Online KMWorld CRM Media Streaming Media Faulkner Speech Technology Unisphere/DBTA
Other ITI Websites
American Library Directory Boardwalk Empire Database Trends and Applications DestinationCRM Faulkner Information Services Fulltext Sources Online InfoToday Europe KMWorld Literary Market Place Plexus Publishing Smart Customer Service Speech Technology Streaming Media Streaming Media Europe Streaming Media Producer Unisphere Research



Magazines > Computers in Libraries > September 2004
Back Index Forward
 




SUBSCRIBE NOW!
Vol. 23 No. 8 — September 2004
Departments
Newsline
Newsline is compiled by Kathie Felix

Online Information & Content Management Europe 2004

The Online Information & Content Management Europe exhibitions and conference will be held from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2, 2004, in the Grand Hall at Olympia, London. The event brings together hundreds of companies covering areas such as information resources, information management solutions, knowledge exchange, e-publishing, content management, intranets, and extranets. More than 11,000 international information professionals, knowledge managers, librarians, academics, publishers, information users, and IT professionals are expected to attend.

Source: VNU Exhibitions Europe, London, 011-44-20-7316-9581; http://www.online-information.co.uk or http://www.cme-expo.co.uk.

European Internet Coregulation Network Issues Statement

The European Internet Coregulation Network announced the release of its first policy statement, a document that includes five key principles and proposals for action concerning the protection of minors on the Internet. The statement focuses on education as the key to greater online safety, the development of age-control devices to help European content providers, parental-control software and services as complementary safety tools, and the fight against spam as a carrier of harmful content. The statement also encourages European policy makers, members of the industry, and users to aim at making the next-generation mobile Internet more secure than the Internet at large. The European Internet Coregulation Network was launched in December 2003 to promote European collaboration on key Internet issues.

Source: European Internet Coregulation Network, Paris, 011-33-1-44-01-38-00; http://www.internet-coregulation.org.

MLA Endorses Information Rx Program

The Medical Library Association announced its support of the Information Rx national consumer information program developed for internists and their patients. Information Rx was launched by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and the American College of Physicians (ACP) Foundation. The program refers patients to MedlinePlus, an authoritative Internet site for health information. MedlinePlus is a service of NLM and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The site provides information on more than 650 diseases, as well as information on symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment. Most of the information is available in both English and Spanish.

Source: Medical Library Association, Chicago, 312/419-9094; http://www.mlanet.org.

Investext Plus Reaches 500,000 Mark for Backfiles

Thomson Gale announced that more than 500,000 backfile investment reports have been added to the Investext Plus database. In addition, J.P. Morgan Securities has been added as the latest contributor of reports. The additional backfiles expand the database back to 1982. Reports are written by expert analysts at nearly 900 of the world's top investment banks, brokerage houses, and investment firms. On average, 2,000 new reports are added to the collection daily.

Source: Thomson Gale, Farmington Hills, MI, 800/877-4253; http://www.gale.com.

ScienceDirect Reaches Milestone of 6 Million Articles

Elsevier announced that 6 million full-text articles are now available on ScienceDirect. The collection covers more than 1,900 journals from the core scientific literature, including titles such as The Lancet, Cell, and Tetrahedron. Recent additions include the Cell Press journal collection, as well as six Cell titles' backfiles containing more than 12,000 articles highlighting important historic developments in the field of life sciences.

Source: Elsevier Health Sciences, Philadelphia, 215/238-7800; http://www.elsevier.com.

PARTNERSHIPS

ProQuest Distributes New Ancestry Library Edition

ProQuest Information and Learning announced exclusive rights to distribute a new product, Ancestry Library Edition from MyFamily.com, in the library market. The new agreement now gives ProQuest two genealogy resources: Ancestry Library Edition, an enhanced edition of MyFamily.com's Ancestry.com consumer genealogy database, and HeritageQuest Online, the library genealogy and family history database.

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

CrossRef Search Pilot Launched

CrossRef announced the launch of CrossRef Search, a pilot partnership with Google that offers CrossRef's reference-linking service for scholarly publishing and Google search technologies. CrossRef Search is available free of charge on the Web sites of participating publishers, and includes current journal issues as well as backfiles. The pilot will run through 2004.

Source: CrossRef, Lynnfield, MA, 781/295-0072; http://www.crossref.org.

FIZ Karlsruhe and FIZ CHEMIE Berlin Close Ranks

The German information centers, FIZ Karlsruhe and FIZ CHEMIE Berlin, announced an agreement to enter into a closer strategic cooperation with the development of a Competence Center for scientific and technical information. The Competence Center will provide scientific information to two major audiences—scientists in business and industry, and scientists at research institutes and universities. Future activities for the center include projects in the field of mathematics and the development of innovative products and services. Additional partner institutions will be included in the future.

Source: FIZ Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Germany, 011-49-7247-808-555; http://www.fiz-karlsruhe.de.

Sirsi Partners with Baker & Taylor

Sirsi Corp. announced a partnership with Baker & Taylor, a supplier of books, movies, music, and information products. The partnership will integrate Sirsi's Unicorn Library Management System with Baker & Taylor through Sirsi 9XX Loader and EDI (Electronic Data Interchange). Librarians will be able to access the Baker & Taylor Web site, order materials, and download bibliographic records in one step, then upload the data into Unicorn.

Source: Sirsi Corp., St. Louis, 800/325-0888; http://www.sirsi.com.

Thomson Gale and xrefer Form Strategic Partnership

Thomson Gale and xrefer, a provider of online ready-reference services to libraries worldwide, announced that they have entered into a strategic partnership to distribute the xreferplus service in conjunction with Gale Virtual Reference Library. Thomson Gale will distribute xreferplus as an added ready-reference component of Gale Virtual Reference Library for academic, public, school, military, and government libraries in the U.S. and Canada. A selection of Thomson Gale titles will also be made available to current and future xreferplus customers worldwide, whether they subscribe directly from xrefer or purchase xreferplus as part of the Gale Virtual Reference Library.

Source: Thomson Gale, Farmington Hills, MI, 800/877-4253; http://www.gale.com.

Sentient Learning Expands into Middle East

Sentient Learning announced that it has expanded its global sales distribution network to deliver Sentient DISCOVER to the Middle East. Sentient DISCOVER, a learning resource management system, integrates course management systems, integrated library systems, OpenURL resolvers, and content repositories such as online journal databases. The company will be working in partnership with Integrated Solutions for Business, an experienced IT and e-business solutions provider in Saudi Arabia.

Source: Sentient Learning, Philadelphia, 800/489-8937; http://www.sentientlearning.com.

YOUR DIGITAL LIBRARY

Elsevier Releases New Edition of Clinical Oncology

Elsevier announced the release of its first electronic edition (e-dition) of its Clinical Oncology medical reference. The e-dition includes access to an online component, as well as a CD-ROM with all of the images and tables contained in the full-color, 3rd-edition textbook. Accessible throughout the life of the 3rd edition, Clinical Oncology Online allows users to search the full contents of the book and access continuous updates, link directly to online references, download images from the text for presentations, and use personalization features such as saved searches, bookmarks, and notes.

Source: Elsevier Health Sciences, Philadelphia, 215/238-7800; http://www.elsevier.com.

Johns Hopkins Collaborates on Digital Preservation Project

Johns Hopkins University announced that its Sheridan Libraries are participating in a $1 million Library of Congress project called the Archive Ingest and Handling Test, an effort to test the best methods and strategies for long-term preservation of important digital collections. Working with Harvard, Stanford, and Old Dominion universities, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Digital Knowledge Center will handle a massive collection of images, e-mail messages, Web pages, chat logs, and other material focused on the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the U.S. The collection of approximately 57,000 digital records was collected by historians at George Mason University and donated to the Library of Congress for this preservation test project. At the end of the 12-month test, the participants will publish a final report detailing both current practices for digital preservation and future areas of research. Information will be posted periodically at http://www.digitalpreservation.gov.

Source: Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, 800/315-1947; http://www.jhu.edu.

ProQuest to Distribute NewspaperDirect

ProQuest Information and Learning announced it will distribute NewspaperDirect products in the library and education markets. NewspaperDirect currently distributes more than 240 same-day newspaper titles in more than 70 countries and in more than 30 different languages through a global print-on-demand network.

Source: ProQuest Information and Learning, Ann Arbor, MI, 800/521-0600; http://www.il.proquest.com and NewspaperDirect, New York, 877/980-4040; http://www.newspaper direct.com.

Digital Preservation Program Launches Research Grants Initiative

The National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program (NDIIPP) of the Library of Congress announced that it is working with the National Science Foundation to establish the first research grants program to specifically address the preservation of digital materials. NSF will administer the program, which will fund cutting-edge research to support the long-term management of digital information. The new Digital Archiving and Long-Term Preservation research program expects to make approximately $2 million in initial awards using NDIIPP funds. Proposals are being sought for three main focus areas: digital repository models; tools, technologies, and processes; and organizational, economic, and policy issues. Current program information will appear online at http://www.cise.nsf.gov/div/index.cfm?div=iis.

Source: Library of Congress, Washington, DC, 202/707-5000; http://www.loc.gov.

DigiCULT Examines Rare-Text Digitization

DigiCULT announced the release of a special edition on the digitization of emblem books, Digital Collections and the Management of Knowledge: Renaissance Emblem Literature as a Case Study for the Digitization of Rare Texts and Images. The 12 articles stem from the working conference on emblem digitization held in September 2003 at the Herzog August Bibliothek in Wolfenbüttel, Germany. Key issues covered in this publication include establishing metadata, using the Text Encoding Initiative (TEI) standard, indexing emblems (e.g., with Iconclass), collection-level descriptions, metadata-exchange procedures, using the Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH) for emblem data, ontology-based federated searching, and establishment of an emblems portal. The Digital Culture (DigiCULT) consortium was developed to establish a technology watch for Europe's scientific and cultural heritage from March 2002 to August 2004.

Source: DigiCULT, Glasgow, Scotland and Salzburg, Austria; http://www.digicult.info.

OCLC Combines Records to Create Catalog for Transportation Libraries

OCLC announced the launch of a new transportation-libraries catalog formed by bringing together resources from leading transportation libraries. The Transportation Libraries Catalog was created from catalog records and holdings information in WorldCat, contributed by 15 original participating transportation libraries with special collections that feature rare and often unique items. The catalog of bibliographic records is searchable through the OCLC FirstSearch service.

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

Index Data Upgrades Z39.50 Yaz Proxy

Index Data has announced a major upgrade to Yaz Proxy, a Z39.50 proxy server designed to enhance the speed and performance of remote library catalog searches. The enhanced capabilities include load balancing, inactivity timers, enhanced initialization throughput, query and record caching, MARC to MARCXML mapping, support for SRW and SRU requests from remote clients, and delivery of any XML-based metadata through XSLT transformations. The new version has recently been installed at the Library of Congress to speed up access to the LC's online catalog.

Source: Index Data US, Middletown, CT, 866/489-1568; http://www.indexdata.com.

ACQUISITIONS

Information Today Takes Over Faulkner Information

Information Today, Inc. announced the acquisition of the publishing assets of Faulkner Technical Reports, Inc., a diverse line of information products known as Faulkner Information Services. The publishing assets include Web-based information in the fields of information technology, communications, and security. The Faulkner Information Services flagship service is the Faulkner Advisory on Computer and Communications Technologies (FACCTS), a continuously updated and searchable library of hundreds of research reports written for IT and communications managers, users, and suppliers.

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

ProQuest Acquires Serials Solutions

ProQuest Information and Learning announced that it has acquired Seattle-based Serials Solutions, Inc., a provider of e-journal management and linking services. Serials Solutions products and services—Article Linker, Journal Linker, an A-Z title list service, and MARC records delivery—provide e-journal management and access solutions for academic, public, government, and corporate libraries around the world.

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

Thomson Acquires Information Holdings

The Thomson Corp. announced that it has signed a merger agreement under which it will acquire Information Holdings, Inc. (IHI), strengthening Thomson's suite of information solutions for pharmaceutical and intellectual property customers. The agreement enables a Thomson subsidiary to acquire all of the outstanding common stock of IHI. The transaction is expected to close later in the year.

Source: Thomson Corp., Stamford, CT, 203/539-8000; http://www.thomson.com.

Thomson Gale Makes Two Major Acquistions

Thomson Gale announced the acquisition of the products of Roth Publishing, owner of the online, electronic databases PoemFinder and LitFinder. PoemFinder features 125,000 full-text poems and 850,000 additional cited and excerpted poems, representing significant periods including Early English, Middle English, Elizabethan, Romantic, Victorian, 20th-Century War Poetry, and Modernism. The LitFinder collection consists of StoryFinder, PlayFinder, and SpeechFinder databases.

Thomson Gale also announced the acquisition of WEB FEET, a database of cross-curricular Web sites selected and reviewed for K-12 by librarians, educators, and subject specialists. The sites cover thousands of curriculum areas, general-knowledge topics, and professional resources. WEB FEET is available electronically as a Web database and as MARC records for library catalogs.

Source: Thomson Gale, Farmington Hills, MI, 800/877-4253; http://www.gale.com.

NEW/ENHANCED DATABASES

H.W. Wilson Expands Biography Reference Bank by 14,000 Articles

H.W. Wilson announced that more than 14,000 licensed biographical articles have been added to Biography Reference Bank, which now contains information on approximately 490,000 individuals. The expansion includes licensing agreements from Oxford University Press that provide content from 39 titles such as Concise Oxford Dictionaries and Oxford Companions to specific subject areas, profiles from James Clarke & Co. on the Middle Ages and the Early Church, and 540 entries from the U.S. Congress' Congressional Directory.

Source: H.W. Wilson, New York, 800/367-6770; http://www.hwwilson.com.

EBSCO Adds Various Content to EBSCOhost

EBSCO announced several recent product additions and expansions. The Catholic Periodical and Literature Index has been added to the suite of EBSCOhost databases. Developed through a partnership between the American Theological Library Association (ATLA) and the Catholic Library Association (CLA), the index provides a reference resource for in-depth research into Catholicism and related issues.

Two new H.W. Wilson databases are now available via EBSCOhost—Current Biography Illustrated and Book Review Digest. A total of 16 Wilson databases are now accessible from EBSCO.

Computer Science Index (formerly known as Computer Literature Index), a database created by EBSCO Publishing, is now available on EBSCOhost. The database provides abstracting and indexing of academic journals, professional publications, and other reference sources.

The American Humanities Index produced by Whitston Publishing (an imprint of EBSCO Publishing) has added indexing from more than 200 humanities titles, bringing its coverage of the humanities to more than 1,000 journals. Newly added content provides a focus on American literature, fine and popular arts, music, history, and culture.

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

Elsevier's Cell Press Full Text Now Available

Elsevier announced the launch of the Cell Press journal collection on its ScienceDirect electronic platform. The collection will enable researchers to access and cross reference titles in the field of cellular and molecular biology, neuroscience, and immunology, including backfiles dating to the journals' inception. Cell Press publishes nine journals—Cell, Neuron, Immunity, Molecular Cell, Developmental Cell, Cancer Cell, Current Biology, Structure, and Chemistry & Biology.

Source: Elsevier, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 011-31-20-485-3911; http://www.elsevier.com.

World Bank Increases e-Library Size

The World Bank announced that more than 1,900 Policy Research Working Papers were recently added to the 1,300 publications available on the World Bank e-Library, a commercial subscription-based research and reference tool. The papers, dating back to 1995, cover a broad range of topics and countries, from Indonesia's palm oil policy, to agricultural transfer technology in Nicaragua, to wage determination and gender discrimination in transition economies. The World Bank e-Library was built and is hosted by publishing partner Ingenta.

Source: The World Bank, Washington, DC, 202/473-1000; http://www.worldbank.org.

FIZ Karlsruhe Offers Pharmaceutical Database

FIZ Karlsruhe announced that it will offer Pharmaceutical Substances, the new pharmaceutical database produced by the Thieme Publishing Group, via its online service STN International. The database offers comprehensive substance information, trade data, and preparation methods for more than 2,300 active pharmaceutical ingredients. Biannual updates will be provided.

Source: FIZ Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Germany, 011-49-7247-808-555; http://www.fiz-karlsruhe.de.

APA Launches Three New Databases

The American Psychological Association (APA) announced the launch of three new databases. PsycBOOKS, a full-text database, will include in its initial release more than 600 books and 10,000 individual chapters published by APA, more than 1,500 entries from the Encyclopedia of Psychology co-published by APA and Oxford University Press, and a selection of archival books from other publishers. The 600 book titles will be available through Ovid's online platform.

PsycCRITIQUES, a new searchable database of book reviews in psychology, will replace APA's print journal Contemporary Psychology. In each weekly release, PsycCRITIQUES will deliver approximately 15 reviews of psychological books, most from the current copyright year. Optional e-mail alerts will provide the table of contents and abstracts from each weekly issue. A backfile of approximately 4,000 reviews from 1995 to 2003 will be available.

The PsycEXTRA gray literature database, soon to be available on EBSCOhost, provides access to psychologically and behaviorally relevant literature published outside traditional peer-reviewed journals or scholarly books. A combination of an abstracting-and-indexing database plus full text for a major portion of the content, PsycEXTRA covers a variety of document types, including technical and government reports, conference papers, policy statements, curricula, standards, fact sheets, newsletters, magazine articles, consumer brochures, and more.

Source: American Psychological Association, Washington, DC, 800/374-2721; http://www.apa.org.

USEFUL TOOLS

Plustek Offers a Spine-Saving Solution to Scanning Books

Plustek's OpticBook 3600 scanner allows any book to lie completely flat on the scanning glass. The result, according to the company, is a perfectly scanned image with no book-spine shadow and no distorted lines of text. OpticBook 3600's user-friendly software allows for fast and simple PDF conversion, and also automatically rotates and saves page images in correct order. Optical Character Recognition saves data to MS Word and Excel.

Source: Plustek, Taipei City, Taiwan, 949/429-1172; http://www.plustek.com.

U.K.-Based Emerald Launches Emerald Management Xtra

Emerald Group Publishing, Ltd. announced the November 2004 launch of Emerald Management Xtra. The comprehensive collection of peer-reviewed management journals and online support combines core content from more than 100 select Emerald journals with practical working tools and resources. Integrated resources include Conference Central, Research Register, the EMX Library Resource, Teaching Tips, book reviews, case studies, interviews, and the Emerald Literati Club.

Source: Emerald Group Publishing, Ltd., Bradford, U.K., 011-44-274-777-700; http://www.emeraldinsight.com.

ebrary Launches New APIs

ebrary announced the release of ebrary eXtend, a free set of XML-based Web application programming interfaces (APIs) that enables libraries, eLearning companies, content aggregators, and distributors to seamlessly integrate ebrary content and functionality into their own Web sites and work flow. ebrary eXtend provides a number of new features including remote, single-point access; single sign-on; support for OpenURL; and support for federated search.

Source: ebrary, Palo Alto, CA, 650/475-8700; http://www.ebrary.com.

CDS's Cataloger's Desktop Now Available on the Web

The Cataloging Distribution Service (CDS) of the Library of Congress announced the introduction of a Web-accessible version of its tool, Cataloger's Desktop. The new subscription service includes the current version of the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, 2nd edition (AACR2), which has led to its adoption by all LC catalogers.

Source: Library of Congress, Washington, DC, 202/707-5000; http://www.loc.gov.

Ex Libris Introduces MetaLib 3 and Verde ERM System

Ex Libris announced the release of version 3 of its MetaLib library portal. MetaLib 3 features improvements in the management of result sets, including relevance ranking and automatic merging and deduplication. Other new features include MetaIndex, a component that harvests OAI-compliant repositories that MetaLib can search along with other resources. An enhanced authentication module is shared with other Ex Libris applications (ALEPH and DigiTool) and, optionally, with third-party applications also, providing the infrastructure for a single-login environment. MetaLib continues to be integrated with SFX and MARCIt!.

Ex Libris also announced the upcoming release of Verde, an electronic resource management system. Verde was designed to address the requirements of the Digital Library Federation Electronic Resource Management Initiative (DLF ERMI), and features tools for managing expanding e-collections throughout a resource's life cycle. Verde offers a high level of interoperability with SFX, OPACs, and applications that handle acquisitions, A-Z lists, and more. Ex Libris expects to release Verde by the end of 2004.

Source: Ex Libris, Chicago, 773/404-5527; http://www.exlibrisgroup.com.

Dialog Adds Features to DialogLink

Dialog announced the release of DialogLink 4.0, an upgraded version of its software package for information professionals. The new version adds XML output, new post-processing tools, and e-linking capabilities to create reports, distribute information across an enterprise, and access electronically published scholarly articles. Version 4.0 preserves the commands used in previous versions of the software, while adding additional functions, such as pop-up windows, to streamline the searching process. Designed for use with Microsoft Windows, DialogLink 4.0 is provided as part of a customer's annual service agreement at no additional charge.

Source: The Dialog Corporation, Cary, NC, 800/334-2564; http://www.dialog.com.

WebFeat Makes Its Federated Search Product More Customizable

WebFeat announced the introduction of WebFeat 3, a new version of its federated search product with new personalization capabilities known as MyWebFeat. WebFeat 3 includes new SMART technology, an advanced statistical-reporting capability fully compliant with the new COUNTER Reporting Standard. The product allows the custom organization and display of library databases, the creation of custom subject categories to match research needs, and the modification of the federated search environment with selected templates.

Source: WebFeat, Old Brookville, NY, 888/757-9119; http://www.webfeat.org.

TLC Offers Two New Services

TLC announced two new services for libraries—Wireless·Solution and Wireless·Solution Pro. Wireless·Solution offers a secure setup fire-walled from the library's network, with up to 10 simultaneous VPN connections for staff functions. Wireless·Solution Pro offers the same security as Wireless·Solution, as well as managed access to control user bandwidth, the ability to provide free or fee-based access or a mixture of the two, and a personalized library interface.

Source: The Library Corporation, Inwood, WV, 800/325-7759; http://www.TLCdelivers.com.

Storage Elements Releases CORE Storage Server

Storage Elements announced the release of CORE Macintosh data storage software for digital content creators. The software includes virtualization, provisioning, management, snapshot, striping, backup, and archiving capabilities. CORE supports NAS/SAN and virtualized storage, as well as archiving to tape without a third-party backup package. CORE for Mac OSX is scheduled to be available in September; versions for Linux and Windows will be released soon afterward.

Source: Storage Elements/Wenzel Data, Stillwater, MN, 888/292-3396; http://www.storageelements.com.

Checkpoint Introduces RFID Printer Line

Checkpoint Systems introduced the METO brand mi-4210 RFID, a 13.56-MHz (HF) and EPC-compliant, 900-MHz (UHF) thermal RFID printer that supports both basic bar coding and advanced data capture. The printer allows the use of smart labels to combine both product-specific bar code information and radio frequency data in a single thermal label by incorporating a radio frequency circuit into the printed label. The METO mi-4210 RFID printer is available in two versions—one fully enabled to encode all available RFID protocols, or an upgradeable version offering bar code printing only with the ability to add RFID encoding at a later date.

Source: Checkpoint Systems, Inc., Thorofare, NJ, 800/257-5540; http://www.checkpointsystems.com.

ProLine Offers Scratch-Resistant Disc Coating

ProLine has announced the development of an invisible disc coating that makes the data side of all disc formats more scratch resistant. The formulation, Disc Guard 2, is a liquid compound of special emulsifiable resins that are buffed on and off a disc. The oxygen-activated molecules left on the surface produce a clear layer that allows the laser-read data to be enhanced for correct reproduction. A hard, protective, glass-like coating guards against accidental scratching and fingerprints during disc handling. Disc Guard 2 is available in a complete kit that includes an applicator base and buffing cloths.

Source: ProLine, Denver, 800/325-0853; http://www.discguard2.com.

MORE USEFUL TOOLS

S-T Imaging Introduces Low-Cost, ST 200 Digitizing Scanners for Microfilm

S-T Imaging announced the introduction of low-cost, demand-based, digitizing scanners for roll microfilm, allowing researchers to scan, fax, e-mail, or print a microfilm image for future reference. The ST 200 series, specifically designed for use by library patrons, uses standard PC USB and monitor connections, while eliminating expensive SCSI connections and proprietary video-compression hardware. The ST 200 operates under normal, ambient lighting; provides high- resolution, edge-to-edge images; handles both negative and positive film; and has network connectivity that allows the use of the library's charge-account system or a debit/credit card for billing purposes.

Source: S-T Imaging, Inc., Northfield, IL, 847/501-3344; http://www.stimaging.com.

FIZ Karlsruhe Enhances Intranet Info Service

FIZ Karlsruhe announced the enhancement of its conference information service (CIS) for intranets, available in three formats. CONFnet, a fully searchable database, offers conference previews reaching to the year 2010. The new CONFnet service covers all science and technology subject areas, is updated weekly, contains approximately 7,000 conference previews reaching beyond the year 2010, and searches with German or English keywords. CIS offers a customized HTML version. The information is also available as raw data for free use in the corporate intranet. The service is supplemented by CLOU, a free weekly newsletter for CIS users and buyers of raw data.

Source: FIZ Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Germany, 011-49-7247-808-555; http://www.fiz-karlsruhe.de.

AUTOMATION AIDS

Three New GIS Information Systems Products: for Self-Check, Wireless, and ILS

GIS announced the release of three new products: Polaris ExpressCheck, Wireless Access Manager, and Polaris 3.1.

Polaris ExpressCheck, a self-check station, eliminates the need for intervening protocol (e.g., SIP) to communicate with a library's ILS, allowing a library to replicate staff-based circulation procedures in the self-check environment. ExpressCheck is fully integrated with the Polaris library automation system, and staff can control circulation options such as blocking thresholds. Polaris ExpressCheck can be used with bar codes or fitted to work with RFID tags.

Wireless Access Manager (WAM) is a complete hardware and software package that GIS configures for libraries to install on PCs. The WAM software interfaces the hardware to GIS' Polaris, and can support any ILS that supports SIP2. WAM allows patrons with wireless laptops or handhelds to access the library's wireless network by using their library cards for authentication. With WAM, library staff can specify Web sites that don't require authentication.

Polaris 3.1 ILS software features major changes in serials control and enhancements in the Polaris PowerPAC that make it easy to launch new related searches from within an existing search and to choose how search results are sorted. Polaris 3.1 provides the first phase of MARC 21 Format for Holdings support, and also supports subscriptions to MARC databases such as cataloged Web sites so changes and deletions can be imported into Polaris.

Source: GIS Information Systems, Syracuse, NY, 800/272-3414; http://www.gisinfosystems.com.

Geac Launches Vubis Smart Info Management System in North America

Geac Library Solutions announced the North American launch of its Web-based information management system Vubis Smart. The system, which has been available in Europe for 18 months, enables users to better manage books, CDs, DVDs and videos, and provides reference capabilities for electronic books and journals. Vubis Smart's WebOpac allows the library to tailor the search methods offered, the indexes to be used, and the appearance and functionality of the Web interface down to the individual-user level. Users can establish selective dissemination of information (SDI) profiles, enhancing resource usage and creating a highly personalized work environment.

Source: Geac Library Solutions, Markham, Ontario, 905/475-0525; http://www.library.geac.com.

III Honors 25th Anniversary with Millennium Silver

In celebration of its 25th anniversary, Innovative Interfaces announced the release of Millennium Silver. The integrated information management system contains dozens of enhancements across its modules including Acquisitions, Circulation, Cataloging, and Serials. On the system level, enhancements have been made to INN-Reach, Interlibrary Loan, and Consortium Management Extensions. The release also includes an internationalized version of AirPAC, Innovative's PDA-powered Web OPAC interface.

Source: Innovative Interfaces, Inc., Emeryville, CA, 510/655-6200; http://www.iii.com.

Inmagic Lets Its Genie Out of the Bottle

Inmagic, Inc. announced the release of Inmagic Genie, a Web-based solution designed for the expanding corporate information center. Genie builds on DB/Text for Libraries, with new features and a new back end, Inmagic Content Server. Based on Microsoft SQL Server, Genie uses Microsoft .NET technologies to provide a Web environment supporting library staff functions, as well as end-user capabilities. With Genie, library staff can manage internal content while performing back-office tasks including catalog and circulation capabilities; adding new materials to the library collection; editing existing materials; and performing check in, check out, and borrower maintenance—all directly from an Internet browser.

Source: Inmagic, Inc., Woburn, MA, 800/229-8398; http://www.inmagic.com.

New Dynix Products: ILL, Portal

Dynix announced the launch of URSA 4.0, the latest version of its interlibrary loan product. The new edition features patron self-service requesting, full compatibility with Horizon Information Portal 4.0, and complete intraoperability among disparate ILS systems within a consortium.

Dynix also announced the launch of Horizon Information Portal 4.0, an upgrade of its catalog and portal solution, accompanied by the launch of Horizon 7.4, an update of the company's ILS system. Horizon Information Portal 4.0 enables portal personalization by highlighting items belonging to a specific location; allows the determination of request placement, default-notification type, and pickup locations; and offers the selection of predefined content channels or the creation of content channels based on local needs. Horizon 7.4 provides the database support for running Horizon Information Portal 4.0, and provides advanced functions for personal preferences set in the Horizon database.

Source: Dynix, Provo, UT, 800/288-8020; http://www.dynix.com.

Sirsi Unveils PocketCirc Handheld Circulation Product

Sirsi announced the introduction of Sirsi PocketCirc, a new circulation staff solution. The new product merges the simplicity of a hand-held device with the online and offline circulation functions of Sirsi's WorkFlows staff client and Unicorn Library Management System—including the ability to use wireless connections. Sirsi PocketCirc will be released in conjunction with Unicorn 2004 in the fall.

Source: Sirsi Corp., St. Louis, 800/325-0888; http://www.sirsi.com.

New Electronic Management Products from Endeavor

Endeavor Information Systems announced the development of Voyager InterCirc, a new system designed to provide circulation interaction between the Voyager ILS and disparate consortia borrowing services from non-Endeavor providers. More powerful resource sharing capabilities are offered in Voyager Universal Borrowing, a consortium borrowing system that provides end users with unmediated, patron-initiated borrowing from Voyager to Voyager libraries.

The company also introduced Endeavor Meridian, a new Web-based software system to help manage all types of electronic resources. Meridian interacts with integrated library systems, gathering MARC and acquisitions data to streamline work flow. The software's data import feature enables the use of information available from aggregators, local databases, or data management utilities.

Source: Endeavor Information Systems, Des Plaines, IL, 800/762-6300; http://www.endinfosys.com.

VTLS Launches VERIFY ERM Product

VTLS announced the launch of VERIFY, an electronic resource manager that can fully integrate with Virtua or function as a stand-alone system. VERIFY simplifies access to electronic information while allowing staff to keep track of every aspect of the library's e-resources in a single customizable interface.

Source: VTLS, Inc., Blacksburg, VA, 800/468-8857; http://www.vtls.com.

CONTENT/LINKING AGREEMENTS

Project MUSE Releases JSTOR Article Links

Project MUSE, an online collection of scholarly journals in the arts, humanities, and social sciences, announced that it has enabled article-level links to JSTOR from its search interface. Building on its reciprocal linking project with JSTOR, Project MUSE has released links to articles from the back issues of 25 journals common to both collections. Currently, there are more than 40 titles common to both MUSE and JSTOR, and this number is expected to grow to more than 50 in the near future.

Source: Project MUSE, Baltimore, 410/516-6989; http://www.muse.jhu.edu.

Naxos Music Library Adds New Content

Naxos Music Library, the online listening service from the Naxos classical music label, announced that it is expanding its service through licensing agreements with additional independent music labels. Four additional labels have agreed to make their music available to subscribers of the Naxos Music Library—Analekta, ARC, Celestial Harmonies, and First Edition. The Analekta catalog provides classical music offerings, Celestial Harmonies and ARC offer world music, and First Edition is releasing the pioneering recordings of 20th-century American composers performed by the Louisville Symphony Orchestra.

Source: Naxos of America, Inc., Franklin, TN, 615/771-9393; http://www.naxosusa.com.

ProQuest Launches Interface Updates

ProQuest announced the launch of a new interface that will be available on every proprietary ProQuest product. The updated interface will offer ProQuest Smart Search, an indexing feature that analyzes a search and offers suggestions for related topics and publications at the top of the results screen. The new interface will enable users to e-mail multiple articles in a single e-mail from ProQuest, and to e-mail My Research Summary and formatted bibliographies. Enhanced ProQuest CrossLinks have been added, allowing users to link from their results list into a link-resolver service and view the full text of the article wherever it may be found in the library's holdings, or in external holdings the library may be able to access.

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

Thomson Gale Includes NYT Content

Thomson Gale announced a multiyear agreement with The New York Times to include the Times' content in Thomson Gale electronic products. The content—including The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, and The New York Times Book Review—is now available in Thomson Gale's InfoTrac Custom Newspapers and Student Resource Center online products. In addition, all or selected content from The New York Times is available in Business & Company Resource Center, Health & Wellness Resource Center, Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center, Science Resource Center, and Literature Resource Center (with The New York Times Book Review content included). Thomson Gale customers will have access to The New York Times content from the present back to Jan. 1, 2000.

Source: Thomson Gale, Farmington Hills, MI, 800/877-4253; http://www.gale.com.

Factiva and Fairfax Expand Agreement

Factiva, a Dow Jones & Reuters Company, and John Fairfax Holdings, Ltd. announced an expanded relationship in a new long-term agreement. All full-text articles from the Fairfax group of publications will be distributed electronically to more than 1.6 million Factiva subscribers globally. After Sept.10, 2004, Factiva will be the only international vendor offering full-text content from all of Fairfax's metropolitan daily newspapers, including The Australian Financial Review, Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Sunday Age, and The Sun Herald. Factiva will also offer access to Fairfax's business and finance titles, including BRW, Personal Investor, Shares, CFO, and MIS.

Source: Factiva, New York, 800/369-0166; http://www.factiva.com.

Thomson Increases ISI Web of Knowledge

The Thomson Corp. announced an increase in the linking power of ISI Web of Knowledge, including full-text links to journals from hundreds of new publishers, increased linking capability, and use of the Digital Object Identifier (DOI). ISI Web of Knowledge now supports direct, customized links to more than 300 publishers, covering a total of more than 10,000 journals.

Source: Thomson Corp., Philadelphia, 215/386-0100; http://www.thomson.com.

 


       Back to top