380 lines
19 KiB
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380 lines
19 KiB
Plaintext
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_Current_Cites_
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Volume 4, no. 2
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February 1993
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Library Technology Watch Program
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The Library
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University of California, Berkeley
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Edited by David F.W. Robison
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ISSN: 1060-2356
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Contributors:
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Teri Rinne, Vivienne Roumani, Lisa Rowlison, Mark Takaro, Roy Tennant
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Electronic Publishing
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EDUCOM Review. "Establishment of the GPO WINDO/Gateway: An
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Interview: EDUCOM Review Speaks with William H. Grave and Richard
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West." EDUCOM Review 28(1) (January/February 1993):43-46. Graves
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and West present their views on the best way for the Government
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Printing Office (GPO) to be sure that there is some method at
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work as more and more government data is published electronically.
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The GPO needn't be the publisher, but should act as a coordinator,
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require standards of usage (e.g., Z39.50) and access for
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publishers of public information, and maintain a directory of
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public information databases. - DR
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Hyper- and Multimedia
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Davis, Ben. "Looking and Learning Through Computers" EDUCOM
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Review 28(1) (January/February 1993):20-25. MIT's Center for
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Educational Computing Initiatives (CECI) is following up on
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the work of Project Athena's Visual Computing Group with a
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number of interesting projects for delivery of multimedia
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services to educational users. In addition to pursuing large-
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scale development of platform, services and multimedia
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implementations, CECI and the AthenaMuse Software Consortium
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(AMSC) are developing specific projects in media literacy,
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online documentation, a visual archive, and several social
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sciences fields. - MT
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FitzGerald, Michael and Henry Olsen. "Genesis of a Multimedia
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Social Sciences Curriculum" EDUCOM Review 28(1) (January/
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February 1993):36-41. As part of the CUNY projects described
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below by Wagner and Picciano, the Medgar Evers College received
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grants to fund multimedia courseware in the social sciences,
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producing works in sociological theory, black history, women's
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studies and psychology. The grant process, hardware and
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software selection, and the specific projects themselves are
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described in detail. - MT
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Flanders, Bruce. "Hypertext Multimedia Software: Bell Atlantic
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DocuSource" Computers in Libraries 13(1) (January 1993):35-39.
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Flanders provides a thorough description of Bell Atlantic's
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DocuSource system which provides online text and image
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management for large volumes of information. A wedding of OWL
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International's multimedia technologies with text conversion
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software from Avalanche and Bell Atlantic's own graphical
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interface, full-text searching and other capabilities make up
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the DocuSource system which can operate as a stand-alone system
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or run on a LAN. Several projects that were submitted as part
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of a "DocuSource Use in Education" contest are described and
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the features of the system are detailed as well. - MT
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Heid, Jim. "Sound Advice" Macworld 10(3) (March 1993):118-123.
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As part of Macworld's Special Multimedia Guide, this article
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addresses the incorporation of sound into multimedia
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presentations. Several products are evaluated and tips offered
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in recording, editing, saving and employing sound files.
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Enhancements to off-the-shelf hardware are suggested for those
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who seek professional quality results. - MT
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Morgan, Eric Lease. "Implementing TCP/IP Communications with
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HyperCard" Information Technology and Libraries 11(4) (December
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1992):421-432. In this tutorial, Morgan describes two HyperCard
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stacks that will assist the Macintosh user in using networked
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information resources. Mini-Atlas automates the process for
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accessing the Geographic Name Server and stores the retrieved
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data in records that can be further manipulated on the local
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terminal. The ListManager allows users to search LISTSERV
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archives with ease and to perform other LISTSERV operations.
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Appendices include the HyperTalk scripts for these stacks, which
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can be modified to suit other networked information resource
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activities. - MT
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Nordgren, Layne. "Evaluating Multimedia CD-ROM Discware: Of
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Bells, Whistles and Value" CD-ROM Professional 6(1) (January
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1993):99-105. A number of useful criteria for the evaluation
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of multimedia platforms and products are discussed in this
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article which ties the review of multimedia to other software
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reviews. A survey of review methodologies for similar materials
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contributes to the author's work in this area and a strategy for
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proceeding in an organized way through the process of evaluating
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multimedia products will prove helpful to those responsible for
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the selection of multimedia information sources in a library.
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- MT
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Schaller, Anne. "Multimedia: A Glossary" CD-ROM Professional
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6(1) (January 1993):106-111. From ADPCM to YUV color system,
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this glossary from Intel includes a great deal of information
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about multimedia concepts. A short bibliography of sources
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used in compiling the work is included. This glossary is
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likely to be very useful when trying to evaluate systems based
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on vendor literature. - MT
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Sheng, Samuel, Anantha Chandrakasan, and R. W. Brodersen "A
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Portable Multimedia Terminal" IEEE Communications Magazine
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30(12) (December 1992):64-75. A technical paper on the
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capabilities that will be expected of portable multimedia
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machine, this paper provides an exciting look at what may be
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just around the corner for portables. The terminals should
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access large commercial data services and digital video services,
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provide for pen or voice input and will support distributed
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computing through a system like X- Windows. Critical elements
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will be the wireless link for communications and a further
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reduction in size and weight with a concurrent increase in
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battery longevity. - MT
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Soloway, Elliot, Mark Guzdial, and Kenneth E. Hay. "Reading and
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Writing in the 21st Century" EDUCOM Review 28(1) (January/
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February 1993):26-29. An exciting future lies ahead for the
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integration of images, sounds and animation along with text for
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scholarly publication. A University of Michigan multimedia
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document processor, MediaText, allows students to create
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interactive documents incorporating multimedia with ease. The
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challenge of making multimedia authoring a seamless part of
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scholarly research seems well in hand with projects of this kind.
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- MT
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Wagner, Collete A. and Anthony G. Picciano. "The View From
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Within" EDUCOM Review 28(1) (January/February 1993):30-35.
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Wagner and Picciano detail two perspectives on the development of
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multimedia courseware emerging from a joint effort between City
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University of New York and the Academic Information Systems
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division of IBM. CUNY maintains a diverse array of multimedia
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ventures among its many campuses and a number of exciting
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projects are being developed within the social sciences,
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humanities and sciences. Administrative support enabled faculty
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participants to focus on their individual course proposals and
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despite a modest budget, several impressive courses were
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developed using Toolbook software. - MT
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Networks and Networking
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"AT&T Will Provide Directory & Database Services to the National
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Science Foundation NSFNET" AT&T Press Release (January 5, 1993)
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posted on NETTRAIN@UBVM (January 27, 1993). AT&T announces that
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it has signed a cooperative agreement with the NSF to develop and
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maintain an Internet Directory of Directories covering FTP sites,
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white and yellow pages services, library catalogs, archives, and
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other servers. AT&T will work cooperatively with CERFNet and
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Network Solutions, Inc. to form INTERNIC which will manage the
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service. Included in this press release is the NSF statement on
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user fees for the service (applicable to those outside the US
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research and education community). See also, Calcari in Current
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Cites 4(1) (January 1993). - DR
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Coalition for Networked Information. Fall 1992 Meeting of the
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Task Force: Summary Report. December 7, 1992. 7p. [Available via
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anonymous ftp from ftp.cni.org in directory
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/CNI/tf.meetings/1992b.fall or by sending e-mail to joan@cni.org
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or calling the Coalition at (202)232-2466.] This brief report
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provides a look at the numerous discussions and presentations
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that further CNI's goal of fostering networked resources and
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services that benefit the scholarly community. Topics include:
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The Transformational Potential of Networked Information,
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Aesthetics of Visualization, Architectures for High-Performance
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Networked Information Resources and Services, NREN Public Policy
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Framework, and Project Big Ideas. Paul Evan Peters, Executive
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Director of the Coalition, introduced the new Project Big Ideas
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which aims to take advantage of the new presidential
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administration and provide a forum to "frame and realize the
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potential for progress in the current situation." - DR
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Computer Systems Policy Project. Perspectives on the National
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Information Infrastructure: CSPP's Vision and Recommendations for
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Action. Washington, DC : The Project, January 12, 1993. 17p.
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[Copies of this report are available from Pam Fandel at (202)
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662-8403.] This report outlines the recommendations of the CSPP
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to the Clinton administration, the congress, and the computer,
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telecommunications, and information industries for the
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development of the national information infrastructure (NII).
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While the CSPP is composed of the biggest players in the computer
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industry (Apple, AT&T, Compaq, Control Data, Cray, Data General,
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Digital, HP, IBM, Silicon Graphics, Sun, Tandem, and Unisys), the
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perspective of the report does not seem to be fatally limited by
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the lack of participants from outside the industry. Among other
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ideas, the CSPP proposes the creation of both an NII Council
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chaired by the Vice President "to provide a management focus" and
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include the Secretary of Commerce, Director of the Office of
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Science and Technology Policy and the Chairman of the FCC as
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well as an NII Implementation Entity to coordinate, manage, and
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focus research and implementations of high-speed networks and
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services. - DR
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Keays, Thomas. "Searching Online Database Services Over the
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Internet" ONLINE 17(1) (January 1993):29-33. Keays explains why
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using fee-based services over the Internet can save money and be
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more flexible. Included are tips for getting the most mileage
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out of networked searching as well as instructions and addresses
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for logging on to the following systems: EPIC and FirstSearch,
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NEXIS/LEXIS, ORBIT, RLIN, and STN. Of course, you'll still need
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an account to use these systems, but your telecom charges will
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most likely be lower. - DR
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Ladner, Sharyn J. and Hope N. Tillman. "Using the Internet for
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Reference" ONLINE 17(1) (January 1993):45-51. Ladner and Tillman
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provide a full analysis of the data they collected on the use of
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networked resources in the provision of information upon request
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by special librarians. The results presented here indicate that
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communication (i.e., e-mail), and in particular, electronic
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discussion lists, is the most important aspect of their network
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use. The collapsing of distances and virtual communities that
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have developed over the net have brought great changes to the way
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these librarians do business. - DR
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Markoff, John. "Building the Electronic Superhighway" The New
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York Times 142(49221) (January 24, 1993):Sect.3, 1, 6 (Western
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edition). Markoff presents a remarkably clear analysis of the
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debate over whether the National Information Infrastructure
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should be built by the private or public sector, "who will own it
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and how it will be regulated." Markoff presents Vice President
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Gore as one of the major proponents of the publicly funded
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network and Robert Allen of AT&T as one of the major proponents
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of the privately funded network. In addition to the positions
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these major players, Markoff explains why the Electronic Frontier
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Foundation supports a privately funded ISDN implementation of the
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national network. - DR
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"NREN Hearing" ALAWON: ALA Washington Office Newsline 2(5)
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(February 5, 1993). [For information on back issues, send the
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e-mail message "send ala-wo filelist" to listserv@uicvm or to
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listserv@uicvm.uic.edu.] ALA's Washington Office reports on the
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February 2nd hearing before the House Science Subcommittee on
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high-performance computing and networking. A number of
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witnesses testified, including Robert Hetrick of EDUCOM,
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Mitchell Kapor of the EFF, and Sara Parker representing ALA.
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The witnesses testified in support of increasing access to the
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network both among institutions of higher education as well
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as K-12. - DR
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Peters, Paul Evan. "Technology, Scholarship, and the Humanities"
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EDUCOM Review 28(1) (January/February 1993):16-18. Peters
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briefly summarizes the recommendations of the participants in the
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national conference on information technology in the humanities
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organized by the Getty Art History Information Program and the
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American Council of Learned Societies and cosponsored by CNI, the
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Council on Library Resources, and the Research Libraries Group.
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Conference participants made numerous proposals for increasing
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the availability of electronic texts and other resources to
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scholars in the humanities, as well as increasing the involvement
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of humanists in creating those resources. A full report of the
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proceedings is due out soon. - DR
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Proceedings of the NREN Workshop: Monterey, California, September
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16-18, 1992 / sponsored by Computing Research Association,
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EDUCOM, IEEE U.S. Activities Board, with assistance from the
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National Science Foundation, c1992. 239p. Available from EDUCOM
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for $10 (send a check payable to EDUCOM to Elizabeth Barnhart,
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EDUCOM, 1112 16th St. NW, Suite 600, Wash. D.C. 20036). This
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September workshop allowed for numerous Internet/NREN
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constituencies to gather and come to some consensus on what they
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thought the development of network should be. Among their
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findings is the notion that the NREN should be considered not a
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specific network or even an internetwork, but a program for
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developing the National Information Infrastructure. The bulk of
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the report (over 200 pages) is an appendix composed of the
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position papers of the participating organizations (e.g., the
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American Library Association, Advanced Network Services, the
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Association of Research Libraries, AT&T, the Coalition for
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Networked Information, and the Library of Congress). These
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proceedings help us, and hopefully the US government, understand
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some of the possibilities of the NREN's future. - DR
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Optical Disc Technologies
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Allen, Dennis. "CD-ROM: Now is the Time" BYTE 18(2) (February
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1993):12. BYTE's editor-in-chief heralds the debut of the
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recordable CD-ROM drive (see Udell below) as "every bit as
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revolutionary as was the Gutenberg press." He urges those
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without CD-ROM drives to buy one. He tells companies to outfit
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all their personal computers with a CD-ROM drive. Furthermore,
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he says it is unconscionable for computer manufacturers not to
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include CD-ROM drives in their new systems. - TR
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Desmarais, Norman. "CD-ROM Expo Features New Drives and Titles"
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CD-ROM Librarian 7(11) (December 1992):24-33. Desmarais reports
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on the CD-ROM Expo held in Boston last fall. As the title
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suggests, this article summarizes the ever-improving new drives,
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many of which include support for multimedia applications, and
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the expanding number of software titles currently available on
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the market. The range of titles include guides to power
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negotiating, national parks, and even a history of the
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technological innovations of IBM (!). - TR
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Udell, Jon. "Start the Presses" BYTE 18(2) (February 1993):116-
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134. Udell describes a revolutionary breakthrough in the CD-ROM
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industry: recordable CD-ROM drives (CD-R), retailing for under
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$10,000. This type of new and affordable do-it-yourself CD-ROM
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publishing is predicted to shift the electronic publishing
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revolution into high gear. This article explains the technology,
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comparing it to existing optical disc technologies it may well
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replace and discusses the impact it will have on the industry.
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Informative sidebars include a "colorful" explanation of CD
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standards and an overview of affordable CD-R drives. - TR
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Weide, Janice. "CD-ROM Reference Survey" CD-ROM Librarian 7(11)
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(December 1992):45-49. Weide provides a useful, selective rather
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than exhaustive, list of electronic reference tools available on
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CD-ROM. The list is particularly well-suited for public
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libraries. The list is divided into the following sections:
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bibliographies, encyclopedias, general periodical indexes,
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newspapers and current events, dictionaries and thesauri, science
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and technology, directories and business information, music, art
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and literature, geography and atlases, and biographies. - TR
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Emerging Technologies
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BYTE 18(2) (February 1993). BYTE's State of the Art column
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focuses on wireless data communications, which Mello and Wayner
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predict will be commonplace within three years. Also included
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are numerous sidebars as well as a one-page resource guide for
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obtaining wireless services.
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o Mello, John P. Jr. and Peter Wayner. "Wireless Mobile
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Communications: The Infrastructure for Ubiquitous Wireless Data
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Communications is Rapidly Expanding" pp.147-154. Mello and
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Wayner bring some much-needed clarity to the description of the
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emerging set of wireless technologies. In competition are
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cellular services (analog and digital packet-switched), radio
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frequency digital services, guard band transmission, satellite
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connections, as well as other local and national network
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implementations.
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o Ryan, Bob. "Communications Get Personal: AT&T Unveils
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its Plan for the Personal Communications Revolution" pp.169-176.
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Ryan describes AT&T's plans for their personal communicator which
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combines the Go Corporation's PenPoint operating system and
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AT&T's Hobbitt chip specifically designed for low power and high
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performance. The article does get fairly technical in its
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description of the instruction processing architecture of the
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Hobbitt chip. Also included are descriptions of Apple's Newton
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and the two EO communicators for comparison.
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o Wayner, Peter. "Stretching the Ether: How Wireless
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Technologies Make the Most of Limited Bandwidth" pp.159-165.
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Wayner goes into some depth in describing specific areas of
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wireless network development. Included in this article is a
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discussion of calling cells and their configuration; cellular
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digital packet data (CDPD); time division multiple access (TDMA)
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and code division multiple access (CDMA) which both allow more
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data throughput per channel; and Teatherless Access Ltd. (TAL)
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which hopes to provide an Internet-like packet radio network
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where each user acts as sender, receiver, and router. TAL's
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dream is to put "a transceiver on every home." - DR
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------------------------------------------------------------ -------
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Current Cites 4(2) (February 1992) ISSN: 1060-2356
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Copyright (C) 1993 by the Library, University of
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California, Berkeley. All rights reserved.
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All product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of
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their respective holders. Mention of a product in this publication
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does not necessarily imply endorsement of the product.
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Copying is permitted for noncommercial use by computerized
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bulletin board/conference systems, individual scholars, and
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libraries. Libraries are authorized to add the journal to their
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collections at no cost. This message must appear on copied
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material. All commercial use requires permission from the editor,
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who may be reached in the following ways:
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drobison@library.berkeley.edu // drobison@ucblibra // (510)642-7600
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