+ Page 1 + ----------------------------------------------------------------- Public-Access Computer Systems News Volume 4, Number 3 (1993) ISSN 1050-6004 Editors: Dana Rooks (LIBL@UHUPVM1) and Linda Thompson (LIB1J@UHUPVM1). Issued on an irregular basis by University Libraries, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204-2091. ----------------------------------------------------------------- CONTENTS OCLC REDUCES TELECOMMUNICATIONS CHARGES, 1 OCLC ANNOUNCES INTENT TO ACQUIRE INFORMATION DIMENSIONS, INC., 2 OCLC SITESEARCH SOFTWARE PROVIDES SEAMLESS INTERFACE TO REFERENCE DATABASES, 2 DOCUMENT ORDERING DEBUTS ON FIRSTSEARCH, 3 JUDGES NAMED FOR "OCLC ON THE FRONT LINE" AWARD, 3 RLG'S NEW SEARCH SYSTEM DEBUTS AT DARTMOUTH, 4 DRA TO ACQUIRE INLEX, 5 DATABASE DIRECTORIES MERGE, 5 DRA TO ACQUIRE AUSTRALIAN LIBRARY AUTOMATION SYSTEM, 6 DRA ENTERS STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH TACOMA PUBLIC, 6 OCLC REDUCES TELECOMMUNICATIONS CHARGES Effective January 1, 1993, OCLC has reduced its telecommunications charges by an average of nine percent. The reduction will save OCLC member libraries in the U.S. and Canada some $3 million over the next 18 months. The telecommunications charge reductions will appear as credits on members' monthly telecommunications bills, beginning with the March invoice. The individual decreases will range from five to 12 percent. OCLC estimates that users will save approximately $78 per dedicated- line workstation for the current fiscal year, and $156 in fiscal 1993/94. Dial-access users will see similar reductions in their per-hour charges. For additional information contact Nita Dean, 614-761-5002 + Page 2 + OCLC ANNOUNCES INTENT TO ACQUIRE INFORMATION DIMENSIONS, INC. OCLC has announced that it and Battelle Memorial Institute have signed a letter of intent that, following the successful completion of a 90-day due diligence process, could lead to the acquisition by OCLC of Information Dimensions, Inc., a subsidiary of Battelle. Information Dimensions, Inc. (IDI) was founded in 1986 as a for- profit subsidiary of the not-for-profit Battelle Memorial Institute. It has offices throughout North America and Europe with its headquarters being located in Dublin, Ohio. IDI develops and markets computer software products for managing electronic documents and text on leading mainframe computers, microcomputers, and workstations. Its two major software products are BASISplus and ZyINDEX. IDI software enables individual electronic documents to be transformed into information databases that provide systematic access to large amounts of data. Coupled with OCLC's telecommunications network and electronic journal interface, IDI's software will provide OCLC with the capability of delivering all kinds of electronic information to users. For additional information contact Nita Dean, 614-761-5002. OCLC SITESEARCH SOFTWARE PROVIDES SEAMLESS INTERFACE TO REFERENCE DATABASES Libraries can now augment their own locally-mounted reference databases and consolidate them under a single user interface with the OCLC SiteSearch system, a site-mounted version of the OCLC FirstSearch Catalog. This flexible new system links a variety of user workstations to a library's unique offerings of bibliographic, citation, and full-text databases, as well as databases available on OCLC's FirstSearch Catalog. The OCLC SiteSearch software runs on UNIX systems, includes the FirstSearch user interface and database search engine, and uses the Z39.50 protocol. It enables libraries to build and maintain databases on their own computers and provides seamless connectivity to the FirstSearch Catalog for access to reference databases that are not held locally. Future SiteSearch enhancements will include increasing the number of information sources and services available, adding a graphical user interface, and augmenting the data capabilities of the system with respect to full-text and images. For additional information contact Taylor Surface, 614-761-5145, or Nita Dean, 614-761-5002. + Page 3 + DOCUMENT ORDERING DEBUTS ON FIRSTSEARCH The first phase of the new OCLC Dispatch Service, which was implemented in January, is a document ordering option that gives library patrons using OCLC's FirstSearch Catalog the ability to order serial articles found in the ArticleFirst and Periodical Abstracts databases and receive them via fax, overnight mail, or regular mail. Initially, documents are being supplied by UMI Article Clearinghouse. Over the next few months, more suppliers will be added, allowing users to choose among several suppliers offering the same article. The document ordering option will later be expanded to include additional FirstSearch databases. FirstSearch document ordering will enable patrons to compare prices online for documents available from more than one supplier and make their selection based upon their needs. The price displayed in the online order form is set by the suppliers and includes processing, delivery, and copyright and royalty fees. To prevent patrons from unknowingly buying information housed in their libraries, FirstSearch displays a capitalized message, YOUR LIBRARY (ABC) OWNS THIS ITEM, at the top of the full record display. The message displays when a library has attached its holdings to the CONSER record in the OCLC Online Union Catalog. Later this year, OCLC plans to implement the second phase of its Dispatch Service, an optional link from FirstSearch to OCLC PRISM ILL with its Document Supplier/Resource Center Program. Patrons will be able to place online requests that are reviewed by library staff and then activated. For additional information contact Daviess Menefee, 614-764-4358, or Nita Dean, 614-761-5002. JUDGES NAMED FOR "OCLC ON THE FRONT LINE" AWARD Three prominent experts in reference services have been named judges for the third annual OCLC On the Front Line award: Michael Koenig, Nancy Melin Nelson, and Marydee Ojala. The award, to be presented at the National Online Conference in May, recognizes an outstanding librarian who makes effective use of electronic reference products in his or her daily work. The award recipient also must have demonstrated knowledge, creativity, and good humor to patrons while on the job. The winner will receive $1,000 and a memento of the achievement. Nominations for the 1993 award must be received by OCLC by March 15. + Page 4 + Michael Koenig is dean and professor of the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at Rosary College in River Forest, Ill. Nancy Melin Nelson is vice president of Information and Technology and director of Electronic Publishing at Meckler Corporation of Westport, Conn. Marydee Ojala is an information consultant from Park City, Utah, providing business research, competitor intelligence, and other information consulting services. For more information on nominations, or to receive an application for the OCLC On the Front Line award, write to OCLC, Attn: Reference Services Division, MC 236, 6565 Frantz Road, Dublin OH 43017-3395. RLG'S NEW SEARCH SYSTEM DEBUTS AT DARTMOUTH Eureka, the new patron-oriented search service from the Research Libraries Group (RLG), began its initial preview at Dartmouth College on January 15, and will be put through its paces by campus users for the next six months. Dartmouth users will have access to Eureka through the Dartmouth College Information System which is available campuswide on the campus network and over the Internet. Eureka is a new interface to the RLIN database and provides easy searching by author, title, and subject and by more specialized elements, like CODEN and ISBN and ISSN. Users can expand or narrow searches using Boolean operators and view search results in a choice of long or short formats. Online help guides users through searches step-by-step; no training or documentation is needed. Eureka has been designed for easy integration into existing local online library and campuswide information networks. It is accessible from any terminal or personal computer with VT100 terminal emulation; telecommunications options include the Internet, SprintNet, and the RLIN X.25 network. Six-month previews of Eureka also are being conducted at Columbia University, Emory University, Rutgers University, and the University of Pennsylvania. By spring 1993, Eureka will also enable users to search CitaDel, RLG's article-citation and document-delivery service. Eureka will be available for general use in September 1993 at rates comparable to RLIN searching fees. For additional information contact Bruce Washburn, Research Libraries Group, 415-691-2272; email: bl.btw@rlg.bitnet or bl.btw@rlg.stanford.edu; fax: 415-964-0943. + Page 5 + DRA TO ACQUIRE INLEX Data Research Associates, Inc. has announced that it has signed a Letter of Intent for the purchase of the library automation systems and other related assets of Inlex, Inc. DRA intends to purchase the assets for an undisclosed cash amount, subject to the execution of a definitive asset purchase agreement and other conditions. The proposed assets to be purchased include Inlex's automation systems software; all rights for the sales, licensing and distribution of Inlex's third-party products; all rights and obligations under each of Inlex's support agreements; and all intellectual property rights related to Inlex's automation system. Inlex's automation system is installed at more than 110 customer sites. DATABASE DIRECTORIES MERGE Directory of Online Databases, Directory of Portable Databases, and Computer-Readable Databases have merged to form a comprehensive new source, Gale Directory of Databases. The new directory's two-volume format groups database products by media. Volume 1: Online Databases provides descriptions and contact information for more than 5,300 online databases. Volume 2: CD- ROM profiles some 3,000 database products offered in "portable" formats such as CD-ROM, diskette, magnetic tape, and handheld, and through batch processing services offered by the database producer. Each volume includes geographic and subject indexes, as well as a Master Index which organizes information by keywords, and product and organization names. The first issue of both volumes is available as of January 1993 and will be updated in a replacement issue every six months. Each update will list new entries and completely revise entries that appeared in the previous issue. An annual subscription to both volumes is available for $280. The cost of an annual subscription to each volume is as follows: Volume 1: $199; Volume 2: $119. The Gale Directory of Databases is published by Gale Research Inc. For additional information call 800-877-4253, or contact Jenny Sweetland, 313-961-2242. + Page 6 + DRA TO ACQUIRE AUSTRALIAN LIBRARY AUTOMATION SYSTEM Data Research Associates, Inc. has announced that it has signed a Letter of Intent for the purchase of the Starlite Library Management System and certain related assets of Praxa Ltd by Data Research International (Australasia) Pty Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of DRA. Data Research intends to purchase the assets for an undisclosed cash amount subject to the execution of a definitive asset purchase agreement and other conditions. Praxa is headquartered in South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The Starlite system is installed in 38 libraries in Australia and Indonesia. DRA ENTERS STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH TACOMA PUBLIC Data Research Associates, Inc. has announced that it has signed a strategic partnership agreement with the Tacoma Public Library (TPL) for the design and development of client/server workstation enhancements to the DRA software package. Tacoma Public Library has previously developed two software packages, Uniface and Alice-B, which were subsequently marketed and sold to the library marketplace. TPL and DRA expect development of a circulation workstation to be the first joint project of the partnership. For additional information contact Joe Bonwich, 800-325-0888 or 314-432-1100. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Public-Access Computer Systems News is an electronic newsletter that is distributed on BITNET, Internet, and other computer networks. There is no subscription fee. To subscribe, send an e-mail message to LISTSERV@UHUPVM1 (BITNET) or LISTSERV@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU (Internet) that says: SUBSCRIBE PACS-P First Name Last Name. PACS-P subscribers also receive two other electronic serials: Current Cites and The Public-Access Computer Systems Review. Public-Access Computer Systems News is Copyright (C) 1993 by the University Libraries, University of Houston. All Rights Reserved. Copying is permitted for noncommercial use by academic computer centers, computer conferences, individual scholars, and libraries. Libraries are authorized to add the journal to their collection, in electronic or printed form, at no charge. This message must appear on all copied material. All commercial use requires permission. ----------------------------------------------------------------- .