Identifies factors undermining library phenomenon of "ultrafiche" collection. Proposal of concept by Rand Corporation (1968), publication of two prototype collections (Library Resources Inc.'s "Library of American Civilization," and National Cash Register's "PCMI Library Collections"), and forces having adverse effect on viability and longevity of…

Describes Drexon LaserCard (credit card size format holding two megabytes of digital data that can be recorded at factory or by information distributors) as a viable option to rotating optical media for distribution of computer software, technical manuals, periodicals, and other document applications, and projects its future in optical publishing.…

Two articles summarize qualities of medium being used in production of microforms: silver halide film, diazo film, and vesicular film. Highlights include policy of Law Library Microform Consortium, a nonprofit library cooperative and major supplier of legal materials on microfiche; archival storage and preservation; and recent recommendations.…

Explores the possibilities of using videodisc and optical disk technology as publishing media, highlighting the videodisc as an educational tool and visual supplement to online databases, digital database publishing on videodisc, optical disks for electronic document and image delivery systems, and costs associated with videodisc design and…

Identifies format-specific problems which depository and other government publications librarians frequently face as a result of the Government Printing Office's (GPO) micropublishing program. Program preparation and underpinnings, GPO microform storage in libraries, government publications librarians, and the independence of documents collections…

Scholarly publishers are experimenting with the "electronic monograph," a scholarly book offered on the Internet. Several converging trends (declining university subsidies, increasing research specialization, tightening library budgets) are putting pressure on academic publishing in the humanities and social sciences. Publishers are not convinced…

This current overview of optical disk technology describes the evolving marketplace for optical products, the use of libraries as test sites for prototype CD-ROM (compact disk read-only-memory) products, CD-ROM developments, new optical technologies, and advances in magnetics. A list of some compact disk manufacturers and a glossary of terms are…

Three general features of scholarly journals--internal processing, format, and form--are examined with regard to journals published by the American Institute of Physics (AIP). Reasons for the minor impact of electronic processing on output forms and display formats in physics journals are discussed, including the dependence of such journals on the…

Recognizing that the fast-developing optical storage technologies provide a new dimension in publishing and information storage, retrieval, and distribution, this report examines the technical characteristics and capabilities of video and optical systems and the implications of this technology. The following aspects of optical disk systems are…

Briefly describes a project that created an archive of electronic versions of published text. The procedures used to access the archives are described and the policies of the archive for proper use of electronically delivered documents by scholars and libraries are discussed. (5 references) (CLB)

Six articles provide an overview of map librarianship in the United States and highlight the following areas: microphotography, cartography's photographic revolution; major sources for map acquisitions; preservation (processes, equipment, and supply dealers); map collections in public libraries; and suggestions for improvement in map…

Describes JSTOR (Journal Storage), a not-for-profit organization located in New York City, established to use digital technology to preserve and make accessible core journal literature. Highlights include publisher participation and license agreements; scanning and optical character recognition; missing information; systems design; project goals;…

Describes the Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) and the inclusion of abstracting and indexing industry databases in OPACs. Topics addressed include the implications of including abstracting and indexing tape and CD-ROM products in OPACs; the need for standards allowing library systems to communicate with dissimilar CD-ROM products; and computer,…

Discusses the development of electronic books and considers marketing and distribution, rights management, and technical standards. Economic and institutional relationships, copyrights, Extensible Markup Language (XML), access to content, free access versus fees, preservation versus loss of control over long-term storage and access, and trusted…

Examines the effects of new technologies on scholarly communications, including changes in scholarly research and writings, the publishing industry, documentation of scholarly works, and users of records of scholarship. The research library's responsibility to collect, preserve, and make available records of scholarship is also discussed. (CLB)