Discusses factors that should be considered by buyers and producers of databases on CD-ROM (compact disc-read only memory). The advantages and disadvantages of CD-ROM are also discussed and compared with those of magnetic and print media, and market projections are provided. (CLB)

Describes computer storage devices and suggests implications for electronic publishing. Highlights include magnetic storage media, including digital audio tape (DAT); high-capacity magnetic drives; optical storage technologies, including CD-ROM and WORM; magneto-optical drives; and a sidebar that discusses other storage technologies. (21…

This overview of a digital optical storage medium with a multimedia capability includes a global description of specifications, current status, and elements required to make a CD-I (compact disk interactive) launch possible. (Author/CLB)

The market availability of optical storage technology will radically change the nature of information distribution, especially by reducing the high cost of mass data storage. The three general classes of optical storage are: (1) mass-produced read-only storage, (2) write-once storage, and (3) erasable optical storage. (CDD)

Explains the basic hardware, software, and media options for changing from a CD-ROM user to a CD-ROM publisher. Highlights include system configurations; computer recommendations; transfer media, including tapes, discs, and optical media; backup software and formatting/simulation software; costs; and publishing systems. (LRW)

Examines factors which may affect the receptivity of librarians to the use of optical disk technologies, including hardware and software issues, the content of currently available databases, and the integration of optical technologies into existing library services. (CLB)

Reviews definitions and the scope, history, technological capabilities, and other significant issues of electronic publishing. Advantages and disadvantages of electronic publishing are compared to those of traditional publishing, and possible future impacts of electronic publishing on books and libraries are considered. (CDD)

This paper, written for a National Archives staff training course discusses the use of computers in the classroom as reflective of the larger social trend toward an increasing dependency on automated systems to assist business and government in their efforts to more effectively manage and retrieve information. The paper also demonstrates the…

Intended to investigate ways in which electronic publishing might be further developed to serve important consumer needs and social interests that have yet to become a focus for the industry, this two-day planning meeting consisted of roundtable discussions with 16 electronic publishing experts and practitioners. Following a presentation of the…

Discusses the preservation of electronically produced data focusing on the passive destruction of data due to lack of proper care in information storage. Three case studies are presented: two involve specific media--magnetic tape and CD-ROM (compact disk read-only-memory)--and one the transfer of data from one system to another. (EM)

Interview with a computer scientist for the U.S. Geological Survey focuses on CD-ROM as a medium for publishing, disseminating, and archiving government data; the private sector's role in producing value-added CD-ROM products; and SIGCAT (Special Interest Group for CD-ROM Applications and Technology), a free CD-ROM user group. (NRP)

Reviews reasons why electronic journals have not replaced printed materials, and describes ways in which new technologies such as online searching, full text databases, facsimile transmission, optical disk, and other electronic storage methods are offering alternative methods of access to printed journals. Future technological developments and…

Discusses the reasons behind the trend of distribution of public domain statistics by private, commercial agencies in the United States and Great Britain, identifies marketable materials and marketing strategies, and explores possible disadvantages in terms of the public good and the possibility that governments will no longer collect statistical…

A series of six articles discusses the technology of optical data disks, current and possible future applications of this technology, their potential impact on information retrieval systems, and the potential problems as they apply to information science. (CLB)

Predicting that a large component of the library of the not so distant future will be an electronic network of file servers where information is stored for access by personal computer workstations in remote locations as well as the library, this paper discusses innovative computer technologies--particularly CD-ROM (Compact Disk-Read Only Memory)…