ON-LINE LIBRARY CATALOG SYSTEMS

 ************** Jayne Miller - Salem Public Schools *********

                           

                  ON-LINE LIBRARY CATALOG SYSTEMS

INTRODUCTION

This analysis evaluates related telecommunication on-line resources

for accessing bibliographic information on young adult Spanish

literature. The need for such resources is particularly relevant to

high school media centers serving growing Hispanic student

populations.

EVALUATION CATEGORIES

Four resource centers were selected: Harvard Universtiy, Boston

University, Tufts University, and the University of California.

Each  offers bibliographic services accessible via modem from

remote locations.  The services provided by each of the four

centers were evaluated on 6 dimensions:

 

1. Scope 

2. Ease of Accessing Information

3. Format of Information

4. Research Aids

5. Books Identified for Topic

6. Overall Rating

In the interest of clarity and understanding each of the dimensions

is defined:

        Scope - the number of holdings listed in the on-line

        catalog for that library as of July, 1991.

        Ease of Accessing Information - The efficiency with which a

        search can be executed.

        Format of Information - The configuration in which the

        information is presented.

        Research Aids - Tools provided by the programs that aid in

        finding lower tier information and accessing related topics

        and sources of information.

               

        Books Identified for Topic -The availability of information

        on the subjects of interest, i.e., Young Adult Spanish

        Literature and Young Adult Spanish American Literature .

        Overall Rating - An evaluation denoting weaknesses and

        strengths.

THE RATINGS

The information centers are evaluated on each of these dimensions.

The ratings are based on the author's experience gained through

interacting with the service and on quantitative data compiled in

the course of study. A summary of the evaluation is presented in

Table 1.   Each data center is rated on a scale from 1 to 4 with 1

being the most desirable.  Supporting comments are provided for

each rating.

TABLE 1.

             ******* RATING  BOSTON UNIVERSITY *******

SCOPE:          [2]

                1.5 Million Volumes

2.5 Million Microforms

All Libraries Included

EASE OF ACCESS  [1]

The initial screen informs the user to press the key marked return

for information on how to use their system TOMUS.  The command

screen provides the user with examples of how to begin a search. It

also  introduces the use of abbreviated codes for search commands,

and the use of the word " and " to combine two terms to narrow a

search.

FORMAT          [1]

Information is presented in neat, orderly fashion.  The words

author,title, publication,location, and call number are capitlaized

at the left margin and the related information is listed to the

right.  Tutorial statements are listed below this information and

most often require the use of the return key  to continue a search.

RESEARCH AIDS   1

An adequate collection of research aids include:  three display

features, modify search commands,  help screen for all commands,

find and browse commands, abbreviated codes for commands and

tutorial statements.

 

# OF BOOKS      3

IDENTIFIED

Four books identified for topics searched. 

OVERALL 1

RATING

Easy for novice to use.  Excellent bibliographic records.  Time

saving typing commands and tutorial statements that include the

help command in every situation.

         -------------------------------------------------

      ******* HARVARD UNIVERSITY *******

SCOPE   3

      2 Million volumes  on-line.

      6 Million volumes not listed.

EASE OF ACCESS  4

Initial screens present a great deal of information that challenge

the first time user. Selectingthe database and accessing the

command structure requires the   user to execute more steps than on

other systems.  The exit command t log out of the catalog is

presented on the first screen and is not repeated.

FORMAT  4

Information appears cluttered on the screen. Command options listed

at the bottom of the screen also appear cluttered.  Few tutorial

statements are presented and the user must enter one of the

commands.  Most commands may be abbreviated for ease of accessing

the desired information.

RESEARCH AIDS   2

Long and short display format.  Tracing subject headings using the

*S feature, keyword searching, index function and the listing of

other titles by the same author  as part of a display for a

retrieved item.  ISBN information.

# OF BOOKS      2

IDENTIFIED

Seven books identified for topics searched.

OVERALL 4

RATING

Difficult start up procedure.  Poor exit command screen.  Limited

access to databases.  Excellent bibliographic records.

             ------------------------------------------

              ******* UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA ******

SCOPE       1

        6,320,999 Holdings are on-line.

EASE OF ACCESS  2

Introductory screen lists the databases and a tutorial statement

informs the user  on the steps to take to access the desired

database.  The search commands are defined and examples are given.

FORMAT  2

The bibliographic information is presented as it would be on a card

in the card catalog.   It is easy to read and the user can quickly

determine which campus  library has a copy of the materials and

the section in the library where it is located.

RESEARCH AIDS   3

Three display formats.  Browse and select commands for searching. A

variety of commands to restrict a search or add to a search,

Commands to comment to the MELVYL system and to change databases.

Tutorial statements follow each search.

# OF BOOKS      1

IDENTIFIED

Fourteen books identified for topics searched.

OVERALL 2

Easy to use for the beginner.  Good documentation of commands. Help

commands available for all procedures.  Helpful tutorial statements

to aid the user in researching.  Excellent bibliographic records.

               --------------------------------------

                  ******* TUFTS UNIVERSITY *******

SCOPE   NA

Not available.

EASE OF ACCESS  3

Introductory screen presents search commands. The  example for the

subject command does not provide enough information.  It does not

include  combined terms so the user must experiment to determine if

the system accepts the "and" command or "hyphen" command.  The

"keyword" command does not give an example.

FORMAT  3

Organized format with bibliographic information identified in the

left hand margin. Tutorial statements and options listed at the

botttom of the screen.

RESEARCH AIDS   4

Keyword search, three display formats,circulation status of

material, and request for title command.

# OF BOOKS      4

IDENTIFIED

No items listed for topics searched.

OVERALL 3

This system despite its poor system command RATING examples and

help commands has two very useful featuresfor a researcher.  The

ability to determine the circulation status of the material and

the ability to request the material from a remote setting.

   

                 **********************************

                       EVALUATION OF SERVICES

SCOPE 

All services offered on-line access to a very large number of

volumes although the University of California and Harvard

University require special permission to access large sections of

their holdings.

EASE OF ACCESSING INFORMATION

All the systems are satisfactory once you get use to them.  But for

the first time user, there were significant differences among

systems.  Among the best for ease of access of information are

Boston University and the University of California.  Following the

welcome screen  the user is introduced to the search commands along

with the command to find help.  Help is available for each of the

commands and the help  command provides information about the

procedure for executing a search and procedures to log out of the

catalog.  On these two systems, after each search request the

number of items retrieved is indicated followed by an instruction

for listing them  on the screen as well as a reminder on how to

seek help.  It is possible to get help information at any time in

the search.

The Harvard University system does not allow  the user access to

all the databases.  Some of these databases require a special

identification code to access the information.  On the welcome

screen  of the Harvard system are the instructions for exiting the

data base.  This information is not repeated on the help screen.

The help screen does have a quit command but its function does not

exit  you from the database.   It simply stops the search in

progress and returns the user to the screen where you determi ne

which database you are going to search.

FORMAT

Each of the systems offers a display option for items retreived by

the search.  The dispalyed information varies but all formats

include author, title, publication date, call number and

location(Name of library or section of library).   Some systems

include subject headings in this display  format but others require

an additional command to access that information.  The long or full

display format  includes additional information such as

tracings/subject headings, notes, ISBN code, and other titles by

author of the book dispalyed.

Harvard offers the most complete cataloging information in the

expanded format of all the systems.  The system  also allows the

user to search the subject headings by typing Trace *S 1(Number of

subject heading) to locate information related to the original term

searched.  For example, five *S codes appear in the following

format:

    AUTHOR: Dale, Doris Cruger

    TITLE:  Bilingual books in Spanish and English for Children

     / Doris Cruger Dale

    PUB:  INFO: Littleton, Colo. : Libraries Unlimited, 1985.

    DESCRIPTION: ix, 163p.; 25cm

    NOTES:  Includes indexes

    ISBN: 087287477x:

    SUBJECTS:   *S1 Children's literature, Spanish--Bibliography.

     *S2 Children's  literature, English--Bibliography.

     *S3 Bilingual Books--Bibliography

     *S4 Children's Literature, Spanish--Translations into

         English--Bibliography

     *S5 Children's Literature, English--Translations into

         Spanish--Bibliography.

The Boston University and University of California system were

easier to use because of the tutorial statements that appear on the

screen upon completion of a command.  After the initial search

command, the number of items is identified and a tutorial command

instructs the user on how to list the items or how to seek help.

When the search is not successful a tutorial directs you to check

accuracy of spelling or numbers and instructs you on how to

continue with your search.  Once again the help command is g iven.

These tutorial statements appear on the screen immediately after

the listing of retreived information or after  the terms used in an

unsuccessful search.  For example in the Boston University system

the following tutorials appear:

Your search: FS SPANISH LITERATURE AND YOUNG ADULT

Items found: 2 at all BOSTON UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Press RETURN to see them, or type HELP, then press the key marked RETURN.

Item 1.

AUTHOR  Schon,  Isabel.

TITLE   Books in Spanish for Children and young adults: an

annotated guide.  Series IV = Libros infantiles y juveniles en

Espanol: una gula anotada. Serie no. IV / by Isabel Schon.

PUBLICATION        Metuchen, N>J> : Scarecrow Press, 1987.

LOCATION           Educational Resources Reference X

CALL NUMBER        Z1037.7 .S383 1987

Press   RETURN to see the next item, ot type HELP, then prress RETURN

The Harvard system uses a different format .  Across the bottom of

the screen is a list of option changes which varies depending on

the  command performed.  The configuration of the options at the

bottom of the screen is difficult to read and requires the user to

type in a new command.  Note the options listed at the bottom of

the following example:

HU SHORT DISPLAY page 1 of 1

Item 1 of 1 retrieved by your search:

FIND SU YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE SPANISH AMERICAN

-------------------------------------------------------------------

      AUTHOR:  Schon, Isabel.

       TITLE:  Books in Spanish for children and young adults: an

               annotated guide.  Series III = Libros infantiles y

               juveniles en espanl: una guia anotada. Serie no. III

               / by Isabel Schon.

   PUB. INFO:  Metuchen, N>J>: Scarecrow Press 1985.

DESCRIPTION:   xi, 208 p.; 23cm.

    SUBJECTS:

    *S1 Children's literature, Spanish--Bibliography

    *S2 Children's literature, Spanish American--Bibliography

    *S3 Young adult literature, Spanish--Bibliography

    *S4 Young adult literature, Sapnish--Bibliography

    *S5 Young adult literature, Sapnish American--Bibliography

    LOCATION:   Gutman Education Ref. Z1037.7.s38 1985

-------------------------------------------------------------------

OPTIONS: DISPLAY LONG       HELP

         HELP COMMAND

         TRACE *S1 (etc)  START-search options QUIT- exit database REDO

COMMAND?

The dispaly format for the University of California system has a

unique feature.  Upon completion of a find command, the short as

well as the long display format lists the location of the material

in the various libraries of the campuses that are part of the

university system in California.  For example:

Search request:  FIND SU SPANISH LITERATURE--YOUNG ADULT

Search result:    7 records at all libraries

Type HELP for other display options.

1.  Schon, Isabel.

     Books in Spanish for children and young adults: an annotated

     guide = Libros infantiles y juveniles en espanol :  una guia

     anotada / by Isabel Schon,  Metuchen, N>J> : Scarecrow Press,

     1978.

   UCI      Main Lib  PN1009.S8 S35

   UCLA   URI          Z2694.5 S35

   UCSB   Library    Z2694.5 .S35 Col Tloque Nahuaque

   UCSD   Central    PN 1009 .S8z S36

Press RETURN to see the next screen.

RESEARCH AIDS

The Tufts University system has an oustanding research aid.  It

provides the user with the necessary bibliographic information and

also indicates if the book is checked-out.  Obtaining the material

is the reason for using an on-line catalog, knowing the book is on

the shelf expedites the process of locating the information.  A

host of other research aids are shared by all systems evaluated.

Typical of these aids are:  notes,  subject headings, keyword

searches, one letter code for search commands, access c apability

by author, title, subject, and call number.

BOOKS IDENTIFIED FOR TOPIC

The number of books identified by the resource services accessed is

suprisingly small.  Using the subject headings Young Adult

Literature--Sapnish and Young Adult Literature--Spanish American,

the  titles  range in number from zero to fourteen.  A small number

considering the number of volumes contained in the centers ranged

from 2 million to 6 million.  Additional resources were available

by searching other related subject headings.

OVERALL RATING

All four programs fulfilled the needs of the researcher but some

are easier to use and more comprehensive and, therefore, more

useful than others.

The Boston University,  University of California, and Tufts

University catalog systems were nearly equivalent in usefullness

while Harvard provided the most complete bibliographic information

and offered the most flexibility once the initial commands were

mastered.  The Boston University system wins my vote for the best

overall system on the merit of ease of access and the format of

information on the screen.

                     YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE --

           SPANISH/SPANISH AMERICAN SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bibliografia Basica  Para Bibliotecas Infantiles y  Juveniles.

Ministerio de Cultura, Direccion General del Libro Y Biblioteca,

1986.

Breaking Boundaries: Latina Writing and Critical Readings / edited

by Ascuncion ahorno-Delgado ... (et al.). University of

Massachusetts,  1989.

Cendan, Pazos, Fernando Medio siglo de libros infantiles y

juveniles en Espana: (1935-1985). Ediciones Pirmade, 1986.

Dale, Doris Cruger      Bilingual Books in Spanish and English  for

Children.  Libraries Unlimited, 1985.           

A Decade of Hispanic Literature: an anniversary Anthology. Revista

Chicano- Riquena, 1982.

Demerson, Paula de Esbozo de Biblioteca de la Juventud Ilustrada

(1740-1808). Univeridad, Caterdra Feijoo, Facultad de Filosofia y

Letras, 1976.

Fitzmaurice-Kelly, James 1858-1923  Spanish Bibliography.  Oxford

University Press, 1925.

Foster, David William   Manual of Hispanic Bibliography.

University of Washington Press, 1970.

Foster, David William   Puerto Rican Literature: a Bibliography of

Secondary Sources. Greenwood Press, 1982.

Jones, Cecil Knight   A Bibliography of Latin American

Bibliographies. U.S. Government Printing Office, 1942.

Kanellos, Nicolas  Biographical Dictionary of Hispanic Literature

in the United States: the Literature of Puerto Ricans, Cuban

Americans, and other Hispanic Writers. Greenwood Press, 1989.

Pattison, Walter Thomas, 1903-  Representative Spanish Authors: A

First Book of Spanish Literature.  Oxford University

Press, 1942.

Pedreiira, Antonio Salvador Bibliografma Puertorriqueqa (1430-1930)

B. Franklin Reprints, 1974.

Rela, Walter    A Bibliographical Guide to Spanish American

Literature: Twentieth-Century Sources. Greenwood

Press, 1988.

Schon, Isabel   A Hispanic Heritage, Series III: A Guide to

Juvenile Books About Hispanic People and Cultures. Scarecrow Press,

1988.

Schon, Isabel   Books in Spanish for Children and Young Adults: An

annotated Guide = Libros Infantiles y Juveniles en Espanol: Una

Guia Anotada.  Scarecrow Press, 1978.

               Series II. Scarecrow Press, 1983.

               Series III Scarecrow Press, 1985.

               Series IV  Scarecrow Press, 1987.

               Series V   Scarecrow Press, 1989.

Simsn, Dmaz, Josi  Manual de Bibliografma de la Literatura

Espanola.  G. Gill, 1966.

Woodbridge, Hensley Charles, 1923-  Guide to Reference Works for

the Study of the Spanish Language and Literature and Spanish

American Literature. Modern Language Association of America, 1987.

Woodbridge, Hensley Charles, 1923-  Spanish and Spanish American

Literature: An Annotated  Guide to Selected Bibliographies.  Modern

Language Association of America, 1983.

CREDITS

Boston University:            TOMUS On-line Library Catalog

Harvard University:           HOLLIS On-line Library Catalog

Tufts University:             TULIPS On-line Library Catalog

University of California:     MELVYL On-line Library Catalog

Permission to distribute to telecommunication class.