As presaged in the previous issue of LSN a number of vendors demonstrated new videodisc and CD-ROM products at the American Library Association meeting in Chicago.
Academic American Encyclopedia
After previews at ALA, Grolier Electronic Publishing Inc. chose the National Computer Conference to announce the release of two optical media products, both based on the electronic version of the Academic American Encyclopedia (AAE) that it offers for online searching on remote data base systems.
One of these products, KnowledgeDisc, uses the videodisc as the publication medium to store video images of textual materials. Unlike so many recent videodisc publishing ventures, the data is not machine-readable or searchable, but a video image of printed text. The required frames are accessed using a menu-like index to identify the image to be displayed. The disc contains only text screens; no illustrations or diagrams are included. The disc is played on a standard videodisc player with random access capabilities and the text is displayed on a standard television screen. A frame reference line which displays at the top of the screen assists the reader in scanning to the required frame. The technology used in formatting the text for the disc was developed by Activenture Corporation of Monterey, California. When displayed on a 24-inch screen, the text is easily read and quite legible. The single-sided KnowledgeDisc has a suggested list price of $89.95.
Grolier's second product-a compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM) version of the AAE-has not been given a distinctive product name. The single-sided CD-ROM stores the text of the AAE in machine-readable and machine-searchable form. When mounted on a CD-ROM drive attached to a personal computer, the disc and its accompanying software (distributed on floppy disk) give the user a choice of two access modes. The encyclopedia may be searched in the same way as the KnowledgeDisc using a menu-like table of contents, or the text may be searched by keywords. Boolean search techniques can be employed in the machine-searching of the file. The production system will include truncation capabilities and proximity operators. The CD-ROM version of the APIS is expected to be available for purchase in October, at a suggested retail price of $199 for the compact disk and the associated access software. The disc may be played on any CD-ROM drive (not a CD audio player) and the software is compatible with most personal computers. This product was also developed with the assistance of Activenture.
[Contact: Grolier Electronic Publishing, Inc., 95 Madison Avenue, New York, NY (212) 696-9750.]
Ingrams LaserSearch
Ingram demonstrated a prototype of its CD-ROM-based LaserSearch book acquisitions system which is expected to be made available to libraries in January 1986. The CD-ROM contains a data base of information on some 1.3 million English language books in print and those recently out of print. The data base was compiled from Ingram's files and the Library Corporation's Any Book data base. The disc also includes a file of publisher's names and addresses. The software being developed to support LaserSearch will include routines for searching the bibliographic files (by author, title, keyword, publisher, ISBN, LCCN and Ingrain Title Code) and publisher files; generating orders in hardcopy or machine-readable form; an electronic mail capability for transmitting orders to Ingram and receiving status reports on the availability of materials ordered; and software for records management, fund accounting, and budgetary control functions. Libraries which use the system will have the ability to transmit orders for ten or more items direct to Ingram via a modem and a toll free telephone line. Orders may also be produced in hardcopy form. Libraries may also choose to produce hardcopy orders directed to publishers rather than ordering through the jobber. The system requires an IBM PC XT, a printer, and a CD- ROM drive. A modem will be needed if a library wishes to use the electronic transmission facility. If purchased through Ingram the CD-ROM player is expected to cost $1,500 and a subscription to the LaserSearch data base and the associated software (distributed on floppy disk) is expected to cost $600 per annum. It is intended that the data base will be reissued quarterly.
During the ALA Conference, Ingram was also publicizing an agreement it has reached with Marcive for the supply of cataloging data-in card or machine-readable form-for materials ordered from Ingram.
[Contact: Ingram Book Company, 347 Reedwood Drive, Nashville, TN 37217.]
Mini REMARC
Library Systems & Services Inc. demonstrated a new videodisc product, a machine-readable file of abbreviated REMARC records designed to be used with LSSI's MINI MARC hardware and software to facilitate the identification and ordering of Carrollton Press' machine-readable REMARC records for Library of Congress pre-11968 cataloging.
Libraries have two options for using the REMARC videodisc. Those with MINI MARC systems and a current subscription to the MINI MARC videodisc can "borrow" the REMARC disc from LSSI and mount it on their systems. Libraries which are not MINI MARC customers can rent the hardware, software, and videodisc data base from Carrollton Press for $1,000 a month. Whichever approach is chosen, the actual use of the system is the same. Libraries use the standard MINI MARC search strategies described in the July 1985 issue of LSN (Vol. V, No. 7) to search for the required REMARC record. An abbreviated form of the record is displayed to enable the operator to verify that it is indeed a match. The operator records the local data to be added to the record and this, together with the control number of the REMARC record, is stored on floppy disk. The disks are then dispatched to Carrollton Press for retrieval of the full REMARC record. The local data is merged with the REMARC record and output to tape.
The price a library pays for REMARC records retrieved through these price- lures varies. Regular MINI MARC users ire charged $.50 per record retrieved )ut libraries that rent the system from Carrollton Press pay only $.30 per record retrieved.
[Contact: Carrollton Press, Inc., 1611 Kent Street, Arlington, VA 22209, 800) 368-3008 and Library Systems & Services, Inc., 1395 Piccard Drive, Suite 100, Rockville, MD 20850, (301) 258-0200.]
Popular Files on SilverPlatter
International Standard Information Systems (ISIS), the information services division of IMLAC Corporation, displayed a number of popular data bases as CD-ROM publications under its SilverPlatter trademark at ALA. ISIS describes its approach as a complete information distribution service that emphasizes information dissemination. Technology is treated only as a support mechanism. The SilverPlatter service offers familiar data bases, such as those currently available online, on a fixed subscription basis. The data bases and associated indexing are published on CD-ROM and distributed to subscribers periodically. When an institution first subscribes to a SilverPlatter service it is supplied with a microcomputer workstation with CD-ROM player, documentation, and support.
The company acts as the CD-ROM publisher for the data base producers and also supplies the search software which is recorded on the CD-ROM disk with the data files. This approach differs from the practice of other CD-ROM publishers which have, to date, distributed their applications software separately on floppy disk.
The SilverPlatter retrieval software supports keyword searching of both controlled vocabulary and freetext fields with Boolean operators, and truncation and proximity capabilities. It also offers a menu approach for inexperienced users, and provides data base-specific help and instruction routines. Users can browse the indexes and the software supports a variety of display and printing options.
Data bases from five producers were displayed on prototype discs, with the availability of production systems slated for early to mid-1986. The files represented on the SilverPlatter discs were: the Educational Resources Information Center's (ERIC) Resources in Education (RIE) and Current Index to Journals in Education (CIJE); EMBASE from Elsevier Science Publishers; the PATS Bulletin and PAIS Foreign Language Index; PsycLIT, a new data base developed by the PsycINFO Department of the American Psychological Association; and LISA, the Library and Information Science data base from the Library Association of Great Britain.
[Contact: IMLAC Corporation, 150 A Street, Needham, MA 02194, (617) 449- 0708 and: User Education Office, EMBASE, Elsevier Science Publishing Company, Inc., 52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017, (212) 916-1160; ERIC Database on SilverPlatter Compact Disc, c/o ORI Inc., Information Systems Division, 4833 Rugby Avenue, -Suite 301, Bethesda,MD 20814, (301) 656-9723; LISA Editor, Library Association, 7 Ridgemont Street, London WC1E ThE, England (01) 636-7543; Public Affairs Information Service Inc., 11 West 40th Street, New York, NY 10018- 2693, (212) 736-6629; Psychological Abstracts Information Services, 1400 North Uhle Street, Arlington, VA 22201, (800) 336-4980.]
Le Pac Patron Access Catalog
Brodart demonstrated a CD-ROM-based local public access catalog system dubbed "Le Pac." The concept entails the publication of a library's catalog data on a CD-ROM disc and the mounting of the disc on an IBM PC workstation. The file is accessed using software developed by Brodart which provides title, author and subject access. Publication of a library's catalog data on a CD-ROM disc is said to cost "about the same as a COM catalog."
The demonstration system shown at ALA featured a specially designed 10-key pad in place of the standard keyboard- the user can search the file using only these keys-and a split screen display with instructions on the left and displays on the right. The company is also developing a more sophisticated version of the system for experienced users. This version will offer a full keyboard and a full screen display, and will support the range of keyword and other search options provided by Brodart's online catalog system.
Brodart spokespersons estimate that the hardware required to support Le an IBM PC or lookalike, a keyboard, screen, and CD-ROM player-will be available for approximately $2,000. [Contact: Brodart, Library Automation Division, 500 Arch Street, Williainsport, PA 17705, (800) 233-8467.]
Software Encyclopedia
Bowker gave low-key demonstrations of a videodisc version of its Software Encyclopedia. Produced with LaserData technology, the disc contains a machine-readable version of the hardcopy publication. At the time of the demonstrations, the retrieval software was still in the process of being developed. [Contact: R. R. Bowker Co., 205 E. 42nd Street, New York, NY 10164, (212) 916- 1844.]
Faxon Shows LC Serials on CD-ROM
The Faxon Company demonstrated a CD--ROM disc containing the 250,000+ Library of Congress MARC records for serials. The disc is part of a prototype system being developed to provide a source of machine- readable records for users of the company's MicroLinx standalone serials control system due to be released in October 1985. While marketing details are not yet finalized, a spokesperson indicated that Faxon would probably make the disc and CD-ROM drive available to MicroLinx purchasers on a rental basis to provide a source of machine-readable records for libraries setting up their serial control systems.
[Contact: The Faxon Company, 15 Southwest Park, Westwood, MA 02090, (617) 329-335O.]
LC Pilot Project
The Library of Congress is currently exploring the use of CD-ROM or videodisc as a distribution medium for MARC data. The Library's Cataloging Distribution Service is in the process of awarding a contract to explore design issues for a three-year Disc Distribution Pilot Project. The pilot project will begin after the completion of the design study.
[Contact: Office of the Chief, Cataloging Distribution Service, Library of Congress, Washington, DC 20541, (202) 287-6120.]
Geac's ODD
Geac demonstrated an operational optical digital disk subsystem at ALA. The optical digital disk technology is the write-once, non-replicable technology being promoted as a mass storage medium for machine-readable data and the storage of digitized image data. The application demonstrated by Geac was that of document scanning and digitized image storage-the application currently being tested by the Library of Congress for the storage of images of journal pages.
In addition to being a major vendor of turnkey automated library systems, Geac Computers International Inc. designs and manufactures its own line of computer hardware. It is the sole Canadian distributor of the Thomson-CSF Gigadisc, the optical digital disk used in the demonstration system.
[Contact: Geac Computers International Inc., 350 Steelcase Road West, Markham, Ontario, Canada L3R lB3, (416) 475-0525.]
