ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries C&RL News • October 2002 / 639 N e w s f r o m t h e F i e l d Stephanie O rphan S y r a c u s e U. s t u d y s h o w s L S T A f u n d in g s p u r r e d l ib r a r y in v e s t m e n t A study completed by Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies and released by the National Commission on Libraries and In­ formation Studies (NCLIS) reports that U.S. public, school, academic, research, and special libraries have enjoyed increased access to fund­ ing and technology as the result of the 1996 Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). The report, “The Impact of Federal Fund­ ing on State Library Agencies: The LSCA to LSTA Transition,” shows that LSTA funding not only increased the amount of federal dol­ lars available for library services but generated a significant increase in state, local, and other nonfederal support to state libraries. LSTA generated an average of 17 percent in new funding for libraries from state and nongov­ ernmental sources during the budget years ana­ lyzed (1998 to 2000). A complete copy of the report is available on the NCLIS Web site, http://www.nclis.gov. S i r is p a r t n e r s w it h L S S I f o r in t e g r a t e d v ir t u a l re fe re n c e Sirsi Corporation is partnering with Library Sys­ tems and Services (LSSI) to provide virtual library reference services. Sirsi will integrate LSSI’s Virtual Reference Toolkit software with its iBistro and iLink e-Library solutions for library users and staff, providing the capa­ bilities for one-on-one virtual reference ses­ sions and access to related electronic content. B o s t o n A t h e n a e u m r e n o v a t io n c o m p le t e d The Boston Athenaeum reopened in Septem­ ber following the completion of a three-year renovation project. The principal purpose of the renovation was the installation of a com­ prehensive, building-wide climate-control sys­ tem designed to provide a safe environment for the Athenaeum’s collections and to en­ hance the comfort of its members and other visitors. The project also included expansion into adjacent space, which now houses a new two-room children’s library, the exhibit gal­ leries, and an expanded and modernized con­ servation library. The Athenaeum’s public spaces were shifted to the first floor, making its lecture halls and gallery spaces more acces­ sible to visitors. S A G E P u b lic a t io n s t o o f f e r c o lle c t io n s o n lin e In collaboration with Cambridge Scientific Ab­ stracts (CSA), SAGE Publications is releasing a new online product, the SAGE Collections, which is currently being beta-tested with an expected release of January 2003- The Sage Collections will give users more than 20,000 articles, with illustrations, graphs, charts, and photographs; immediate electronic access to links from cited references to full-text articles within the collections; tables of contents and articles o f individual jou rnals; and a customizable service alerting users to new ar­ ticles in a subject area. The first four collections offered online as part of this product are Communication Stud­ ies; Criminology; Politics and International Relations; and Sociology. CSA, publisher of CSA S ociological A bstracts, has developed the interface and search mechanism for the new service. http://www.nclis.gov 640 / C&RL News u O ctober 2002 Applying evaluation criteria for Web-based information sources to paper-based information sources A re v ie w o f The Meaning o f Relativity (P rin ce to n U n iv e rsity Press, 1945) b y A lb e r t E in ste in It is hard to imagine a more straightforward or convenient introduction to such a timely topic on Applying evaluation criteria for Web-based information sources to paper-based information sources. For those feeling overwhelmed by cos­ mological problems in the context of space/ time continua, this tool will be a welcome addi­ tion to their repertoire of one-stop, no-nonsense, all-in-one learning aids and devices. I rank this resource’s accessibility quite high; I was able to get into it quickly and repeatedly throughout the day, even during peak hours. Reliability was also above average because the infrastructure that coordinates its 135 pages func­ tions smoothly. The information retrieval mechanism never locked up or froze, vir­ tually eliminating downtime. This source is extremely well organised, fea­ turing an outline of die contents in tabular form and consecutive page numbers. I was also pleased not to find the Roman/Arabic num­ bering glitch, a systems incompatibility prob­ lem com mon in the opening pages of many cellulose-based data products. The visual layout is remarkably consis­ tent. Each page follows a standard format, with good use of white space in the mar­ gins and helpful running titles. The typog­ raphy is crisp and unpretentious, and the choice of black lettering on a white back­ ground makes for superb reading comfort. Eyestrain was not a problem, even after several hours’ perusal. The text is refresh­ ingly free of advertising material. Hypertext capability is well developed. The index contains many more keywords than I would ever need, and they provide direct links to specific pages. Moreover, even without the index, I was able to jump from any point in the text to any other point with just a flick of the B C R a c t iv a t e s n e w n e t L ib r a r y R e a d y R e fe r e n c e C o lle c t io n Participants in the Bibliographic Center for Re­ search (BCR) netLibrary Ready Reference Col­ lectio n now have a cce s s to m ore than 3 ,6 0 0 wrist. Thanks to a thematic organizational struc­ ture, navigation is intuitive. Graphics are of high resolution, suitable for photocopying, tracing, digital scanning, creating transparencies, or displaying via opaque projectors. Although impressive in their high definition, the illustrations never overpower the text or distract the reader. It is clear who is responsible for this work’s intellectual content because the author is iden­ tified on a page bearing the official title. His credentials, however, are not listed. The spon­ soring institution is also prominently named, although no contact information is provided. The lack of citations and links to other sources does beg the question of how much faith to put in the author’s expertise. Granted, his bias towards physics in general, and rela­ tivity in particular, is clearly stated from the opening page. Still, prudence is in order. Veri­ fication of facts is certainly recommended, particularly in the mathematical formulas. The version I reviewed is unambiguously identified as the second edition, and the stron­ gest indication that the work is complete, and is not still under construction, is the final para­ graph, which begins “Last and not least. . . ” Finally, treating usage as a valid criterion, I judge this resource to be very worthwhile. More than one page boasts the telltale dog-ear image registering its usefulness, not to mention occa­ sional smudges, underlines, and annotations in­ dicative of heavily used pulp-based informa­ tion sites. Einstein’s treatise has been accessed 48 times by users outside the library, and pre­ sumably even more times by intralibrary users. Highly recommended as a content-rich, fi­ ber-based reference, despite an avowedly se­ lective scope and relatively narrow focus. URL: 5301 E35m or alternate location QC6 .E431945. Accessible from any library that owns it or has interlibrary loan capabilities.— Kirk Doran, Dickinson College, doran@dickinson.edu. electronic books. In addition, more than 400 CliffNotes have been included in the collec­ tion and are available with four simultaneous- user access privileges. Ready Reference par­ ticipants may also order the OCLS WorldCat mailto:domn@dickinson.edu C&RL News ■ October 2002 / 641 Collection set of bibliographic records at no additional charge. Pricing for academic insti­ tutions, including access fees, is based on the number of full-time equivalents (FTEs) em­ ployed at the institutions. The Ready Refer­ ence Collection is not a subscription service; participating libraries pay a one-time fee. W ils o n W e b o f f e r s in c r e a s e d a c c e s s to f u ll- t e x t p e r io d ic a ls More than 1,700 periodicals from H. W. Wil­ son databases are currently featured in full text through the company’s WilsonWeb product. Full-text articles are now accompanied by PDF page images, making the charts, graphs, pho­ tos, and illustration in articles readily available to researchers. Search options have also been expanded, allowing users to link to full text residing on any of their library’s databases that are open-URL compliant. Coverage decisions for many of the Wilson periodicals databases are made with the help of ALA’s Reference and User Ser­ vices Association’s (RUSA) Committee on Wil­ son Indexes, along with subscriber vote. F ir s t p r o je c t u n d e r w a y a t O C L C 's n e w p r e s e r v a t io n c e n t e r A project to microfilm a selection of titles from the University of Minnesota’s (UM) collection of monographs chronicling the history of Brit- ish-Indian interaction is the first reformatting project for the new OCLC Digital & Preserva­ tion Resources (DPR) Western Center in Lacey, Washington. Services offered by the DPR Western Center include, training and consult­ ing in a variety of areas related to digitization and preservation; 35mm high-contrast and con­ tinuous tone preservation microfilming; bi- tonal, grayscale, and color digitization of docu­ ments, books, and special collections; and creation of structural, descriptive, and admin­ istrative metadata for digitized materials. UM contracted with OCLC Digital & Preservation Resources for microfilm preparation services and high-contrast microfilming of several vol­ umes from the Ames Library of South Asia. D ig it a l l y re c o r d e d t e x t b o o k s a v a ila b le t h r o u g h RFB & D Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic (RFB&D), the nation’s largest educational li­ brary for students who are blind, visually im­ paired, or have learning disabilities such as dys­ lexia, has unveiled its AudioPlus digitally recorded textbooks. The inaugural collection includes 6,000 digitally recorded education titles, which complement RFB&D’s existing collection of more than 91,000 accessible text­ books on analog tape. The digital textbooks provide students with instant access, conve­ nience, and better audio quality. To listen to the AudioPlus digitally recorded textbooks, students need a portable CD player equipped to play RFB&D’s books or a standard multi- media computer equipped with a CD-ROM drive and specialized software. RFB&D offers individual memberships to students as well as institutional memberships. ■ Poster session presenters sought for ACRL National Conference Share your expertise in a national forum! Present a poster session at the ACRL 11th National Conference in Charlotte, April 10- 13, 2003. Poster sessions are informal presentations featuring innovative projects or solutions to problems. These presentations provide a fo­ rum for developing contacts among librar­ ians interested in similar issues and are an easy way to get involved at the national level. Poster sessions also provide an opportunity to creatively develop your ideas and get name recognition without the stress of peer re­ view. Applications are available at www.ala. org/acrl/charlotte/program/callform. html. The deadline for submission is November 4, 2002. Completed applications should be sent to: Lynn Scott (Scottie) Cochrane, Director of Libraries, Denison University, Box L, Granville, OH 43023; phone: (740) 587-6215; fax: (740) 587-6285; e-mail: ACRLPOSTERS@denison.edu. More information about ACRL’s National Conference, including details about registra­ tion can be found at www.ala.org/acrl/char- lotte. Questions? Contact (800) 545-2433, ext. 2523; e-mail: acrl@ala.org. http://www.ala mailto:ACRLPOSTERS@denison.edu http://www.ala.org/acrl/char- mailto:acrl@ala.org