SUBSCRIBE NOW!

Vol. 23 No. 9 — October 2003

Imark Communications has announced that the Online Information 2003 Conference and Exhibition will be held Dec. 2­4, 2003, in the Grand Hall at Olympia, in London.

Online Information brings in hundreds of companies exhibiting information resources, together with solutions for information management, knowledge exchange, electronic publishing, content management, intranets, and extranets. At the conference, online industry commentators, consultants, professionals, academics, and vendors will explore the issues that shape the industry, determine key trends, and predict developments for the future.

Source: Imark Communications, Middlesex, U.K., 011-44-1932-730-700; http://www.imark.co.uk.

LFF Wins Grant for EqualAccess Libraries

Libraries for the Future, a nonprofit organization that champions the role of libraries in American life, announced that it has been awarded a 3-year, $1.05 million challenge grant by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to establish a network of EqualAccess Libraries in 10 states by 2005. EqualAccess Libraries is an initiative designed to transform libraries into information and education centers.

Part of the initiative will be to make the technology available in libraries more than just an "add-on" to library offerings. The goal is to help patrons use technology effectively in relation to specific needs, such as searching for health information, developing new technology skills, or engaging in work- or school-related activities. The EqualAccess Library model addresses these challenges by offering librarian training and introducing specific Access Programs to the community. It also provides a framework for building community partnerships with the goal of furthering access to library resources and programming. Another goal is to develop the support necessary to sustain and expand technology-based programming in libraries.

The program will begin in Pennsylvania, where 61 libraries will participate. In each EqualAccess state, the program will be a partnership between Libraries for the Future, local funders, participating library systems, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Source: Libraries for the Future, New York, 800/542-1918, 646/336-6236; http://www.lff.org.

CAS Introduces Science IP Search Service

Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) has announced the launch of a new search service, Science IP (http://www.scienceip.org).

Science IP will assist information professionals, attorneys, and others in the patenting and research communities who do not have the time, staff, or expertise to meet their information retrieval needs. Science IP can assist organizations with a variety of different searching requirements in the field of scientific intellectual property protection. Services range from relatively simple literature searches for prior art to more involved projects that support writing patentability, freedom-to-practice/operate, and validity opinions.

According to CAS, Science IP researchers have a unique combination of scientific expertise and online database experience. In addition to employing patent-industry and scientific searching experts as researchers, Science IP will also draw upon a team of CAS scientists with in-depth knowledge of specialized areas. These experts ensure that searches are conducted with the greatest possible technical knowledge.

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

Federal Grant Applicants Need DUNS Number

The Institute of Museum and Library Services has announced that in order to improve the statistical reporting of federal grants and cooperative agreements, the Office of Management and Budget has directed all federal agencies to require that all organizations provide a D&B Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number when applying for federal grants or cooperative agreements, beginning on Oct. 1, 2003.

Organizations should verify that they have a DUNS number or take the steps to obtain one if there is a possibility that they will be applying for federal grants. Libraries can receive a DUNS number at no cost by calling the dedicated toll-free DUNS number request line (866/705-5711) or by visiting http://www.dnb.com/us.

Source: Institute of Museum and Library Services, Washington, DC, 202/606-8339; http://www.imls.gov.

ProQuest Acquires SIRS Publishing, Adds Johns Hopkins Journals to Databases

ProQuest Information and Learning has announced the acquisition of SIRS Publishing, Inc., the publisher of SIRS Researcher, SIRS Discoverer, SIRS Enduring Issues, and other databases.

SIRS, based in Boca Raton, Fla., provides online, CD-ROM, and print references to more than 50,000 libraries worldwide. The company's products address curriculum-oriented, research-based information needs. According to the announcement, SIRS' products complement ProQuest's existing line of K-12 student resources and also diversify ProQuest's offerings with topic-specific content.

In a separate announcement, ProQuest announced that it now offers scholarly journals published by Johns Hopkins University Press. The distribution agreement brings the full text of 47 academic journals to the company's ProQuest online databases, including ProQuest Research Library, Literature Online, Periodicals Contents Index Full Text, Ethnic NewsWatch, GenderWatch, International Index to Black Periodicals, and to microform through Serials in Microform.

Included are titles such as American Imago, Eighteenth Century Studies, Journal of the History of Philosophy, Literature and Medicine, Modern Fiction Studies, Technology and Culture, and World Politics. The agreement also grants ProQuest rights to digitize complete backfiles of 17 titles as part of the company's PCI Full Text archival database.

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

Your Digital Library

Axonix Introduces Gigabit Video Server

Axonix Corp. has announced that it has released SuperView, a gigabit video-on-demand server that records, stores, and streams VHS/DVD videos and television shows from cable, satellite, or locally broadcasted TV. SuperView includes a gigabit Ethernet interface and comes equipped with all the software and hardware needed to share video over any LAN/Internet using a standard Web browser.

With SuperView, up to 600 hours of VHS-quality videos can be played on demand by hundreds of simultaneous users employing only a Web browser and Microsoft's Media Player. The unit is the size of a VCR and sets up in minutes on any Ethernet. SuperView uses MPEG4 class compression technology, which delivers superior video quality at one-tenth the required bandwidth of MPEG2 systems.

The SuperView unit costs $3,195.

Source: Axonix Corp., Salt Lake City, 800/866-9797, 801/521-9797; http://www.axonix.com.

Classical Intl. Licenses Hyperion, Vox

Classical International, Inc. has announced that recording labels Hyperion and Vox are adding their collections to the Classical Music Library, a service that enables patrons to access streaming classical music for listening or searching on library or remote computers.

Hyperion's recordings, many of which are unique to the label, cover the entire spectrum of classical music, including sacred and secular, choral and solo, orchestral, chamber, and instrumental. Vox was the first label to record complete sets of great works with some of the foremost artists of the 1960s and 1970s, including the complete piano works of Beethoven from Alfred Brendel, as well as artists Ingrid Haebler, Peter Frankl, Aaron Rosand, and Leonard Slatkin.

Source: Classical International, Inc., New York, 800/859-9306, 212/689-0536; http://www.classical.com.

xreferplus Adds Images from Bridgeman

xrefer, an online ready-reference service that provides full-text, aggregated content to academic, public, and corporate libraries, has announced that it is adding 16,000 digital images from the Bridgeman Art Library to xreferplus, the company's flagship online reference service.

Images from Bridgeman Art Library (http://www.bridgeman.co.uk) will be integrated with xreferplus' existing content, which will enable users to research artists' works in the context of biographical or historical information from other xreferplus resources.

Van Gogh, Velasquez, and Klimt are just a few of the 4,800 artists whose works are part of the Bridgeman collection, which includes paintings, sculpture, and other works of art.

Source: xrefer, Boston, 877/426-5202, 617/426-5202; http://www.xrefer.com.

Filtering Options

New CybraryNT Is CIPA-Compliant

Computers By Design, Inc. has announced the latest release of its Internet filtering software. This new version of CybraryNT helps libraries comply with the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA).

Customers have three options. The CybrarySite component is a protected Web browser that integrates with a library's existing filtering software and can be configured to ask patrons if they want filtered or unfiltered access to the Internet. The CybrarySafe component can be used as the library's filter. It gives staff members the ability to manage a list of known and accepted Web sites; new sites can be added as needed. CybraryNT software has an option to connect to and integrate with the library's ILS/ALS for true patron authentication, allowing the library to manage one patron database to control all aspects of their public-access computers. A library can set its filtering policies in the ILS/ALS database, and the software accesses that information and automatically provides the patron with the proper Web service, with no intervention required from library staff. Also, parents can log in to their accounts and access their children's white list of sites in the CybrarySafe program and edit the list, adding and deleting sites. A personalized list can be created for each child.

Source: Computers By Design, Inc., Nesconset, NY, 800/THE-TOWN; http://www.cbdusa.com.

St. Bernard Upgrades Its iPrism Software

St. Bernard Software, Inc. has announced the latest version of its iPrism Internet filtering appliance. iPrism version 3.4 features several refinements, including Auto-Login support for terminal server environments, enhanced screen customization functionality, and a new Hotfix Manager.

iPrism is CIPA-compliant. Using iPrism, library personnel can instantly turn Internet filtering on or off of any networked computer. It also features an accurate human-reviewed database.

New Auto-Login support for terminal server environments enables iPrism to automatically monitor each user's Internet access with credentials from the initial system login. Librarians can now customize iPrism's authentication and access-denied screens to reflect the look, feel, and language of the organization. In addition, hotfixes can now be managed from an intuitive, Web-based interface. Administrators can see all available hotfixes, view detailed descriptions, and automatically install as many as required.

iPrism is sold as a network appliance along with supporting subscription services. It is available for a one-time cost of $2,195. One- or 3-year subscription plans are available, and pricing is based on the number of users. An all-inclusive 500-user subscription is $4,795.

Source: St. Bernard Software, Inc., San Diego, 800/ST-BERNARD, 858/676-2277; http://www.stbernard.com.

Linking Functionality

EBSCO Implements Reference Linking, Provides Access to Two ATLA Databases

EBSCO Publishing has announced the addition of Reference Linking to selected EBSCOhost databases.

Reference Linking provides a means for extending research by allowing users to locate additional information related to an article of interest. They can link directly from a particular article to other articles cited in the bibliography of the original. It also allows users to link directly from a particular article to other articles in the database that cite the original.

Reference Linking has been implemented in more than 1,150 peer-reviewed journals in Business Source Premier and more than 1,000 journals in Academic Search Premier. It is also available in PsycINFO via EBSCOhost. The functionality will be added to other databases in the coming months.

In a separate announcement, EBSCO Publishing has reached an agreement with the American Theological Library Association (ATLA) wherein EBSCO will now provide online access to The Catholic Periodical and Literature Index and Old Testament Abstracts via the EBSCOhost interface.

The Catholic Periodical and Literature Index is the product of a partnership between ATLA and the Catholic Library Association that covers all aspects of the Catholic faith and lifestyle. The database includes indexed citations to articles published in Roman Catholic periodicals, papal documents, church promulgations, and books about the Catholic faith. Coverage dates to 1981.

Old Testament Abstracts is a product of a partnership between ATLA and the Catholic Biblical Association. It features indexing and abstracts for journal articles, monographs, and multi-author works related to Old Testament studies.

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

Dialog Has Expanded E-Journal Linking

The Dialog Corporation has announced that it has expanded the number of e-journals that can be linked to seamlessly from Dialog abstracts and citations.

According to the announcement, Dialog now offers immediate online linking from abstracts and citations to the full text of the referenced articles in journals published by more than 115 publishers and information aggregators. There is no charge for the linking feature. When a Dialog subscriber views a citation or abstract of an article for which linking is available, the Dialog system recognizes that the user's organization has a subscription to the displayed e-journal or an agreement with the aggregator representing the publisher. If one of these relationships exists, the user is then presented with a link in the search output. Clicking on the link takes the user directly to the publisher's or aggregator's online full text.

For a complete list of participating publishers and aggregators, go to http://www.dialog.com/products/ejournal/aggregators.shtml.

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

Endeavor Offers LinkFinderPlus Subscription

Endeavor Information Systems, Inc. has announced the availability of the LinkFinderPlus OpenURL-enabled link resolver via a hosted Subscription Service. According to the company, the service will enable libraries of all sizes to inexpensively provide OpenURL linking without the need for technical knowledge or maintenance.

Available through Elsevier or Endeavor, the LinkFinderPlus Subscription Service is an advanced linking system that bridges the gap between citations and the online full text of articles. It includes a knowledge base of more than 18,000 targets to link to full text and abstracts for citations.

Source: Endeavor Information Systems, Inc., Des Plaines, IL, 800/762-6300, 847/296-2200; http://www.endinfosys.com.

New/Enhanced Databases

H.W. Wilson Expands Humanities Database

H.W. Wilson has announced that its Humanities Full Text database on WilsonWeb has been enhanced with greater coverage and wider international focus.

Wilson reports that 55 new journals have been added to the database, addressing topics such as women's studies, religion (especially Asian belief systems), philosophy, history, cultural studies, and literature. Regional coverage has been strengthened with journals focusing on Africa, the Middle East, Australia, Germany, India, and the Pacific Rim.

Coverage of the new titles will begin with their January 2004 issues. According to the announcement, titles were selected with the help of subject specialists on the ALA Reference & User Services Association's Committee on Wilson Indexes. All new publications are scholarly, peer-reviewed journals with SFX-linkable full text. The new titles will also be added to Wilson's Humanities Abstracts and Humanities Index databases.

Source: H.W. Wilson, New York, 800/367-6770, 718/588-8400; http://www.hwwilson.com.

Euromonitor GMID Gets a Web Platform

Euromonitor International has announced the launch of a new Web platform for the Global Market Information Database (GMID), its online business reference system.

GMID contains more than a million country, market, and lifestyle statistics and thousands of research reports, market-share rankings, and company profiles. New navigation features allow users to move from statistics, through which they can build a profile of a country or market, to written analysis, which offers in-depth insight into market performance and potential. According to the company, the new interface is smart enough to recognize what the user is searching for and to offer links to information related to the search. Also, the database has a suite of online analysis tools that lets users create their own data and build customized profiles.

Source: Euromonitor International, London, 011-44-20-7251-8024; http://www.euromonitor.com.

Wiley Unveils New Database on Polymers

Wiley InterScience (http://www.interscience.wiley.com), the online content service of John Wiley & Sons, has announced the launch of the Wiley Database of Polymer Properties. Based on the Polymer Handbook, fourth edition, edited by J. Brandrup et al., the new database is a comprehensive source of physical property data for commercially available polymers, with experimentally determined and selected data for more than 2,500.

The new database allows scientists to search by polymer name, property values, and full text; create custom tables for a specific polymer; and access abstracts or full-text HTML for the primary literature via CrossRef in future updates.

The Wiley Database of Polymer Properties is available at http://www.interscience.wiley.com/wdpp.

Source: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, NJ, 201/748-6000; http://www.wiley.com.

CSA, BioOne to Create New Database

Cambridge Scientific Abstracts (CSA) and BioOne have entered into a partnership wherein CSA will create a bibliographic database that indexes research papers in the journals available through BioOne's full-text service.

BioOne aggregates high-impact bioscience research journals. The service currently provides access to 66 peer-reviewed journals from 53 publishers, with more being added. Titles on BioOne are published by societies and noncommercial publishers; a majority were previously available only in printed form.

The BioOne bibliographic database will be available on CSA's Internet Database Service.

Source: Cambridge Scientific Abstracts, Bethesda, MD, 800/843-7751, 301/961-6700; http://www.csa.com and BioOne, Washington, DC, 202/296-2296; http://www.bioone.org.

For Corporate Libraries

Inmagic Adds XML Support to DB/TextWorks

Inmagic, Inc. has announced the addition of XML support to its flagship product line, DB/TextWorks.

Inmagic's new XML-based products allow customers to edit such documents as online validation lists over the Web. The release of DB/Text for Libraries v. 6.0, which runs on the DB/TextWorks platform, utilizes XML to provide corporate end users with direct Web access to account information and self-service features such as self-renewal and self-checkout.

In addition, DB/Text WebPublisher PRO utilizes SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol), a standard that allows for the exchange of information in a decentralized, distributed environment, with XML used as the mechanism for content exchange.

Source: Inmagic, Inc., Woburn, MA, 800/229-8398, 781/938-4442; http://www.inmagic.com.

Mergent, Inc. Offers Industry Reports

Mergent, Inc. has announced the introduction of Mergent Industry Reports, a product created to provide in-depth analysis of key industries covering North America and Asia/Pacific by country and region. The company says that a European edition will be available soon.

Mergent Industry Reports describes the market environment and industry landscape for companies, industries, countries, and regions. The product also discusses trends and market outlooks.

Mergent Industry Reports is available by annual subscription as well as by single industry sectors. It can be accessed via the Internet, in PDF, or as a fully integrated module on MergentOnline. Industry reports are linked to Mergent's database.

Source: Mergent, Inc., Charlotte, NC, 800/937-1398, 704/527-2700; http://www.mergent.com.

Automation Tools

BiblioMondo, Inc. Releases Concerto 1.9

BiblioMondo, Inc. has announced the availability of Concerto 1.9, the latest release of its ILS platform. According to the company, the new version provides real-time data consolidation, reducing daily downtime by nearly 90 percent.

Besides recent patron service additions like the Mosquito Mailer, which delivers loan, credit, overdue, and reservation notices to users via e-mail and text messaging, version 1.9 provides a suite of new patron-centric tools, including Postalcode Check and Housebound, a home book-delivery service that automatically selects items of interest based on a user's profile. Concerto version 1.9 also delivers a variety of new features for library administrators, including repeating orders, supplier identification and record enhancements, multiple requisitions by template, and others.

Source: BiblioMondo, Inc., Ville St-Laurent, PQ, Canada, 514/337-3000; http://www.bibliomondo.com.

Dynix Enhances Library Automation Tools

Dynix has announced the upcoming release of Horizon Digital Library 1.1. The new version, due out by the end of the year, will offer multiple new features and will enable cross-language searching in English, German, French, Spanish, Dutch, and Italian.

Horizon Digital Library 1.1 will feature concept searching, which expands user searches to include all words that are synonyms and semantic expansions to the words entered in the search. This concept searching capability will be delivered to all six languages; a concept search done in one of the languages gets extended to the other five.

The new release will also feature multiple-image support for archived documents. It provides both thumbnail and full-screen JPEG images, along with an archival or working copy of each digital document in either TIFF or PDF. The new version also introduces hierarchical browsing, a feature that enables users to locate documents by opening a nested set of folders.

In a separate announcement, Dynix announced the availability of Horizon Debt Collect 2.0 for both Horizon and Dynix ILS customers. Dynix has also renewed its relationship with Unique Management Services, the sole provider of automated recovery solutions for Horizon Debt Collect customers.

Horizon Debt Collect 2.0 is customizable and can be configured to match a library's specific debt-collection policies. It provides reporting capabilities to track delinquent users and automatically delivers updates to Unique Management Services for further attention.

Dynix and Unique Management Services will provide customers with a 90-day trial of Horizon Debt Collect, allowing them to customize and implement the product within their organization. According to Dynix, the Horizon Debt Collect system greatly reduces the cost of internal procedures by automating the collection process.

Source: Dynix, Provo, UT, 800/288-8020, 801/223-5200; http://www.dynix.com.

New Books

O'Reilly Releases New Titles on Linux,
Perl, and How to Build Wireless Networks

Linux in a Nutshell, fourth edition (ISBN: 0-596-00482-6, $39.95), by Ellen Siever, Stephen Figgins, and Aaron Weber, brings readers up-to-date with the current state of Linux. It covers all substantial user, programming, administration, and networking commands for the most common Linux distributions.

Perl 6 Essentials (ISBN: 0-596-00499-0, $24.95), by Allison Randal, Dan Sugalski, and Leopold Totsch, offers a sneak preview of Perl 6, covering the development of Perl 6 syntax as well as Parrot, the language-independent virtual machine developed as part of the Perl 6 design strategy. Written by members of the Perl 6 core development team, topics include the principles behind Perl 6 design work, an introduction to Perl 6 syntax, a look at the overall architecture of Parrot, and an introduction to Parrot.

Building Wireless Community Networks, second edition (ISBN: 0-596-00502-4, $29.95), by Rob Flickenger, has been updated to keep pace with rapid changes in wireless technology. It shows readers how to make a network available, how to extend high-speed Internet access into areas not covered by DSL and cable providers, and how to build working communities and a shared network. The book covers selecting equipment, finding antenna sites, building and installing antennas, protecting the network, network monitoring tools and techniques, regulations affecting wireless deployment, and IP network administration, including DNS and IP Tunneling.

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

Rowman & Littlefield Offers Teaching, Library Science/Information Management Titles

Teaching and Learning about Computers (ISBN: 0-8108-4450-8, $45), by Joanne R. Barrett, is designed for both instructors and students in grades 5 through 12. It teaches an array of computer applications while allowing the user to become proficient in technological standards.

Teaching and Learning about Computers is based on the author's notes and shortcuts from her years as a computer teacher and assists those using computers in the classroom by explaining concepts and complicated processes in an understandable format. The book covers such topics as word processing, databases, multimedia presentations, the Internet, Web page design, programming, viruses, and copyright issues.

International Yearbook of Library and Information Management, 2002­2003 (ISBN: 0-8108-4590-3, $75), by G. E. Gorman, is a thematic, annual publication in the field of library science and information management. The book is divided into six parts and contains chapters covering current issues, debates and trends, and models of best practice all contributed by a panel of researchers, practitioners, and academics. The theme for 2002­2003, "the digital factor," looks at the questions of how digital initiatives are affecting library and information services. Some areas covered within this theme include digital versus print issues, new models of the library in a digital era, reading in a digital age, Web-based reference services, and evaluating digital collections.

Source: Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc., Lanham, MD, 800/462-6420, 301/459-3366; http://www.rowmanlittlefield.com.

ALA Publishes Virtual Reference Guide

Going Live: Starting & Running a Virtual Reference Service(ISBN: 0-8389-0850-0, $42, ALA members $37), by Steve Coffman, with Michelle Fiander and Kay Henshall contributing, provides an overview to help new and aspiring virtual reference library departments to understand the process and its ramifications. It illustrates the basics of designing, implementing, operating, andmarketing a virtual reference service from the ground up.Going Live also answers the most common questions, examines the costs, and contains a comprehensive bibliography. The text is supplemented with checklists for convenient reference.

Source: ALA Editions, American Library Association, Chicago, 800/545-2433; 312/280-1537; http://www.ala.org/editions.