Center can cross-search both products. 

Source: Gale Group, Farmington Hills, MI, 248/699-8554; http://www.gale.com.
 

EBSCO Announces New Database Titles, Adds Catalog Linking to Its NoveList Service 
EBSCO Publishing has announced the availability of two new databases for public libraries and schools: Vocational and Career Collection and General Science Collection. Vocational Career Collection is a new resource for the latest industry-specific information. Fields covered include advertising, nursing, hotel management, restaurants, and many others, and it also includes articles on interviewing, resumes, compensation, and other pertinent subjects. General Science Collection provides information on all aspects of scientific study with full-text coverage of more than 60 popular science magazines.

In a separate announcement, EBSCO said that librarians and patrons no longer have to leave the NoveList readers' advisory database to search their library's catalog for the availability of a book. Instead, thanks to newly added ILS and Z39.50 linking capability, users can link directly to the library's online catalog from a title found in a NoveList search. This capacity has been successfully tested with epixtech/dynix (iPAC v.2.0 only), DRA, SIRSI, III/Innopac, and Gaylord library systems. Tests are planned for TLC/CARL, GEAC, Winnebago, Follett, and SIRS Mandarin. 

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

Oxford Puts Hundreds of References Online 
Oxford University Press has announced that it is making hundreds of its language and subject reference dictionaries, Oxford Companions, and other reference works available on a new Web site. According to the announcement, OxfordReference.com will eventually incorporate the equivalent of over 300 books by the end of the decade. 

The first part of the new Oxford Reference Online: The Core Collection has already launched. It comprises over 1.5 million entries—dictionary definitions, facts, people, sayings, dates, usage notes, and subject reference books to name a few. The service covers an array of subjects in the humanities, social sciences, science, and medicine. As for search features, if a user chooses a term, for example, he or she can access its definition and also its translation into four European languages, its inclusion in famous quotations and proverbs, and its meaning in different contexts. 

Oxford Reference.com is available by subscription (starting at $375 per year). Users will be able to access the service in their libraries, but members of subscribing libraries will also be able to access the service at home via library card authentication. 

Source: Oxford University Press, New York, 212/726-6057; http://www.oup-usa.org.
 

EBSCO Releases Spanish Medical Database 
EBSCO Publishing has announced a new online resource available through EBSCOhost, MedicLatina—a database of medical research and investigative journals from Latin American and Spanish publishers. The collection includes the complete full text with Adobe PDFs from more than 50 peer-reviewed journals in native Spanish. 

The publications cover topics such as neuroscience, cardiology, nephrology, biomedicine, clinical research, and pediatrics. Titles include ACIMED, Revista Cubana de Cardiología y Cirugía Cardiovascular, Revistad de la Facultad de Medicina de la Unam, and Revista Mexicana de Patología Clinica. Additionally, an optional Spanish interface and translation software are available free of charge to all EBSCOhost customers. 

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

EOS reports that the new version is simple enough for the novice user but also powerful enough for the most advanced users. Search features enable users to choose between Simple, Browse, or Power search options; they also provide clear definitions with examples of each search type; and provide other search options such as by word, author, title, publisher, subject, year, ISSN/ISBN, and call number prefix and/or call number. 

In addition, the new Web OPAC provides enhanced interface template customization and color scheme capabilities that allow the library to tailor the module. 

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

Creative Library Software, Inc. Launches Its Flagship Product, the Serials Cybrarian
Creative Library Software, Inc. has announced that its flagship product, a Web-based e-journal management system, the Serials Cybrarian, is now available.

The Serials Cybrarian features the E-Journal Locator, a search engine where patrons and staff can quickly locate desired journal titles among the library's e-journal collections and research databases. Another feature is a password-protected Control Panel, which enables librarians to monitor patron database usage statistics and also to update database holdings information directly from most subscription database Web sites. 

For those databases that cannot be updated directly through the Control Panel, Creative Library Software staff members will maintain holdings information on a bimonthly basis. For those libraries that want a truly comprehensive list of serials, the company will also combine local print journals with the library's e-journal titles so that patrons need only search one source. 

Source: Creative Library Software, Inc., Hornell, NY, 607/324-2929; http://www.creativelib.com.
 

In a typical scenario, Microsearch publishing specialists visit the library, become familiar with the features of the special collection, and design a customized online solution. Most special collections projects involve some combination of the following offerings: scanning and conversion, which includes digitizing of text or images, on-site or off; full page indexing and searching, which is achieved by implementing Microsearch's proprietary WebSearch Studio software; Adobe PDF-to-HTML conversion; hosting and administration, which ensures maximum access to software and enables regular database updates, software upgrades, and data backup; and CD-ROM and DVD publishing. 

Microsearch's solutions apply to all special collections and research databases involving documents of virtually any type, including text or image, paper or electronic files, books, microfiche, photographs, negatives, or plates. 

Source: Microsearch Corp., Saugus, MA, 800/895-0212; http://www.microsearchcorp.com.
 

Access Imagery, Inc. Offers Digitizing Services 
Access Imagery, Inc. is a new company that specializes in digitizing library materials and creating associated metadata. Services include digitizing large-format items, manuscripts, slides/transparencies, photos, and text including OCR text-file conversions. 

On-site scanning of materials is available, and files can be formatted for both access and preservation purposes. According to the company, outsourcing digitizing and metadata creation to Access Imagery eliminates equipment and expense constraints that most libraries encounter when undertaking a digitization project—Access Imagery invests in the latest equipment and tools. 

Source: Access Imagery, Inc., Orem, UT, 800/687-1265; http://www.access-imagery.com.
 

The first set of products and services, being developed for public libraries, is expected to be available by mid-2002. The companies said that further details would be released at that time. 

Already partners through a wide array of content licensing activities, according to the release the new alliance will result in the future development of joint product development activities, enhanced content-sharing and licensing activities, and leverage of both companies' worldwide sales, service, and support infrastructures. Both companies said that the new services will not displace existing products or services offered by either company. 

Source: The Dialog Corporation, Cary, NC, 800/3-DIALOG, 919/462-8600; http://www.dialog.com and Gale Group, Farmington Hills, MI, 248/699-8554; http://www.gale.com. 
 

Information Today, Inc. Acquires Online, Inc.
Information Today, Inc. (ITI) has completed negotiations to acquire Online, Inc., one of its last remaining competitors in the business of publishing periodicals and holding conferences for the information industry. 

Less than a year ago, ITI acquired ONLINE magazine. Now this deal secures the rest of Online, Inc.'s assets: eContent magazine and eMedia magazine, as well as the three conferences—WebSearch University, Buying & Selling eContent, and Intranets. Information Today, Inc. reports that many of the key staff members of Online, Inc. will continue in their positions, and will continue working from their offices in Wilton, Connecticut.

ITI president Tom Hogan, Sr. made the official announcement to the public at the opening session of the company's InfoToday conference in New York in early May.

Source: Information Today, Inc., Medford, NJ, 609/654-6266; https://www.infotoday.com.
 

Gates Foundation Awards OCLC Grant to Create Computing Portal for Public Libraries 
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded OCLC Online Computer Library Center a 3-year, $9 million grant to build a Web-based, public access computing portal for public libraries and other organizations that provide open access to information. The new portal will build on the foundation's 5-year-old U.S. Library Program, which is providing computers with Internet access to more than 10,000 libraries across the U.S. 

According to the announcement, to help bring widespread public access to information technologies, the portal will be designed to serve the ongoing needs of public libraries in managing hardware and software, implementing advanced applications, training staff and patrons, and delivering digital library services. Content will serve five areas: continuing education, technical support, purchasing, capacity building, and community building. The portal will host a range of services and tools, such as online tutorials, training modules, Web casting, message boards, and expert assistance, that will help libraries manage and enhance their programs. 

Source: OCLC, Dublin, OH, 800/848-5878, 614/764-6000; http://www.oclc.org.
 

This new title tackles the difficult and often mishandled task of instructing faculty on the use of technology, and as a result helps you make the most of the resources in which your institution has invested. Filled with numerous case studies and in-depth analyses, this resource surveys the innovative ways in which higher education institutions are responding to the growing demand for faculty support in the use of instructional technology. Issues include intellectual property, funding issues, technical and pedagogical training and support, organizational structures, reward systems, workload issues, multi-institutional collaboration, and collective bargaining. Teaching Faculty How to Use Technology divulges how each institution overcame its biggest challenges in helping faculty integrate technology into teaching. 

Source: Greenwood Publishing Group, Westport, CT, 203/226-3571; http://www.greenwood.com. 
 

Neal-Schuman Publishers Releases New Titles Focused on Electronic Services for Patrons 
Attracting, Educating, and Serving Remote Users Through the Web: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians, edited by Donnelyn Curtis (ISBN: 1-55570-436-0, $55), brings together practical advice and techniques from 10 accomplished professionals in the field. The authors walk readers through each step of attracting and educating users, while also supporting and measuring their use of remote resources. They discuss making a library's coordinated suite of electronic resources useful and user-friendly, as well as how to build financial and political support for your ideas. Separate chapters detail identifying remote users' needs and meeting them, licensing, fundraising, and public relations in the electronic environment. 

Electronic Collection Development: A Practical Guide, by Stuart D. Lee (ISBN: 1-55570-440-9, $55), encompasses the total range of electronic resources that libraries are dealing with today, including regional library catalogs, bibliographic services, electronic journals (and ancillary products such as linkage services), large text and image services (like ProQuest and Carl UnCover), and subject-specific resources. Special sections are devoted to collection development for electronic journals and e-books, making resources available both inside and outside the library (including authentication issues and methodologies), evaluating use, and budgeting and planning. 

Instant Web Forms and Surveys for Children's/YA Services and School Libraries, by Gail Junion-Metz and Derek L. Metz (ISBN: 1-55570-413-1, $75), offers libraries a way to upgrade their Web sites without spending hundreds of hours. The CD-ROM and accompanying manual feature 24 fully tested and functional online forms and surveys in HTML formats with matching Perl scripts. These can be customized and uploaded onto the library's Web site. Each form is designed to automatically send an appropriate response to the student or faculty member who completed it. The included forms and surveys were chosen specifically to meet the most common online needs facing school libraries including asking a reference question, homework assignment help request, recommending a book, and program interest surveys. 

Source: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc., New York, 212/925-8650; http://www.neal-schuman.com.
 

ALA Publishes New Titles on Current Topics
The Librarian's Guide to Intellectual Property in the Digital Age, by Timothy Lee Wherry (ISBN: 0-8389-0825-X, $38), is an authoritative quick reference for the issues of copyright, trademarks, and patents with detailed explanations of the various types of intellectual property, how they differ, what they cover, and how the protections affect library work and services to customers. This title will help you to distinguish between copyright, trademark, and patent rights; to understand the rights of intellectual property holders vs. the responsibilities of researchers and librarians; and to learn the new media protections. It also shows you how to figure out if a specific name, symbol, or process is protected, outlines the rights of intellectual property owners, and clarifies what fair use means in practice. 

Online Community Information: Creating a Nexus at Your Library,by Joan C. Durrance and Karen E. Pettigrew (ISBN: 0-8389-0823-3, $42), addresses the ways that libraries can harness the power of the Internet to provide digitized community information to local audiences. Using proven methods, hands-on tools, and best practices developed in libraries across the country, a library can design and build a dynamic and unifying community information site. Topics include access issues and the digital divide, community information services, interactivity, specialized content, local government agency content, and civic partnerships. It will also help in providing users with greater specificity in searches; following interface design principles to address information overload; and indicating sources, credentials, and dates of entry. 

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

O'Reilly Announces Publication of Second Edition of Web Site Management Handbook
O'Reilly has announced publication of Web Performance Tuning, second edition (ISBN: 0-596-00172-x, $44.95), by Patrick Killelea. The new edition covers performance issues on the Web, focusing on how quickly the Web satisfies end-users' requests. 

Written for anyone responsible for creating or maintaining a Web site, this book offers practical advice on getting the best possible performance from the Web. According to the announcement, the new edition covers more than just tuning Web server software; it also covers streamlining Web content, getting optimal performance from a browser, tuning both client and server hardware, and maximizing the capacity of the network itself. 

The book begins with concrete advice for quick results, and then the author provides a conceptual background of the principles in computing performance. The latter half of the book examines each element of a Web transaction, from client to network to server, to find the weak links in the chain and strengthen them. 

The new edition has been expanded to cover Web site architecture, security, and reliability, and their impact on performance. It also includes detailed discussions of several other relevant topics: the scalability of Java on microprocessor servers, using Perl scripts to write Web performance spiders, using Perl DBI and the open source program gnuplot to generate performance graphs, and using rstat, a Unix-based open source utility for gathering performance statistics remotely. 

Source: O'Reilly & Associates, Inc., Sebastopol, CA, 800/998-9938, 707/827-7000; http://www.oreilly.com.
 

ITI Releases Library Automation Directory 
Information Today, Inc. has announced the release of Directory of Library Automation Software, Systems, and Services, 2002-2003 edition (ISBN: 1-57387-140-0, $89), compiled and edited by Pamela R. Cibbarelli. Published biennially since 1983, the directory is a primary reference source for software packages used in automating libraries. 

According to the announcement, the new edition includes more than 300 pages of information about library automation software, information management, text retrieval, and citation management, plus a compiled list of library automation consultants, retrospective conversion products and services, Internet resources for automation, database hosts, CD-ROM distributors, library automation books and serials, and more than 100 meetings and conferences. 

Source: Information Today, Inc., Medford, NJ, 800/300-9868, 609/654-6266; https://www.infotoday.com.