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Vol. 23 No. 10 — Nov/Dec 2004

Alliance for Taxpayer Access to Seek Open Access to NIH Research

The Association of Research Libraries and other research groups announced the launch of the Alliance for Taxpayer Access. The alliance—an informal coalition of libraries, patients, health-policy advocates, and others—was developed to urge the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Congress to ensure that peer-reviewed articles on taxpayer-funded research at NIH become fully accessible and available online and at no cost to the American public. Detailed information on the alliance is available at http://www.taxpayeraccess.org.

Source: Association of Research Libraries, Washington, DC, 202/296-2296; http://www.arl.org.

Internet History Project Launches New Portal

The Internet History Project (a project of Ian Peter and Associates) announced the launch of a new portal dedicated to the history of the Internet. Designed as an entry point for basic information on the subject, the site also provides opportunities for more in-depth exploration. The portal links to other sites specializing in aspects of the Internet, including the Computer History Museum, major archival collections, old-computer sites, and novelty sites.

Source: The Internet History Project, Brisbane, Australia, 011-617-3870-1181; http://www.ianpeter.com or http://www.nethistory.info.

Brooklyn Public Library Offers Chinese Database

The Brooklyn Public Library announced that it is offering free access to Qikan, a new database of more than 500 Chinese magazines. The database can be accessed from public computers at any of the library system's 60 locations, or from any computer at any location with the library's Access Brooklyn Card.

Source: Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn, NY, 718/230-2100; http://brooklynpubliclibrary.org.

Mississippi State Joins 'Ask A Librarian'

The Association of Southeastern Research Libraries announced that Mississippi State University's Mitchell Memorial Library has joined ASERL's "Ask A Librarian" virtual reference service. Libraries participating in the chat reference service include The College of William & Mary, Florida State University, Georgia State University, University of Alabama, University of Central Florida, University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, University of Memphis, University of North Carolina­Charlotte, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Wake Forest University.

Source: Association of Southeastern Research Libraries, Atlanta, 800/999-8558; http://www.aserl.org.

HighWire Press Feeds China Education Network

Stanford University announced that its HighWire Press electronic journal and hosting service has opened a direct pipeline Internet connection with CERNET, the China Education and Research Network. This agreement makes online content from all 361 HighWire-hosted journals fully accessible through a locally hosted broadband connection authorized and supported by the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China.

Source: Stanford University/HighWire Press, Stanford, CA, 650/723-2019; http://www.highwire.org.

NEW/ENHANCED DATABASES

Wilson Launches Science Full Text Select

HW Wilson announced the launch of Science Full Text Select, a combination of the full-text content of all of the Wilson science databases, providing articles from 320 sources in total. The material includes visual content such as charts, diagrams, and illustrations in PDF page images. Also provided are daily content additions, summaries in 50- to 150-word abstracts, and up-to-date subject headings.

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

Factiva Offers Gannett Government Publications

Factiva announced the addition of nine publications from Gannett's Army Times publishing company, providing information on the U.S. government and the U.S. military. The publications include Federal Times, Defense News, Armed Forces Journal, Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Training & Simulation Journal, Army Times, Navy Times, Air Force Times, and Marine Corps Times. The military publications are incorporated into Factiva's content collection of 9,000 sources.

Source: Factiva, Princeton, NJ, 609/627-2000; http://www.factiva.com.

EBSCOhost Provides Additional Technical Database

EBSCO Publishing announced the addition of Internet & Personal Computing Abstracts (IPCA) to the EBSCOhost database. IPCA, formerly Microcomputer Abstracts, covers more than 400 trade publications, mainstream computer magazines, and professional journals, with content coverage that extends back to the 1980s.

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

CAS Adds Publication Records Back to 1900

Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) announced the expansion of its Scientific Century online project with the addition of more than 7,000 early 20th-century articles from American Chemical Society (ACS) journals and other publications. The newly added information includes the Journal of the American Chemical Society and the Journal of Physical Chemistry, as well as more than 400 documents published from 1900 to 1912, such as a 1902 paper on radioactive substances by Marie and Pierre Curie.

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

ProQuest Expands ABI/INFORM

ProQuest Information and Learning announced the addition of selections from Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) ViewsWire to the ABI/INFORM suite of databases. The material, published by the London-based EIU, provides analytical briefings to support business decision making. EIU ViewsWire covers global business (including business regulations, economic developments, financial markets, foreign investment, industrial trends, labor conditions, political changes, and trade policies) in 201 countries. Updated monthly, the service includes backfiles to Jan. 1, 2004.

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

Scholastic Improves La Nueva Enciclopedia Cumbre

Scholastic announced the release of an improved edition of its online, Spanish-language encyclopedia, Nueva Enciclopedia Cumbre en linea. The update includes new features such as timelines, atlases, current events information, and a new category browse. Also featured in the new edition is Aula de Español, an area designed to assist beginning and intermediate-level Spanish-language learners with simplified versions of encyclopedia articles and Spanish-language teaching and learning tools.

Source: Scholastic, Inc., New York, 212/343-6100; http://www.scholastic.com.

SAGE and CSA Update Politics and International Relations Collection

SAGE Publications and Cambridge Scientific Abstracts (CSA) announced several updates to Politics and International Relations: A SAGE Full-Text Collection. The product has been re-named Political Science: A SAGE Full-Text Collection and new content has been added, including The Review of Radical Political Economics. Other content, scheduled to be added in 2005, includes four titles in the field of public administration: Administration & Society, American Review of Public Administration, International Review of Administrative Sciences, and Public Works Management & Policy.

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

WilsonWeb Creates Index to Legal Periodicals Retrospective

HW Wilson announced a new online Index to Legal Periodicals (ILP) Retrospective 1918­1981, providing access to dozens of ILP print annuals. Based on the print reference, the online edition indexes articles from more than 750 publications from the U.S., Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. The database features 540,000 records, including citations on periodicals, book reviews, and case citations, as well as annual surveys of jurisdictional laws, federal courts, and annual reviews of work in a given field or topic. The index includes a holdings indicator and document delivery links.

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

Ovid Offers the International Science Database

Ovid Technologies announced that it is offering the International Science Database (ISD) on its SilverPlatter online platform. The database indexes approximately 8,000 U.S. and international periodicals and includes more than 9 million records dating from 1990 through the present, with an average of 10,000 new records added each week. ISD is published through an exclusive partnership with the Institute for Scientific and Technical Information of the French National Center for Scientific Research. More than 80 percent of the ISD records incorporate bilingual indexing; keywords can be searched in English or French with full bibliographic citations.

Source: Ovid Technologies, New York, 800/950-2035; http://www.ovid.com.

Wiley InterScience Launches Two Science Backfiles

John Wiley & Sons announced the launch of two collections of digitized journal libraries—the Chemistry Backfile Collection and the Materials Science Backfile Collection. The chemistry collection spans more than 170 years and contains back-issue content from 11 journals. The materials science collection contains nearly 50 years of back-issue content from 14 journals. Both collections are available via Wiley InterScience at http://www.interscience.wiley.com.

Source: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, NJ, 877/762-2974; http://www.wiley.com.

CSA Adds The Philosopher's Index

Cambridge Scientific Abstracts (CSA) announced that The Philosopher's Index, published by The Philosopher's Information Center, is now available through CSA's platform. The index provides bibliographic access to abstracts from more than 550 journals, with backfiles dating to 1940. The material is updated quarterly and contains references from journals originally published in more than 40 countries in English and other languages.

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

Dekker Releases Encyclopedia of Dietary Supplements

Marcel Dekker, Inc. announced the release of the Encyclopedia of Dietary Supplements, edited by Paul Coates, director of the Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health. Presented as a scientific checkpoint for the many over-the-counter supplements available today, the encyclopedia examines clinical data to prove or disprove the claims made by suppliers of natural supplements. The publication is available as an online database (updated quarterly) or as a print volume.

Source: Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York, 800/228-1160; http://www.dekker.com.

Morningstar.com Library Edition Gets New Features

Morningstar announced the addition of new features to its Morningstar.com Library Edition investment research subscription Web site. The additions include fiduciary grades for mutual funds, 1,400 stock analyst reports, and 50 new self-directed interactive classes added to the site's Investing Classroom. The Library Edition includes remote patron access and library features such as on-site training, a monthly e-newsletter, and online site-use tracking.

Source: Morningstar, Inc., Chicago, 866/215-2509; http://library.morningstar.com.

YOUR DIGITAL LIBRARY

Wiley Launches New Science Journal

John Wiley & Sons announced the launch of small, a journal on the interdisciplinary science and technology in the nano and micro disciplines. small will examine aspects of fundamental and applied nanotechnology research in many fields and will also contain contributions involving larger length scales, where miniaturization leads to novel and important properties and capabilities. The journal will be published 12 times a year and is targeted to the academic research world, as well as the chemical, electronic, and biotech industries. small will be available in print and online via Wiley InterScience.

Source: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, NJ, 877/762-2974; http://www.wiley.com.

Thomson Gale Adds Reference E-Books

Thomson Gale announced the addition of new titles to its Gale Virtual Reference Library service. The additions are: Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia, Witchcraft in America, Endangered Species, U.S. Immigration and Migration Reference Library, Encyclopedia of the Middle East and North Africa, Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of Foods & Recipes of the World, UXL American Decades, Nutrition and Well-Being A-Z, Renaissance and Reformation Reference Library, Colonial America Reference Library, Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Popular Musicians Since 1990, Business Plans Handbook Volume 10, UXL Encyclopedia of Biomes, Company Profiles for Students, World of Earth Science, and UXL Encyclopedia of Landforms.

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

SOLINET Publishes Conference Proceedings Online

SOLINET Preservation Services announced the online publication of Under Construction: Preservation and Collections Care Issues During Building Projects and Renovations, the proceedings of a conference held in May 2003 in Atlanta. The printable PDF includes six papers and an introduction, featuring information from library administrators and preservation professionals and consultants. The proceedings are online at http://www.solinet.net/preservation/construction.

Source: Southeastern Library Network, Inc., Atlanta, 800/999-8558; http://www.solinet.net.

Primary Research Group Releases Two Library Studies

Primary Research Group announced the release of two new library studies. Licensing and Copyright Management: Best Practices for College, Special and Research Libraries examines issues such as archival access for electronic journals ($80, print; $100, PDF). Creating the Digital Academic Library examines the digital library production centers at six university libraries and looks at the digital collection development policies at additional libraries ($69.50, print; $85, PDF).

Source: Primary Research Group, New York, 212/736-2316; http://www.primaryresearch.com.

Encyclopedia Americana Celebrates 175 Years

Scholastic announced the celebration of the 175th anniversary of the Encyclopedia Americana. The encyclopedia was first published in 1829, the year of the first U.S. patent for a typewriter and the publication of the first Braille book. Originally issued as a 13-volume work, the encyclopedia was introduced online in 1996 and today includes thousands of articles, as well as a link to the Americana Journal and its more than 60,000 illustrated, searchable news events.

Source: Scholastic, Inc., New York, 888/326-6546; http://www.scholastic.com or http://go.grolier.com.

Ex Libris Announces DigiTool Enhancements

Ex Libris announced that DigiTool, the digital collections management solution, now supports the JPEG2000 standard. This added function enhances the product's image-handling capabilities while providing remote patrons with access to high-resolution digital images via the Internet. The DigiTool JPEG2000 viewer does not decompress viewed images and does not transfer them to the end-user's computer, ensuring that the library retains sole control of the images.

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

Corning Glass Library Catalog Is Online

The Corning Museum of Glass announced that the museum's Rakow Research Library catalog of holdings is now available online. The library's new Web site (http://rakow.cmog.org) allows users to search holdings in all formats in the library catalog, in the index of glass-related articles, or in both databases simultaneously. Much of the library's holdings are available on microform and can be borrowed through interlibrary loan at a local public or academic library. The online material is scheduled to include the annually printed Check Lists from the Journal of Glass Studies and New Glass Review back to the first printed lists from 1959.

Source: Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY, 800/732-6845; http://www.cmog.org.

AUTOMATION AIDS

Endeavor Ties ENCompass with Athens ID System

Endeavor Information Systems announced the integration of the Eduserv Athens sign-on access and identity system with the ENCompass system for managing, searching, and linking collections. The integration ensures single sign-on access to multiple resources, providing end users with institutional authorization for federated searching and access to citations or full-text records. ENCompass integration with Athens is available as an added option to ENCompass release 3.5.

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

Sirsi Integrates BWI E-Books into Its OPACs

Sirsi Corp. announced that it and e-book-provider BWI have completed the integration of e-books with an ILS (Sirsi's Unicorn) and with OPACs. Library users can now search for and download BWI's e-books directly through Sirsi's iBistro, iLink, or Web2 OPACs, and can search specifically for works available in e-book format or for e-books and bound books simultaneously.

Source: Sirsi Corp., St. Louis, 314/432-1100; http://www.sirsi.com.

SydneyPLUS Announces Z39.50 Capabilities

SydneyPLUS International announced the inclusion of embedded Z39.50 search-and retrieval-capabilities into its knowledge management and library automation software. The Z39.50 client is a free addition to the SydneyPLUS MARC Record Interface, one of 11 modules available with the SydneyPLUS for MS-SQL and Oracle systems. A guided tour of the Z39.50 interface is available online at http://www.sydneyplus.com/sydneyplus/product_demo.html.

Source: SydneyPLUS International, Vancouver, BC, 604/278-6717; http://www.sydneyplus.com.

NEW BOOKS

The Virtual Reference Experience: Integrating Theory Into Practice

In The Virtual Reference Experience: Integrating Theory Into Practice (ISBN: 1-55570-512-X, 289 p., $75), editors David Lankes, Joseph Janes, Linda C. Smith, and Christina M. Finneran present guidance for reference librarians, administrators, information professionals, and students who are trying to keep pace with factors that are shaping virtual reference. The Virtual Reference Experience explores the most effective virtual reference policies and the best practices from libraries across the nation. Chapters are based on original presentations from the Virtual Reference Desk Conference and present lessons that others learned through real-world reference projects. Arranged into four parts (Patrons of Virtual Reference Services, Virtual Reference Librarians, Virtual Reference Services and Policies, and Broader Context of Virtual Reference), this book highlights the needs of users by exploring their perceptions, expectations, and the effective strategies that engage them in the service.

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

ALA Publishes Complete Copyright: An Everyday Guide for Librarians

ALA released Complete Copyright: An Everyday Guide for Librarians (ISBN: 0-8389-3543-5, 262 p., $50; $45 ALA members) by Carrie Russell. In this spiral-bound book, Russell guides librarians through common copyright issues and the latest trends, including the complexities of copyright in the digital world. Russell uses real-life examples to illustrate how librarians can be advocates for a fair and balanced copyright law. The illustrated book also contains a complete glossary of copyright terms.

Source: ALA Editions, Chicago, 312/280-1537; http://www.ala.org/editions.

Neal-Schuman Publishers Release Three New Books

Neal-Schuman Publishers announced the release of Copyright for Teachers and Librarians (ISBN: 1-55570-500-6, 200 p., $59.95)
by Rebecca Butler; The Advanced Internet Searchers Handbook, Third Edition (ISBN: 1-85604-523-4, 257 p., $85) by Phil Bradley;
and Introduction to Public Librarianship (ISBN: 1-55570-475-1, 405 p., $59.95) by Kathleen de la Peña McCook.

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

USEFUL TOOLS

Guidebook Explains How to Choose and Use a News Alert Service

Information Today, Inc., in conjunction with FIND/SVP, Inc., announced the publication of a new business guidebook, Choosing and Using a News Alert Service, written by Information Advisor editor Robert Berkman, with contributions by Marie Kotas. The book outlines ways to effectively use news tracking services and electronic research tools to monitor corporate information and business-focused news. Also included are overviews of free and fee Web-based news tracking and monitoring services. The 127-page, softcover volume is available for $79.95.

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

Innovative Introduces Flat-Screen Arm

Innovative Office Products announced the release of the Model 7000 radial arm for use in libraries. The radial arm attaches to flat-screen monitors and suspends them above work surfaces, allowing the user to adjust the screen with one hand. The arm rotates 360 degrees from three swivel joints and tilts more than 200 degrees. It can extend 24 inches from where it is mounted, has 16 inches of vertical movement, and folds to fit in 2 inches of space. The unit is designed for areas where multiple users work side by side and where many flat-panel monitors are used in a limited amount of space.

Source: Innovative Office Products, Inc., Easton, PA, 800/524-2744; http://www.LCDarms.com.

SwetsWise Title Bank Manages Serials

Swets Information Services announced that it has launched SwetsWise Title Bank, a customized gateway to a library's entire online and print holdings. This management tool for electronic journals allows users to customize their entire list of electronic subscription links, including links originating from external databases, publisher Web sites, or SwetsWise Online content.

Source: Swets Information Services, Lisse, Netherlands, 011-31-252-435-584; http://www.swets.com.

PARTNERSHIPS

netLibrary Distributes Penguin E-Book Titles

The OCLC Online Computer Library Center announced that its netLibrary Division has signed an agreement with Penguin Group (USA) to distribute Penguin titles as e-books. More than 1,000 frontlist and classic titles will be available as e-books, ranging from Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynn Truss to Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, as well as collections of the "Complete Idiot" guides and of ancient classic literature.

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

Innovative Renews MetaFind Partnership with MuseGlobal

Innovative Interfaces announced that it has entered into a 3-year agreement that renews its search technology partnership with MuseGlobal. Under the agreement, MuseGlobal will continue to provide the underlying search technology that supports MetaFind, Innovative's federated search product.

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

Westlaw Wireless Available on BlackBerry

Thomson West announced that the company has joined the BlackBerry ISV Alliance Program, making Westlaw Wireless available to BlackBerry users. Westlaw Wireless is also accessible from nearly any personal digital assistant (PDA) or laptop with wireless Internet access, including Palm and Compaq devices.

Source: Thomson West, Eagan, MN, 800/733-2889; http://www.thomsonwest.com.

CONTENT/LINKING AGREEMENTS

Endeavor and Elsevier Develop XML Gateway

Endeavor Information Systems and Elsevier Engineering Information announced a partnership to develop an XML gateway from Endeavor's ENCompass for Resource Access federated search system to content sources hosted on Engineering Village 2. Researchers using ENCompass for Resource Access can now access the Compendex, Inspec, and U.S. National Technical Information Service databases. The XML gateway to Engineering Village 2 is currently available with ENCompass for Resource Access release 3.5.

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

HighWire Press Hosts Oxford Journals Collection

Oxford Journals, a division of Oxford University Press, announced an agreement with Stanford University's HighWire Press to develop an online academic publishing venue. Beginning in January 2005, HighWire Press will host the entire Oxford Journals collection online. Oxford Journals publishes more than 180 titles covering a broad range of subject areas, most of which are published in collaboration with learned societies and other international organizations.

Source: Oxford Journals/Oxford University Press, Oxford, U.K. and Cary, NC, 800/852-7323; http://www.oupjournals.org.

MetaPress Extends Agreement with Springer

EBSCO Information Services announced that MetaPress has extended its agreement with Springer to add more than 650 scientific, technical, and medical journals from Kluwer Academic Publishing (KAP) to SpringerLink. The agreement was extended as a result of the merger between Springer-Verlag and KAP under the new name Springer. MetaPress, a service of Publisher Promotion & Fulfillment (a division of EBSCO Industries, Inc.), offers Web publishing solutions for scholarly journals.

Source: EBSCO Information Services, Birmingham, AL, 205/991-6600; http://www.ebsco.com.

Elsevier Provides Content to New Zealand Researchers

Elsevier announced an agreement with members of the New Zealand Vice Chancellors' Committee and the Association of Crown Research Institutes that will provide New Zealand researchers access to Elsevier's ScienceDirect Freedom Collection. The Tertiary Education Commission's Innovation and Development Fund provided a grant to fund the agreement.

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

Eight New Publishers Sign with SwetsWise Online

Swets Information Services announced that it has signed eight new publishers to SwetsWise Online Content. They are the Academy of Traumatology, the American School for Classical Studies at Athens, Austrian Academy of Sciences Press, BC Decker, IAHS (International Association of Hydrological Sciences) Press, Medknow Publications, Palgrave Macmillan, and Pharmacotherapy Publications, Inc. SwetsWise now carries 8,485 full-text e-journals from 319 publishers, with more than 90 percent of the top scientific, technical, and medical publishers participating.

Source: Swets Information Services, Lisse, Netherlands, 011-31-252-435-584; http://www.swets.com.

Access Innovations and Advanced Chemistry Development Integrate Products

Access Innovations and Advanced Chemistry Development announced that they have formed an alliance to integrate two software products used in chemical research. The MAI-Chem chemical name identification and search system from Access Innovations has been partnered with Name To Structure software from Advanced Chemistry Development. The alliance will help chemical researchers to convert variations of chemical names found in large sets of data—such as a database of patent records—into visualizations of those chemical structures and then to use the images as a tool for research and business projects.

Source: Access Innovations, Albuquerque, NM, 800/926-8328; http://www.accessinn.com and Advanced Chemistry Development, Toronto, 800/304-3988; http://www.acdlabs.com.

NewsGator Technologies and U-WIRE Offer College Media Content

NewsGator Technologies announced an agreement with U-WIRE to offer college media content to NewsGator Online Services users. The agreement will provide access to syndicated material—including more than 50,000 articles and 10,000 photographs—all produced by student journalists. Also included are 50 new U-WIRE feeds, including collections of news, opinion, entertainment, and sports content from nearly 750 college media outlets in all 50 states and 15 nations.

Source: NewsGator Technologies, Highlands Ranch, CO, 303/683-0506; http://www.newsgator.com.