ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 108 / C &R L News PUBLICATIONS by George M. Eberhart • ALA-LC Romanizatíon Tables: Translit­ eration Schem es for Non-Roman Scripts, e d ­ ite d by R andall K. B ariy (S ep tem b er 1991), brings to g e th e r all th e rom anizatíon tables th a t have ap­ p e a re d o ver th e p ast 20 years in th e Library o f C ongress C ataloging Service Bulletin. A nyone w ho need s to tran sliterate words, p ro p e r nam es, titles, or term s fro m any on e o f 140 n o n ro m an scripts will a p p reciate this guide. Instructions for encoding special ch aracters (such as an ap o strophe) o r c h ar­ a cter m odifiers (diacritics) in m ach ine-readable form have b e e n a d d ed to this edition. An appendix lists a n d d escribes special ch aracters a n d c h aracter m odifiers. C opies a re available fo r $24.00 from th e Library o f C ongress, C ataloging D istrib u tio n Ser­ vice, C u sto m er Services Section, W ashington, D C 20541-5017. ISSN 0731-3527. • The B eeth oven Compendium: A Guide to B eeth oven ’s Life and Music, e d ite d by Barry C o o p er (351 pages, D e c e m b e r 1991), brings to ­ g e th e r in form ation on every significant asp ect o f B eethoven a n d his music. O f no tab le referen ce use are: a c alen d a r o f th e co m p o ser’s life, works, an d re la te d events; his family tre e ; a w ho’s w ho o f B eethoven’s co ntem poraries; a catalogue a n d d e ­ scription o f each m usical work; a n d bibliographical an d biographical essays. Stu d en ts o f B eeth o v en ’s life, tim es, a n d m usic will find m uch m aterial h e re fo r discussion a n d d eb ate. C opies a re available for $40.00 from T ham es an d H u d so n , 500 F ifth Ave., N ew York, NY 10110. ISBN 0-500-01523-6. • Books in Russia and the Soviet Union, Past and Present, e d ite d by M iranda B eaven a n d W ojciech Zalewski (276 pages, A ugust 1991), has b e e n pub lish ed as volum e 3 in th e O tto Harrassowitz series on Publishing, Bibliography, L ibraries, an d A rchives in R ussia a n d E a ste rn E u ro p e. Like th e previous tw o volum es on P oland an d Czechoslova­ kia, th is b ook is a n overview o f th e p re s e n t o rgani­ zation o f p u b lishing a n d bibliography in th e Soviet U nion. A copy m ay b e o rd e re d for D M 112,- from O tto H arrassow itz Verlag, D -6200 W iesbaden, Taunusstrasse 14, Postfach 2929, G erm any. • Brazil in R eference Books, 1965-1989: An Annotated Bibliography, by Ann H artn ess (361 pages, 1991), contains m o re th a n 1,650 d e ­ scriptions o f books, p am phlets, an d serials o n B ra­ zilian arts, social sciences, an d hum anities. M ost o f th e publications a re in Portuguese, so th e a u th o r’s E nglish sum m aries are m ost helpful. A u th o r an d su b ject indexes provide access. C opies are available for $39.50 from Scarecrow Press, P.O. Box 4167, M etu ch en , NJ 08840. ISBN 0-8108-2400-0. • Carriage and Wagon: Index o f United States Patents, 1790-1910: State and City, by Susan G reen (818 pages, 1991), contains 40,500 e n trie s on horse-draw n carriages, wagons, sleighs, accessories, an d th e m achinery for m aking th em . E a c h e n try gives th e inventor’s nam e, th e invention’s n am e, th e d ate issued, p a te n t n u m b er, state, an d th e city resid en ce o f th e inventor. T h e index p ro ­ vides easy access to th e abstracts in The Official G azette o f th e U nited States Patent O ffice, p u b ­ lished w eekly by th e P a te n t O ffice since 1872, a n d th e y early reports pu b lish ed from 1836 to 1872. A copy m a y b e o rd e re d for $100.00 from Susan G reen, R .D . #2, Box2250, Orw igsburg, PA 17961. ISBN 1- 880499-00-2. • Coastal and Maritime Archaeology: A B ib lio g ra p h y , by Jordan E. K erb er (400 pages, 1991), lists m ore than 2,800 sources on indigenous peoples w ho have h u n ted , gathered, an d fished along w orld shorelines. T he book is divided into four sections: northeastern N o rth Am erican cultures, cultures elsewhere, shellfish and shell m iddens w orld­ w ide, an d history and ethnography. Entries are not annotated, b u t th e au th o r brings to g eth er m any diverse an d elusive references. A copy m ay b e p u r­ ch ased for $42.50 from Scarecrow Press, P.O. Box 4167, M etuchen, NJ 08840. ISBN 0-8108-2465-5. • The Colorado Atlas and G azetteer (104 pages, 1991), is th e 18th in D e L o rm e M apping’s excellent series o f state atlases. I f you have n o t y et p u rc h a se d th e se for yo u r library, do yo u r atlas users a favor a n d g et all o f th em . T h e m aps give enough d etail to satisfy backpackers, equestrians, a n d bik­ February 1992 /1 0 9 ers. O th e r re c e n t state atlases survey O regon, Illi­ nois, Michigan, an d M innesota; Idaho an d N o rth C arolina are sch ed u led for 1992. D o n ’t g e t lost w ith o u t them ! R ecently published atlases are $14.95 each an d m a y b e o rd e re d from D e L o rm e M apping, P.O . Box 298, F ree p o rt, M E 04032. ISBN 0-89933- 206-4 (Colorado). • D ance Film and Video Guide, com piled by D ie rd re Tow ers (233 pages, O c to b er 1991), catalogs every re c o rd e d d ance p erform ance, from Baryshnikov’s Sinatra Suite to avant-garde dances an d ballroom instruction. C om pletely u p d a te d since th e last ed itio n in 1986, th e guide contains a b rie f description o f each film o r video, a com plete list o f perso n n el, an d th e m ost p e rtin e n t p e rfo rm an ce data. M any are accom panied by black-and-w hite photos. Indexes provide access by d ance style, p u rp o se , geographic location, choreographer, c o m ­ p o ser, d irector, dancer, a n d d ance com pany. M ore th a n 2,000 films a n d videos p ro d u c e d over th e p ast c e n tu iy are listed as available fo r e ith e r re n t o r sale. C opies are available for $24.95 from P rin ceto n Book Com pany, P.O. Box 57, Pennington, N J 08534- 0057. ISBN 0-87127-171-0. • Directory o f Electronic Journals, N ew s­ letters and Academic Discussion Lists, c o m ­ p ile d by M ichael Strangelove an d D iane Kovacs, a n d e d ite d by A nn O kerson (173 pages, July 1991), is a com prehensive fisting o f serials an d discussion forum s available th ro u g h B itnet, th e In te rn e t, and affiliated netw orks. A b rie f description o f each service is p rovided, along w ith inform ation o n how to subscribe o r su b m it m aterial. T h e variety o f topics is w ide a n d eclectic; you will fin d serious journals like th e A rtsN e t Review an d N ew H orizons in A d u lt E ducation an d fanzines like B etw een th e Lines (a m onthly d igest ab o u t D eb b ie G ibson an d h e r m usic) an d The Purple Thunderbolt o f Spode (an e-m ail m agazine for those w ho w orship O T IS, “th e ancient Sum erian god/dess o f fife”). C opies are available for $20.00 (A RL m em b er libraries, $ 10.00) from th e A RL Office o f Scientific an d A cadem ic Publishing, 1527 N ew H am pshire A venue, N.W ., W ashington, D C 20036. ISSN 1057-1337. • The Evolution o f Library Automation: M anagem ent Issues and Future Perspectives, e d ite d by G ary M. Pitkin (189 pages, S e p te m b e r 1991), brings to g e th e r p ap ers p re sen te d a t a tw o- day sem inar co n d u cted d u rin g th e Sixth A nnual C o m p u ters in Libraries C onference. H ighlights include “T h e Library Perspective,” by D onald Riggs; “L ibraries a n d C o m p u tin g C en ters,” by C ath erin e A. Q uinlan; an d “R eactions from an In form ation M anager,” by Patricia Senn Breivik. A copy m ay b e o rd e re d for $42.50 from M eckler C orporation, 11 F e rry L an e W est, W estport, C T 06880. IS B N 0- 88736-811-5. • Hispanic R esource D irectory, 1 9 9 2 - 1994, by Alan E d w ard Schorr (380 pages, S e p te m ­ b e r 1991), is a com prehensive guide to 6,200 na­ tional, state, an d local H ispanic organizations and o th e r program s offering services o r providing infor­ m ation a n d policy analysis ab o u t Hispanics. T he d irecto ry is available for $47.50 (plus $2.50 ship­ ping) from th e D enali Press, P.O . Box 021535, Jun eau , AK 99802-1535. ISBN 0-938737-26-0. • H orror Film D irectors, 1 9 3 1 -1 9 9 0 , by D e n n is F is c h e r (877 pages, D e c e m b e r 1991), p ro v id es a c o m p le te film ography, c a r e e r su m ­ m ary, critical assessm en t, a n d in sig h tfu l b a ck ­ g ro u n d in fo rm a tio n o n 51 m a jo r a n d 48 m in o r d ire c to rs. An ex cellen t analysis o f an o fte n m isu n ­ d e rs to o d g e n re , th is v olum e m ain tain s s tric t s ta n ­ d a rd s a n d d istin g u ish es b e tw e e n h ig h -c a lib re d ra m a a n d n o n c e re -b ra l s p la tte r films w ith flashy sp ecial effects. An app en d ix th a t discusses “classic h o rro r film s by n o n -h o rro r d ire c to rs ” (like S tanley K u b rick ’s “T h e Sh in in g ”) a n d a q u alitativ ely a n ­ n o ta te d b ib lio g rap h y m ake F is c h e r’s b o o k e sse n ­ tial for serio u s film collections. T h e c o st is $75.00 fro m M c F a rla n d & C o., Box 611, Jefferso n , N C 28640. IS B N 0-89950-609-7. • T he In tegrated Library: Encouraging A ccess to M ultim edia M aterials, by Jea n W eihs (168 pages, 2 d ed ., S e p te m b e r 1991), explains th e p ro c e d u re s fo r in te g ra tin g b o o k a n d non b o o k m aterials to g e th e r in a b ro w sin g m u ltim ed ia co l­ lectio n . T h e a u th o r explains eac h p a rt o f th e in te rsh e lv in g p ro c e ss, fro m th e p ro p e r u se, care, h an d lin g , a n d sto rag e o f n o n b o o k m aterials to th e im p o rtan c e o f lib rary s ta ff in v o lv em en t a n d p r o ­ m o tin g th e a ctive in te re s t o f th e p a tro n s in m a in ­ ta in in g su ch a co llection. C o p ies m ay b e o rd e re d fo r $27.50 fro m T h e Oryx P ress, 4041 N. C e n tra l S tre e t, Phoenix, AZ 85012-3397. IS B N 0-89774- 658-9. • Living W ills and D u rab le P ow er o f At­ torney: A dvance D irectiv e L egislation and Issues, b y P a t M ilm oe M cC arrick (20 pages, S e p te m b e r 1991), has b e e n rev ised as Scope N o te 2 o f th e N atio n al R eferen c e C e n t e r fo r B ioethics L ite ra tu re a t G eo rg eto w n U niversity. F o cu sin g on th e P a tie n t S e lf-D ete rm in atio n Act o f 1990, w h ich w e n t in to e ffe c t on D e c e m b e r 1 ,1 9 9 1 , this sco p e n o te offers a b ib lio g rap h y o f th e lite ra tu re o n living wills a n d in clu d es sam ple form s an d cita tio n s to jo u rn a l articles, g o v e rn m e n t d o c u ­ m e n ts, a n d re le v a n t boo k c h ap ters. C o p ie s are available fo r $5.00 ($3.00 w h e n p re p a id ) fro m th e N atio n al R e fe re n c e C e n t e r fo r B ioethics L ite ra ­ tu re , K en n ed y In s titu te o f E th ics, G eo rg eto w n U niversity, W ash in g to n , D C 20057. • T he N ational D irecto ry o f B u lletin B oard System s 1992, by P atrick R. D ew ey (305 p ag es, D e c e m b e r 1991), w ill b e u sefu l to th o se w ho are alre a d y p ro ficien t u sers o f e le ctro n ic b u lle tin b o a rd system s (BBS). M o d em ad d icts in C hicago, G eorgia, O hio, K entucky, S o u th C aro - A C Q U IS ITIO N PERSPECTIVES 4. W e h a v e e s ta b lis h e d a r e p u ta tio n f o r a c c u ra c y in b illin g a n d s h ip p in g to y o u r sp e c ific a tio n s . In v o ic e s a rra n g e d a lp h a b e tic a lly b y a u t h o r o r title , o r n u m e ric a lly b y p u r c h a s e o r d e r , a n d s e p a ra te b illin g a v a ila b le u p o n re q u e st f o r G r a n t F u n d s, T i tle II, g ifts, etc . B o o k H o u s e e r r o r r a te la s t y e a r w a s less t h a n ’/ j p e r c e n t . t h e BO O K HOUSE Call or Write TODAY Sin ce 1962 JOBBERS SERVING LIBRARIES WITH 1 • 800 • 248 • 1146 ANY BOOK IN PRINT SINCE 1982 208 WEST CHICAGO STREET JONESVILLE, MICHIGAN 49250 0125 FAX: 517 • 849 • 9716 February 1992 /111 lin a , N e w H a m p s h ir e , O re g o n , W a s h in g to n (D .C .), a n d O tta w a s h o u ld a p p re c ia te th e lists o f local p h o n e n u m b e rs fo r system s in th e ir areas, b u t th e a u th o r also p ro v id e s to p ical lists (d esk to p pu b lish in g , gay, h e alth , sco u tin g ) a n d b o a rd list­ ings by ty p e (B itn e t, IB M BBS, P a ra n e t In te r n a ­ tio n al, Unix, W ild cat, T e le g a rd , a n d o th e rs). I f you a re a novice to all th is BBS co nfusion, you s h o u ld first avail y o u rse lf o f M ich ael A. B anks’s T h e M o d e m R eference (2d e d ., Brady, 1991) to d e te rm in e h o w involved y o u w a n t to b e co m e. T h e d ire c to ry costs $42.50 a n d m ay b e o rd e re d from M e c k le r C o rp o ra tio n , 11 F e r r y L a n e W e s t, W e s tp o rt, C T 06880. IS B N 0-88736-752-6. • Opera Performances in Video Format: A Checklist o f Commercially R eleased R ecord­ ings, by C harles R. C roissant (144 pages, N ovem ­ b e r 1991), lists directors, conductors, a n d cast m e m ­ b e rs along w ith th e location a n d d a te o f p e rfo r­ m ance, citations to reviews, details on p ro d u ctio n , d istributor, a n d video p resen tatio n . Individual o p ­ eras are listed u n d e r th e c o m p o ser’s n am e, w hile ap p endices supply inform ation on recitals an d o th e r p rogram s fe a tu rin g excerpts from operas. C opies a re available fo r $15.00 from th e M usic Library Association, P.O . Box 487, C anton, MA 02021. ISBN 0-914954-43-1. • The Oxford D ictionary o f N ew Words, com piled by Sara T ulloch (322 pages, N o v em b er 1991), is an inform ative a n d read ab le gu id e to som e 2,000 w ords a n d p h rases th a t have a p p ea re d in th e new s d u rin g th e p a st d ecade. T h e d ictionaiy n o t only defines th em , b u t explains how th e y cam e in to p ro m in en ce, draw ing on th e p u b lish e d an d u n p u b ­ lished reso u rces o f th e O xford E nglish D ictionary an d th e w ord-files a n d databases o f th e Oxford D ictionary D e p artm e n t. Icons designating 11 d if­ fe re n t topics (drugs, m usic, science, politics, y o u th cu ltu re, etc.) a p p e a r next to each te rm for quick su b ject identification. A re you n o t q u ite h ip en o u g h to know th e m eaning o f arom atherapy, cocooning, factoid, hom eboy, scuzzbucket, o r zouk? B etter c h eck o u t th e definitions now , b efo re n e w er w ords rep lace them ! C opies a re available for $19.95 from O xford U niversity Press, 200 M adison Ave., N ew York, NY 10016. IS B N 0-19-869170-X. • Photograph Preservation and the R e­ search Library (56 pages, O c to b er 1991) contains five p a p ers p re s e n te d a t an O c to b er 1990 R esearch L ib raries G ro u p sym posium on th e preserv atio n o f large ph o to g rap h ic collections. T h e topics include: technical aspects o f ph o to g rap h preservation (J am es M. Reilly); assessing preserv atio n need s (D eb b ie H ess N orris); p h o to g ra p h d u plication (Steven T. Puglia); im p lem en tin g a g ra n t-fu n d ed negative- duplication p rogram (Paula D e Stefano); an d th e delicate a rt o f juggling p reserv atio n a n d access n e ed s (Julia Van H aaften). A copy m ay b e o rd e re d fo r $5.00 (prepaid) from th e D istrib u tio n Services C e n te r, R esearch Libraries G roup, 1200 Villa St., M ountain View, CA 94041-1100. • Public U tilities: An A nnotated G uide to Inform ation Sources, b y A n n e C. R oess (398 pag es, 1991), is a re so u rc e list o f p u b licatio n s th a t d e al w ith th e re g u la te d gas, e le ctric, te le p h o n e , a n d w a te r in d u strie s. B ib lio g rap h ic gu id es, glos­ saries a n d d ic tio n a rie s, d ire c to rie s, a b strac tin g a n d in d ex in g services, d a ta b ase s, re g u la to ry re ­ p o rtin g services, textbooks, p erio d icals, c o n fe r­ e n c e p ro c e e d in g s, a n d s tan d a rd s a re d e sc rib e d . C o p ie s a re available for $45.00 fro m S carecrow P ress, P.O . Box 4167, M e tu c h e n , N J 08840. IS B N 0 -8 1 0 8-2443-4. • R esearch Issu es in E lectron ic Records (37 p ag es, N o v e m b er 1991) is b a se d on th e re su lts o f a m e e tin g , s p o n so re d b y th e M in n eso ta H isto ri­ cal Society, h e ld in W ash in g to n , D .C . in J an u ary 1991 to d e te rm in e a n atio n al a g en d a fo r re sea rc h in th e archival m a n a g e m e n t o f e le c tro n ic reco rd s. T h e r e p o rt calls o n th e N atio n al H isto ric a l P u b li­ catio n s a n d R eco rd s C om m issio n (N H P R C ) to a d d re ss su ch q u e stio n s as: H o w c an e le ctro n ic re c o rd s b e m a n a g ed to m e e t archival re q u ire ­ m e n ts? C an a ffo rd ab le, feasib le g u id e lin e s b e d e v e lo p e d fo r saving a ra n g e o f k inds o f in fo rm a ­ tio n p ro d u c e d ele ctro n ica lly ? H o w can in fo rm a ­ tio n accessible o n p a rtic u la r c o m p u te r system s b e saved a n d u s e d as su ch system s a re re p la c ed ? R e q u e s t a c o p y o f th e re p o rt fro m L isa W eb e r, N H P R C , N a tio n a l A rchives B uilding, R oom 607, W ash in g to n , D C 20408. • Shadowcatchers: A D irectory o f W omen in California Photography, 1900-1920, by P e te r E. Palm quist (352pages, O cto b er 1991), extends the coverage given in his previous Shadow catchers vol­ u m e, p u b lish ed in 1990, on California w om en p h o ­ tographers p rio r to 1901. This directory provides a life chronology o f 1,065 w om en, accom panied by essays, portraits, an d rep resentative exam ples o f th e ir photography. (F o r th e tragic saga o f an unsung h ero in e o f early X-ray photography, see th e e n try for Elizabeth Fleischm ann.) A copy may b e o rd e re d for $50.00 (plus $3.50 shipping) from P e te r E. Palmquist, 1183 U nion Street, Arcata, CA 95521. • Special Libraries: A G uide for M anage­ m ent, by Elin B. C hristianson, D avid E. King, and Jan L. A hrensfeld (92 pages, 3d ed ., O c to b e r 1991), contains th e m ost re c e n t in form ation on settin g u p a n d m anaging a special library. C opies m ay be o rd e re d for $20.00 from th e Special Libraries Asso­ ciation, 1700 E ig h te e n th St., N .W ., W ashington, D C 20009-2508. IS B N 0-87111-380-5. • Vendors and Library Acquisitions, e d ­ ite d by Bill K atz (235 pages, 2 d ed ., N o vem ber 1991), ad d resses th e m ost effective ways to select, evaluate, a n d in te ra c t w ith b ook v endors a n d jo b ­ bers. O f p artic u la r in te re s t in this collection o f essays are: “B C L 3 (Books fo r C ollege Libraries) 1 1 2 / C&RL News and th e Book Jobber: T he M arketing o f a New Collection D evelopm ent Service,” by F o rrest E. Link; “T rends Affecting V endor Selection: O ne Academic Library’s Experience,” by Twyla M ueller Racz an d Trudie A. Root o f E astern Michigan University; “Foreign Acquisitions: F ru stration and Fun!” by Linda S. V ertrees; an d “C hoice a t a Distance: A F ootnote for an Official History,” by R obert S. Bravard, on th e controversial Choice editor P e te r D oiron. C opies are available for $29.95 from H aw orth Press, 10 Alice St., B inghamton, NY 13904-1580. ISBN 1-56024-121-7. • Who’s Who o f Women in World Politics (311 pages, 1991) features m ore th an 1,500 biogra­ phies o f pro m in en t w om en politicians worldwide. T o b e included in th e book, an individual m ust be e ith e r h ead o f state, a m em b er o f governm ent, a m e m b e r o f th e national legislature, a party o r trade union leader, a regional leader, o r m ayor o f a large city. Statistics on fem ale share o f cabinet-level posts by country are given, along with such historical data as y ear o f wom en’s enfranchisem ent. T he volume m ay be purchased for $95.00 from K. G. Saur, P.O. Box 31, N ew Providence, NJ 07974-9903. ISBN 0- 86291-627-5. • Your Buried Treasures: Can You Find Them? by M arjorie Thom as Payne (24 pages, S ep tem b er 1991), designed as a guide for creating a personal records plan, features a detailed records reten tio n and destruction schedule, a bibliography an d reading list, and an extensive index. Copies are available for $7.50 (discounts given for large q uan­ tities) from C. B erger an d Com pany, P.O. Box 274, W heaton, IL 60189. ■ ■ Optical local area network at Walla Walla College Installation o f an optical netw ork at Peterson M em orial Library, Walla Walla College, has proved to be p o p u lar am ong students and faculty. A 1990 fall survey o f students usingthe netw orked LaserCats elicited th ese overwhelmingly positive com m ents: “They’re great!” an d “I like it, thanks for getting th em .” G rants totalling $28,759 from th e college’s C om m ittee o f 100 funded the two-year project. Librarians at Peterson w ere looking for an inex­ pensive way to provide com puterized access to th eir collections. Key personnel at th e C am pus C om ­ p u te r C e n te r suggested developing an optical n e t­ w ork allowing m ultiple access to C D -R O M p ro d ­ ucts. They knew w e w ere already using LaserCat, a C D -R O M version o f W estern Library N etw ork’s bibliographic database, an d thought it a prim e candidate. LaserC at provides access to th e holdings o f over 496 public, special, research, a n d academ ic libraries, including Peterson’s. As o f D ecem b er 1991, 3.7 million records w ere available through LaserCat. W LN m em ber libraries are concentrated in th e Pacific Northwest. Peterson has b een using W estern Library N etw ork as th e ir bibliographic utility since 1980. By N ovem ber 1990 th e optical netw ork had becom e a reality. Using LaserC at as th e library’s main catalog, patrons can execute exact, keyword, o r browse searches. Six public access workstations are located in th e library. Five o f th em are dedi­ cated to operating LaserCat. A sixth, a d d ed in Sep tem b er 1991, supports A cademic Abstracts, a C D -R O M index covering 769 academ ic an d gen­ eral periodicals. W orkstations share printers. Signs nam ing th e C D pro d u ct in operation cover the floppy disc drives on each workstation, effectively elim inating problem s with students trying to access th e cam pus netw ork for o th e r purposes. To bring th e system up each m orning, N etw ork and C D p ro d u c t software are automatically loaded onto the library’s com puters. O ver 400 com puters located in stu d en t PC labs and faculty offices have shared access to both products through th e m ain cam pus network. T h e optical netw ork consists o f th e server, a D ell 386 PC , and 6 Toshiba 3200 C D -R O M drives, w hich a re connected to th e cam pus’ e th e m e t n e t­ w ork backbone. O ptiN et software drives th e server. Novell’s N etW are is th e operating system for th e larger cam pus network. Tw isted-pair cabling p ro ­ vides th e basic infrastructure. Because o f th e success o f o u r optical network, W alla Walla High School Library used increased funding for technology, provided by th e school district, to install an optical netw ork m odelled after ours. Since th e fall o f 1991, th e ir students have had access to Wilson’s R eader’s G uide and G eneral Science Index. R esponse tim e is slower on th e optical networks because C D -R O M products execute searches m ore slowly th an an autom ated system does. T h e major p ro b lem we have experienced with th e optical netw ork, however, occurs w hen cam pus netw ork o p erating software is upgraded. Such upgrades have inadvertently affected not only th e operation o f th e optical netw ork b u t access to it by older PCs. O u r C am pus C om puter C en ter personnel have fo u n d th at a thorough re-exam ination o f the optical netw ork is need ed after all regular netw ork u p ­ grades. O ver all, though, we have b een quite pleased w ith th e perform ance o f o u r optical network.— Carolyn Gaskeïl, Peterson Memorial Library, Walla W alla College ■ ■