317 lines
18 KiB
Plaintext
317 lines
18 KiB
Plaintext
_Current Cites_
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Volume 8, no. 3
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March 1997
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The Library
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University of California, Berkeley
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Edited by Teri Andrews Rinne
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Acting Editor: Roy Tennant
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ISSN: 1060-2356
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http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/CurrentCites/1997/cc97.8.3.html
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Contributors:
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Campbell Crabtree, Christof Galli, Kirk Hastings, Terry Huwe,
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Margaret Phillips, David Rez, Richard Rinehart,
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Teri Rinne, Roy Tennant
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_Editor's Note:_ This month we are pleased to welcome two new
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contributors: Christof Galli and Kirk Hastings. Christof received
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M.L.I.S and M.A. degrees in 1996 from UC Berkeley, and has accumulated
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an impressive HTML portfolio here at the UC Berkeley Library. No
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slouch himself, Kirk has an impressive array of accomplishments that
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includes the Jack London Collection on the Digital Library SunSITE
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(home of Current Cites). Kirk will receive his M.L.I.S this year from
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San Jose State University. This month we are also adding a new
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section, "Digital Libraries" in recognition of the fact that
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increasingly articles that we cite do not go gracefully into other
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categories. Besides, our fearless editor is on maternity leave at the
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moment (Mom and baby doing fine, thank you) and I am free to run
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rampant. - _Roy Tennant, Acting Editor_
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Digital Libraries
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Grossman, David A., Ophir Frieder, David O. Holmes, and David C.
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Roberts. "Integrating Structured Data and Text: A Relational Approach"
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Journal of the American Society for Information Science 48(2)
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(February 1997):122-132. -- Making large collections of text available
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over the Internet through a rich, interactive search environment is
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the goal of many of the most ambitious digital library projects.
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Unfortunately, this usually involves the use of complex and expensive
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special purpose IR systems. The authors of this article offer an
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approach using the relational database model integrating structured
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data and unstructured text that has a lot of promising features.
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Primary among these is that it can be implemented with a
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straightforward relational database, which many institutions already
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have in place. Using standard SQL their system makes it possible to do
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Boolean keyword searches, proximity searches and relevance ranking on
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a full-text database. Although the storage overhead of such an
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approach is about three times that of an advanced IR systems, run time
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results compare very favorably, and with the rapid descent in the
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price of storage it seems very viable. -- KH
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Jones, Paul "Java and Libraries: Digital and Otherwise" D-Lib Magazine
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(March 1997) [http://www.dlib.org/dlib/march97/03jones.html]. Jones
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intro duces Java, discusses some of its possible uses, and points to
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specific projects and resources. Since many of us have already heard
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plenty about the promises of Java, the real benefit of this article is
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in the specific examples of how Java can be an effec tive tool for
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advancing scholarship. - RT
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Norris, Bob and Denise Duncan. "Sink or Swim? The U.S. Navy Virtual
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Library (NVL)" D-Lib Magazine (March 1997)
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[http://www.dlib.org/dlib/march97/navy/03norris.html]. In this
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inspirationa l article, Norris and Duncan describe how adversity
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brought on by Navy downsizing spurred them to build an innovative and
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effective interface to online databases. Although the technical
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details on how the system was implemented are lacking (for example, "
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software was written to..."), the screen shots and other diagrams help
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sketch out how the system works for its users. If it truly works as
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advertised, it may provide an interesting model for other projects.
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They also use this specific project as a launch pad for speculating on
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how librarians can simultaneous cope with less resources and yet
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improve service. - RT
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"Resource Sharing in a Changing Environment" Library Trends 45(3)
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(Winter 1997). With the emergence of electronic catalogs and the
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Internet along with changes in the nature of access to
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commercially-produced resources, we must radically rethink our
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assumptions about library services and resource sharing. This entire
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issue of Library Trends focuses on resource sharing in a changing
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library environment. Among the 12 articles included is one by Edward
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Shreeves who questions the relevance of cooperative collection which
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are based on print model even though we have already entered the
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digital age. John Barnes writes that despite changes in technology,
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libraries need to maintain their role in collecting, accessing and
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archiving information. Czeslaw Jan Grycz explores the broader context
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of scholarly communication and surveys sometimes divergent attitudes
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of authors, publishers and librarians. There are also articles on
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interlibrary loan, commercial document delivery services, and union
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catalogs. -MP
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Weldon, Jay-Louise. "RDBMSes Get a Make-Over" and Alur, Nagraj and
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Judith R. Davis. "How to Improve DBMSes" BYTE 22:4 (April
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1997):109-120. -- This pair of articles offers a very understandable
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explanation of the directions database management systems have
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recently taken and are likely to take in the future. The need to
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incorporate complex data formats and to accommodate new ways of
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processing data has led to the development of object-relational
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databases and DataBlades. A DataBlade is a package that allows the
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user to plug in a set of data types and processes that deals with such
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previously difficult data forms as images, full-text documents and
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spatial data. While powerful, the author of the first article feels
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that object-relational databases are merely a cobbled-together
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solution that will serve as a stepping stone to a much more integrated
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approach. This is a theme which the authors of the second article pick
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up and illustrate by describing what they feel are the seven essential
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requirements of any future system that is developed specifically for
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complex data. -- KH
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Electronic Publishing
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Cox, Richard J. "Taking Sides on the Future of the Book" American
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Libraries 28(2) (February 1997): 52-55. - Using several recent books
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as point and counterpoint, Cox reviews the issues regarding print and
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electronic publishing and what it may mean for the future of the book.
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Being a library school professor, his interest lies largely in what he
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should be teaching to the next generation of information
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professionals. His musings are interesting and his conclusion
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compelling. From the librari an's perspective, he concludes, "whether
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the book is a physical object or electronic shadow is almost beside
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the point. The real matter is that we understand, regardless of what
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may replace the book, the nature of information and knowledge in our
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society. " So much of the debate on the future of the book seems to
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get bogged down in debating the format of the package and what impact
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that format will have on our jobs that hearing such an enlightened
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perspective is truly refreshing. - RT
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"Pattern, Order & Structure: Encyclopaedia Britannica's Robert McHenry
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Helps Us Organize Our Thoughts" EDUCOM Review 32(1) (January/Februrary
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1997):40-47
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[http://www.educom.edu/web/pubs/review/reviewArticles/32140.html].
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This interview of the Editor-in-Chief of Encyclopaedia Britannica
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brings into focus a number of issues that traditional publishers face
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in making the transition to a mixed prin t/electronic market. As the
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interview unfolds, it seems apparent why Britannica Online is gaining
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a good foothold on the electronic market. They understand the market
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and their product's place in it. - RT
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Networks and Networking
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Barrett, Daniel J. NetResearch: Finding Information Online.
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Sebastopol, CA: Songline Studios, 1997. In thi s slim volume Barrett
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packs a lot of advice about how to effectively search the net. For the
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target audience of the novice net user (a couple chapters are
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dedicated to answering typical "newbie" questions about the net), this
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book will likely be an essent ial guide to net searching. As in other
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O'Reilly books, boxes containing brief "real-life" comments from a
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selected group of experienced Internet users gives insight into how
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one can incorporate advice from the book into their day-to-day work.
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But I must also point out an omission. Although Barrett begins with
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some good overall advice and warnings, he misses an essential caveat
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-- that the Internet does not yet, nor will it ever have, all
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available information. His readers should be reminded to check with
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their local librarian (which increasingly they can do easier by email
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than in person) to get the full picture of what is available
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(including Internet resources). Even given that drawback, however, the
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book has advice that can help even experienced users, and it will be
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particularly helpful to those new to net searching. - RT
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Battenfeld, Robert L. and B. Kenton Temple. "Environmental Resources
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on the Internet" College & Research Library News 58(3) (March 1997):
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153-157. Many environmental organizations, as well as science and
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governmental environmental groups, have discovered that the Internet
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is a powerful tool for communicating and distributing information.
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This is a representative list of some of those Internet resources that
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the authors found to be most useful and interesting. In addition to
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general sources like Envirolink (http://www.envirolink.org/), the
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articles lists electronic journals and organizational homepages as
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well as sites that focus on specific environmental issues like energy
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or waste disposal. - MP "The Internet: Fulfilling the Promise"
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Scientific American Special Report.
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[http://www.sciam.com/0397issue/0397intro.html]. This special
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collection of eight articles on the Internet brings together an inte
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resting group of experts to summarize the past, describe the present
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and speculate about the future of the Internet. Included are articles
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by Clifford Lynch: "Searching the Internet", Michael Les k: "Going
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Digital", Paul Resnick: "Filtering Information on the Internet",
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Hearst, Marti A.: "Interfaces for Searching the Web", Raman, T.V.:
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"WebSurfing Without a Monitor", Oudet, Bruno: "Multilingualism on the
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Internet", Stefik, Mark: "Trusted Systems", and Kahle, Brewster:
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"Preserving the Internet". Although the brevity of the articles does
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not leave much room for anything but a suc cinct overview of the
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issues and a small set of examples, the collection can serve as a good
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tutorial on some of the issues facing present Internet users and
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researchers. - RT
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Jaffe, Lee David. All About Internet Mail (Internet Workshop Series
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Number 7) Berkeley, California: Library Solutions Press, 1997. While
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it could be argued that a book about electronic mail falls outside of
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the scope of the librarian, it could also be argued that email -- as a
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means scholarly communication and information sharing -- is very much
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part of the librarian¹s domain. Whatever your opinion on this issue,
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the fact is we all use it and in some cases we may be called upon to
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teach others how to use it. This book (number 7 in the Internet
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Workshop Series published by Library Solutions Press), can serve the
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needs of two different types of readers: the individual who knows
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nothing about email can go through the workbook lessons and by the end
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be a competent email user; a trainer may also use this book as a model
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on which to base similar workshops. In both cases, the workbook
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provides a broad overview while at the same time covering specific
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details and functions of email. Particularly useful in this book is
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the module on Internet culture and the social aspects of email and how
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to find email addresses. - MP
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Patrick, Chuck. "Internet vs. Intranet". UNIX Review 15(3) (March
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1997): 37-44. Intranets have become increasingly popular in the
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corporate environment because they offer inexpensive, easy-to-use data
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access environments which are platform independent. They are defined
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as company-internal networks using Internet communications hardware
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and software and restricting communication with the Internet. The
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present article examines the differences between intranet and Internet
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network computing developments. It posits that centrally controlled
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corporate intranets will lead the way in developing new applications
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and infrastructures because of their owners' vested interest in
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effectively creating, distributing, and controlling information.
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Developments on the Internet, on the other hand, are lagging behind
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and will depend on advances made in intranet infrastructure
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development. Contrasting the characteristics of Internet and intranet
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content, Patrick notes that, whereas Internet content is largely
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static, designed to please, and is not sensitive, intranet content can
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be sensitive or even confidential, is more dynamic, and focuses on
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productivity and information exchange. Comparing information delivery,
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he states that network performance (bandwidth), GUI components,
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platform inadequacies, and interactivity further set intranets apart
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from the Internet. The author concludes that a centrally formulated
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corporate information policy constitutes an advantage over the
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Internet's unregulated structure and allows for more rapid development
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of networking tools. The article provides a good overview of what an
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intranet is and the issues involved in creating and maintaining one. -
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CG
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Rudenstine, Neil L. "The Internet and education: A close fit."
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Chronicle of Higher Education 63 (24) (February 21, 1997):A48. The
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president of Harvard University places the potential of the Internet
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in the same historical context as the explosion of print media--he
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quotes Diderot, who said, "The world of learning will drown in books."
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However, the meat of this opinion piece (which is thoroughly
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engrossing) lies President Rudenstine's recognition of the
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transformative potential of networked information on education. He
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sees a strong--even vital--linkage between the research library and
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electronic media; the emergence of "conversational learning" via the
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network; and the dramatic enrichment of course materials that enrich
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classroom teaching. - TH
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Wilson, David O. "Students popular internet sites slow campus networks
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to a crawl". Chronicle of Higher Education 63(25) (Feburary 28,
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1997):A26. Campus servers have long been prey to the sudden popularity
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of student web pages. Because most servers are used for a wide variety
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of uses, including real work, trying to tame this tiger can pose a
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problem for IT managers. Still, most campus computing departments have
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neither the funds nor the inclination to monitor student activity,
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some of which may even be germane to their studies. In essence, campus
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computer use policies may seem restrictive, but they are rarely
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enforced. One possible preemptive strategy: make friends with your
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sysadmin. - TH
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Multimedia and Hypermedia
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Guernsey, Lisa. "Video technology transforms the teaching of art
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history." Chronicle of Higher Education 63(23) (February 14,
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1997):A20-23. This article describes recent developments at Columbia
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University's Media Center for Art History. Faculty member Stephen
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Murray is using multimedia technology to teach history of
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architecture, with stunning results. This article includes a two-page
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spread of photographs of Amiens Cathedral, which students can navigate
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through in three dimensions. Although this approach is similar in
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appearance to advanced Computer Automated Design (CAD/CAM), it
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combines animation with design to enhance the quality of the learning
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experience. - TH
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Parker, Dana J. "DVD-ROM: Who Needs It, Who Will Use It, and How?"
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Emedia Professional, 10(1) (January 1997): 26-37.
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[http://www.onlineinc.com/emedia/JanEM/parker1.html] Is competition
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for slots on your library's CD-ROM tower turning into a management
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issue? Well, relief might be on the horizon in the form of DVD
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(Digital Video Disk) technology. This new technology is capable of
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delivering the contents of seven 650 MB CD-ROM disks on one 4.7 GB, 12
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cm, single layer DVD-ROM disk. On a four-layer disk, up to 17GB of
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data can be stored. From the point of view of prospective DVD
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publishers, the present article provides an overview of the ISO 9660
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and Micro UDF (Universal Disk Format) software which is able to handle
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the increased mass of data presented in a single volume, examines
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emerging DVD-ROM production services, and discusses strategies for
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publishers to entice users to migrate from widely used CD-ROM to the
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new DVD-ROM. The article concludes that despite the current lack of
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mature products and final technical specifications and the existence
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of an installed base of 100 million CD-ROM drives, reduced hardware
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requirements for accessing larger amounts of data will allow
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publisher[s to] transfer loyalty from CD-ROM to DVD-ROM[...] . - CG
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_________________________________________________________________
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Current Cites 8(3) (March 1997) ISSN: 1060-2356 Copyright (C) 1997 by
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the Library, University of California, Berkeley. _All rights reserved._
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All product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their
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respective holders. Mention of a product in this publication does not
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necessarily imply endorsement of the product.
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[URL:http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/CurrentCites/]
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To subscribe, send the message "sub cites [your name]" to
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listserv@library.berkeley.edu, replacing "[your name]" with your
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name. Copying is permitted for noncommercial use by computerized
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bulletin board/conference systems, individual scholars, and libraries.
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Libraries are authorized to add the journal to their collections at no
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cost. An archive site is maintained at ftp.lib.berkeley.edu in
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directory /pub/Current.Cites [URL:
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ftp://ftp.lib.berkeley.edu/pub/Current.Cites]. This message must
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appear on copied material. All commercial use requires permission from
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the editor, who may be reached in the following ways:
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trinne@library.berkeley.edu // (510)642-8173
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