Departments
Newsline
Newsline is compiled by Kathie Felix
Online Information & Content Management Europe
2004
The Online Information & Content Management Europe
exhibitions and conference will be held from Nov. 30
to Dec. 2, 2004, in the Grand Hall at Olympia, London.
The event brings together hundreds of companies covering
areas such as information resources, information management
solutions, knowledge exchange, e-publishing, content
management, intranets, and extranets. More than 11,000
international information professionals, knowledge
managers, librarians, academics, publishers, information
users, and IT professionals are expected to attend.
Source: VNU Exhibitions Europe, London, 011-44-20-7316-9581;
http://www.online-information.co.uk or http://www.cme-expo.co.uk.
European Internet Coregulation Network Issues Statement
The European Internet Coregulation Network announced
the release of its first policy statement, a document
that includes five key principles and proposals for
action concerning the protection of minors on the Internet.
The statement focuses on education as the key to greater
online safety, the development of age-control devices
to help European content providers, parental-control
software and services as complementary safety tools,
and the fight against spam as a carrier of harmful
content. The statement also encourages European policy
makers, members of the industry, and users to aim at
making the next-generation mobile Internet more secure
than the Internet at large. The European Internet Coregulation
Network was launched in December 2003 to promote European
collaboration on key Internet issues.
Source: European Internet Coregulation Network, Paris,
011-33-1-44-01-38-00; http://www.internet-coregulation.org.
MLA Endorses Information Rx Program
The Medical Library Association announced its support
of the Information Rx national consumer information
program developed for internists and their patients.
Information Rx was launched by the National Library
of Medicine (NLM) and the American College of Physicians
(ACP) Foundation. The program refers patients to MedlinePlus,
an authoritative Internet site for health information.
MedlinePlus is a service of NLM and the National Institutes
of Health (NIH). The site provides information on more
than 650 diseases, as well as information on symptoms,
diagnosis, and treatment. Most of the information is
available in both English and Spanish.
Source: Medical Library Association, Chicago, 312/419-9094;
http://www.mlanet.org.
Investext Plus Reaches 500,000 Mark for Backfiles
Thomson Gale announced that more than 500,000 backfile
investment reports have been added to the Investext
Plus database. In addition, J.P. Morgan Securities
has been added as the latest contributor of reports.
The additional backfiles expand the database back to
1982. Reports are written by expert analysts at nearly
900 of the world's top investment banks, brokerage
houses, and investment firms. On average, 2,000 new
reports are added to the collection daily.
Source: Thomson Gale, Farmington Hills, MI, 800/877-4253;
http://www.gale.com.
ScienceDirect Reaches Milestone of 6 Million Articles
Elsevier announced that 6 million full-text articles
are now available on ScienceDirect. The collection
covers more than 1,900 journals from the core scientific
literature, including titles such as The Lancet, Cell,
and Tetrahedron. Recent additions include the Cell
Press journal collection, as well as six Cell titles'
backfiles containing more than 12,000 articles highlighting
important historic developments in the field of life
sciences.
Source: Elsevier Health Sciences, Philadelphia, 215/238-7800;
http://www.elsevier.com.
PARTNERSHIPS
ProQuest Distributes New Ancestry Library Edition
ProQuest Information and Learning announced exclusive
rights to distribute a new product, Ancestry Library
Edition from MyFamily.com, in the library market. The
new agreement now gives ProQuest two genealogy resources:
Ancestry Library Edition, an enhanced edition of MyFamily.com's
Ancestry.com consumer genealogy database, and HeritageQuest
Online, the library genealogy and family history database.
Source: ProQuest Information and Learning, Ann Arbor,
MI, 800/521-0600; http://www.il.proquest.com.
CrossRef Search Pilot Launched
CrossRef announced the launch of CrossRef Search,
a pilot partnership with Google that offers CrossRef's
reference-linking service for scholarly publishing
and Google search technologies. CrossRef Search is
available free of charge on the Web sites of participating
publishers, and includes current journal issues as
well as backfiles. The pilot will run through 2004.
Source: CrossRef, Lynnfield, MA, 781/295-0072; http://www.crossref.org.
FIZ Karlsruhe and FIZ CHEMIE Berlin Close Ranks
The German information centers, FIZ Karlsruhe and
FIZ CHEMIE Berlin, announced an agreement to enter
into a closer strategic cooperation with the development
of a Competence Center for scientific and technical
information. The Competence Center will provide scientific
information to two major audiences—scientists
in business and industry, and scientists at research
institutes and universities. Future activities for
the center include projects in the field of mathematics
and the development of innovative products and services.
Additional partner institutions will be included in
the future.
Source: FIZ Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Germany, 011-49-7247-808-555;
http://www.fiz-karlsruhe.de. Sirsi Partners with Baker & Taylor
Sirsi Corp. announced a partnership with Baker & Taylor,
a supplier of books, movies, music, and information
products. The partnership will integrate Sirsi's Unicorn
Library Management System with Baker & Taylor through
Sirsi 9XX Loader and EDI (Electronic Data Interchange).
Librarians will be able to access the Baker & Taylor
Web site, order materials, and download bibliographic
records in one step, then upload the data into Unicorn.
Source: Sirsi Corp., St. Louis, 800/325-0888; http://www.sirsi.com.
Thomson Gale and xrefer Form Strategic Partnership
Thomson Gale and xrefer, a provider of online ready-reference
services to libraries worldwide, announced that they
have entered into a strategic partnership to distribute
the xreferplus service in conjunction with Gale Virtual
Reference Library. Thomson Gale will distribute xreferplus
as an added ready-reference component of Gale Virtual
Reference Library for academic, public, school, military,
and government libraries in the U.S. and Canada. A
selection of Thomson Gale titles will also be made
available to current and future xreferplus customers
worldwide, whether they subscribe directly from xrefer
or purchase xreferplus as part of the Gale Virtual
Reference Library.
Source: Thomson Gale, Farmington Hills, MI, 800/877-4253;
http://www.gale.com.
Sentient Learning Expands into Middle East
Sentient Learning announced that it has expanded
its global sales distribution network to deliver Sentient
DISCOVER to the Middle East. Sentient DISCOVER, a learning
resource management system, integrates course management
systems, integrated library systems, OpenURL resolvers,
and content repositories such as online journal databases.
The company will be working in partnership with Integrated
Solutions for Business, an experienced IT and e-business
solutions provider in Saudi Arabia.
Source: Sentient Learning, Philadelphia, 800/489-8937;
http://www.sentientlearning.com.
YOUR DIGITAL LIBRARY
Elsevier Releases New Edition of Clinical Oncology
Elsevier announced the release of its first electronic
edition (e-dition) of its Clinical Oncology medical
reference. The e-dition includes access to an online
component, as well as a CD-ROM with all of the images
and tables contained in the full-color, 3rd-edition
textbook. Accessible throughout the life of the 3rd
edition, Clinical Oncology Online allows users to search
the full contents of the book and access continuous
updates, link directly to online references, download
images from the text for presentations, and use personalization
features such as saved searches, bookmarks, and notes.
Source: Elsevier Health Sciences, Philadelphia, 215/238-7800;
http://www.elsevier.com.
Johns Hopkins Collaborates on Digital Preservation
Project
Johns Hopkins University announced that its Sheridan
Libraries are participating in a $1 million Library
of Congress project called the Archive Ingest and Handling
Test, an effort to test the best methods and strategies
for long-term preservation of important digital collections.
Working with Harvard, Stanford, and Old Dominion universities,
researchers at the Johns Hopkins Digital Knowledge
Center will handle a massive collection of images,
e-mail messages, Web pages, chat logs, and other material
focused on the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the U.S.
The collection of approximately 57,000 digital records
was collected by historians at George Mason University
and donated to the Library of Congress for this preservation
test project. At the end of the 12-month test, the
participants will publish a final report detailing
both current practices for digital preservation and
future areas of research. Information will be posted
periodically at http://www.digitalpreservation.gov.
Source: Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, 800/315-1947;
http://www.jhu.edu.
ProQuest to Distribute NewspaperDirect
ProQuest Information and Learning announced it will
distribute NewspaperDirect products in the library
and education markets. NewspaperDirect currently distributes
more than 240 same-day newspaper titles in more than
70 countries and in more than 30 different languages
through a global print-on-demand network.
Source: ProQuest Information and Learning, Ann Arbor,
MI, 800/521-0600; http://www.il.proquest.com and NewspaperDirect,
New York, 877/980-4040; http://www.newspaper
direct.com.
Digital Preservation Program Launches Research Grants
Initiative
The National Digital Information Infrastructure and
Preservation Program (NDIIPP) of the Library of Congress
announced that it is working with the National Science
Foundation to establish the first research grants program
to specifically address the preservation of digital
materials. NSF will administer the program, which will
fund cutting-edge research to support the long-term
management of digital information. The new Digital
Archiving and Long-Term Preservation research program
expects to make approximately $2 million in initial
awards using NDIIPP funds. Proposals are being sought
for three main focus areas: digital repository models;
tools, technologies, and processes; and organizational,
economic, and policy issues. Current program information
will appear online at http://www.cise.nsf.gov/div/index.cfm?div=iis.
Source: Library of Congress, Washington, DC, 202/707-5000;
http://www.loc.gov.
DigiCULT Examines Rare-Text Digitization
DigiCULT announced the release of a special edition
on the digitization of emblem books, Digital Collections
and the Management of Knowledge: Renaissance Emblem
Literature as a Case Study for the Digitization of
Rare Texts and Images. The 12 articles stem from the
working conference on emblem digitization held in September
2003 at the Herzog August Bibliothek in Wolfenbüttel,
Germany. Key issues covered in this publication include
establishing metadata, using the Text Encoding Initiative
(TEI) standard, indexing emblems (e.g., with Iconclass),
collection-level descriptions, metadata-exchange procedures,
using the Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata
Harvesting (OAI-PMH) for emblem data, ontology-based
federated searching, and establishment of an emblems
portal. The Digital Culture (DigiCULT) consortium was
developed to establish a technology watch for Europe's
scientific and cultural heritage from March 2002 to
August 2004.
Source: DigiCULT, Glasgow, Scotland and Salzburg,
Austria; http://www.digicult.info.
OCLC Combines Records to Create Catalog for Transportation
Libraries
OCLC announced the launch
of a new transportation-libraries catalog formed by bringing together resources
from leading transportation libraries. The Transportation Libraries Catalog
was created from catalog records and holdings information in WorldCat, contributed
by 15 original participating transportation libraries with special collections
that feature rare and often unique items. The catalog of bibliographic records
is searchable through the OCLC FirstSearch service.
Source: OCLC, Dublin, OH, 800/848-5878; http://www.oclc.org.
Index Data Upgrades Z39.50 Yaz Proxy
Index Data has announced a major upgrade to Yaz Proxy,
a Z39.50 proxy server designed to enhance the speed
and performance of remote library catalog searches.
The enhanced capabilities include load balancing, inactivity
timers, enhanced initialization throughput, query and
record caching, MARC to MARCXML mapping, support for
SRW and SRU requests from remote clients, and delivery
of any XML-based metadata through XSLT transformations.
The new version has recently been installed at the
Library of Congress to speed up access to the LC's
online catalog.
Source: Index Data US, Middletown, CT, 866/489-1568;
http://www.indexdata.com.
ACQUISITIONS
Information Today Takes Over Faulkner Information
Information Today, Inc. announced the acquisition
of the publishing assets of Faulkner Technical Reports,
Inc., a diverse line of information products known
as Faulkner Information Services. The publishing assets
include Web-based information in the fields of information
technology, communications, and security. The Faulkner
Information Services flagship service is the Faulkner
Advisory on Computer and Communications Technologies
(FACCTS), a continuously updated and searchable library
of hundreds of research reports written for IT and
communications managers, users, and suppliers.
Source: Information Today, Inc., Medford, NJ, 609/654-6266;
https://www.infotoday.com.
ProQuest Acquires Serials Solutions
ProQuest Information and Learning announced that
it has acquired Seattle-based Serials Solutions, Inc.,
a provider of e-journal management and linking services.
Serials Solutions products and services—Article
Linker, Journal Linker, an A-Z title list service,
and MARC records delivery—provide e-journal management
and access solutions for academic, public, government,
and corporate libraries around the world.
Source: ProQuest Information and Learning, Ann Arbor,
MI, 800/521-0600; http://www.il.proquest.com or http://www.serialssolutions.com.
Thomson Acquires Information Holdings
The Thomson Corp. announced that it has signed a
merger agreement under which it will acquire Information
Holdings, Inc. (IHI), strengthening Thomson's suite
of information solutions for pharmaceutical and intellectual
property customers. The agreement enables a Thomson
subsidiary to acquire all of the outstanding common
stock of IHI. The transaction is expected to close
later in the year.
Source: Thomson Corp., Stamford, CT, 203/539-8000;
http://www.thomson.com.
Thomson Gale Makes Two Major Acquistions
Thomson Gale announced the acquisition of the products
of Roth Publishing, owner of the online, electronic
databases PoemFinder and LitFinder. PoemFinder features
125,000 full-text poems and 850,000 additional cited
and excerpted poems, representing significant periods
including Early English, Middle English, Elizabethan,
Romantic, Victorian, 20th-Century War Poetry, and Modernism.
The LitFinder collection consists of StoryFinder, PlayFinder,
and SpeechFinder databases.
Thomson Gale also announced the acquisition of WEB
FEET, a database of cross-curricular Web sites selected
and reviewed for K-12 by librarians, educators, and
subject specialists. The sites cover thousands of curriculum
areas, general-knowledge topics, and professional resources.
WEB FEET is available electronically as a Web database
and as MARC records for library catalogs.
Source: Thomson Gale, Farmington Hills, MI, 800/877-4253;
http://www.gale.com.
NEW/ENHANCED DATABASES
H.W. Wilson Expands Biography Reference Bank by 14,000
Articles
H.W. Wilson announced that more than 14,000 licensed
biographical articles have been added to Biography
Reference Bank, which now contains information on approximately
490,000 individuals. The expansion includes licensing
agreements from Oxford University Press that provide
content from 39 titles such as Concise Oxford Dictionaries and Oxford
Companions to specific subject areas, profiles
from James Clarke & Co. on the Middle Ages and
the Early Church, and 540 entries from the U.S. Congress'
Congressional Directory.
Source: H.W. Wilson, New York, 800/367-6770; http://www.hwwilson.com.
EBSCO Adds Various Content to EBSCOhost
EBSCO announced several recent product additions
and expansions. The Catholic Periodical and Literature
Index has been added to the suite of EBSCOhost databases.
Developed through a partnership between the American
Theological Library Association (ATLA) and the Catholic
Library Association (CLA), the index provides a reference
resource for in-depth research into Catholicism and
related issues.
Two new H.W. Wilson databases are now available via
EBSCOhost—Current Biography Illustrated and Book
Review Digest. A total of 16 Wilson databases are now
accessible from EBSCO.
Computer Science Index (formerly known as Computer
Literature Index), a database created by EBSCO Publishing,
is now available on EBSCOhost. The database provides
abstracting and indexing of academic journals, professional
publications, and other reference sources.
The American Humanities Index produced by Whitston
Publishing (an imprint of EBSCO Publishing) has added
indexing from more than 200 humanities titles, bringing
its coverage of the humanities to more than 1,000 journals.
Newly added content provides a focus on American literature,
fine and popular arts, music, history, and culture.
Source: EBSCO Publishing, Ipswich, MA, 800/653-2726;
http://www.ebsco.com.
Elsevier's Cell Press Full Text Now Available
Elsevier announced the launch of the Cell Press
journal collection on its ScienceDirect electronic platform.
The collection will enable researchers to access and
cross reference titles in the field of cellular and
molecular biology, neuroscience, and immunology, including
backfiles dating to the journals' inception. Cell Press
publishes nine journals—Cell, Neuron, Immunity,
Molecular Cell, Developmental Cell, Cancer Cell, Current
Biology, Structure, and Chemistry & Biology.
Source: Elsevier, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 011-31-20-485-3911;
http://www.elsevier.com.
World Bank Increases e-Library Size
The World Bank announced that more than 1,900 Policy
Research Working Papers were recently added to the
1,300 publications available on the World Bank e-Library,
a commercial subscription-based research and reference
tool. The papers, dating back to 1995, cover a broad
range of topics and countries, from Indonesia's palm
oil policy, to agricultural transfer technology in
Nicaragua, to wage determination and gender discrimination
in transition economies. The World Bank e-Library was
built and is hosted by publishing partner Ingenta.
Source: The World Bank, Washington, DC, 202/473-1000;
http://www.worldbank.org.
FIZ Karlsruhe Offers Pharmaceutical Database
FIZ Karlsruhe announced that it will offer Pharmaceutical
Substances, the new pharmaceutical database produced
by the Thieme Publishing Group, via its online service
STN International. The database offers comprehensive
substance information, trade data, and preparation
methods for more than 2,300 active pharmaceutical ingredients.
Biannual updates will be provided.
Source: FIZ Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Germany, 011-49-7247-808-555;
http://www.fiz-karlsruhe.de.
APA Launches Three New Databases
The American Psychological Association (APA) announced
the launch of three new databases. PsycBOOKS, a full-text
database, will include in its initial release more
than 600 books and 10,000 individual chapters published
by APA, more than 1,500 entries from the Encyclopedia
of Psychology co-published by APA and Oxford University
Press, and a selection of archival books from other
publishers. The 600 book titles will be available through
Ovid's online platform.
PsycCRITIQUES, a new searchable database of book
reviews in psychology, will replace APA's print journal
Contemporary Psychology. In each weekly release, PsycCRITIQUES
will deliver approximately 15 reviews of psychological
books, most from the current copyright year. Optional
e-mail alerts will provide the table of contents and
abstracts from each weekly issue. A backfile of approximately
4,000 reviews from 1995 to 2003 will be available.
The PsycEXTRA gray literature database, soon to be
available on EBSCOhost, provides access to psychologically
and behaviorally relevant literature published outside
traditional peer-reviewed journals or scholarly books.
A combination of an abstracting-and-indexing database
plus full text for a major portion of the content,
PsycEXTRA covers a variety of document types, including
technical and government reports, conference papers,
policy statements, curricula, standards, fact sheets,
newsletters, magazine articles, consumer brochures,
and more.
Source: American Psychological Association, Washington,
DC, 800/374-2721; http://www.apa.org.
USEFUL TOOLS
Plustek Offers a Spine-Saving Solution to Scanning
Books
Plustek's OpticBook 3600 scanner allows any book
to lie completely flat on the scanning glass. The result,
according to the company, is a perfectly scanned image
with no book-spine shadow and no distorted lines of
text. OpticBook 3600's user-friendly software allows
for fast and simple PDF conversion, and also automatically
rotates and saves page images in correct order. Optical
Character Recognition saves data to MS Word and Excel.
Source: Plustek, Taipei City, Taiwan, 949/429-1172;
http://www.plustek.com.
U.K.-Based Emerald Launches Emerald Management Xtra
Emerald Group Publishing, Ltd. announced the November
2004 launch of Emerald Management Xtra. The comprehensive
collection of peer-reviewed management journals and
online support combines core content from more than
100 select Emerald journals with practical working
tools and resources. Integrated resources include Conference
Central, Research Register, the EMX Library Resource,
Teaching Tips, book reviews, case studies, interviews,
and the Emerald Literati Club.
Source: Emerald Group Publishing, Ltd., Bradford,
U.K., 011-44-274-777-700; http://www.emeraldinsight.com.
ebrary Launches New APIs
ebrary announced the release of ebrary eXtend, a
free set of XML-based Web application programming interfaces
(APIs) that enables libraries, eLearning companies,
content aggregators, and distributors to seamlessly
integrate ebrary content and functionality into their
own Web sites and work flow. ebrary eXtend provides
a number of new features including remote, single-point
access; single sign-on; support for OpenURL; and support
for federated search.
Source: ebrary, Palo Alto, CA, 650/475-8700; http://www.ebrary.com.
CDS's Cataloger's Desktop Now Available on the Web
The Cataloging Distribution Service (CDS) of the
Library of Congress announced the introduction of a
Web-accessible version of its tool, Cataloger's Desktop.
The new subscription service includes the current version
of the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, 2nd edition
(AACR2), which has led to its adoption by all LC catalogers.
Source: Library of Congress, Washington, DC, 202/707-5000;
http://www.loc.gov.
Ex Libris Introduces MetaLib 3 and Verde ERM System
Ex Libris announced the release of version 3 of its
MetaLib library portal. MetaLib 3 features improvements
in the management of result sets, including relevance
ranking and automatic merging and deduplication. Other
new features include MetaIndex, a component that harvests
OAI-compliant repositories that MetaLib can search
along with other resources. An enhanced authentication
module is shared with other Ex Libris applications
(ALEPH and DigiTool) and, optionally, with third-party
applications also, providing the infrastructure for
a single-login environment. MetaLib continues to be
integrated with SFX and MARCIt!.
Ex Libris also announced the upcoming release of
Verde, an electronic resource management system. Verde
was designed to address the requirements of the Digital
Library Federation Electronic Resource Management Initiative
(DLF ERMI), and features tools for managing expanding
e-collections throughout a resource's life cycle. Verde
offers a high level of interoperability with SFX, OPACs,
and applications that handle acquisitions, A-Z lists,
and more. Ex Libris expects to release Verde by the
end of 2004.
Source: Ex Libris, Chicago, 773/404-5527; http://www.exlibrisgroup.com.
Dialog Adds Features to DialogLink
Dialog announced the release of DialogLink 4.0, an
upgraded version of its software package for information
professionals. The new version adds XML output, new
post-processing tools, and e-linking capabilities to
create reports, distribute information across an enterprise,
and access electronically published scholarly articles.
Version 4.0 preserves the commands used in previous
versions of the software, while adding additional functions,
such as pop-up windows, to streamline the searching
process. Designed for use with Microsoft Windows, DialogLink
4.0 is provided as part of a customer's annual service
agreement at no additional charge.
Source: The Dialog Corporation, Cary, NC, 800/334-2564;
http://www.dialog.com.
WebFeat Makes Its Federated Search Product More Customizable
WebFeat announced the introduction of WebFeat 3,
a new version of its federated search product with
new personalization capabilities known as MyWebFeat.
WebFeat 3 includes new SMART technology, an advanced
statistical-reporting capability fully compliant with
the new COUNTER Reporting Standard. The product allows
the custom organization and display of library databases,
the creation of custom subject categories to match
research needs, and the modification of the federated
search environment with selected templates.
Source: WebFeat, Old Brookville, NY, 888/757-9119;
http://www.webfeat.org.
TLC Offers Two New Services
TLC announced two new services for libraries—Wireless·Solution
and Wireless·Solution Pro. Wireless·Solution
offers a secure setup fire-walled from the library's
network, with up to 10 simultaneous VPN connections
for staff functions. Wireless·Solution Pro offers
the same security as Wireless·Solution, as well
as managed access to control user bandwidth, the ability
to provide free or fee-based access or a mixture of
the two, and a personalized library interface.
Source: The Library Corporation, Inwood, WV, 800/325-7759;
http://www.TLCdelivers.com.
Storage Elements Releases CORE Storage Server
Storage Elements announced the release of CORE Macintosh
data storage software for digital content creators.
The software includes virtualization, provisioning,
management, snapshot, striping, backup, and archiving
capabilities. CORE supports NAS/SAN and virtualized
storage, as well as archiving to tape without a third-party
backup package. CORE for Mac OSX is scheduled to be
available in September; versions for Linux and Windows
will be released soon afterward.
Source: Storage Elements/Wenzel Data, Stillwater,
MN, 888/292-3396; http://www.storageelements.com.
Checkpoint Introduces RFID Printer Line
Checkpoint Systems introduced the METO brand mi-4210
RFID, a 13.56-MHz (HF) and EPC-compliant, 900-MHz (UHF)
thermal RFID printer that supports both basic bar coding
and advanced data capture. The printer allows the use
of smart labels to combine both product-specific bar
code information and radio frequency data in a single
thermal label by incorporating a radio frequency circuit
into the printed label. The METO mi-4210 RFID printer
is available in two versions—one fully enabled
to encode all available RFID protocols, or an upgradeable
version offering bar code printing only with the ability
to add RFID encoding at a later date.
Source: Checkpoint Systems, Inc., Thorofare, NJ,
800/257-5540; http://www.checkpointsystems.com.
ProLine Offers Scratch-Resistant Disc Coating
ProLine has announced the development of an invisible
disc coating that makes the data side of all disc formats
more scratch resistant. The formulation, Disc Guard
2, is a liquid compound of special emulsifiable resins
that are buffed on and off a disc. The oxygen-activated
molecules left on the surface produce a clear layer
that allows the laser-read data to be enhanced for
correct reproduction. A hard, protective, glass-like
coating guards against accidental scratching and fingerprints
during disc handling. Disc Guard 2 is available in
a complete kit that includes an applicator base and
buffing cloths.
Source: ProLine, Denver, 800/325-0853; http://www.discguard2.com.
MORE USEFUL TOOLS
S-T Imaging Introduces Low-Cost, ST 200 Digitizing
Scanners for Microfilm
S-T Imaging announced the introduction of low-cost,
demand-based, digitizing scanners for roll microfilm,
allowing researchers to scan, fax, e-mail, or print
a microfilm image for future reference. The ST 200
series, specifically designed for use by library patrons,
uses standard PC USB and monitor connections, while
eliminating expensive SCSI connections and proprietary
video-compression hardware. The ST 200 operates under
normal, ambient lighting; provides high- resolution,
edge-to-edge images; handles both negative and positive
film; and has network connectivity that allows the
use of the library's charge-account system or a debit/credit
card for billing purposes.
Source: S-T Imaging, Inc., Northfield, IL, 847/501-3344;
http://www.stimaging.com.
FIZ Karlsruhe Enhances Intranet Info Service
FIZ Karlsruhe announced the enhancement of its conference
information service (CIS) for intranets, available
in three formats. CONFnet, a fully searchable database,
offers conference previews reaching to the year 2010.
The new CONFnet service covers all science and technology
subject areas, is updated weekly, contains approximately
7,000 conference previews reaching beyond the year
2010, and searches with German or English keywords.
CIS offers a customized HTML version. The information
is also available as raw data for free use in the corporate
intranet. The service is supplemented by CLOU, a free
weekly newsletter for CIS users and buyers of raw data.
Source: FIZ Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Germany, 011-49-7247-808-555;
http://www.fiz-karlsruhe.de.
AUTOMATION AIDS
Three New GIS Information Systems Products: for Self-Check,
Wireless, and ILS
GIS announced the release of three new products:
Polaris ExpressCheck, Wireless Access Manager, and
Polaris 3.1.
Polaris ExpressCheck, a self-check station, eliminates
the need for intervening protocol (e.g., SIP) to communicate
with a library's ILS, allowing a library to replicate
staff-based circulation procedures in the self-check
environment. ExpressCheck is fully integrated with
the Polaris library automation system, and staff can
control circulation options such as blocking thresholds.
Polaris ExpressCheck can be used with bar codes or
fitted to work with RFID tags.
Wireless Access Manager (WAM) is a complete hardware
and software package that GIS configures for libraries
to install on PCs. The WAM software interfaces the
hardware to GIS' Polaris, and can support any ILS that
supports SIP2. WAM allows patrons with wireless laptops
or handhelds to access the library's wireless network
by using their library cards for authentication. With
WAM, library staff can specify Web sites that don't
require authentication.
Polaris 3.1 ILS software features major changes in
serials control and enhancements in the Polaris PowerPAC
that make it easy to launch new related searches from
within an existing search and to choose how search
results are sorted. Polaris 3.1 provides the first
phase of MARC 21 Format for Holdings support, and also
supports subscriptions to MARC databases such as cataloged
Web sites so changes and deletions can be imported
into Polaris.
Source: GIS Information Systems, Syracuse, NY, 800/272-3414;
http://www.gisinfosystems.com.
Geac Launches Vubis Smart Info Management System
in North America
Geac Library Solutions announced the North American
launch of its Web-based information management system
Vubis Smart. The system, which has been available in
Europe for 18 months, enables users to better manage
books, CDs, DVDs and videos, and provides reference
capabilities for electronic books and journals. Vubis
Smart's WebOpac allows the library to tailor the search
methods offered, the indexes to be used, and the appearance
and functionality of the Web interface down to the
individual-user level. Users can establish selective
dissemination of information (SDI) profiles, enhancing
resource usage and creating a highly personalized work
environment.
Source: Geac Library Solutions, Markham, Ontario,
905/475-0525; http://www.library.geac.com.
III Honors 25th Anniversary with Millennium Silver
In celebration of its 25th anniversary, Innovative
Interfaces announced the release of Millennium Silver.
The integrated information management system contains
dozens of enhancements across its modules including
Acquisitions, Circulation, Cataloging, and Serials.
On the system level, enhancements have been made to
INN-Reach, Interlibrary Loan, and Consortium Management
Extensions. The release also includes an internationalized
version of AirPAC, Innovative's PDA-powered Web OPAC
interface.
Source: Innovative Interfaces, Inc., Emeryville,
CA, 510/655-6200; http://www.iii.com.
Inmagic Lets Its Genie Out of the Bottle
Inmagic, Inc. announced the release of Inmagic Genie,
a Web-based solution designed for the expanding corporate
information center. Genie builds on DB/Text for Libraries,
with new features and a new back end, Inmagic Content
Server. Based on Microsoft SQL Server, Genie uses Microsoft
.NET technologies to provide a Web environment supporting
library staff functions, as well as end-user capabilities.
With Genie, library staff can manage internal content
while performing back-office tasks including catalog
and circulation capabilities; adding new materials
to the library collection; editing existing materials;
and performing check in, check out, and borrower maintenance—all
directly from an Internet browser.
Source: Inmagic, Inc., Woburn, MA, 800/229-8398;
http://www.inmagic.com.
New Dynix Products: ILL, Portal
Dynix announced the launch of URSA 4.0, the latest
version of its interlibrary loan product. The new edition
features patron self-service requesting, full compatibility
with Horizon Information Portal 4.0, and complete intraoperability
among disparate ILS systems within a consortium.
Dynix also announced the launch of Horizon Information
Portal 4.0, an upgrade of its catalog and portal solution,
accompanied by the launch of Horizon 7.4, an update
of the company's ILS system. Horizon Information Portal
4.0 enables portal personalization by highlighting
items belonging to a specific location; allows the
determination of request placement, default-notification
type, and pickup locations; and offers the selection
of predefined content channels or the creation of content
channels based on local needs. Horizon 7.4 provides
the database support for running Horizon Information
Portal 4.0, and provides advanced functions for personal
preferences set in the Horizon database.
Source: Dynix, Provo, UT, 800/288-8020; http://www.dynix.com.
Sirsi Unveils PocketCirc
Handheld Circulation Product
Sirsi announced the introduction of Sirsi PocketCirc,
a new circulation staff solution. The new product merges
the simplicity of a hand-held device with the online
and offline circulation functions of Sirsi's WorkFlows
staff client and Unicorn Library Management System—including
the ability to use wireless connections. Sirsi PocketCirc
will be released in conjunction with Unicorn 2004 in
the fall.
Source: Sirsi Corp., St. Louis, 800/325-0888; http://www.sirsi.com.
New Electronic Management Products from Endeavor
Endeavor Information Systems announced the development
of Voyager InterCirc, a new system designed to provide
circulation interaction between the Voyager ILS and
disparate consortia borrowing services from non-Endeavor
providers. More powerful resource sharing capabilities
are offered in Voyager Universal Borrowing, a consortium
borrowing system that provides end users with unmediated,
patron-initiated borrowing from Voyager to Voyager
libraries.
The company also introduced Endeavor Meridian, a
new Web-based software system to help manage all types
of electronic resources. Meridian interacts with integrated
library systems, gathering MARC and acquisitions data
to streamline work flow. The software's data import
feature enables the use of information available from
aggregators, local databases, or data management utilities.
Source: Endeavor Information Systems, Des Plaines,
IL, 800/762-6300; http://www.endinfosys.com.
VTLS Launches VERIFY ERM Product
VTLS announced the launch of VERIFY, an electronic
resource manager that can fully integrate with Virtua
or function as a stand-alone system. VERIFY simplifies
access to electronic information while allowing staff
to keep track of every aspect of the library's e-resources
in a single customizable interface.
Source: VTLS, Inc., Blacksburg, VA, 800/468-8857;
http://www.vtls.com.
CONTENT/LINKING AGREEMENTS
Project MUSE Releases JSTOR Article Links
Project MUSE, an online collection of scholarly journals
in the arts, humanities, and social sciences, announced
that it
has enabled article-level links to JSTOR from its search interface. Building
on its reciprocal linking project with JSTOR, Project MUSE has released links
to articles from the back issues of 25 journals common to both collections.
Currently, there are more than 40 titles common to both MUSE and JSTOR, and
this number is expected to grow to more than 50 in the near future.
Source: Project MUSE, Baltimore, 410/516-6989; http://www.muse.jhu.edu.
Naxos Music Library Adds New Content
Naxos Music Library, the online listening service
from the Naxos classical music label, announced that
it is expanding its service through licensing agreements
with additional independent music labels. Four additional
labels have agreed to make their music available to
subscribers of the Naxos Music Library—Analekta,
ARC, Celestial Harmonies, and First Edition. The Analekta
catalog provides classical music offerings, Celestial
Harmonies and ARC offer world music, and First Edition
is releasing the pioneering recordings of 20th-century
American composers performed by the Louisville Symphony
Orchestra.
Source: Naxos of America, Inc., Franklin, TN, 615/771-9393;
http://www.naxosusa.com.
ProQuest Launches Interface Updates
ProQuest announced the launch of a new interface
that will be available on every proprietary ProQuest
product. The updated interface will offer ProQuest
Smart Search, an indexing feature that analyzes a search
and offers suggestions for related topics and publications
at the top of the results screen. The new interface
will enable users to e-mail multiple articles in a
single e-mail from ProQuest, and to e-mail My Research
Summary and formatted bibliographies. Enhanced ProQuest
CrossLinks have been added, allowing users to link
from their results list into a link-resolver service
and view the full text of the article wherever it may
be found in the library's holdings, or in external
holdings the library may be able to access.
Source: ProQuest Information and Learning, Ann Arbor,
MI, 800/521-0600; http://www.il.proquest.com.
Thomson Gale Includes NYT Content
Thomson Gale announced a multiyear agreement with
The New York Times to include the Times' content in
Thomson Gale electronic products. The content—including
The New York Times, The New York Times
Magazine, and
The New York Times Book Review—is now available
in Thomson Gale's InfoTrac Custom Newspapers and Student
Resource Center online products. In addition, all or
selected content from The New York Times is available
in Business & Company Resource Center, Health & Wellness
Resource Center, Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center,
Science Resource Center, and Literature Resource Center
(with The New York Times Book Review content included).
Thomson Gale customers will have access to The
New York Times content from the present back to Jan. 1,
2000.
Source: Thomson Gale, Farmington Hills, MI, 800/877-4253;
http://www.gale.com.
Factiva and Fairfax Expand Agreement
Factiva, a Dow Jones & Reuters Company, and John
Fairfax Holdings, Ltd. announced an expanded relationship
in a new long-term agreement. All full-text articles
from the Fairfax group of publications will be distributed
electronically to more than 1.6 million Factiva subscribers
globally. After Sept.10, 2004, Factiva will be the
only international vendor offering full-text content
from all of Fairfax's metropolitan daily newspapers,
including The Australian Financial Review, Sydney
Morning Herald, The Age, The Sunday Age, and The Sun
Herald.
Factiva will also offer access to Fairfax's business
and finance titles, including BRW, Personal Investor,
Shares, CFO, and MIS.
Source: Factiva, New York, 800/369-0166; http://www.factiva.com.
Thomson Increases ISI Web of Knowledge
The Thomson Corp. announced an increase in the linking
power of ISI Web of Knowledge, including full-text
links to journals from hundreds of new publishers,
increased linking capability, and use of the Digital
Object Identifier (DOI). ISI Web of Knowledge now supports
direct, customized links to more than 300 publishers,
covering a total of more than 10,000 journals.
Source: Thomson Corp., Philadelphia, 215/386-0100;
http://www.thomson.com.
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