Managing CD-ROM and Electronic Documents Sources for Holland Reference Services |
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| Abstract: | Summary The author details the evolution of the management of CD-ROM and electronic documents for reference services in the Holland/New Library (Holland), the main library at Washington State University, for the humanities and social sciences. From the arrival of the first major United States document CD-ROM disk, the National Trade Data Bank, the management of these CD-ROMs is presented in four phases: placing CD-ROMs on reserve in Holland circulation for use in a single drive government documents workstation; utilizing a Pioneer multi-disk changer that holds a cartridge with spaces for six CD-ROM disks, each running off a separate drive in a new-and-improved workstation; abandoning the cartridges but adding a cabinet for government CD-ROMs and a user-friendly, Auto Menu software system in yet another new-and-improved workstation; and, keeping the last configuration but sending CD-ROMs in need of special software to the Libraries' media collection and networking some government CD-ROMs over the Libraries' LAN. The Holland reference experience demonstrates that government CD-ROMs have exploded in number and grown complex in content, dictating new approaches in handling these items. Librarians must continue to be willing to develop the necessary skills to explore future technologies to access information in these new formats. |
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