_Current_Cites_ Volume 2, no. 2 February 1991 Library Technology Watch Program University of California, Berkeley Edited by David F.W. Robison ISSN: 1060-2356 Contributors: Clifford Lynch, Teri Rinne, Vivienne Roumani, Lisa Rowlison, Mark Takaro, Roy Tennant Expert Systems Minasi, Mark. "More Complex Knowledge Representation." AI Expert (January 1991):15-19. Mr. Minasi offers brief and intelligible descriptions of the various methods of knowledge representation used in A.I.: semantic nets, object-attribute-values (OAV), frames and scripts. Vizine-Goetz, Diane, Stuart Weibel and William Oskins. "Automating Descriptive Cataloging." Expert Systems in Libraries. Norwood, New Jersey: Ablex Publishing, 1990. Ch.10, pp.123-134. In an effort to further automate the cataloging process, the folks at OCLC are developing a descriptive cataloging expert system. This chapter gives details of the OCLC Automated Title Page Cataloging Project and an analysis of the system's performance. While the project can so far claim only a moderate (73%) success rate, the possibility of this project developing into a future service from OCLC is quite exciting. Walters, Samuel T. "Expert Systems and Artificial Intelligence in Reference." Expert Systems in Libraries. Norwood, New Jersey: Ablex Publishing, 1990. Ch.3, pp. 24-40. This chapter offers an excellent use and development of expert systems. Mr. Walters does a fine job in explicating the use and value of expert systems in reference work. Additionally, he offers valuable practical advice for the development of systems. Information Transfer Balas, Janet. "Pictures from Space." Computers in Libraries 10(10) (November 1990):29-30. Balas describes the mechanics of transferring picture files to a microcomputer via modem using the GIF format, a software program. Busby, Brian. "Pro-Cite in a Special Library." Computers in Libraries 10(10) (November 1990):44-48. Busby describes in detail the bibliographic information management software, Pro- Cite, and its capabilities. He also relates his experience using Pro-Cite at the Information Resources Facility of the University of Wisconsin Biotechnology Center. Edwards, Shirley J. "The TransImage 1000 Handscanner." CD-ROM Professional 4(1) (January 1991):54-57. Edwards, Head, Indexing Branch at NAL, reports on a study conducted at NAL using optical character recognition (OCR) technology to process bibliographic records. She compares time and accuracy using the traditional keying of information versus scanning. The result was that keying was generally more efficient mainly due to the number of errors resulting by scanning. Edwards leaves us with a hope: "NAL staff has identified a scanning system that it believes will meet our requirements for speed and accuracy." Lesk, Michael. "Image Formats for Preservation and Access" Information Technology and Libraries 9(4) (December 1990):300- 308. As the title well describes, this article is about the role of digital imagery technology as it relates to preservation efforts and access. If this area interests you continue reading through the Special Section for more information on the same topic. Meeks, Brock. "PC Fax: Shaping the Product to Fit the Marketplace." Link-Up 7 (5) (September/October 1990):22-23. Meeks does a good job describing faxcards capabilities and manufacturers' efforts in trying to improve faxcards. Networks and Networking Branscum, Deborah. "Ethics, E-Mail, and the Law: When Legal ain't Necessarily Right." MacWorld (March 1991):63-83. Branscum begins this article with a two-page story about an e-mail administrator who alleges she was fired for protesting her company's monitoring of e-mail. This story brings up numerous issues of privacy and property rights in a new arena. Such issues will continue to be the subject of much debate for at least the next decade. Electronic Frontier Foundation, Inc. EFF News . January 1991-. The Electronic Frontier Foundation is committed to protecting free and unfettered access to electronic information as well as protecting the privacy of users. They frequently file amicus briefs on behalf of computer users who have been arrested for "hacking." EFF News is distributed electronically. Gier, Sue. "How to Use Electronic Mail and Bulletin Boards Effectively." The Computer Connection, January 1991. Available from the CCNEWS archive (CCNEWS@BITNIC.BITNET). This guide to effective e-mailing starts with a look at which tools are most effective for different kinds of communication. The author then gives a detailed description of the etiquette of electronic communication. (We have also included a copy of the Unofficial Smilie Dictionary.) :-) West, Richard P. and Richard N. Katz. "Implementing the Vision: a Framework and Agenda for Investing in Academic Computing." EDUCOM Review 25(4):32-37. West and Katz, who both work at UC Information Systems and Administrative Services, foresee the future of academic information delivery and communication becoming increasingly tied to network-based information exchange. Further, they write, "To facilitate this shift, all elements of the academic information infrastructure will undergo change." Some of their ideas of the future are illustrated here. Optical Disc Technologies Hutchison, Roger. "Benchmark testing of CD-ROM drives." CD-ROM Professional 4(1) (January 1991):31-34. This is the first in a series of articles which will compare the results of independent performance tests on several of the more common brands of CD-ROM drives. This month's comparison finds the Toshiba XM 3201 out- performing the Texel DM 3020. Part II will compare several portable CD-ROM drives; Part III will compare the Sony and Hitachi drives. Jasco, Peter. "Data transfer capabilities of CD-ROM software: part I." CD-ROM Professional 4(1) (January 1991):63-66. This two-part study maintains that CD-ROM software designers need to place a greater emphasis on more powerful output options for data transfer. Currently, very few CD-ROM products offer appropriate facilities for formatting the results of a search. This month's installment reviews the scope of output and downloading requirements; the March installment will discuss the exchange formats most commonly used for importing data. Morrow, Blaine Victor. "Do-it-yourself CD-ROM LANs: a review of LANTASTIC and CD-CONNECTION." CD-ROM Librarian 5(10) (November 1990):12-24. This article provides highly technical and detailed descriptions of two local area network systems for CD- ROMs. Appended to the article is an unofficial listing of CD-ROM products that work with both systems and a useful glossary of networking terms. Zink, Steven. "Toward more critical reviewing and analysis of CD- ROM user software." CD-ROM Professional 4(1) (January 1991):16- 22. This article calls for a more critical and rigorous evaluation of user software interfaces not only as a source of evaluation information for potential buyers, but also as a means of actively influencing manufacturers of library CD-ROM products to devote more resources to making user interfaces more intuitive. The author asserts that clumsy user interfaces prevent many current products from reaching their true potential. Congressional Information Service's MASTERFILE 2 is used as an example of a product's less- than-perfect user interface which was revised in response to customer concerns. General Anderson, Charles. "Using Technology: Gain Without Pain?" Wilson Library Bulletin (January 1991):92-95, 146. Mr. Anderson raises the question, "what is computer literacy and to what degree must librarians be computer literate?" His analogy to the automobile is quite telling: must we know all about the internal workings of the machine merely to drive well? It appears that, as with most other areas of librarianship, those who really like and show a talent for computers, become the resident experts. However, as libraries become more and more involved with electronic formats and systems, the librarian's role as facilitator will require that s/he become increasingly more computer literate. Clarkson, Mark. "An Easier Interface." BYTE 16(2) (February 1991):277-282. Describes the Information Visualizer technology under development by Robetson, Card and Mackinlay at Xerox PARC (including illustrations), which is one of the first really new approaches to graphical user interfaces I have seen in some time. There are a number of technical papers coming out on these developments, but this article presents an easily accessible overview of the approach, which includes a model of the user interface as windows into a series of "rooms" or virtual workspaces, which can contain a number of types of moving, three-dimensional graphical displays of information. - Clifford Lynch. Ryan, Bob. "Dynabook revisited with Alan Kay." BYTE 16(2) (February 1991):203-208. Alan Kay, who originally envisioned the Dynabook in the late 1960s (a sort of portable personal computer/information access device) looks backwards, talks about today's computers, and looks forward to the 1990s. Includes some very provocative discussion about the need to develop intelligent software agents as a key component of user interfaces in the 1990s. - Clifford Lynch. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Current Cites 2(2) (February 1991) ISSN: 1060-2356 Copyright (C) 1992 by the Library, University of California, Berkeley. All rights reserved. Copying is permitted for noncommercial use by computerized bulletin board/conference systems, individual scholars, and libraries. Libraries are authorized to add the journal to their collections at no cost. This message must appear on copied material. All commercial use requires permission from the editor, who may be reached in the following ways: drobison@library.berkeley.edu // drobison@ucblibra // (510)642-7600 -------------------------------------------------------------------