Issues In Science and Technology Librarianship 009 (March 1994) URL = ftp://ftp.lib.ncsu.edu/pub/stacks/sts/sts-009 ------------->> ---------- ---- -- ##### ####### ##### - # # # - # # # S - ##### # ##### T ELECTRONIC - # # # S COMMUNICATIONS -- # # # ---- ##### # ##### --------- ----------------------->> ISSUES IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LIBRARIANSHIP March 1994 NUMBER 9 _____________________________________________________________________ ALA ACRL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY SECTION _____________________________________________________________________ CONTENTS: FROM THE EDITOR: LINES 54-72 ANNOUNCEMENTS: ONLINE JOURNAL FOR ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS AVAILABLE LINES 73-159 APPLIED PHYSICS JOURNAL TO GO ONLINE IN 1995 LINES 160-222 DIGITAL LIBRARIES '94: CALL FOR PAPERS LINES 223-310 RLG Z39.50 SERVICE LINES 311-360 AT&T, OCLC AND FIRSTSEARCH LINES 361-411 BRITISH LIBRARY DOCUMENT SUPPLY CENTRE LINES 412-493 OCLC TO LOAD CAMBRIDGE DATABASES LINES 494-574 GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS IN LIBRARIES LINES 575-748 INCLUDING: BIBLIOGRAPHY ARL GIS LITERARCY PROJECT PARTICIPANTS LIST BY CAROLYN ARGENTATI HEALTH CARE REFORM, IN REAL TIME: THE CDC WONDER PROJECT LINES 749-826 BY MARLENA M. WALD NOW SHOWING: "IS CD-ROM DEAD?" LINES 827-1034 INCLUDING: BIBLIOGRAPHY BY ANN EAGAN AND DAWN TALBOT _____________________________________________________________________________ FROM THE EDITOR Welcome to all new subscribers. We have added many new readers from around the world, library schools, and government libraries in particular. I would like to encourage both new and old readers to submit manuscripts and/or ideas for articles to ACRLSTS@HAL.UNM.EDU. I just received word this week from Anne Lipow that Crossing the Internet Threshold is being translated into Spanish to be distributed by the OAS ie Cruzando el Umbral de la Internet: Un Manual Instructive. Should appear this summer. Translations are also in the works in Polish and Portugese. Where is Esperanto when you really need it? Harry LLull University of New Mexico ____________________________________________________________________________ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL: Andrea Keyhani, OCLC (614) 764-6474 Michele Day, IEE (908) 562-5556 Nita Dean, OCLC (614) 761-5002 ONLINE JOURNAL FOR ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS AVAILABLE DUBLIN, Ohio, March 21, 1994--_Electronics Letters_, the prestigious biweekly journal of international electronics research, is now available as an online journal. _Electronics Letters Online_ is published by the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE) and provided online to subscribers by OCLC via the Internet and dial-up telecommunications networks. The new electronic journal carries the same 1,400 to 1,500 articles per year as the print version and displays them through Guidon, a Windows-based graphical user interface developed by OCLC. Guidon supports full-text searching by subject, title, author, keyword, date, and a full range of Boolean and proximity operators. It displays full text, figures, tables, and equations in quality that rivals the printed page. Guidon operates in the Microsoft Windows environment on an 80386 or higher PC. _Electronics Letters Online_ is also available via a command-driven ASCII user interface that runs on a terminal or PC with software emulating a VT100 terminal. Through links to IEE's INSPEC database, subscribers to _Electronics Letters Online_ also have access to abstracts of references cited in the articles. The INSPEC database is the world's largest and most comprehensive source of reference literature in the fields of physics, electronics, computing, and electrical and control engineering. Sir Eric Ash, CBE, FEng, FRS, and Professor Peter Clarricoats, FEng, FRS, are honorary editors, and Gill Wheeler is managing editor. The journal is available as an annual subscription for $750. Each subscription includes an access package with Guidon software, optional notification of new documents published in areas of interest, unlimited connect time, ability to print locally, and downloading of documents. Typeset-quality prints delivered by mail or fax can be obtained for additional fees. The journal can be accessed through the Internet, the OCLC telecommunications network, and CompuServe Dial Access. In North and South America, ordering information is available from IEE/INSPEC Department, IEEE Service Center, 445 Hoes Lane, P.O. Box 1331, Piscataway, N.J. 08855-1331, USA. The telephone number is (908) 562-5549, the fax number is (908) 981-0027, and the e-mail address is mday@ieee.org. Orders from other geographical areas should be directed to The Institution of Electrical Engineers, Michael Faraday House, Six Hills Way, Stevenage, Herts. SG1 2AY, United Kingdom, telephone +44(0)438 313311, attention marketing; fax +44(0)438 742840; or e-mail inspec@dm.rs.ch. _Electronics Letters Online_ is the third electronic journal provided online to subscribers by OCLC. In July 1992, the _Online Journal of Current Clinical Trials_, published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, was launched. The _Online Journal of Knowledge Synthesis for Nursing_, published by Sigma Theta Tau International, Honor Society of Nursing, began distribution in January 1994. Electronic journals offer fast, continuous publication; immediate access to timely information--available online 23 hours a day; access from the office, dormitory or library; and optimal searching capabilities. Other features include an extensive help system, toll-free telephone support, and comprehensive user documentation. The Institution of Electrical Engineers is the largest professional engineering society in Europe and has worldwide membership of over 130,000. It covers every aspect of electrical and manufacturing engineering from power generation to software engineering, medical electronics, and satellite communications. The IEE is best known to the information industry as the publisher of the INSPEC database. OCLC is a nonprofit computer library service and research organization whose computer network and services link more than 17,000 libraries in 52 countries and territories. (ND) ____________________________________________________________________________ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL: Nita Dean (614) 761-5002 APPLIED PHYSICS JOURNAL TO GO ONLINE IN 1995 DUBLIN, Ohio, March 1, 1994--The American Institute of Physics and OCLC Online Computer Library Center have agreed to make _Applied Physics Letters_, AIP's weekly journal, available electronically through OCLC's Electronic Journals Online system. _Applied Physics Letters Online_ will provide concise, up-to-the-minute reports of significant new findings in applied physics. It will be available in January 1995. "We are very enthusiastic about the benefits that _Applied Physics Letters Online_ will offer to research scientists," said Tim Ingoldsby, AIP's director of new product development. "Increased timeliness of access to research reports is crucial in the areas of applied physics covered by this journal. We are also taking steps to make the database immediately useful, including having available nearly a full year of articles on the day that the new service goes online." Emphasizing rapid dissemination of key data, _Applied Physics Letters Online_ will offer prompt publication of significant new experimental and theoretical papers on new applications of physics to other branches of science and engineering. Subject areas covered in the online journal will include semiconductors; superconductivity; condensed matter; optics and solid state lasers; nonlinear optics; surfaces, interfaces, and thin films; preparation and properties of materials; and electrical and magnetic device properties. Pricing for the online journal will be available in early July. Substantial discounts will be provided for institutions desiring combined print and online subscriptions. _Applied Physics Letters Online_ will join three other electronic journals available through OCLC's Electronic Journals Online system. In July 1992, the _Online Journal of Current Clinical Trials_, published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, was launched. The _Online Journal of Knowledge Synthesis for Nursing_, published by Sigma Theta Tau International, Honor Society of Nursing, became available in January 1994. _Electronics Letters Online_, the prestigious biweekly journal of international electronics research published by the Institution of Electrical Engineers, will be available this month. OCLC Electronic Journals Online offers fast publication; a graphical user interface that displays figures, tables, and equations; immediate access to timely information--available online 23 hours a day; access from the office, dormitory or library; and optimal searching capabilities. Other features include an extensive help system, toll-free telephone support, and comprehensive user documentation. OCLC is a nonprofit computer library service and research organization whose computer network and services link more than 17,000 libraries in 52 countries and territories. (RM) ______________________________________________________________________ ANNOUNCEMENT AND CALL FOR PAPERS Digital Libraries '94 Symposium on the Theory and Practice of Digital Libraries An unprecedented opportunity exists for forming a community of scholars to study the theory and practice of digital libraries. The catalyst has been the National Science Foundation's Digital Library Initiative. In preparing responses to the call for proposals, hundreds of researchers have spent uncounted thousands of hours evaluating and re-evaluating the characteristics of the digital library. Innovative, exciting alliances have been formed, bringing together distributed teams drawn from independent research laboratories, client organizations, and industrial entities. In the past few months we have seen what is certainly the greatest collective application of thought to date on issues of the digital library. Because of their competitive nature, proposals are often developed in private, and the insights that are gained are shared only within the small group of participants. Now that the deadline has passed, we propose that it is time to turn our attention towards dissemination of these insights. By doing so, we can significantly increase the level of sophistication of our collective understanding of the problem area, and begin to take the steps towards building a wide-ranging, open, research community that reflects the diversity of knowledge needed to address the problems of the digital library. CALL FOR PAPERS We welcome your participation in Digital Libraries '94, which we expect will inaugurate a new conference series. Because attendance may be limited by the size of our facilities, prospective attendees are asked to submit either a full paper or a short position statement. Full papers, 10 pages or less, will be considered for presentation at the symposium. Papers accepted for presentation will be printed in a proceedings that will be distributed at the symposium. Essentially all topics relating to the design, implementation, and use of a digital library are welcome as the subject of full papers. Short position statements should be one or two pages in length. Position statements accepted for participation in the symposium will be available at the symposium for attendees' perusal. Full papers and position statements may be submitted by a team, but we ask that in this case you let us know how many team members wish to attend the symposium to aid in our space budgeting decisions. Prospective attendees are asked to contact us now to be added to our mailing list for symposium announcements. Key Dates and Contact Information April 1, 1994 Full papers and position statements due April 20, 1994 Acceptance notification May 15, 1994 Final version of papers and statements due June 19-21, 1994 Symposium (College Station, TX) Full papers and position statements should be sent in electronic form in PostScript (preferred) or ASCII format. We prefer incoming FTP; please contact us for additional instructions. Digital Libraries '94 Hypermedia Research Laboratory Department of Computer Science Texas A&M University College Station, TX 77843-3112 Electronic mail: DL94@bush.cs.tamu.edu Telephone: (409)-845-0298 FAX: (409)-847-8578 ORGANIZING COMMITTEE Chairs: Richard Furuta and John Leggett, Texas A\&M University Robert Akscyn (Knowledge Systems), Steve Feiner (Columbia University), Edward A. Fox (Virginia Tech), Gary Marchionini (University of Maryland), John Schnase (Washington University School of Medicine), David Stotts (University of North Carolina), Catherine Marshall (Xerox PARC). Other members, to be named. Sponsored by Texas A&M University, Hypermedia Research Laboratory Washington University School of Medicine Library In Cooperation With ACM SIGLINK and SIGIR (pending) The George Bush Presidential Library Foundation The Center For Presidential Studies, Texas A&M University (others pending and welcome) _____________________________________________________________________________ RLG ANNOUNCES WORLD'S FIRST INTERNATIONAL Z39.50 SERVICE The PICA Centre for Library Automation (PICA) in the Netherlands and ISM Library Information Services (ISM), Canada, have agreed with The Research Libraries Group, Inc. to use Zephyr, RLG's Z39.50 service, giving their researchers across the globe full access to the riches of RLG's RLIN bibliographic database and CitaDel citation and document delivery service. In the future, RLG plans to offer its customers access to ISM's and PICA's databases. Although several Z39.50 servers are in the testing phase, Zephyr is among the first service to be put into production and, now, the first to enter major international alliances. Zephyr lets users of other online systems search RLIN and CitaDel files using the same commands they use to search their own local catalogs. Plus, it displays the information in the client's own, familiar formats. Even if the two systems run on different hardware, Zephyr makes the differences invisible. This makes Zephyr an ideal tool for making RLG's bibliographic resources available both to librarians for technical processing and to library patrons as a public service. "Zephyr," says Wayne E. Davison, director of RLG's Access Services group, "is going to change the way we do business in library automation more than anything that has come along in the last ten years." Putting Zephyr into production on an international scale is not only a major step forward for RLG, but a step toward the general acceptance of the Z39.50 protocol. ****************************************** ISM Library Information Services, formerly Utlas (University of Toronto Library Automation Systems) International Canada, is a computer-based service organization for libraries and the information industry. The PICA Centre for Library Automation (PICA) is a cooperative organization of and on behalf of libraries and other information-supplying institutions. Its systems link hundreds of libraries in the Netherlands and Germany. For more information, please contact Bruce Washburn, bl.btw@rlg.stanford.edu. ______________________________________________________________________________ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL: Nita Dean, OCLC, (614) 761-5002 Carolyn Tommie, AT&T, (908) 221-8541 AT&T AND OCLC TO OFFER FIRSTSEARCH ON TRIAL BASIS TO CORPORATE USERS OF INTERNET DUBLIN, Ohio, March 18, 1994--AT&T InterSpan Data Communications Services and OCLC announce a trial program that will provide corporate information seekers with access to The FirstSearch Catalog via the Internet and AT&T's InterSpan Frame Relay Service (FRS), a worldwide, high-speed intelligent network operated by AT&T. AT&T's Internet Connectivity Options (ICO) will allow FRS users to connect to The FirstSearch Catalog, OCLC's online reference service for end users. They will be able to search 31 of the 40 databases available on FirstSearch and order the full text of desired articles through OCLC's document delivery service. "ICO customers value the simplicity of adding a single permanent virtual circuit to their existing frame relay network that gives them easy access to the broad range of resources and applications available on the global network," said Lov Kher, AT&T InterSpan ICO product manager. "Providing that same easy access to a valuable resource like The FirstSearch Catalog is just one example of how we plan to keep evolving the service." "This trial program will give OCLC the opportunity to provide scientific, technical, and business information to users at their desks in their offices," said John Hearty, director, OCLC reference services division. "Many of our libraries already provide their patrons with direct access to FirstSearch at home or in their office, and this is another step for OCLC toward providing information to people when and where they need it." Upon completion of the two-month trial program, AT&T customers will have the option of contracting with OCLC for access to FirstSearch on an ongoing basis. AT&T InterSpan Services are a family of innovative data connectivity solutions designed to provide faster, more efficient distributed computing for business. The FirstSearch Catalog is designed for end users, with a menu-driven interface that allows users to move easily through the online search process in just a few simple steps, without training or online searching experience. ________________________________________________________________________ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL: Nita Dean (614) 761-5002 BRITISH LIBRARY DOCUMENT SUPPLY CENTRE NOW A DOCUMENT SUPPLIER ON THE FIRSTSEARCH CATALOG DUBLIN, Ohio, Feb. 4, 1994--The British Library Document Supply Centre is now a document supplier on The FirstSearch Catalog, making some 30,000 serials available to users throughout the world. Documents in the ArticleFirst and Arts & Humanities Search databases may be ordered online through The FirstSearch Catalog, OCLC's online reference service accessible to users worldwide 23 hours a day, six days a week, and 20 hours on Sunday. The British Library Document Supply Centre (BLDSC) dispatches 90 percent of all orders no later than 48 hours after requests are received. The BLDSC will be a document supplier for other databases in The FirstSearch Catalog later this year. Articles supplied by the BLDSC will cost $22.50 for delivery by fax, and $12.50 for delivery by mail. Document delivery costs are the same for all U.S. and international users. Orders can be placed by using credit card options available through FirstSearch. "The British Library can supply documents for more than 80 percent of the titles represented in ArticleFirst," said Phyllis B. Spies, vice president, OCLC marketing and sales. "This coverage increases the effectiveness of The FirstSearch Catalog to libraries and their users worldwide." "The British Library has been supplying documents to libraries through the OCLC ILL system for many years, and we are delighted to be opening up access to users of FirstSearch," said Malcolm Smith, BLDSC deputy director. Later this year, the BLDSC will supply documents through FirstSearch from PapersFirst, one of two new databases based on the British Library's Inside Conferences database to be available on FirstSearch and the EPIC service. PapersFirst will be an index to individual papers presented at conferences, symposia, and professional meetings worldwide. ProceedingsFirst will contain tables-of-contents records listing papers presented at each conference. "Our collaboration with OCLC on ProceedingsFirst and PapersFirst will give FirstSearch users vastly improved access to a unique resource of key conference papers in all subject areas," said Mr. Smith. OCLC will also add 4,000 serials titles from the British Library's Inside Information database to the ArticleFirst and ContentsFirst databases by March 1994. The British Library Document Supply Centre holds the largest literature collection in the world dedicated solely to document delivery. Based in Boston Spa, England, the British Library Document Supply Centre now has a U.S. Service Centre in Boston, Mass. The FirstSearch Catalog is designed for library patrons, with an end-user interface that allows patrons to move easily through the online search process in just a few simple steps, without training or online searching experience. EPIC, a full-featured online reference system that provides subject access, and keyword and Boolean searching to a variety of databases, is used mostly by librarians and experienced searchers. OCLC is a nonprofit computer library service and research organization whose computer network and services link more than 17,000 libraries in 52 countries and territories. _____________________________________________________________________ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL: Nita Dean (614) 761-5002 OCLC TO LOAD CAMBRIDGE DATABASES DUBLIN, Ohio, Feb. 16, 1994--Cambridge Information Group and OCLC have reached an agreement to mount six databases on The FirstSearch Catalog and the EPIC service, OCLC's online reference services. "One of our reference strategies is to expand the depth and breadth of our database coverage," said Tamsen Dalrymple, OCLC reference services. "The Cambridge databases strengthen our offering in the life sciences, applied technology, and environmental fields. They index a vast body of published literature, and they go beyond citations to furnish concise, informative summaries of cited articles." The agreement enables OCLC to add the following databases from Cambridge Scientific Abstracts, a division of Cambridge Information Group: o Environmental Sciences & Pollution Management, which provides comprehensive, multidisciplinary coverage of the key aspects of environmental sciences, including toxic hazards of chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and other substances; air, marine, and freshwater pollution; and biochemical applications in water treatment and pollution. The database contains more than 350,000 records from 1988 and will be updated monthly with 5,000 new records. o FINDEX: Worldwide Market Research Reports, which, with more than 14,000 records, indexes market research reports, studies, and surveys from more than 600 major publishers. It provides a broad-based, reliable source of market research information for 12 key areas: business and finance, construction, consumer durables and nondurables, data processing systems and electronics, defense and security systems, energy and utilities, health care, media, retailing and consumer services, and transportation. o Safety Sciences & Risk Management, which is published in association with the University of Southern California and he University of Waterloo and focuses on environmental risks that affect occupational health and public safety. Cited studies are geared to help researchers identify, evaluate, and eliminate or control risks and hazards of all kinds. The database contains nearly 41,000 records from the last five years; it will be updated quarterly with 2,000 new records. o Aquatic Sciences & Fisheries Abstracts, which is recognized as the premier database in marine and aquatic sciences and provides access to worldwide research archives collected under the sponsorship of four United Nations agencies. It provides coverage of aquatic biology, living and nonliving aquatic resources, ocean technology, and aquatic pollution and encompasses all aspects of marine, freshwater, and brackishwater organisms and environments, fisheries and aquaculture, and the unique contamination problems of seas and estuaries. It contains nearly 200,000 records dating from 1988. Approximately 3,000 new records are added each month. o AIDS & Cancer Research, which contains more than 140,000 records gathered from research in the worldwide scientific literature. AIDS-related topics include molecular and in vitro aspects, immunological, clinical, and epidemiological aspects, patterns of disease occurrence and transmission, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment and investigational drugs. Cancer information emphasizes the complex molecular aspects of cancer initiation, promotion, progression, and metastasis. The database will be updated monthly with 2,000 new records. o Biotechnology & BioEngineering, which is prepared under the editorial direction of Dr. Rita R. Colwell of the Maryland Biotechnology Institute and offers complete coverage of biotechnology and bioengineering, drawn from 697 primary research sources abstracted from eight scientific journals. It will be updated monthly with 4,300 new records; coverage is from 1988. OCLC is a nonprofit computer library service and research organization whose computer network and services link more than 17,000 libraries in 52 countries and territories. (ND) ____________________________________________________________________ GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS IN LIBRARIES A report of the STS General Discussion Group and LITA GIS Group Co-Sponsored Meeting at ALA Midwinter in Los Angeles By Carolyn Argentati Geographic information systems (GIS) and spatial data are rapidly gaining attention and adding new dimensions to traditional college and research library services. Many librarians are just learning about GIS and mapping software and the necessary computer hardware, while others, such as map librarians, have built up considerable expertise. At the 1994 ALA Midwinter Conference, the STS General Discussion Group co-sponsored a session with the LITA GIS Interest Group, entitled "You Can Get There >From Here! Geographic Information Systems in Libraries." Three speakers addressed the group of 54 attendees before the floor was opened for discussion. Prue Adler, Assistant Executive Director of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), discussed the history and status of the ARL GIS Literacy Project that was initiated in 1992. Brent Allison, Head of the John R. Borchert Map Library at the University of Minnesota, and Melissa Lamont, Reference Librarian at the Homer Babbidge Library at the University of Connecticut, shared their experiences in selecting hardware and software and offering services with GIS and mapping software products. The ARL GIS Literacy Project was originally envisioned as a one-year project involving 25 libraries. After an overwhelming response, the project was expanded to include 75 participants from across the United States. The project seeks to introduce librarians to GIS and equip them with the skills needed to provide access to spatially referenced data in multiple formats, including government and public domain data. Each participating library develops a team of professionals with GIS expertise who can act as a resource for other libraries or community members, and these activities may spark the initiation of institution-based programs that respond to local needs for geographic data applications. The next phase of the project, currently being planned, will involve dozens of Canadian research libraries. A number of vendors have provided donations and support for this project, including Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), Digital Equipment Corporation, the H.W. Wilson Foundation, and WESSEX. Discussion topics included GIS hardware and software selection (what is an appropriate minimum configuration?), training of reference/public services staff to assist GIS users, who those users are and how "they find you" when a public GIS or mapping software workstation is made available in the library, and the prospects for growth of statewide or national digital data repositories allowing users to access geographic data via the Internet. The Digital Orthophoto Quads (DOQs), photographic image files which will soon be available to regional depository libraries on CD-ROM, were also described. Each attendee received a reading list on GIS services in libraries and a list of ARL GIS Literacy Project participants. ********** ACRL Science & Technology Section General Discussion Group Co-Chairs: Carolyn Argentati and Julia Zimmerman ********** You CAN get there from here! Geographic Information Systems in Libraries Selected Readings ALA Midwinter Meeting 1994 Discussion Sponsored By: ACRL Science & Technology Section General Discussion Group LITA Geographic Information Systems Interest Group Articles on GIS in General and in Libraries Ahner, Amy L. "Modern Cartography Plays Essential Role in GIS." GIS World 6, no. 10 (1993): 48-50. Congalton, Russell G. & Kass Green. "The ABCs of GIS." Journal of Forestry 90 , no. 11 (1992): 13-20. Franklin, Carl. "An Introduction to Geographic Information Systems: Linking Maps to Databases." Database 15, no. 2 (1992): 12-15, 17-21. "GIS Industry Outlook `94: Ease of Use, Lower Costs Highlight Industry Trends." GIS World 6, no. 12 (1993): 36-47. Kofron, Charles P. "St. Louis Library's GIS Disseminates Public Information." GeoInfo Systems 3, no. 7 (1993): 46-50. Lang, Laura. "Mapping the Future of Map Librarianship." American Libraries 23, no. 10 (1992): 880-883. McGlamery, Patrick. "Geographic Information Systems Come of Age. The Map Library: On the Frontlines of the GIS Revolution." Harvest no. 26 (Spring 1993): 1-4. [Harvest is the newsletter of the University of Connecticut Libraries.] Saunders, Matthew F. 1993. "Research Libraries Promote GIS Literacy Project." GIS World 6, no. 10 (1993): 62. Sourcebooks and Introductory Texts 1994 International GIS Sourcebook. Fort Collins, CO: GIS World, Inc., 1993. [A comprehensive reference source, known as the "Bible" of GIS.] Antenucci, John C. et al. Geographic Information Systems: A Guide to the Technology. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1991. Mather, Paul M. Computer Applications in Geography. Chichester [England]; New York: Wiley, 1991. Tomlin, C. Geographic Information Systems and Cartographic Modeling. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1990. ASSOCIATION OF RESEARCH LIBRARIES ARL GIS Literacy Project The Project seeks to introduce, educate and equip librarians with skills needed to provide access to spatially referenced data in multiple formats. Geographic Information System (GIS) software, training, and technical support is provided to the Project by ESRI, Inc. ESRI, GDT, National Decision Systems, Inc., and WESSEX donated data to participating libraries. DEC donated equipment for use in the training sessions. The Association of American Geographers and H.W. Wilson Foundation provided financial support to the Project. Both the Universities of Connecticut and Kansas provided staff time for Visiting Program Officer support. A Canadian program is under development. For more information contact Prue Adler at prue@cni.org. Project Participants University of Arizona Michigan State University Boston Public Library University of Minnesota Brown University Library University of Missouri-Columbia University of California-Berkeley Montana State Library University of California-Riverside University of Montana University of California-Santa Barbara University of Nebraska-Lincoln Case Western Reserve University of Nevada-Reno University of Chicago University of New Mexico Colorado State University New York Public Library Columbia University New York State Library University of Connecticut New York University Cornell University North Carolina-Chapel Hill Dartmouth College Libraries North Carolina State University Duke University University of Northern Iowa Emory University Ohio State University University of Florida Oklahoma State University Georgetown University University of Oregon University of Georgia Pennsylvania State University University of Guelph Purdue University Harvard College Library Rice University university of Houston University of South Carolina university of Illinois-Urbana Southern Illinois University at Indiana University Carbondale University of Iowa St.Louis Public Library Iowa State University State University of New York- Johns Hopkins University Albany University of Kansas State University of New York- University of Kentucky Buffalo Library of Congress Temple University louisiana State University University of Tennessee University of Maine Tulane University University of Maryland University of Utah University of Massachusetts Vermont State Library Massachusetts Institute of Tech. University of Virginia University of Michigan Virginia Polytechnic Institute University of Washington Washington State University University of Wisconsin-Madison February 1, 1994 __________________________________________________________________________ HEALTH CARE REFORM, IN REAL TIME: THE CDC WONDER PROJECT By Marlena M. Wald While most citizens have been trying to understand the structure of a health alliance or the features of a single-payer health care system, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been quietly revolutionizing the way public health practitioners care for their communities through an interactive, online system called CDC WONDER (Wide-ranging ONline Data for Epidemiologic Research). Since 1991, public health officials throughout the United States and abroad have been able to dial up this system to obtain a variety of numeric, tabular, and textual databases mounted on CDCP's mainframe in Atlanta. The inhouse, creation of a user-friendly, menu-driven system allows researchers to access such material as the full text of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, data on AIDS, cancer, and occupational related causes of death, the National Hospital Discharge Survey, and the National Health Interview Survey findings on tobacco usage. The system has been designed not only to retrieve data sets, but also to display them in easy to read tables, graphs, or maps defined by the user's search queries. The search results can then be downloaded and exported to EpiInfo, DBase, or other statistical or graphic software packages. Prior to WONDER, most public health data sets were not easily accessible to researchers or libraries because software had to be written individually in order to retrieve the desired information from the tapes. Since many individuals and institutions do not have the time, money, staff or main frame to perform such a task, important questions went unanswered or work was repeated. In addition to the retrieval of data and text, WONDER includes an online resource guide to persons at CDCP who are subject experts. Thus, if a public health officer has an urgent question regarding an outbreak of a suspected case of Hanta virus in his or her county, they can immediately locate the name, division, and phone number of the appropriate specialist. The software permits full e-mail capability between the subscriber and CDCP. Because of the nature of this database, special consideration has been taken to assure confidentiality. First names and addresses are never made available. Second, CDCP works with data providers so that individuals can not be identified by matching demographic criteria with other characteristics. For instance, the maps produced by the system only go down to the county level instead of the census track, and some states collapse their notifiable diseases like AIDS into multiple county displays or M.S.A.s. At present WONDER is available as a free, dial-up service; however, plans are now being made to make it available on the Internet. To evaluate the effectiveness of the WONDER in a statewide public health system, pilot studies are now underway in Georgia and Washington to assess how an integrated, online epidemiological system can positively affect the health outcomes of citizens in even the remotest, medically under-served areas. At present, WONDER is available to all interested researchers who have a DOS based PC and modem. You can receive a password, software, and documentation by contacting: CDC WONDER Customer Support, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, NE, Mailstop F-51, Atlanta, GA 30333 (404)332-4539 For more information about WONDER, you may want to read: Friede, Andrew, Jospeh A. Reid, and Howard W. Ory. "CDC WONDER : a comprehensive on-line public health information system of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention," American Journal of Public Health 83 (9) September, 1993 1289-1294. Friede, Andrew, W. R. Taylor, and L. Nadelman. "On-line access to a cost-benefit/cost-effectiveness analysis bibliography via CDC WONDER," Medical Care 31 Suppl. 7 July, 1993 s12-17. Marwick, Charles. "CDC WONDER Computer Use Revolutionizes Acquiring, Applying Reams of Public Health Data," JAMA 269 (16) 2063. ____________________________________________________________________________ NOW SHOWING: "IS CD-ROM DEAD?" A report on the STS Science Databases Discussion Group meeting at ALA Midwinter in Los Angeles By Ann Eagan and Dawn Talbot, Co-Chairs "Where's the Popcorn?" "This is bizarre!" "We're meeting in a movie theater?" The Science Databases Discussion Group did indeed meet in a movie theater. In spite of the formality imposed by the seating, the dim lighting for most of the 71 participants, and the lights glaring directly in the eyes of the guests and co- chairs, the discussion on the somewhat controversial topic of "Is CD-ROM Dead? Different Formats for Different Folks" flowed non-stop. Nancy Knight and Stephen Rhind-Tutt from Silver Platter both declared CD-ROM alive and then went on to describe what else Silver Platter has or will have to offer. Mr. Rhind-Tutt explained how CD-ROM database suppliers have moved from single-user CD-ROMs to a networked environment. He also asserted that CD-ROM will exist until it no longer offers any added value. CD-ROM is best for lower use databases and for geographically remote regions lacking reliable communications systems, such as some countries in Africa. Sherry Wilhite, coordinator of Melvyl User Services at the Division of Library Automation for the University of California system talked about mounting tapes of leased databases on local systems. She outlined what you need to consider in loading leased tapes -- from negotiating with the database producer, actually mounting the tapes, through developing the user interface. Ms. Wilhite stressed that this is a selective process, good for high-use databases. Beth Brin, engineering librarian at the University of Arizona, described the UA's experience in loading the INSPEC database. The University of Arizona took a different approach. They utilized their OPAC interface from Innovative Interfaces, Inc. for access to INSPEC, which represents a middle ground between CD-ROM and tape loading with a locally produced user interface. The University of California experience required more involvement since they were creating their own user interface. Both Wilhite and Brin indicated that the decision to load databases is not an all or none situation. Both the University of Arizona and the University of California system have a mix of single-user and networked CD-ROMs, locally mounted databases and remote access to databases. Following the guests remarks, a very lively discussion ensued. Issues included the poor selection of science databases available via the gateways -- RLG's Eureka, OCLC's FirstSearch, etc., segmentation of the data sets, links from databases to local holdings, user response to locally mounted databases, the necessity of instruction and documentation, CD- ROM networking, cooperative agreements between libraries and science departments to provide access to databases, pricing models, standardization of user interfaces and more. To improve the number of science databases available via the gateways, science librarians need to tell vendors what databases our users need. When a vendor representative asked for suggestions, Biosis, Agricola and CAB were three databases suggested. Segmentation of data sets such as by sub-topic, year or local holdings aroused strong, mostly negative reaction from the participants. Segmentation, it was felt by many, is a dis- service to our users because it limits their universe of available information. Users think that whatever their search retrieves is all the information that is available on the topic. Advocates of segmentation assert that users often do not want or need comprehensive information. Users like having a universe of information small enough to comprehend. Also, from a purely practical point of view, showing only locally available references can decrease interlibrary loan requests and increase user retrieval rates. Links, or hooks, from databases to local holdings was another hot topic. Conference proceedings were acknowledged as a particular problem. Several participants remarked that linking your holdings was a very good way of finding out just how dirty your serials database is! User response to locally mounted databases has been quite positive and the librarians present reported little need for intervention on their parts. Some of the participants expressed doubt that the users were actually performing good searches. This brought up a discussion on the need for instruction and documentation -- how necessary it is, how to do it better. Several people mentioned the need for graphical user interfaces. The problem of paying for the databases and equipment led to cooperative agreements between some libraries and science departments. In some cases, departments approached the library with offers to buy equipment and/or a database; in others, the library approached the departments. An ever increasing number of pricing models have made it more difficult to directly compare the cost of accessing a database online to the fixed costs of CD-ROM. Today you can buy blocks of time, pay by the search, use discounted classroom programs, have stand-alone or networked CD-ROMs, locally mounted tapes or some combination of all of them. The different types of access usually mean different interfaces as well. A debate arose over the push toward standardization versus preserving unique user interfaces. When library catalog interfaces are used to access databases like INSPEC, some of the searching power of the original interface is often lost. One participant reminded the group that it is not the users who are usually overwhelmed by the number of different interfaces, it is the librarians. The user usually has need of only one or two databases while the librarian is faced with learning many. Several people asked if any studies had been done on the impact of the different interfaces. Nobody had an answer for that question. CD-ROM is not dead, but it is also not the only option available. Locally mounted tapes or remote access may fit your library's needs better. See the bibliography at the end of this article for more information on the discussion topics. Join the Science Databases Discussion Group in Miami for a discussion on numeric databases -- what they are, why you would want to search them and how you search them! Contact Ann Eagan, University of Arizona, Tucson, aeagan@ccit.arizona.edu, or Dawn Talbot, University of California, San Diego, dtalbot@ucsd.edu if you have any questions on or suggestions for discussion topics. ALA Midwinter 1994 ACRL-STS Science Databases Discussion Group Is CD-ROM Dead? A Selected Bibliography of Articles Comparing CD-ROM to Online to Locally Mounted Databases Compiled by Ann Eagan, SDDG Co-Chair Beiser, Karl. "Ten Myths about CD-ROM." (CD-ROM Report) Online 17, No. 6 (November 1993): pp. 96-100. Chishti, Sarfraz H. "CD-ROM vs. Online: A Comparison of PsycLIT (CD-ROM) and PsycINFO (Dialog)." Reference Librarian No. 40 (1993): pp. 131-155. Cibbarelli, Pamela R., Elliot H. Gertel and Mona Kratzert. " Choosing Among the Options for Patron Access Databases: Print, Online, CD-ROM, or Locally Mounted." Reference Librarian No. 39 (1993): pp. 85-97. Hollis, Richard. "CDROM versus online: the UK perspective." Electronic Library 11, No. 4/5 (August/October 1993): pp. 307-309. Meyer, Richard W. "Selecting Electronic Alternatives." Information Technology and Libraries 12, No. 2 (June 1993): pp. 173-180. Tenopir, Carol. "Choices for Electronic Reference." (Online Databases) Library Journal 118, No. 12 (July 1993): pp. 52, 54. Tenopir, Carol and Katie Hover. "When is the Same Database Not the Same?: Database Differences Among Systems." Online 17, No. 4 (July 1993): pp. 20-27. Meyer, Richard W. "Locally Mounted Databases...Making Information as Close to Free as Possible." Online 16, No. 1 (January 1992): pp. 15-24. Nahl-Jakobovits, Diane and Carol Tenopir. "Databases Online and on CD-ROM: How Do They Differ, Let Us Count the Ways." Database 15, No. 1 (February 1992): pp. 42-50. Dubbeld, Catherine E. "CD-ROM -- a viable alternative to online searching for academic libraries?" Electronic Library 9, No. 4/5 (August/October 1991): pp. 245-250. Pagell, Ruth. "Planning your technology mix: decision factors that meet user needs." Electronic Library 9, No. 6 (December 1991): pp. 319-324. Erkkila, John E. "CD-ROM vs. Online: Implications for management from the cost side." CLJ (Canadian Library Journal) 47, No. 6 (December 1990): pp. 421-428. O'Leary, Mick. "Local Online: The Genie is Out of the Bottle. Part 2" Online 14, No. 2 (March 1990): pp. 27-33. O'Leary, Mick. "Local Online: The Genie is Out of the Bottle. Part 1" Online 14, No. 1 (January 1990): pp. 15-18. Welsh, John J. "Evaluation of CD-ROM Use in a Government Research Library." Laserdisk Professional 2, No. 6 (November 1989): pp. 55-61. Anders, Vicki and Kathy M. Jackson. "Online vs. CD-ROM -- the Impact of CD-ROM Databases Upon a Large Online Searching Program." Online 12, No. 6 (November 1988): pp. 24-32. Halperin, Michael and Patricia Renfro. "Online vs. CD-ROM vs. Onsite: High Volume Searching -- Considering the Alternatives." Online 12, No. 6 (November 1988): pp. 36-42. Sabelhaus, Linda. "CD-ROM Use in an Association Special Library: A Case Study." Special Libraries 79, No. 2 (Spring 1988): pp. 148- 151. "CD-ROM vs. Online." Bulletin of the American Society for Information Science 14, No. 1 (October/November 1987): pp. 14-27. Cohen, Elaine and Margo Young. "Cost Comparison of Abstracts and Indexes on Paper, CD-ROM, and Online." Optical Information Systems 6, No. 6 (November/December 1986): pp. 485-490. ***************************************************************** Issues In Science and Technology Librarianship is a publication of the Science and Technology Section of the Association of College and Research Libraries, a division of the American Library Association. The Editor: Harry LLull This publication is produced at the Centennial Science and Engineering Library, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, and sent out in electronic form only over the internet. Opinions expressed in the articles are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Section or Division. Articles and requests for subscriptions may be sent to the editor at ACRLSTS@HAL.UNM.EDU. ***************************************************************** END OF FILE *****************************************************************