This presentation at a seminar for library staff and students describes the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) system as an information system designed to provide users with ready access to primarily English-language literature dealing with education by establishing a database, publishing abstracting journals, and reproducing…

Discusses the rationale, principles, required tools, advantages, and disadvantages of the Multifile Multidisciplinary (Horizontal) Search approach to searching online databases. It is noted that this approach is characterized by the use of a large number of files spanning a wide variety of disciplines. (12 references) (MES)

Describes three in-house indexes produced at the Texas A&M University Library to facilitate access to energy-related materials, curriculum guides and other educational materials, and reference materials. Production, as well as time and cost factors, are discussed. Recommendations for producing in-house indexes are offered. (10 references) (MES)

The director of the Buros Institute of Mental Measurements describes the "Mental Measurements Yearbook,""Tests in Print," the institute's online database, its symposium, and symposium books. Suggestions to librarians for increasing effectiveness of service to users of tests are included. (Author/EM)

This digest describes the traditional, new, and emerging points of access to the ERIC system: (1) traditional print access; (2) online access through commercial vendors; (3) CD-ROM; and (4) ERIC Digests Online. Also described are services offered by the ERIC Clearinghouse on Information Resources (ERIC/IR) that provide access to the system--ERIC…

Describes the computer-based online system, UNBIS, developed for expanded reference and information services and to provide bibliographic control of United Nations document holdings. The report includes descriptions of current and future UNBIS information products. (RAA)

Discusses a dilemma facing government documents librarians as a result of the multitude and complexity of presently available indexing aids to government publications: how to provide the library users with the means for understanding sophisticated access tools and enhanced collections. A 13-entry reference list is included. (Author/JL)

It is suggested that television archives will revolutionize teaching at every level. The Television News Archive (TNA) at Vanderbilt University, which houses videotapes of selected public affairs and the networks' evening news, is described. It is the only television archive that compiles subject tapes. (MLW)

Reviews the special requirements of a bibliographic database, and shows how they are met in the DOBIS-LIBIS (Dortmund Library System-Leuven Library System) system. Full authority file control over the indexes to the database is discussed, and the DOBIS-LIBIS system is described in detail. References are included. (Author/BK)

Guides librarians on how to assist users studying environmental public policy, and discusses sources under three main headings: environmental interest groups, business and labor, and government. Also examines social science indexes relevant to environmental public policy. A list of sources is appended. (Author/LRW)

The use of online searching by reference librarians to provide actual answers and not just bibliographies or current awareness printouts has the potential to save time and money for the reference department. The quick reference service can actually promote rather than compete with the library's online search service for in depth subject searching.…

Describes principles underlying the development of guides for electronic indexes such as the Catholic Periodical and Literature Index (CPLI): begin with basic steps, keep it simple, answer questions most frequently asked, be consistent, emphasize search techniques that use the strengths of the index. Includes a copy of the guide for the CPLI on…

Describes how online searchers can use a software tool based on back-of-the-book indexes to assist in dealing with search engine databases compiled by spiders that crawl across the entire Internet or through large Web sites. Discusses human versus machine knowledge, conversion of indexes to mind maps or mini-thesauri, middleware, eXtensible Markup…

This excerpt from "The CD-ROM Handbook" (Desmarais, Meckler Corp., 1988) describes a variety of CD-ROM products with library applications. Highlights include cataloging services; acquisitions; public access catalogs; reference works; indexes and databases; and names and addresses of 30 vendors connected with the optical publishing…

Argues that librarians should and can develop new electronic information products to meet their users' needs and describes the development of three such products at the Graduate School of Management Library at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)--the RATIOS file, the REF-LITE Project, and the expert system Who?Biz. (EA)