Vol. 20, No. 6 • June 2000

Source: Ericsson, Mississauga, ON, Canada, 905/206-6570; http://www.ericsson.com.
 

CitX Corp. Develops the WebXTalk Utility
CitX Corp. has announced the development of WebXTalk, a technology innovation for those who are visually impaired. WebXTalk enables CitX clients to provide users with the ability to access and interact with their Web-based information and services via a standard touch-tone telephone. WebXTalk will also feature a built-in language translation capability, enabling users to translate the contents of most Web sites to speech in languages such as French, German, Chinese, and Japanese.

According to the announcement, the ability to interact through speech reduces the obstacles that visually impaired people encounter on Web sites that are limited to visual access only. WebXTalk provides a method to rapidly convert hypertext menus to touch-tone-based menus. With this technology, CitX clients may choose to have their Web sites’ contents spoken to users or to design WebXTalk-only versions of Web site content for users to listen to. WebXTalk technology can automatically speech-enable most Web sites using this Web-based editor and compiler.

Subscriptions to basic WebXTalk will be offered to customers starting at $9.95 per month. CitX says it plans to roll out a beta test this month and offer full commercial availability by August.

Source: CitX Corp., Quakertown, PA, 215/538-3535; http://www.citx.net.
 

Fujifilm Unveils Three Software Products for Its M Drive Microfilm Retrieval System
The Document Products Division of Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc. has announced that it will be introducing three, second-generation productivity-enhancing software packages for its M Drive microfilm retrieval system. According to the company, the advanced DistriNet, PowerScan, and MS-2600 version 3.0 interface software packages offer a range of features that enhance the M Drive’s capabilities.

By delivering images into a print server, fax manager, or network system, DistriNet is a bridge between microfilm and electronic document storage. It allows information managers to control image quality, to provide faster image turnaround, and to improve the automated distribution of work flow. The PowerScan microfilm software is designed as a plug-in to the IDEA software product suite, which allows the retrieval of images from e-mail, Web sites, and other sources for processing and distributing over an organization’s network. The MS-2600 version 3.0 software package offers many enhancements, including easier access to the M Drive’s scanner controls, better image annotation capabilities, and the ability to fax and e-mail. The batch-scanning function, coupled with a larger thumbnail viewing capability for multi-page documents, will boost the number of images that can be viewed at one time from 80 to 1,500.

Source: Fujifilm U.S.A., Inc., Elmsford, NY, 800/755-3854; http://www.fujifilm.com.
 

Network Instruments Releases NIPrint 4.0
Network Instruments has announced the release of NIPrint 4.0, its bidirectional LPD/LPR printing utility for Winsock TCP/IP. According to the company, NIPrint delivers the complete integration that Windows end-users expect for printing to/from UNIX/Linux or their network printers, without the need for extensive TCP/IP packages or dedicated hardware.

NIPrint takes full advantage of the Windows 95/98/2000/NT 32-bit multi-tasking environment. A summary of NIPrint 4.0’s features include secondary (fallback) printer support, better communication logging for troubleshooting, better printer and queue control, Windows 2000 support, and control of the LDP/LPR command file contents.

A complete, fully functional, 21-day demo of NIPrint 4.0 is available from the company’s Web site.

Source: Network Instruments, Minneapolis, 952/932-9899; http://www.networkinstruments.com.
 

New PC Support Journal to Be Published
Internet Practice Press and Best Business Books, both imprints of The Haworth Press, Inc., have announced the forthcoming publication of the new Journal of End User Computer Support, to be edited by Ron Berry.

According to the announcement, the emergence and increase of end-user computing in organizations has led to many management challenges, the most important of which is providing an adequate support function to meet end-users’ diverse needs. The purpose of the Journal of End User Computer Support is to provide a forum where practitioners and academicians can publish material and discuss relevant issues related to supporting end-user computing.

The charter issue is available at no charge to professionals writing on their institutional letterhead and to librarians. Requests should be sent to Free Sample Copy, The Haworth Press, Inc., Sample Copy Department—Box Comp, 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580; E-mail: getinfo@haworthpressinc.com.

Source: The Haworth Press, Inc., Binghamton, NY, 800/HAWORTH, 607/722-5857; http://www.haworthpressinc.com.
 

SLA Calls for Continuing Education Courses
The Special Libraries Association’s (SLA) Strategic Learning and Development Center has announced that it is inviting information professionals and other interested persons to submit continuing education (CE) course proposals for consideration for SLA’s 92nd Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas, June 9–14, 2001.

According to SLA, facilitators that present CE courses for SLA create powerful learning experiences for themselves and their audiences. The 2001 Call for Courses brochure provides all of the information needed to prepare a CE course proposal.

The deadline for submitting a proposal is September 15, 2000. To receive a 2001 Call for Courses brochure, contact Teena Whitley at teena@sla.org.

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

ITU Agrees on a New Key IP Standard
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has announced that it has approved an important new standard specifying the transport of Internet protocol (IP) structured signals over public networks based on asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) technology.

The new standard ITU-T Recommendation Y.1310 (Transport of IP over ATM in Public Networks) is the second major IP-related standard issued by ITU-T Study Group 13.

According to the ITU, this standard and others are major steps forward for the ITU-T in moving telecommunications networks toward integration with the Internet and other IP-based networks, to improve global opportunities for integrated voice, data, image, and video communication.

Source: International Telecommunication Union, Geneva, 011-41-22-730-6039; Fax: 011-41-22-730-5939; http://www.itu.int.
 

ScienceDirect Launches Consortium in China
Elsevier Science’s ScienceDirect unit, the provider of a full-text electronic database of scientific, technical, and medical information, has announced the creation of the Elsevier ScienceDirect OnSite China Consortium, China’s first partnership with a commercial publisher to deliver full-text electronic journals. The 3-year contract will enable the consortium’s 11 top Chinese educational and research institutions to expand their digital libraries, providing users with access to over 1,100 full-text scientific journals through the major information hubs of Tsinghua University in Beijing and Shanghai Jiaotong University in Shanghai.

The consortium will be based on CERNET, China’s nationwide education and research computer network. Funded by the Chinese government and managed by the Chinese Ministry of Education, CERNET broadens the ScienceDirect OnSite market to potentially include 266 universities and 160 educational institutes.

Source: Elsevier Science, New York, 212/633-3730; http://www.elsevier.com.
 

ACADEMIC RESOURCES

Institutions Partner to Create Fathom, an Interactive Knowledge Company
Six of the world’s leading educational and cultural institutions have announced that they will create Fathom, a new company being formed to launch the premier site for knowledge and education on the Web, according to the announcement. Fathom will aim to present the best public content and courses of universities, libraries, and museums on a wide variety of professional, cultural, and academic subjects.

Much of Fathom’s content has never been available outside of the participating institutions. The founding partners that will make their educational and cultural resources available through Fathom are Columbia University, the London School of Economics and Political Science, Cambridge University Press, the British Library, the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History, and The New York Public Library. Other institutions are expected to join the consortium.

Source: Fathom, New York, 212/854-0334; http://www.fathom.com.
 

Bartleby.com Redesigns Site and Adds Several New Full-Text Reference Sources
Bartleby.com, an Internet publisher of reference, verse, and classic literature, has announced that it has added several reference sources to its collection of full-text works. New reference works available on Bartleby.com include the Columbia Encyclopedia; The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, third edition; Roget’s II: The New Thesaurus; Simpson’s Quotations; and The American Heritage Book of English Usage. All reference materials are available 24/7 at no charge.

Bartleby.com has also unveiled a complete Web site redesign. With a new user interface, the company reports that the site provides fast and accurate access to a vast array of information. Visitors to Bartleby.com can access informative summaries of each book, as well as biographies, complete with pictures, of each author featured in the online library. With enhanced navigational tools and extensive cross-referencing between works, users can locate specific passages and references.

Source: Bartleby.com, Inc., New York, 212/375-6288; http://www.bartleby.com.
 

New SPARC Partner: Geometry & Topology
The Scholarly Publishing & Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC) has announced its partnership with Geometry & Topology, a high-quality, low-priced, Web-based mathematics journal. Geometry & Topology (http://www.maths.warwick.ac.uk/gt), published by the Mathematics Institute at the University of Warwick (U.K.), is headed by managing editors based at the University of Warwick and a distinguished 25-member editorial board from institutions around the world. Geometry & Topology is free of charge on the Web and makes available its complete archive in three softbound print volumes ($97). Bound paper editions will be available until the issue of digital archiving is resolved.

Geometry & Topology competes with Topology, a commercial journal that sells for over $1,200 annually.

Source: Scholarly Publishing & Academic Resources Coalition, Washington, DC, 202/296-2296; http://www.arl.org/sparc.
 

CONTENT AGREEMENTS

CatchWord Hosts Journals and Databases
CatchWord has announced that the MIT Press has selected CatchWord as its Internet publishing partner for online journals. The journals initially going online include Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, Linguistic Inquiry, Journal of Architectural Education, TDR/The Drama Review, Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, The Quarterly Journal of Economics, International Organization, The Journal of Interdisciplinary History, and The Review of Economics and Statistics.

In addition, LibraPharm has signed an agreement for its journal Current Medical Research and Opinion to be hosted online with CatchWord. A peer-reviewed, page-charge journal, Current Medical Research and Opinion offers healthcare companies and researchers the opportunity to publish a wide variety of materials as rapidly as possible, both in print and online.

Finally, CatchWord has reported that links from records in PubMed to full text held on CatchWord are now live. PubMed is a biomedical resource for the scholarly community.

Source: CatchWord, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, U.K., 011-44-1235-555877; Fax: 011-44-1235-5365000; http://www.catchword.com.
 

Amigos to Distribute BioOne in the U.S.
Amigos Library Services has announced that it has been named the exclusive U.S. distributor of BioOne (http://www.bioone.org), an electronic aggregation of the full text of dozens of leading research journals in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences. BioOne is scheduled to become operational early next year.

According to the announcement, BioOne is being developed by the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS), the Scholarly Publishing & Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC), the Big 12 Plus Libraries Consortium, the University of Kansas, and Allen Press. When launched in 2001, BioOne will offer a broad selection of the journals of many AIBS member societies.

Source: Amigos Library Services, Dallas, 800/843-8482, 972/851-8000; http://www.amigos.org.
 

The New York Times Signs with InfoTrac
The Gale Group has announced that it has signed a contract with The New York Times that secures rights to distribute the full text of the newspaper’s articles in InfoTrac Custom Newspapers. InfoTrac Custom Newspapers searches and displays a 90-day rolling file of The New York Times for academic, public, and school library customers.

InfoTrac Custom Newspapers is a Web-based database that delivers full-text articles using specific search parameters. The product allows searching by title, headline, date, author, or newspaper section. Search results are displayed within the newspaper section, providing context for articles. Results are delivered electronically from the newspaper, creating an electronic edition with only the articles the searcher needs.

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

WEB SEARCH TOOLS

Cyberlinks Technology Builds 1Clic.com, Its New Linux-Based Internet Search Engine
Cyberlinks Technology, Inc. (CTI) has announced the release of its new Linux-run Internet search engine, 1Clic.com, which was designed to provide Internet users with a fresh, new format for searching the Web, the company says. According to the announcement, 1Clic.com solves the problem of search engine spamming by stripping out all of the duplicate sites.

1Clic.com retrieves the most relevant search results from other top search engines along with Web site registrations from 1Clic’s own database. 1Clic also provides specialized searches for auctions, jobs, and forums with additional specific search capabilities.

Source: Cyberlinks Technology, Inc., Clarkesville, GA, 706/839-1379; http://www.1clic.com.
 

See AltaVista’s Advanced Search Center
AltaVista has announced its new Advanced Search Center (http://www.altavista.com/cgi-bin/query?pg=aq&what=web), which, according to the company, is designed to meet the needs of demanding Internet searchers, from librarians to medical researchers.

AltaVista’s Advanced Search technology can accommodate queries of up to 800 characters, and gives users the ability to use Boolean operators to clearly define what they are looking for. The new Advanced Search also utilizes “Sort By” fields, which can be used in conjunction with Boolean queries to improve relevancy.

Source: AltaVista Company, Palo Alto, CA, 650/320-7700; http://www.altavista.com.
 

RESOURCES FOR KIDS

Visit StoryPlace: Digital Library for Kids
The Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County has announced that it has unveiled StoryPlace: The Children’s Digital Library in English and Spanish. This Web site offers children and their caregivers the virtual experience of visiting a children’s library.

Children can view online stories, participate in games and activities, print out Take Home activities, and find books to read. Currently there are five different themes available to explore in the Pre-School Library, and all activities and stories are available in both English and Spanish.

In order to see and hear the animated stories and activities, the Macromedia Flash 4.0 browser plug-in is required.

Source: Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County, Charlotte, NC, 704/336-2725; http://www.plcmc.lib.nc.us.
 

LC Launches America’s Library Web Site
The Library of Congress (LC) has announced America’s Library, a new, easy-to-use, and entertaining Web site designed especially for children and their families. According to LC, the site was created to provide an entertaining educational experience that draws on its American historical collections.

Through the use of stories, embellished with photographs, maps, prints, manuscripts, and audio and video recordings from the LC’s collections, America’s Library invites users to learn about the past through extraordinary materials, many of which have never been seen by the public. Interactive elements such as a Scavenger Hunt and Send a Postcard will encourage kids to explore the site. Questions invite children to talk to their families and friends about what they have learned. Sections of the site include Meet Amazing Americans; Jump Back in Time; Explore the States; Join America at Play; and See, Hear and Sing.

Source: Library of Congress, Washington, DC, 202/707-2905; http://www.loc.gov.
 

CD/DVD PRODUCTS

Foundation Center Releases FC Search 4.0
The Foundation Center has announced that the new edition of FC Search: The Foundation Center’s Database on CD-ROM, version 4.0, has been released. This expanded version presents updated information on the center’s database of over 53,000 foundations and corporate givers, and new to this edition, hundreds of grant-making public charities. Also new to version 4.0 are in-depth program descriptions for over 900 grant makers and enhanced application guidelines for over 5,300 funders.

According to the announcement, FC Search is both a sophisticated and user-friendly research tool. It is designed for use by grant seekers and other nonprofit researchers at all levels of experience.

FC Search is licensed to users at $1,195 for a stand-alone version. The LAN version (two to eight users in one building) is priced at $1,895. Larger LAN and WAN versions are also available. All FC Search, version 4.0 licensees will automatically receive an Update disc in the fall.

Source: The Foundation Center, New York, 212/620-4230; http://fdncenter.org.
 

HP Releases HP CD-Writer Plus Drives
Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) has announced the release of its highest performance series: the HP CD-Writer Plus 9300i and 9310i drives.

The HP CD-Writer Plus 9300i and 9310i drives offer a 10x write speed, a 4x rewrite speed, and 32x read speed. The drives connect internally to any IBM-compatible, Pentium-class, 200-MHz computer with an IDE cable connect. Also, the company bundles a software collection with the drives, including HP fast format, HP simple backup, Adaptec Direct CD and Easy CD Creator, NEATO Direct CD and Easy CD Creator, NEATO CD Labeler, and Corel Print Office or ACID software.

The HP CD-Writer Plus 9300i and 9310i drives are available for an estimated price of $299.

Source: Hewlett-Packard Co., Palo Alto, CA, 650/857-1501; http://www.hp.com.
 

MediaFORM Introduces Its CD-3703 ECLIPSE Series of CD-R Producers
MediaFORM has announced the CD-3703 ECLIPSE series of network-enabled CD-R duplication and printing production systems. The ECLIPSE series utilizes either inkjet or thermal printing and a three-CD-R drive capacity, populated with MediaFORM’s SmartDRIVE2, a 12x/8x professional CD-R duplication drive.

Advanced features of the CD-3703 ECLIPSE series include network-ready, automated CD production; 19 to 59 CD throughput per hour; 100-CD/three SmartDRIVE2 capacity; and it comes with a Microsoft Windows NT workstation. Also, it copies all current CD formats, allows multiple CD images to be stored and duplicated from a local hard disk drive, allows users to make multiple copies of multiple masters with job scheduling function, and is upgradable to future CD-R/DVD drive technology.

Source: MediaFORM, Exton, PA, 610/458-9200; http://www.mediaform.com.
 

LIBRARY UTILITIES

Endeavor Releases Universal Catalog Tool
Endeavor Information Systems is introducing its new Universal Catalog to provide multi-database library consortia with the capability to create a centralized physical union catalog database. An optional addition to the Voyager integrated library management system, the Universal Catalog provides libraries with quick and easy access to a larger world of research literature, demonstrates the resources to develop complementary collections, and decreases the number of mediated interlibrary loan requests, Endeavor says.

Besides allowing a patron to execute a single search against the holdings of many libraries, the Universal Catalog offers access to a de-duplicated database of bibliographic records, as well as detailed holdings and item information retrieved in real time from local libraries’ databases. Endeavor reports that Universal Catalog will also be instrumental in Universal Borrowing, the company’s intra-consortium requesting and borrowing function, scheduled for release later this year.

Source: Endeavor Information Systems, Inc., Des Plaines, IL, 847/296-2200; http://www.endinfosys.com.
 

EOSi Announces New Version of Q Series
Electronic Online Systems (EOS) International has announced the release of version 2.003 of its Q Series library information management and access system.

Q Series version 2.003 features several special enhancements that customers have requested, according to the company. These include location and date range specification controls for the Bibliographic MARC Export option and further integration of the Serials and Circulation modules. Serials reporting has been enhanced, along with a systemwide setup option to allow the users to define their call number hierarchies. Also included in this Q Series maintenance release is an upgrade to Excalibur Technology’s RetrievalWare 6.6, the Q Series search engine.

The Q Series is a full-featured library information management system providing sophisticated information retrieval and advanced searching options.

Source: Electronic Online Systems International, Carlsbad, CA, 800/876-5484; http://www.eosintl.com.
 

Sagebrush Releases Athena v8.1, Updates
Sagebrush Corp. has announced the release of Athena v8.1. The latest release of this library automation program is a 32-bit application that provides additional features, better performance, and greater flexibility, according to the company. In addition, Sagebrush is releasing Athena Webserver 3.1.

Enhancements to Athena include printing patron summaries, identifying patrons with items on hold, displaying an item’s status, entering patron e-mail addresses, capturing pictures for Visual Search, ranking search results, including icons in search results, backing up files, and integrating Athena zMARC.

Updates to the new version of Athena Webserver include accessing patron information, including icons in search results, ranking search results, and requesting reserves and interlibrary loans.

In addition, Sagebrush has announced other add-on updates, including 1) Athena WebLink (a feature that enables patrons to access Web sites, electronic files, and provides a Reference Search feature, which allows a search of the library to carry over to a search of many predetermined online resources); 2) Athena zMARC (Z39.50 technology allows a librarian to access MARC records from hundreds of leading libraries, which can now be fully integrated into Athena); 3) French and Spanish interfaces for Athena Search stations; and 4) Patron Porter (software for converting patron data for use in Athena).

Source: Sagebrush Corp., Austin, TX, 800/642-4648; http://www.sagebrushcorp.com.
 

Follett Releases New v4.1 K-12 Software
Follett Software Company has announced the new v4.1 release of its K-12 library automation software for Windows and Mac OS. The new release also updates Follett Software’s products to enable students and parents to search multiple school library collections from home, and to enable staff to enhance and integrate library collection and textbook management. Software updated in the v4.1 release includes Circulation Plus, Catalog Plus, Union Catalog Plus, and WebCollection Plus software for Windows and Mac, and TextLink for Windows.

New features in Circulation Plus and Catalog Plus include Visual OPAC search interface with large, colorful icons; customizable sounds; built-in backup/restore; partial inventory that allows librarians to designate select groups of call numbers to inventory; and the ability to extract data in ASCII format from a variety of data fields, allowing librarians to manipulate or sort data in unique ways. New features in WebCollection Plus include QuickLinks for easier access to frequently visited Web sites, a more customizable home page, and a more efficient way to search multiple collections.

Source: Follett Software Company, McHenry, IL, 800/323-3397, 815/344-8700; http://www.fsc.follett.com.
 

Innovative Installs Linux on Millennium
Innovative Interfaces, Inc. has announced that it has now created a version of its Web- and Java-based Millennium integrated library system that runs on the Linux operating system.

According to the company, running Millennium under Linux is a validation of both Java’s success in achieving platform independence, and the potential of the Linux community in rapidly providing state-of-the-art software such as the Java Runtime Environments.

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

RLG Launches ILL Manager Version 1.0
The Research Libraries Group (RLG) has announced that it has released the first production version of ILL Manager—affordable, standards-based software that can handle borrowing and lending transactions with a variety of other ILL systems, according to RLG.

ILL Manager provides libraries with streamlined work flow by automating many routine procedures, and supplies new features that work across systems. These features include accepting patron-initiated requests, routing requests to preferred lenders, and automatically updating the request status when a document is sent by Ariel, RLG’s document transmission software.

Built on the “distributed model” of interlibrary lending, RLG’s ILL Manager is adaptable to almost any resource-sharing environment. In a distributed ILL environment, all functionality and data reside in a library’s local system, and messages that follow a standard protocol are sent directly to various trading partners, who may be on other systems.

While ILL Manager can work well with Ariel, the RLG Union Catalog (RLIN database), and the centralized RLIN ILL system, it can also be used independently of any RLG services.

Source: Research Libraries Group, Mountain View, CA, 800/537-7546, 650/691-2333; http://www.rlg.org.
 

Surpass Publishes Reports to the Web
Surpass Software has announced that users of the Surpass library automation suite of applications can now publish reports to the Web or save reports in other standard formats.

With the release of Surpass Central version 1.07, the core component of Surpass, users will find that all report screens now have an “export” button to choose to save the report to HTML for publishing on the Web. To make long reports more manageable, Surpass Central will create a series of Web pages with automatic links for navigation between pages.

Librarians can use Surpass Central Web publishing to publish reports of new arrivals, seasonal selections, course study materials, and other information they want to post for the public. The new export feature also supports saving to Adobe PDF, Rich Text Format (RTF), and XLS (Excel spreadsheet files).

Source: Surpass Software, Calhoun, GA, 877/625-2657, 706/625-5399; http://www.surpasssoftware.com.
 

ENHANCED DATABASES

SilverPlatter Provides WebSPIRS in French, German, and Spanish Languages
SilverPlatter Information, Inc. has announced that the new version of its WebSPIRS Web gateway is now available in French, German, Spanish, and English. With WebSPIRS v4.11, libraries can ensure that the widest possible community of users can search SilverPlatter’s collection of databases. WebSPIRS joins the WinSPIRS v4.0 client in supporting French, German, and Spanish.

According to the company, with WebSPIRS v4.11 installed, administrators can easily provide access to any one or more languages and can establish the preferred language as the default choice. The software is available for downloading at http://www.silverplatter.com/support/registration/html. SilverPlatter Internet Service subscribers and partner hosted server subscribers who are interested in the new language options can contact technical support to arrange access to their SilverPlatter databases using the language interfaces.

Libraries currently using WebSPIRS v4.1 that do not require access to the French, German, or Spanish versions do not need to upgrade to WebSPIRS v4.11.

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

ISI Includes English-Author Abstracts in Its Arts & Humanities Citation Index
ISI has announced that English-author abstracts are now available in the Web format of the Arts & Humanities Citation Index through the ISI Web of Science. The Arts & Humanities Citation Index provides access to current bibliographic information and cited references from more than 1,140 of the world’s leading arts and humanities journals in a broad range of disciplines and individually selected, relevant items from over 7,000 of the world’s leading science and social science journals. Exclusive features of the Arts & Humanities Citation Index are title enhancements and implicit citations.

Source: ISI, Philadelphia, 800/336-4474, 215/386-0100; http://www.isinet.com.
 

CSA Provides GeoRef Database, French-Language Interface for Its Internet Service
Cambridge Scientific Abstracts (CSA) has announced that the GeoRef database, published by the American Geological Institute, is now available via CSA’s Internet Database Service. GeoRef, which was established in 1966, provides access to the geoscience literature of the world.

According to the announcement, GeoRef is the most comprehensive database in the geosciences, with over 2.2 million references to geoscience journal articles, books, maps, conference papers, reports, and theses published as far back as 1785 (including references to all publications of the U.S. Geological Survey). More than 70,000 references are added each year.

In a separate announcement, CSA has announced that a French-language version of its Internet Database Service search interface is available. Search screens, help screens, and database fact sheets are all available in French. Note that the records have not been translated, however. Thus searches must be performed with English-language terms and search results remain in English. Many of the thesauri have been translated into French, allowing users to look up a term in French and search comparable English-language terms. Spanish and Japanese interfaces are under development.

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

SIRS Knowledge Source Has New Interface
SIRS Mandarin, Inc. has announced a new interface for its SIRS Knowledge Source that includes a new look and a variety of enhanced features. SIRS Knowledge Source is the online interface for SIRS’ reference databases: SIRS Researcher, SIRS Government Reporter, and SIRS Renaissance.

Users can tour the interface with a new tutorial, which describes additional content databases and a wide variety of interface features, advanced search tools, educational resources, and useful tips. New tagging features include Update Tagged List, which enables patrons to select and save a series of articles and accompanying graphics, source information, and summaries from the results list for future viewing. Patrons can also compile a list of sources from Tagged List for immediate bibliographic use. Also, a list of search tips is now available. The Help section has been updated to include a more comprehensive overview of individual SIRS Knowledge Source databases, functional and reference aids, an analysis of search results, and more. Additional content databases are now located under a separate tab, and colorful icons identify content within each main database.

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

CAS Enhances Databases with Links, Info
Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) has announced that it now includes citations in the CAS databases in SciFinder and the STN International network, increasing researchers’ abilities to follow online research pathways from database records to full-text documents to the related documents they cite.

CAS has made approximately 20 million citations available online from articles in thousands of chemistry-related journals, plus patents from the German, U.S., and World patent offices, starting from 1999. Users retrieving a bibliographic record in the CA or CAplus file will see cited references in a separate Reference field that identifies the document’s author, publication reference, and, if available, a link to the complete database record in the CAS files on STN.

In other news from CAS, the company has begun adding substance information from combinatorial libraries to the CAS REGISTRY database. CAS will also make an initial set of 200,000 compounds of biological and pharmacological interest searchable in the CHEMCATS database of commercially available chemicals, along with supplier information.

CAS has also announced that it has added new publications from major publishers to ChemPort. Contributing publishers now include the American Physical Society and the Institute of Physics, along with EBSCO, a leading subscription service. According to the news release, ChemPort now connects users of CAS information products to a total of 1,887 journals on the Web. Records in CAS databases and others on the STN International network are linked to the associated full-text journal articles plus patents.

Source: Chemical Abstracts Service, Columbus, OH, 800/753-4227, 614/447-3731; http://www.cas.org.
 

PreMEDLINE Available on Ovid Online
Ovid Technologies, Inc. has announced that it has added PreMEDLINE for access via Ovid Online. PreMEDLINE is the National Library of Medicine’s (NLM) in-process database for MEDLINE. It provides basic citation information and abstracts before the citation is indexed with NLM’s MeSH heading and added to MEDLINE.

Ovid is providing free online PreMEDLINE access to all current and future Ovid Online and Local-Online Hybrid MEDLINE customers. Ovid’s versions of PreMEDLINE and MEDLINE can be searched together as a single database with the new 4.1.0 version of the Ovid Web Gateway search and retrieval software, just released for Ovid Online customers.

Ovid will provide daily updates of PreMEDLINE on Ovid Online. Records will appear with the tag “MEDLINE record in process” until they are available in full form on the MEDLINE database. Ovid MEDLINE will continue to be updated weekly, as the NLM completes its own updates.

Source: Ovid Technologies, Inc., New York, 800/950-2035, 212/563-3006; http://www.ovid.com.
 

TOCs Added to Aries’ Knowledge Finder
Aries Systems Corp. has announced that it has enhanced its Knowledge Finder search engine with a new table-of-contents service called tocs@kfinder.

Users of Knowledge Finder on the Internet are now able to browse a list of more than 4,000 biomedical journals and view current titles and abstracts. A user-friendly interface also allows users to select prior volumes and issues going back as much as 10 years. Knowledge Finder subscribers can also opt to receive current tables of contents by e-mail in text or HTML format.

tocs@kfinder is automatically included with any Knowledge Finder subscription and can be evaluated for free by visiting http://www.kfinder.com and registering for a “test drive.”

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

MERGERS & PARTNERSHIPS

Thomson Corp. Is Set to Acquire DIALOG
The Thomson Corporation has announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the online information business of The Dialog Corporation for $275 million.

Dialog’s Information Services Division (ISD) is a global provider of information services with 1999 electronic revenues of $233 million. Under the terms of the investment, Thomson is acquiring the rights to technology and software to deliver to customers the products acquired from Dialog and rights to the DIALOG brand name, in addition to other brands marketed by ISD such as DataStar and Profound.

The Dialog Corporation plc will change its name to Bright Station plc and will continue to operate its current Web Solutions Division and eCommerce Division.

Source: The Thomson Corporation, Stamford, CT, 203/969-8700; http://www.thomson.com.
 

Endeavor, Elsevier Science to Join Forces
Endeavor Information Systems, Inc. and Elsevier Science, Inc. have formed an alliance that, according to the announcement, positions both companies to broaden the delivery of electronic content throughout the academic and research library marketplace.

The companies claim that the union of Elsevier and Endeavor capabilities will elevate the digital library to a new level by integrating bibliographic and full-text material including library holdings, library journal collections, reference books, and other full-text content. Endeavor’s Voyager library management system will serve as a platform for uniting library collections with the scientific content in Elsevier’s primary and secondary publications and databases.

Under the terms of the agreement, Endeavor will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Elsevier Science, and all current management will remain in place. The company will continue to be located in Des Plaines, Illinois.

Source: Endeavor Information Systems, Inc., Des Plaines, IL, 847/296-2200; http://www.endinfosys.com and Elsevier Science, New York, 212/633-3730; http://www.elsevier.com.
 

CIS Service Has Been Acquired by NISC
National Information Services Corp. (NISC), of Baltimore, has reached an agreement with Oxford Molecular Group to acquire the company’s Chemical Information System (CIS).

The CIS database service was first developed in the 1970s under the auspices of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Institutes of Health. It offers its subscribers access to a number of long-established scientific and technical databases, such as AQUIRE, CERCLIS, and TSCATS. The most important of these databases will be moving to NISC’s BiblioLine service on the Web.

Source: Chemical Information System, Hunt Valley, MD, 800/247-8737, 410/527-4500; http://www.oxmol.com/prod/cis.
 

Bell & Howell Information and Learning Is to Change Its Name to ProQuest, Inc.
Bell & Howell Information and Learning has announced that ProQuest, Inc. will be the name for the new company that will be created when Bell & Howell’s two information access businesses are established as a separate company later this year.

In January, Bell & Howell announced plans to create two new companies to maximize the growth prospects of its business units. The new company, ProQuest, will comprise the companies currently known as Bell & Howell Information and Learning (formerly UMI) and Bell & Howell Publishing Services. The new company’s headquarters will be in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Source: Bell & Howell Information and Learning, Ann Arbor, MI, 734/761-4700; http://www.bellhowell.infolearning.com.
 

EBSCO Is Partnering with ABC-CLIO
EBSCO Publishing has announced that in seeking to offer specific, full-text reference databases covering world history, the company has teamed with ABC-CLIO. Through this arrangement, the companies will develop co-branded databases utilizing content from both partners.

ABC-CLIO offers several databases covering particular periods and events in world history. EBSCO offers nearly 100 databases containing thousands of full-text journals. The companies will select appropriate sources from ABC-CLIO’s collection, incorporate full text from EBSCO’s library of journals, and offer the databases via the EBSCOhost search service.

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

Gale Group Acquires Information Plus
The Gale Group has announced that it has acquired Information Plus, a Dallas-area publisher of two social-issues series for students.

Gale has acquired Information Plus’ current inventory, and is overseeing the completion of the spring 2000 titles for publication under the Gale name. Company officials note that there will be an immediate investigation of the electronic potential of the series.

The Information Plus Reference Series consists of more than 30 topical titles on issues of current and popular interest that are designed for school and public libraries. A second series, COMPACT, is written at a simpler level for use in middle schools.

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

E-BOOK AGREEMENTS

EBSCO Publishing Teams with netLibrary
EBSCO Publishing has announced that it will be partnering with netLibrary to deliver e-books to its library customers. netLibrary offers over 16,000 e-books in a variety of subject areas designed for all library types.

According to the announcement, netLibrary’s e-book collection is growing at the rate of approximately 2,000 titles per month. EBSCO says it will concentrate distribution of these e-books in public, junior, and community college libraries in the U.S. and identified foreign countries.

netLibrary’s group of specialists is developing several collections of e-books designed for specific library types. In addition, libraries will have the ability to customize their own collections to meet specific needs.

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

Follett Enters Agreement with netLibrary
Follett Software Company has announced an agreement with netLibrary, a provider of e-books over the Internet. This agreement, added to an earlier netLibrary/Follett Library Resources agreement, will allow K-12 libraries to purchase e-books for their collections from Follett Library Resources. The agreement will also allow them to integrate e-books into daily operations via Follett Software library automation systems.

According to the announcement, the Follett companies will help netLibrary identify and obtain additions to its collections of e-books that are appropriate to the K-12 school market and facilitate the purchase of e-books by K-12 libraries. Access to these materials will be available via the Follett Software library automation system via a direct link from the Follett software system to the Follett Library Resources/netLibrary Web site.

Follett reports that it will modify its Circulation Plus, Catalog Plus, and WebCollection Plus library management systems this fall to incorporate access to and tracking of the netLibrary e-book materials.

Source: Follett Software Company, McHenry, IL, 800/323-3397, 815/344-8700; http://www.fsc.follett.com.
 

ONLINE REFERENCES

Oxford English Dictionary Goes Online
The Oxford University Press has announced that it has unveiled an online version of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) that is available at http://www.oed.com. On view will be the full text of the 20-volume OED with 60 million words describing nearly 750,000 terms accompanied by more than 2.4 million quotations.

Also, more than 300 staff members and advisers are completely revising the OED—the first revision since it was originally completed in 1928. Scheduled for completion in 2010, the company says it believes the revision could double the length of the dictionary, increasing the number of words and phrases to more than 1.3 million.

Source: Oxford University Press, New York, 212/726-6152; http://www.oup.com.
 

Microsoft Launches Free Web Dictionary
Microsoft Corp. has announced its free online version of Encarta World English Dictionary at http://www.encarta.com. According to the release, the online dictionary offers quick, easy-to-understand audio definitions that are spoken in a human voice.

The online dictionary includes definitions, word origins, and essays on usage from the CD-ROM version of Encarta World English Dictionary, which was released in August 1999.

Source: Microsoft Corp., Redmond, WA, 800/426-9400; http://www.microsoft.com.