Discusses technological research efforts by the Research and Development Department of the British Library in the areas of videotex, videodisc, and teleconferencing, noting the videotex service known as Prestel and the department's network project, called BLEND (Birmingham and Loughborough Electronic Network Development). (EJS)

The European Patent Office (EPO) has recently implemented the last part of its ambitious automation project aimed at creating an automated search environment for approximately 1200 EPO patent search examiners. The examiners now have at their disposal an integrated set of tools offering a full range of functionalities from online searching, via…

Because experience with large information retrieval (IR) and database management (DBM) systems has shown that they are not adequate for the handling of textual material, two Swedish companies--Paralog and AU-System Network--have joined in a venture to develop a software package which combines features from IR and DMB systems to form a Text Data…

Discusses a project in which a large variety of materials from the collection of the Canadian Public Archives were recorded and played back using laser optical videodisc technology. The videodisc's capabilities for preserving, storing, and retrieving information are discussed. (Author/JJD)

This report describes the development and operations of FORMAT, a Canadian database system designed to achieve comprehensive national bibliographic control of Canadian-produced audiovisual materials. FORMAT's developmental criteria are outlined, including its emphasis on Canadian-produced audiovisual documents, French/English bilingualism,…

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food conducted an operational evaluation of the software packages CAIRS and STATUS, which were used to build databases and databanks. Setting up the trial, types of data involved (chemical products used as pesticides), searching and presentation of data, and the final choice are covered. (EJS)

Developments in EUDISED (European Documentation and Information System for Education) during the period 1986-1987 in Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Italy, the Netherlands, and Switzerland are outlined in this report, and information is provided on both online use of the EUDISED database and the distribution by country of contributions to the database.…

COPAC is a union catalog giving access to the online catalog records of some of the largest academic research libraries in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Discussion includes ways in which duplicate detection and record consolidation procedures are carried out, along with problem areas encountered. (Author/AEF)

This paper is primarily an annotated listing of criteria for selection of a microcomputer to be used for online information retrieval. The paper was used by the University Library of the Technische Universitat Wien (Vienna, Austria) while preparing to contact computer dealers and to inform them about the library's needs in this specialized area of…

The two-day conference included the following: (1) a tutorial on Selective Dissemination of Information (SDI) services including those of the National Science Library, COMPENDEX, and the retrospective and current-awareness searches of "Chemical Titles;" (2) a workshop on profiling and search editing, for the aforementioned services; (3)…

This study of public access databases in vocational education and training was conducted in the European Economic Community (EEC). Principal sources for the study were a survey sent to practitioners in eight countries; country studies on France, Greece, Italy, and the United Kingdom; and field work involving visits to Belgium, the Netherlands,…

Discussion of the use of technology in Australian schools to improve information access and educational outcomes focuses on the impact on school library resource centers. Topics discussed include online information services; electronic bulletin boards; electronic mail via microcomputers; and optical storage media, including CD-ROM, hypermedia, and…