College and Research Libraries Recent Publications BOOK REVIEWS OPACs and .Beyond. Proceedings of a Joint Meeting of the British Library, DBMIST, and OCLC, August 17-18, 1988. Dublin, Ohio: OCLC Online Computer Library Center, 1989. 120p. $12.50 (ISBN 1-55653-0970-6). OPACs and Beyond is a collection of thir­ teen papers prepared for presentation at the second annual invitational conference held at OCLC Online Computer Library Center in Dublin, Ohio. The conference, a joint meeting of the British Library, DBMIST (Direction des Biblioteques, des Musees et de !'Information Scientifique et Technique), and OCLC, centered around the OPAC (online public access catalog) and interrelated automated systems and projects. The first of four sessions was chaired by Martin Dillon, Director, Office of Re­ search, OCLC, and began with a review by Derek Greenwood of the British Li­ brary on OPAC installations and the cur­ rent state of library automation in the United Kingdom. Subject retrieval, en­ hancing of bibliographic records (such as enhanced records from publishers' or booksellers' records), and linking systems and databases were areas covered. Even though users have become more sophisti­ cated in their demands, the aim remains to provide users ready and simple access to information through OPACs. The MLR (Managing Large Retrievals) Project, sponsored by the OCLC Office of Research, was highlighted as research un­ dertaken to focus on providing the end user an overview of retrieval and how to navigate through long lists of references. Of continued attention was the MARC record, suggested as a source of informa­ tion. Session two, chaired by Brian Perry, Di­ rector of Research and Development for the British Library, concentrated on the OPAC through information retrieval, sub­ ject authority control, and problems en­ countered with large databases and multi­ ple databases. Stephen E. Robertson, professor in the Department of Information Science at the City University of London, discussed the relation of information retrieval to interac­ tive library catalogs. The next paper reviewed "Subject Au­ thority Control in Online Catalog De­ sign," a four-phased project from Sep­ tember 1987 to December 1988 supported by the OCLC Office of Research and the University of Michigan. The study of machine-readable Library of Congress Subject Headings was considered a very important step toward effectively design­ ing systems for the incorporation of Li­ brary of Congress Subject Headings­ machine readable in online bibliographic systems. The session ended with Clifford A. Lynch, Director of Library Automation at the University of California, Berkeley, who viewed as top priority for library au­ tomation in the next decade the elimina­ tion of the distinction between books and journal articles. Serge Chambaud of DBMIST chaired the third session, which began with a pa­ 167 -- 168 College & Research Libraries per on the future of academic library OPACs. Lynn J. Brindly from Aston Uni­ versity in Birmingham, England, re­ viewed major findings of past studies largely undertaken by OCLC. Users want more services, such as more terminals in and out of the library, subject searching improvements, and greater database ac­ cess to more materials. For progressing to­ ward the future, an emphasis was sug­ gested on expert systems, graphics, multimedia tools, and electronic publish­ ing. Subject searching and its enhance­ ments were considered as key stepping stones into the future. Another representative from the OCLC Office of Research gave a paper on "Un­ ion Catalogs on Personal Supercompu­ ters,'' with the observation that searching features are restricted by slow access to centralized systems. A prediction was made that changes will occur in database storage, availability of name matching, better color and graphics display, demand of instant results, and increased speed. Now Available BIBLIOGRAPHY OF NEW ORLEANS IMPRINTS 1764.. 1864 by Florence M. Jumonville 3,388 entries • Extensive index 800 pp., cloth • ISBN o,91786o,zs,x $59.95 MUSEUM THE HISTORIC RESEARCH CENTER PUBLISHER NEW ORLEANS llJES-SAT I 10-4:30 533 ROYAL ST. COLLECTION 5041523-4662 J March 1990 Foremost in the designer's mind must be designing systems to make the user's life more pleasant and productive. The Universite de Technologie de Com­ piegne, France, had representatives at the conference presenting a paper on "Com­ municating in Natural Language with aLi­ brary Database." A database system, VORAS, based on semantics for knowl­ edge representation, enables designers to flexibly represent and manipulate data and knowledge. ''Videotex for Open Access to Multiple Catalogues on Multiple Media" was pre­ sented by Cabinet Norbert Paquel, Con­ sultant and Director, Laser Media, Paris. Because of the thousands of services of­ fered on the network, standardization was emphasized as mandatory. Online databases produced by universities and institutes plus the use of scientific and technical databases have been promoted by DBMIST. DBMIST is working toward developing CD-ROM use in libraries for access to 11 a worldwide catalog of biblio­ graphic information and primary docu­ ments.'' A description of the project com­ pletes the paper. In ''Human-Computer Interaction and Online Catalogues," Nathalie N. Mitev from City University, London, issued a call for an investigation of searching rules and their effects, since methods of re­ trieval information are not separate any longer (such as catalogs, cataloging, li­ braries, and retrieval systems). Users do not wish to be bogged down with compli­ cated guide tools and as a result many will remain novice users. Videotext was explored next by Jean­ Bernard Marino, Director of the Service Commun de la Documentation, of the Universite de Metz, France. The videotext program was launched in 1978 with the Minitel terminal, electronic directory, Transpac network, and Kiosque invoic­ ing. Because videotext requires special rules and imposes changes, a caution was issued: "Make it simple." Miriam A. Drake of the Georgia Insti­ tute of Technology ended the conference with a paper for the plenary session on on­ line systems from a managerial perspec­ tive, "Electronic Library of the Future, or ACRL and ALA Publishing present- Measuring Academic Library Performance: A Practical Approach The library management tool you've been waiting for! Measuring Academic Library Performance offers an easy-to-use set of output measures that you and your staff can perform without specialized training or knowledge of statistics. The data you obtain can be used to evaluate the library's services, to demonstrate the library's value, and to guide resource allocation. Commissioned and approved by the ACRL Board of Directors, the manual is the result of two years of development and field-testing. The project was headed by Dr. Nancy Van House of the University of California at Berkeley, who also worked on the development of Output Measures for Public Libraries (ALA, 1987). The measures are specifically designed for academic libraries. The manual contains all the background information and materials you need to carry out a measurement project, including survey forms ready to photocopy. The manual will also be available with a database software package to make your data collection even easier! Measuring Academic Library Performance: A Practical Guide By Dr. Nancy Van House, Beth Weil, and Charles R. McClure Prepared for the Association of College and Research Libraries, under the auspices of the Committee on Performance Measures, Ad Hoc Available in June 1990. Price .to be announced. ISBN 0-8389-0529-3. ALA BOOKS American Library Association 50 East Huron Street Chicago, Illinois 60611 170 College & Research Libraries Visions for the Twenty-First Century Are Okay but What Will We Do for the Rest of the Century?" The library staff developed Library 2000 goals, described as: increased amount of information available through the campus network; all forms of informa­ tion delivered to the workstation or PC; faculty productivity increased; informa­ tion resources productivity increased; personalized information systems cre­ ated; human/information system interac­ tion studied; rich learning environment for students created; every Tech graduate information literate. Her finishing touch was appropriately pointed: "While we look forward we will look backward to in­ crease and intensify our efforts to preserve our knowledge, history, and culture." The proceedings offer a wealth of infor­ mation on the status of online public ac- March 1990 cess catalogs and other related automation issues, including projections into the fu­ ture. With representatives from France, the United Kingdom, and the United States, a larger perspective of the current state of library automation, chiefly that of the OPAC1 is in store for the reader. Ami­ nor irritation is the continual use through­ out of acronyms. However, the authors do not fall into highly technical jargon as one might expect, but instead present a clear picture of the international scene. As stated in the preface: "The papers...re­ veal diversity of technological applica­ tions, a spectrum of private, academic, and governmental enterprises, and a vari­ ety of access methods and systems for use with library materials and other informa­ tion resources. II-Kathleen Sparkman, Bay­ lor University Libraries, Waco, Texas. OTHER PUBLICATIONS Africana Resources and Collections. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow, 1989. 257p. (ISBN 0-8108­ 2239-3). ALA Yearbook of Library and Infonnation Seroices 1989. Chicago: American Library Assn., 1989. 337p. $85 (ISBN 0-8389-0514-5). Ali, Sheikh R. Peace and Nuclear War Dictionary. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, 1989. 293p. $44.50 (ISBN 0-87436-531-7). Alzheimer's Disease Treatment Facilities and Home Health Care Programs. Phoenix, Ariz.: Oryx, 1989. 257p. $74.50 (ISBN 0-89774-551-5). Bales, Jack. Kenneth Roberts: the Man and His Works . Scarecrow Author Bibliographies, no.85. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow, 1989 . 312p. (ISBN 0-8108-2227-X). Bequai, August. Every Manager's Legal Guide to Hiring. Homewood, Ill.: Dow Jones-Irwin, 1990. 190p. $39.95 (ISBN 1-55623-154-7). Bestsellers 1989: Books and Authors in the News, Is­ sue 4. Detroit: Gale, 1990. 88p. (ISBN 0-8103­ 5378-4). Bestsellers: Books and Authors in the News, Issue 2. Detroit: Gale, 1989. 88p. (ISBN 0-8103-5376­ 8). Bestsellers: Books and Authors in the News, Issue 3. Detroit: Gale, 1989. 86p. (ISBN 0-8103-5377­ 6). Consumer Sourcebook . 6th ed . Detroit: Gale, 1990-91. 526p. $185 (ISBN 0-8103-2997-2). Dictionary of Literary Biography-Volume 84, Res­ toration and Eighteenth-Century Dramatists. Detroit: Gale, 1989. 465p. $98 (ISBN 0-8103­ 4562-5). Dictionary of the Liturgy. New York: Catholic BookPubl., 1989. 687p. $10.95 (ISBN0-89942­ 273-X). Directory of Biomedical and Health Care Grants 1989/1990. 4th ed. Phoenix, Ariz.: Oryx, 1989. 571p. $74.50 (ISBN 0-89774-384-9). Encyclopedia of Governmental Advisory Organiza­ tions, 1990-91. 7th ed. Detroit: Gale, 1989. 1,361p. $465 (ISBN 0-8103-4698-2). Evinger, William R. Guide to Federal Acronyms. Phoenix, Ariz.: Oryx, 1989. 288p. $55 (ISBN 0-8977 4-458-6). Footage 89: North American Film and Video Sources . New York: Prelinger Assoc., 1989. 796p. (ISBN 0-927347-01-6). Gauvin, Daniel. Canadian Guide to Rare Books. Daniel Gauvin, Editeur, 1989. 218p. (ISBN 2­ 9801501-0-X). Good Reading: A Guide for Serious Readers. 23d ed. New York: Bowker, 1989. 466p. $39.95 (ISBN 0-8352-2707-3) . Gorman, Michael. Concise AACR2, 1988 Revi­ sion . Chicago: American Library Assn., 1989. 162p. $15 (ISBN 0-85365-799-8). Guide to American Directories. 12th ed. Coral Springs, Fla.: B. KleinPubl., Inc., 1989. 520p. $75 (ISBN 0-87340-006-2) . Guide to Multicultural Resources, 1989-90 Edition. Madison, Wise.: Praxis Publ., 1989. 374p . (ISBN 0-935483-10-1) .