_Current_Cites_ Volume 2, no. 9 September 1991 Library Technology Watch Program University of California, Berkeley Edited by David F.W. Robison ISSN: 1060-2356 Contributors: Charles Bailey, Clifford Lynch, Teri Rinne, Vivienne Roumani, Lisa Rowlison, Mark Takaro, Roy Tennant Expert Systems Bielawski, Larry and Robert Lewand. Intelligent Systems Design : Integrating Expert Systems, Hypermedia and Database Technologies. New York : John Wiley & Sons, 1991. This work gives a good overview and discussion of intelligent systems and their design/development. It also presents the integration of hypermedia into expert system design (and vice versa)--this in particular, is an interesting marriage of technologies. Kruger, Myron. Artificial Reality II. Addison-Wesley, 1991. Kruger, one of the pioneers of virtual reality technology (who appears prominently in Rheingold's book below) has written an unusual book that, while surveying the typical VR technology (datagloves, head-mounted displays, etc.), focuses on the aesthetics of VR as applied to interactive networks. One comes away from this book with a completely different sense of Artificial Reality than one gets from reading much of the current rather sensationalistic popular press coverage. -- Clifford Lynch Rheingold, Howard. Virtual Reality. New York : Summit Books, 1991. In this book virtual reality is described and explained by Mr.Rheingold in a non- technical manner. He tells of his own experiences in discovering VR, and in this way we come to know of the technology's history and development. Networks and Networking Barron, Billy "Another use of the Internet: Libraries Online Catalogs" ConneXions: The Interoperability Report 5(7) (July):15-19. Written by the compiler of UNT's Accessing Online Databases, this article describes the current state and future of network accessible catalogs and databases, as well as the related issues of software standards. The articles citations are of special interest, as they include a number of e-mail postings. The Public Access Computer Systems Review special issue on network- based electronic serials. PACS review articles are available at LISTSERV@UHUPVM1.BITNET by sending the commands listed below with each citation. The descriptions presented below are all written by Charles Bailey, Editor-in-Chief of PACS Review. In "The Electronic Journal: What, Whence, and When?," Ann Okerson surveys current and future e-journal publication activities. She discusses publishers' visions of e-journals, and she identifies four major groups of potential e-journal publishers: existing publishers, intermediary organizations (e.g., ISI and CARL), researchers and scholars, and universities. She concludes by forecasting how e- journals may evolve during the next 9 years. (GET OKERSON PRV2N1 or GET OKERSON PRV2N1 F=MAIL) In "Online Journals: Disciplinary Designs for Electronic Scholarship," Teresa Harrison et al. examine and critique the e- journal concept, then describe the Electronic Journal of Communication/La Revue Electronique de Communication (EJC/REC). EJC/REC is a referre[e]d, bilingual journal dealing with communication. It is part of the innovat[ive] Comserve service, which provides communication scholars with a variety of electronic information services (e.g., directory information, journal indexes, access to over 1,000 files, and 20 computer conferences). (GET HARRISON PRV2N1 or GET HARRISON PRV2N1 F=MAIL) In "Post-Gutenburg Galaxy: The Fourth Revolution in the Means of Production of Knowledge," Stevan Harnad discusses the three historical revolutions in knowledge production (speech, writing, and print) and the emerging fourth revolution--electronic "skywriting" on the Net. He examines the limitations of our print-based scholarly communication system, and describes how electronic communication can support scholarly skywriting, a process that allows scholars to get rapid feedback about promising ideas and theories from colleagues worldwide. He then describes Psycoloquy, a referred psychology e-journal that embodies the scholarly skywriting process. (GET HARNAD PRV2N1 or GET HARNAD PRV2N1 F=MAIL) In "The Journal of the International Academy of Hospitality Research," Lon Savage describes a referred e-journal for researchers in hotel, restaurant, and institutional management and tourism. JIAHR is sponsored by the International Academy of Hospitality Research and published by Virginia Tech's Scholarputer conference, e journal. The authors also discuss the future of e-journals. (GET AMIRAN PRV2N1 or GET AMIRAN PRV2N1 F=MAIL) In "New Horizons in Adult Education: The First Five Years (1987- 1991)," Jane Hugo and Linda Newell describe the evolution of one of the first (if not the first) refereed e-journals on the Net. This unique adult education journal is edited by graduate students. (GET HUGO PRV2N1 or GET HUGO PRV2N1 F=MAIL) In "EJournal: An Account of the First Two Years," Edward Jennings provides a personal look at his efforts to establish and publish a refereed e-journal on electronic networks and texts. This behind- the-scenes narrative reveals some of the trials and tribulations that may face the prospective e-journal publisher. (GET JENNINGS PRV2N1 or GET JENNINGS PRV2N1 F=MAIL) In "The Newsletter on Serials Pricing Issues," Marcia Tuttle describes the evolution and publishing practices of this e- newsletter, which deals with serials concerns. In addition to BITNET and Internet, the newsletter is also published on ALANET, DataLinx, and EBSCONET. She also discusses a variety of electronic publishing issues. (GET TUTTLE PRV2N1 or GET TUTTLE PRV2N1 F=MAIL) ARTICLES IN THE COMMUNICATIONS SECTION In "How to Start and Manage a BITNET LISTSERV Discussion Group: A Beginner's Guide," Diane Kovacs et al. discuss the steps to set up and run a computer conference using the Revised LISTSERV software. LISTSERV is a very widely used software package that supports both computer conferences and e-serial publication on BITNET (many existing e-serials are distributed with this software). It runs on IBM mainframes under the VM/CMS operating system. (GET KOVACS PRV2N1 or GET KOVACS PRV2N1 F=MAIL) In "Providing Data Services for Machine-Readable Information in an Academic Library: Some Levels of Service," Jim Jacobs examines four types of academic services for machine-readable data files: general data services, computing services, library data services, and reference data services. Within each type, he identifies different possible levels of service. (GET JACOBS PRV2N1 or GET JACOBS PRV2N1 F=MAIL) Scientific American Special Issue on Communications, Computers and Networks 265(3) (September 1991). If you purchase a single issue of a magazine this year, this should be it. Filled with eleven articles by some of the biggest names in computer networking, this issue covers all bases and includes suggestions for further readings on the issues. Included in this issue are the following articles: * "Communications, Computers and Networks" by Michael L. Dertouzos of MIT; * "Networks" by Vinton G. Cerf, President of the Coalition for National Research Initiatives, writing about the network as medium; * "Networked Computing in the 1990s" by Lawrence G. Tesler of Apple Computer describing how changes in available technology will change the way computers are used in society; * "The Computer for the 21st Century" by Mark Weiser, head of the Computer Science Laboratory at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, describes the future filled with smaller and more independent, yet interconnected computers, what he calls "ubiquitous computing"; * "Products and Services for Computer Networks" by Nicholas P. Negroponte, also of MIT (and has also been a visiting professor at Berkeley), shows us a tantalizing vision of networked information; * "Computers, Networks and Work" by Lee Sproull and Sara Kiesler of Boston University and Carnegie Mellon University, respectively (and the authors of ConnectionsQcited here last month), explore the effects of increased networking on work and workers; * "Computers, Networks and the Corporation" by Thomas W. Malone and John F. Rockart both of MIT; * "Computers, Networks and Education" by Alan C. Kay of Apple Computer, using elementary education as an example, describes how computers can amplify many areas of the educational process; * "Infrastructure for the Global Village" by Al Gore, the US Senator and author of the 1990 High Performance Computing Act, argues the necessity of government involvement in the creation of a national high-speed network; * "Common Law for the Electronic Frontier" by Anne W. Branscomb of Harvard University, discusses some of the issues of security and privacy in a networked environment, as does Mitch Kapor, co-founder and president of the Electronic Frontier Foundation [see EFFector Online above], in "Civil Liberties in Cyberspace." Optical Disc Technologies "CD-ROM Special" ASLIB Information 19(6) (June 1991). This issue of ASLIB Information, published in London, is devoted to CD-ROM technology, with six articles covering a wide range of topics, including hardware selection, standards, networking, and full-text CD-ROM databases. This proves that the technology has firmly entrenched itself on the other side of the Atlantic as well. King, Alan "Let your fingers do the walking: A guide to information sources about CD-ROM" Database 14(4) (August 1991):97-99. King provides a detailed list and descriptions of his favorite CD-ROM information sources with the caveat that "the amount of information about CD-ROM technology has exploded almost as quickly as the technology itself." It is encouraging to note that the two periodicals he deems as key, and when combined "create the definitive CD-ROM reference" are both monitored monthly in Current Cites. General Miericke, Susan "Creating Hospitable Environments for Technologically Naive Users: Y'all Come Back Now, Hear!" Library Trends 39(3) (Winter 1991):327- 334. Miericke argues that developing and using "sound communications strategies" as well as contextual teaching are the key to successful integration of the technologically disinclined into the information age. Templeton, Brad "The National Conference on Computing and Values: a Report" EFFector Online [eff-news@eff.org] 1(10) (August 24, 1991). This is a brief report on the first conference on computing and values that took place this past summer. Woodsworth, Anne. Patterns and Options for Managing Information Technology on Campus. Chicago : American Library Association, 1991. In this book Woodsworth addresses the question, "how can visions of the ideal campus in the information age be realized: through the pervasive influence of groups of technologically literate leaders on campus? Or through strong central direction by a chief information officer (CIO)?" ------------------------------------------------------------------ Current Cites 2(9)(September 1991) Copyright (C) 1992 by the Library, University of California, Berkeley. All rights reserved. Copying is permitted for noncommercial use by computerized bulletin board/conference systems, individual scholars, and libraries. Libraries are authorized to add the journal to their collections at no cost. This message must appear on copied material. 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