ACRL College & Research Libraries News

Association of College & Research Libraries

NEW TECHNOLOGY

• The Advanced Library Concepts Integrated Library System has been chosen recently by three academic libraries in the course of planning their automation needs. The University of Hawaii Library, Manoa, has in test phase a 2 Megabyte Ultimate E-2 System with four 288MB disk drives. Their plan calls for support of 300 terminals on nine campuses for online cataloging, authority control, acquisitions, serials, and circulation. Gettysburg College’s Musselman Library will initially install online catalog, cataloging, and circulation on a 2 Megabyte Prime 250 with two 300MB disk drives supporting 32 terminals. Southwestern Christian College in Terrell, Texas, will use a 256K Climax 60 Supermicro with one 11MB and one 26MB disk drive to support five terminals for the ADLIB online catalog. The company’s ADLIB System can be supported on a wide variety of hardware including the IBM PC-XT, Altos, Climax, Pertec, General Automation, IBM Series I, and IBM 4300 and 3080 Series mainframe computers. Contact Arthur Brady, Advanced Library Concepts, 9343 Tech Center Drive, Suite 175, Sacramento, CA 95826; (916) 364-0340.

• CL Systems, Inc., has announced that its “next generation” online public access catalog, PAC/II, will soon be available to customers. Full MARC bibliographic and authority cataloging form the database for the PAC/II catalog. There are full database maintenance facilities including local full-screen editing of all MARC formats, heading validation, and automatic linking of bibliographic records to authorized headings. UTLAS may be utilized to create a library’s PAC/II database. The system will undergo testing and field evaluation at an academic library test site this month. Installation will begin in mid-1985. Contact CL Systems, Inc., 1220 Washington St., West Newton, MA 02165; (617) 965-6310.

• DIALOG Information Services has made available the Aerospace Database, a collection of 1.3 million research and development documents. Previously available only to NASA and other federal agencies, the database consolidates “Scientific and Technical Aerospace Reports” (STAR) produced by NASA, and “International Aerospace Abstracts” (IAA), produced by the American Institute of Astronautics and Aeronautics under contract to NASA. International in scope, it concentrates on aerospace research and development in over 40 countries, including Japan and Communist-bloc countries. Further information regarding its scope and coverage may be obtained through AIAA’s Technical Information Service at (212) 582-4901, or from DIALOG Marketing, 3460 Hillview Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94304, (800) 227-1927.

• Lista International Corporation has created a new high-density mobile filing and storage system that can increase storage capacity up to 90 %. The company offers a choice between a low-resistance manual drive or a precision-engineered mechanical assist. The entire system can be locked by a single cylinder lock, and helps protect against fire and water damage. Contact Lista International Corporation, 2520 Mira Mar Ave., Long Beach, CA 90815; (213) 498-2397.

• The National Information Standards Organization (Z39), has called for public review and comment on a draft proposed American National Standard Computer Software Number (SCSN). This standard proposes a 13-digit numbering system for the identification of software for micro, mini, and mainframe computers. The number consists of four parts: registrant number; product number, representing the name of the software program; unit number, representing the combination of the software program’s physical medium, operating system required, and other information that uniquely differentiates the item; and a one-digit check character. The review period ends February 15, 1985. A copy of the draft standard may be obtained from NISO (Z39)/SCSN Draft, National Bureau of Standards, Admin. 101, Library E106, Gaithersburg, MD 20899. Requests must include a self-addressed mailing label.

• OCLC began an exchange program for IBM PC and M300 Workstation microcomputer programs on October 1, 1984. The OCLC Microcomputer Exchange Program (OMPX) collects and distributes public domain programs relating to library operations. The collection contains three different types of material: contributed programs from the community of IBM PC and M300 Workstation users; command files and templates for use with commercially available programs such as DB Master, VisiCalc, Supercalc, Lotus 1-2-3, dBase II, dBase III, and similar products; and data files, such as the names and addresses of library schools or periodicals. For more information, contact OMPX, OCLC, 6565 Frantz Road, Dublin, OH 43017; (614) 764-6000.

• The Yale Medical Library recently completed the reproduction and indexing of its valuable print collection through the services of the Communications Media Division of Yale’s School of Medicine. To make the collection more accessible it was preserved on 35mm slides and then indexed on microfiche. A Forox SSA camera was used for both operations. Costs for four microfiche, two copies of each, came to $25 for film and processing, or slightly over $3 per copy. The Forox camera can also be used for slide, slide film, videotape, and 16mm work; Yale is also considering its use in videodisc production. For more information on the camera, contact Wally Fleischer, Forox Corporation, 393 West Avenue, Stamford, CT 06902; (203) 324-7400.