Workshop Notes from Science REference Institute: Tier 2 (long

[JCONSTANT@UMASSD.EDU]

Notes to LM_NET colleagues:

The following notes were taken at Tier Two of the Science Reference Institute
given at Simmons College on March 18th, 1993. Twenty-five school library media
specialists, and twenty-five public librarians participated in these
workshops.
Many useful handouts were also given to participants. As soon as I can scan
the
handouts. I would like to share them with you also.

The eleven pages of notes that follow are from a workshop by Dr. Candy
Schwartz
at Simmons Graduate School of Library and Information Science. I haven't
transcribed the other notes yet.

If any of the Massachusetts School Librarians who were there are reading
this, please send me your comments by email: jconstant@umassd.edu

I don't have all of the notes from Dr. Chen's Friday or Saturday workshops.
Maybe you could send me the notes you have, so that I could piece them
together and  share them via LM_NET.

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________________________________________________________________________Science
Reference Institute-Tier II
Simmons College   Friday, March 18, 1994

Presented by Dr. Candy Schwartz,
Associate Professor, GSLIS, Simmons College:


Notes taken by Jane Constant, B.M.C. Durfee High School of Fall River


ELECTRONIC AND OPTICAL SCIENCE REFERENCE SOURCES

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1. OVERVIEW: (see handouts: Selection Tools; Readings and Resources)

*Types of Resources
*General Hardware and Software Issues
*Selection and Evaluation
*Format MIxes
*Intermediary Use Versus End Use
*Impact on Collection and Resources

Problems with using online and electronic resources: a lack of uniformity in
subject headings.

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2. ONLINE WORLD

*Database publishers/producers
*Search service and CD suppliers buy databases and sell access
*Dial in or CD subscription
*Intermediaries:Complex search protocols online
*End users: use simple interfaces
*Advantages of:
     -Speed: all volumes searchable at once
     -Currency: (Will go either way)
     -Flexibility in display but difficulties in browsing
     -Different methods of access; different fields to search


Database publishers generally independent of online service producers. Each
publisher uses its own set of commands. Some publishers and producers are
working together to let us use a common command language to access numerous
information databases. While this makes searching easier for the end user,
there is still a need for complex search commands, in some cases, for a more
precise search. Natural command language is now being used by First Search,
whereas the EPIC service requires a more complex command language.  EBSCO and
WILSON use a simpler, natural language, whereas the SILVER PLATTER databases
require more complex search commands.

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3. TYPES OF RESOURCES FOR SCIENCE REFERENCE

*From the point of view of how you get to them:
     -CD ROM, online, on the net
*From the point of view of contents:
     -Electronic Books
     -Electronic Journals-single title
     -Secondary Services-multiple sources
     -Electronic Activities
*From the point of view of use:
     -Some are reference services used by librarians
     -Some are sources provided for the user population

First Search is an example of a secondary service, as it provides indexing
and abstracting information, but no full text. There are also different forms
of cd resources. Some include links to images, charts, graphs, etc.
Electronic activities include things you can do, such as lesson plans, group
projects, book talk ideas, etc. Some of the sources might be used by
librarians for networking, for inservice, or for reference services to
patrons, while other might be used directly by patrons, or end users.

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4. SOME BIG PLAYERS

*R.R. Bowker
*Commonwealth Agricultural Bureau (CAB)
*DIALOG (Knight Ridder as of 1988): online and CD
*EBSCO: CD
*Macmillan New Media (will merge with Paramount)
*Maxwell:(ORBIT and BRS): online
*OCLC (EPIC, First Search):online
*SilverPlatter: CD
*H.W. Wilson: online and CD
*Compuserv, Prodigy, America Online

EBSCO has a new service: Science REviews. The Maxwell databases are for
scholarly research in the Health Sciences. SilverPlatter is intended
primarily for intermediary searches and is wide in scope. It is like the
Dialog of the CD world.

Compuserv is intended for end users and has a business focus. Prodigy and
America Online have a general focus. All three are  gateways to the Internet.

FAXON, a periodicals distributor, is also the producer of a CD index to
serials.

Dialog Classmate program is changing to Classroom Instruction Program.
(Librarians need to contact Anne Caputo at Dialog for more information.)

CD programs which offer full text are: Newsbank CD, Biology Digest CD.
(Magazine Articles Summaries CD is also used by many libraries.)

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5. GENERAL HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE ISSUES

*MIcrocomputer
     -Large amount of RAM required(at least 8MB)
     -Large hard drive (at least 200 MB) This is standard at Simmons, and
        they will soon need to expand  further.
     -At least one 3 1/2 floppy drive
     -Advanced graphics card (This is for large screen presentations, and
        lets you change resolution on your monitor.
     -Fast clock speed (MEgahertz)
     -Capability to be upgraded (Need to know upper limits when
purchasing hardware. How much can it be upgraded?
     -Colour monitor  10/24 resolution
                     non interface(no flicker.)
     -Printer: quiet, reliable, preferably with inexpensive refill
cartridges.
     -Software (IBM at Simmons):( Windows 3.1., DOS 6.2, utility programs,
antivirus software

Vendors often have a ceiling for upgrades. Buyer needs to know this before
buying hardware. A 2,000.00 IBM  includes color monitor. (Most monitors now
built according to Swedish standard for emissions and considered safe.
Hardware labeled "green" also considered environmentally safe.)

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6. SELECTION AND EVALUATION

*Choices have to be made for:
     -Formats: (same data online or cd rom)
     -Providers: (same data on different cd roms or different oline services.)
     -Distributors: (same company's cd rom, but different distributors.)
     -What to keep and what to toss
     -Format mixes: making the most of the budget

Need to consider the size and group served. Can we keep archival disks, or
must they be returned when we get updates. If we drop our print subscriptions,
and later decide to renew them, will we have a gap in our collection? Our
budget will limit our decisions. We need to consult the selection list for
guidelines.
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7. CHOOSING DATABASES IN ONLINE SERVICE

*Scope of topic (subject, types of materials, time spent)
*Dollars expendable
*Experience with hard copy if available
*Printed database catalogues
*Documentation, user aids, journal lists
*Online database selectors, like Dialindex


See selection tools handout. Journal lists are addressed on the cd version of
some databases, but not always in the online version.
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8. CD SELECTION

*Related to collection
     -Appropriate for clientele
     -Time span and update frequency appropriate
     -Other format equivalents, journal coverage
*Related to operations
     -Anticipated use, compatibility
*Related to vendor
     -Who owns the disc if the subscription is terminated?
     -Is there a family of products?
     -Are there unreasonable licensing agreements?
     -Will they let you preview?
*Related to capabilities
     -Appropriate interface, flexibility
     -Is on-screen, context sensitive help available?
*Richard and Robinson, CDP (September, 1993) gives an evaluation based on a
weighted value judgement of resources.


Reviews don't always give age level of audience. Library Science journals do
list target audience. Some companies also sell information on diskette. CD
databases vary in how they are driven: menu driven programs are simpler to
operate, but yield fewer results when searching. Command driven programs are
more complex to operate, but offer more choices when searching.
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9. CD ROM VERSUS ONLINE

*Advantages
     -Unlimited searching at a fixed cost compared to online
     -More browsing time, more help
*Disadvantages
     -Initial cost is considerably higher than online
     -REtrieval time is slower than online, but this is improving.

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10. INTERMEDIARY USE VERSUS END-USER USE

*Problems
     -Protocols, structures, logic are complex with intermediary users
     -Subject languages differ among databases
*But
     -More information is online and there is more public awareness.
     -More full-text information is available
     -More people have telecommunications capabilities
*Students have to become search literate
*Characteristics of end-user searches:
     -Problems remembering commands
     -Tendency to browse, therefore costly if online
     -Dislike of printed searching tools, which are rarely  used.
     -Presearch preparation is usually ignored


Target, from Dialog: type in terms
Dialog's Classroom Instruction Program is different from Dialog Classmate,
which has been discontinued. Contact Anne Caputo for information.
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11. IMPACT ON COLLECTION AND RESOURCES

*Virtual library versus actual library
*Some cd products let you flag or restrict search results to items owned by
your library.

When using online indexing and abstracting tools, search results often list
journals that are not owned by the local library. This can be frustrating for
patrons who want the information right away.

The library needs to consider this when purchasing these resources. It needs
to have full text items available onsite, whether they be actual journals, or
full text cd resources such as NewsBank,and  SIRS, or summaries such as
Magazine Articles Summaries.

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12. SPECIFIC HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE ISSUES: ONLINE

*Physical device for telecommunications (modem)
     -Baud rate should allow for 2400, preferably 9600 and  14.4 bps
*Communications software and modem (Hayes compatible)
     -Uploading, downloading, log-on procedures
*Front-end software like Dialoglink, Smartware
*Telephone line, telephone, wiring


You need a Hayes compatibile modem.
Simmons uses the Smartcom Communications Program for Windows. It lets you use
 a mouse to move, cut and paste, etc. Some "front end" software packages do
command translations. For example, Wilsearch lets you browse, lets you search
by filling in the blanks for your search term, and lets you set  up extra
accounting info. Dialog's Classroom Instruction Program has a feature called
Smartsearch, which lets you set up sub accounts with separate budgets.
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13.SPECIFIC HARWARE AND SOFTWARE ISSUES: CD

*CD Drive
     -Separate or built in
     -Consists of machine and driver board
     -Jukebox
     -Networked cd's
*Microsoft cd extensions software
*The more things you put on your hard drive, the more  conflicts you might
have.

A microsoft extensions software lets the micro recognize the cd drive as just
another disk drive.

Some popular cd drives are made by NEC, Toshiba, Sony, Apple. It is important
to note the transfer rate (the time it takes for the information to get from
the cd drive to the computer). It should be 300 kilobytes or better. Also
important is the access time (time it takes for information to be located on
the cd disk.) It should be 350 miliseconds or less. Newer drives now have
quadruple speed for the newer multimedia. Generally speaking, Macintosh
drives are easier to deal with when using them with MAC computers. With IBM,
there is a problem interfacing the cd drives with the loaded hard drives. We
need to stay up to date with upgrades on cd extensions software and graphics
software. Usually, we can download the upgrades from the manufacturer's
online bbs service.

You also need to know the requirements of the cd software you purchase.
Granger's Poetry Index requires a color monitor.

Jukebox: one machine that lets you change cd programs

CD Tower: stack of cd drives located at a distance, and networked to many
stations.

You need an IBM 386 or better. (Macs need at least 4 meg ram, and a hard
drive.)

(Note: Participant next to me uses and likes Magazine Articles Summaries on
CD.)
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14. COSTS

*Start up costs
     -Hardware and software
     -Online: system and database documentation
     -Online: Initial training workshops
*Production costs of an online search
     -Using Dialog for a real example,you have the following:
telecommunications charge, royalties, hits, prints,
     -Dialog CIP  example: $15.00 per hour, plus telecom charges of
        $3.00 to 6.00 if you don't have Internet access.
     -First Search example:
                 Buy cards and sell them to users to recoup costs.
                 Cost depends on how many searches you buy

ONLINE
Indexes and guides to some online services are available for extra $. Some
documentation is free. Dialog costs include extra charges for seeing full
record, full text. There is also an online time cost, a per citation cost,
and the telecommunications cost for users without Internet access.

DIALOG'S Classroom Instruction Program costs $15.00 per connect hour, plus
$6.00 telcommunications charge for users without Internet access. There is no
special command set. Need to know the full command set. Contract states that
user must use this program for classroom instruction purposes or to teach
information research skills.  (Can't do orders offline???)  KNowledge Index
will be maintained, even though Dialog Classmate will be discontinued in favor
of the Classroom Instruction Program. Contact Anne Caputo at Dialog for
information.

FIRST SEARCH PROGRAM
Searches may be purchased in blocks of 10, 25, 50, 100.
It is primarily and indexing and abstracting tool, although Disclosure is a
full text database.

EPIC DATABASES are not necessarily full text.It includes many of the First
Search indexing and abstracting databases, but  searching EPIC does require a
more detailed, complex command language than First SEarch.
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15. COSTS FOR CD ROMS

*Outright purchase or subscription
*Current disk and archival disk
*Some lease an entire work station
*Costs are higher for networked access

Some mixed packaging is available, where the index is on cd, but the full
text is on microfiche, such as Newsbank. Newsbank now is available full
text on a cd for $2850.00 per year.
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16.COSTS, CONTINUED

*Support costs:
     -Maintenance contracts (ooo's) service charges, phone  bills
     -Paper, ribbons, discs, other supplies
     -Promotion and bibliographic instruction
     -Online: subscriptions to vendor documentation and   workshops
     Online: costs of faulty formulations
     -Online: costs for library use, (for ILL,  acquisitions, etc.)
*Impact of increased use on library budget: ie,More xeroxing, shelving,
ILL, journal subscriptions
*Can you toss an infrequently used indexing service?

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17.WHAT ARE YOU SEARCHING?

*Indexes
     -Free text searching in the basic indexes
     -Descriptor search
     -Classification field search
*Consider
     -Richness of records
     -Nature of titles
     -Nature and proportion of abstracts
     -Nature and number of descriptors
     -Availability of thesaurus (print, online)
     -Nature of other fields


How online sources work: Indexes are compiled separately from subjects,
titles, descriptors, authors, classification numbers, etc.  Full text sources
are not always searchable by full text.

Richness: Is the title augmented or enhanced to explain context ? Some
databases will add their own subtitles to explain the context of the title.

Abstracts:  The Wilson databases do not have abstracts. We need to know if
there are abstracts or full text available.

Subject Headings: We need to know if there are 10-20 subject headings, or
only 1-2 subject headings.

Is there a way for us to see a directory of subject headings,(trees)?

We need to understand the nature of the fields in the database we are
searching.

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18. BASIC STEPS IN CONDUCTING A SEARCH

*Break down topic into concept blocks
     -Children AND Television  AND Violence
     -Or, to improve retrieval, you could include synonyms
*Develop terminology in blocks
*Build each block online, choosing smallest first (most specific item should
be
searched first.)
*Combine blocks (There are other strategies, but this is simplest
*Examine results
*Modify if necessary
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19.SEARCH FEATURES USUALLY AVAILABLE

*Truncation (child, children//boy, boys)
     -This might be a ?, a $ ,  a#  or some other symbol
*Restrict to a particular field, ie title, author, subj.
     -For instance: television in ti, or ti=television
*Limit results by language, publication, year
*Examine the indexes and select from them
*Treatment of phrases, eg. school libraries
     -Subject headings
     -That exact phrase, anywhere
     -school AND  libraries
*Proximity commands
     -school  near 2 libraries  (for word 2, or 2w   etc.)

The function key on cd's will let you see the words above and below  your
word in the index.
First Search has a wordlist feature which lets you see an index of sujects,
key words, etc.
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20. ONCE YOU SEE ACTUAL CITATIONS, WHAT CAN YOU DO?

*Look at them in various formats
*Print them in various formats
*Capture them in a file on a disk
 This varies depending on the system you are using.
With some cd's there is a function key which lets you download to disk. Other
programs don't allow it.
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21. GENERAL ISSUES TO CONSIDER: ONLINE

*Is training affordable, as well as service per se?
*Is there a critical mass for staff to retain familiarity   with the system?
*Is there a potential user group?

Questions about user education: Who does it? Who sets up and maintains
equipment, writes batch files? Who trains and who gets trained? Who assists
patrons?
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22. GENERAL ISSUES TO CONSIDER: ONLINE AND CD

*What will be the mix of cd's versus online?
*Which staff will do it, and are they ready?
     -Online searching
     -CD ROM  installation, setting up batch files, etc.
     -Training
     -Mundane tasks, (changing printer ribbons, reinking, )
     -Helping people with floppy disk issues
*Which vendors provide the best mix of files?
*How many work stations should be provided to the public?

Is there a policy for use of these workstations? Are there time limits?
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End.
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We hope these worksho notes have been helpful. Once we have scanned the
following handouts,
ELECTRONIC AND OPTICAL SCIENCE REFERENCE SOURCES: READINGS AND RESOURCES
and  SELECTION TOOLS, we will send those to LM_NET members who would like a
copy.

Best wishes,
Jane Constant
B.M.C.Durfee High School of Fall River
jconstant@umassd.edu