ACRL College & Research Libraries News

College & Research Libraries News

NEW TECHNOLOGY

•ALOS Micrographics Corporation has designed a new desktop package of modular reader/printers—the Fiche Reader 21 ‚ the Rollfilm Reader 22, and the Printer 23. The Printer 23 attaches quickly and easily to either reader to provide full-size reproduction on 8x11 paper. Prints are ready in 20-30 seconds. Both readers feature constant-focus and a choice of magnification with eight interchangeable lenses ranging in power from 18x to 65x. Contact: ALOS Micrographics Corp., P.O. Box 407, Walden, NY 12586; (914) 778-7511.

Data Courierwill publish in September a comprehensive directory of over 500 serial publications serving the computer and software industries. Select: A Guide to Computer and Software Publications is designed for information specialists and others interested in industry publications. Each entry in the directory will contain marketing as well as editorial information. The pre-publication price is $50; after September 1, 1983, the directory will cost $65. Contact: Data Courier, 620 S. Fifth St., Louisville, KY 40202; (800) 626-2823.

•EBSCO Subscription Services is now cooperating with the Washington Library Network for EBSCO customers on the West Coast to send their orders for serial publications electronically using WLN’s acquisitions subsystem. Upon receipt at WLN, the orders are stored in a data collection facility until the are re-routed to WLN’s vendor files. EBSCO regional offices in San Francisco and Los Angeles then use a dial-up terminal to pull orders from their respective files. Contact: EBSCO Subscription Services, P.O. Box 1943, Birmingham, AI. 35201 • (205) 991 -6600

•The Institute for Scientific Information has designed a microcomputer software package specifically designed to manage scientists’ and librarians’ reprint collections. The Sci-Mate Personal Data Manager turns the user’s reprint file into a mini-database. Users can enter bibliographic information about each paper, book, pamphlet, letter, lab note, or other items. They can then use Sci-Mate to search and identify items that match search terms or phrases they select. The system uses Boolean logic and has truncation capability. The user simply enters bibliographic information on the keyboard. No pre-indexing is required, and the system can accomodate information of practically any length. Users can label up to 20 different fields (author, title, journal, date, etc.) for each entry, and there is room for notes or comments.

Besides the microcomputer keyboard, information can also be entered into Sci-Mate through a word processor. Users of ISI’s sister system, the Sci-Mate Universal Online Searcher, can search online databases and capture the information in the Personal Data Manager. The Sci-Mate Personal Data Manager is available for $540. The Universal Online Searcher is available for $440. They may be purchased together at a cost of $880.

Sci-Mate operates on the Vector 3 or 4, the IBM Personal Computer, the Apple II, the TRS-80 Model II, or any CP/M-80 system with a standard 8-inch drive. The user also needs a printer and, for the Universal Online Searcher, a modem. ISI recommends at least 500 kilobytes of disk storage. Contact: Joel Sartorius, Institute for Scientific Information, 3501 Market Street, University City Science Center, Philadelphia, PA 19104.

•OCLC and Online Computer Systems, Inc., of Germantown, Maryland, have entered into negotiations leading toward joint development of a local library system to be marketed and supported exclusively by OCLC. The new system will include an online public access catalog, authority control, circulation control, acquisitions and serials control, as well as a clustering capability. The system will be designed for a wide range of sizes and types of libraries, will be integrated with the OCLC central system, and can be readily expanded by the library or cluster to meet future growth. OCLC will fund and guide Online in developing a new system which will build upon the considerable development effort by Online for the system at the Lister Hill National Center for Biodical Communications at the National Library of Medicine. The jointly developed system will benefit from the experience OCLC has gained in developing its own local library system. ■ ■