Research Libraries Information Network Research Articles

Southward, Ho!: Mapping the Archival South

Southward, Ho! David Moltke-Hansen Mapping the Archival South In 1901, Alabama created the first state archives in the United States, followed quickly by many other southern states. Despite the vision and commitment behind them, these initial efforts were too meagerly funded to go far toward solving a critical problem of southern studies: the scarcity of accessible original sources, print as well as manuscript. Thirty years later, after the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Virginia, and Duke University had launched what would become three of the largest, sustained programs for collecting the private papers of southerners, this scarcity remained a major stumbling block to research on the South. Today, the problem is very different: source materials are abundant. Although there are still many gaps in the historical record, more than 2,000 repositories across the region have collected at least some documentation on aspects of the archival South. They hold perhaps 1.5 million shelf feet altogether—roughly 300 miles or 3 billion pages of documentation. In addition, they house more than 15 million photographs, more than 1.5 million audio recordings (including perhaps as many as 75,000 oral histories), and tens of thousands of reels and cores of film and videotape. If local government office, business, and organizational holdings and southern Americana in the District of Columbia, northern , and foreign institutions were included, these totals might more than triple. Libraries have also collected hundreds of thousands of fugitive pamphlets and books from and about the region, as well as millions of issues of newspapers and other periodicals. The North Carolina Collection at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alone has nearly 200,000 books and pamphlets and 3,000 serials documenting the Tar Heel state and its citizens. Researchers still have to spend time looking for primary materials, but now they must spend much of their time sorting through the masses of documentation available to them as well. Although the archivists of these materials have been accelerating their automation of catalog records, it will be at least another decade before the majority of southern Americana will be cataloged in the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC), the Research Libraries Information Network (RLIN), or other bibliographic utilities. In these circumstances, researchers more than ever need mechanisms to communicate, analyze, and address methodological problems related to research opportunities in the rapidly growing mountains of documentation about the South and its people. Many rich collections have scarcely been touched, often because they are unprocessed or uncataloged. In some institutions, more than half of the holdings are backlogged and thus more or less inaccessible. In other cases, the problem lies with older 134Southern Cultures research aids, abysmal by current standards. It is simply no longer possible for researchers to examine every archived document from the period and place of their interest. Indeed, students of the post-World War II South are faced with collections of the papers of individual politicians and organizations that bulk to proportions larger than the papers of all the signers of the Declaration of Independence put together. Clearly, we need more detailed help than we did before to identify and make use of those archived materials potentially most relevant to us. "Southward, Ho!" will offer a venue for communicating and analyzing these research opportunities and issues. Here authors will canvass newly available or little-used resources in particular repositories on particular topics, and consider broad methodological issues associated with investigating these topics. They will alert readers to kinds of work underway but not yet published, or report to a wider readership aspects or trends of current work in one specialty or another. From time to time, too, contributors to "Southward , Ho!" will reflect on how to access and assess the primary sources for the study of southern cultures. We hope that you will consider helping us put southern cultural research opportunities and issues in perspective for our readers. Please communicate your suggestions, comments, or offerings to: David Moltke-Hansen, Director Southern Historical and Folklife Collections UNC-CH, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3926 (919) 962-1345 (telephone) (919) 962-0484 (fax) DavidMH@UNCMVS.OIT.UNC.EDU (e-mail) In the meantime, consider the...

Arabic script on RLIN

Arabic script is the most recent addition to the scripts available on the Research libraries Information Network (RLIN). Bibliographic control and retrieval using the authentic writing system are available for titles in Arabic, Persian (Farsi), Urdu, Ottoman Turkish, and other languages written with Arabic script. RLIN is the world's largest bibliographic database for Middle Eastern language material. This paper is a comprehensive description of the Arabic script features of RLIN. It covers Arabic character sets and RLIN's character repertoire for Arabic script; how Arabic characters are input and stored in the RLIN database; the equipment needed for Arabic script support; the indexing, retrieval, and presentation of records containing Arabic script; the inclusion of non‐Roman data in USMARC bibliographic records; and statistics on the RLIN databases. Sidebars explain features of Arabic writing. The discussion of data storage and presentation of text is relevant to any computer application that involves Arabic script.

Intergovernmental records in the United States: experiments in description and appraisal

Summarizes the first report on the Inter governmental Records Project (IRP) of the National Archives and Records Administration of the United States, published in 1990. Briefly describes the project's history and purpose and comments on the utility of the USMARC-AMC format, the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules and the Research Libraries Information Network (RLIN) for the sharing of information about inter governmental records. Lists and comments on nine recommendations of the report. Concludes that while new tools, particularly automated systems, are now available to archivists, the latter are not yet ready to use thesee tools effectively.

Current Bibliography in the History of Technology (1990)

Current Bibliography in the History of Technology (1993) The following compilation is the thirty-second annual bibliography of current publications in the history of technology. Previous bibliog­ raphies in this series have appeared in Technology and Culture since 1964. The reader is also referred to the fifth publication of the SHOT Monograph Series, Eugene S. Ferguson’s Bibliography of the History of Technology (Cambridge, Mass.: SHOT and MIT Press, 1968). This year, the bibliography comprises roughly 2,800 citations, about the same number as last year. Improved coverage of Eastern European, Asian, and Latin American publications remains a desider­ atum, and help in these areas from correspondents would be wel­ come. I would like to thank Katalin Tihanyi Glass for her assistance in indexing the 1993 volume of Technikatorteneti szemle and for making it possible to index retrospectively the last several years of thisjournal (the earlier references will appear in next year’s bibliography). The bibliography has been available to scholars in electronic form since March of 1992 on the Research Libraries Information Network (RLIN) as part of the HST (History of Science and Technology) file. It is possible to search several years of the database (currently 1987— 1993) simultaneously and to query it using a variety of indexes from your personal computer, assuming that you have a modem or access to the Internet. Moreover, RLIN offers document delivery through its CitaDel service. For more information, please contact the RLIN Information Center at 800-537-RLIN (U.S. and Canada) or via elec­ tronic mail at BL.RIC@RLG.BITNET. The Isis “Current Bibliogra­ phy of the History of Science” is also available through RLIN in the HST file. I can provide a copy of the working subject thesaurus to users of the on-line bibliography. I would like to thank the other contributors to the bibliography: Stephen H. Cutcliffe, Katalin Harkanyi, Roger Launius, and Ian Winship. And there is ample room for additional contributors who may be willing to scan a selected set of journals or keep track of publications in one of the subfields of the history of technology. In-© 1995 by the Society for the History of Technology. All rights reserved. 0040-165X/95/36 1 2 Henry Lowood deed, additional contributors are needed, and I encourage anyone who wishes to contribute on a regular basis to contact me. I also thank those who have sent me individual publications, offprints, journal issues, or citations. This bibliography can only provide a comprehen­ sive picture of published research in the history of technology if those who publish will take a bit of time to submit offprints or full citations to me at the History of Science and Technology Collections, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, California 94305-6004. If you are the editor or publisher of a new or specialized journal that has not been consistently indexed in this bibliography, please write to me. I also welcome bibliographic information sent via electronic mail (Henry.Lowood@forsythe.stanford.edu) or fax (415-725-1068). I would like to thank a few people who have contributed behind the scenes. Amir Rauf assisted with bibliographic verifications and data entry; his work was supported by the Ellen Poyet Endowment, which funds an undergraduate library assistantship in the history of science and technology in the Stanford University Libraries. I am also grateful to the University of Chicago Journals Division staff for their work in copyediting and producing the bibliography. Robert Post and Joan Mentzer provided assistance and advice. Finally, I would like again to express my gratitude to the users of this bibliography, partic­ ularly those who have made an effort to come forward with com­ ments, criticisms, and compliments. Stanford University Libraries Stanford University With the collaboration of: Henry Lowood Science, Technology and Society Program Lehigh University Science Division, University Libraries San Diego State University NASA History Office NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. Stephen H. Cutcliffe Katalin Harkányi Roger Launius University of Northumbria at Newcastle Library Ian Winship Bibliography (1993) 3 CHRONOLOGICAL DIVISIONS I. The 20th Century and Works Covering More Than One of Divisions II—V II. Prehistory, Antiquity, and Traditional Societies III. The Middle Ages IV. From the Renaissance through the 17th...

RLIN Research Access Project:

The increasing availability of computerized information sources and networking capabilities, along with the proliferation of microcomputers in faculty homes and offices, has led to increased demands for direct access to databases. The librarian's role as online search intermediary appears to be changing from performing searches directly to aiding users in doing their own searching. The Research Libraries Information Network (RLIN), one of the major cataloging utilities, offers a wealth of bibliographic information in both its online union catalog, and its many specialized files. The University at Albany Libraries participated in a pilot project involving faculty end-user access to RLIN. This paper reports on the Libraries' experience with the pilot project and the continuing end-user access program for faculty. Despite some reservations about the relative user-friendliness of the RLIN search system, the author enthusiastcally endorses the use of RLIN as an end-user database.

End-User Access to Bibliographic Databases or Happy Trails

Librarians having access to the Research Libraries Information Network (RLIN) have come to rely on it for fast and easy compilation of bibliographies. There are several problems, both practical and theoretical, which must be considered before it can be accessed directly by the end-user.

Evolution of the Research Libraries Information Network

The Research Libraries Group, Inc. (RLG), a nationwide consortium of research institutions, operates the Research Libraries Information Network (RLIN), an information system and communications network that supports RLG's cooperative programs as well as the technical processing and public services requirements of research libraries. Changes in communications technology, in the regulatory environment, and in user requirements have led RLG to redesign its communications network. The goals, topology, hardware, software and protocols, deployment, and related matters are discussed. Sidebars address current RLIN communications technology and the integrated RLIN network.

Archives and Manuscript Control with Bibliographic Utilities: Challenges and Opportunities

The MARC Format for Archives and Manuscript Control (MARC-AMC) was designed with the potential for recording a broad range of information and contains structures for a variety of implementations. These hidden potentials are being explored in its implementation within national bibliographic networks, especially within the Research Libraries Information Network (RLIN) by the Seven States Project. The AMC format has the potential both to support successful automation of archival control and to transform the bibliographic utilities as we know them today. Specifically, AMC overthrows the bibliocentricism, the political hegemony, and the existing financial/functional underpinnings of the bibliographic networks. It opens the ways to multimedia cultural information systems and new local/national systems architectures. As a consequence, archivists are likely to play a critical role in redesigning library information networks in the decades to come.

The RLIN Database

The database of the Research Libraries Group's Research Libraries Information Network contains some 25 million records in all USMARC formats for bibliographic and authorities data, as well as a number of additional files for specialized data. These records include source data from the Library of Congress and other national bibliographic agencies, and records contributed by RLG member institutions, and are used both for technical processing and in support of RLG's cooperative programs. Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Cyrillic vernacular records are included in the central database; work on Hebrew is in progress. Future developments will result in the addition of diverse kinds of data, including nonbibliographic data, to RLIN.

The Networks Merger and Serials Control

After moving for the past several years toward internetwork cooperation, the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) and its two competitors, the Research Libraries Information Network (RLIN) and the Western Library Network (WLN), have entered into an agreement with one another and with the Library of Congress to implement the Linked Systems Project. Its goal is the eventual creation of a single bibliographic network. Some of OCLC's regional networks are also cooperating in order to improve service to their members, and the CONSER Program has recently expanded its levels of participation. All of these dcvclopments should have a positive impact on serials control. Increasing levels of automation in the treatment of serials should lead to increased efficiency in serials proccdures.

Accessing Federal government publications with RLIN

Online databases and automated bibliographic utilities have greatly enhanced access to federal government publications in recent years. Public service librarians at Colorado State University Libraries (CSUL) are using the Research Libraries Information Network (RLIN) to search government publications via a number of access points, including author, title, Library of Congress subject heading, and keyword. Access to fugitive federal publications cataloged at CSUL under a Title II-C project is especially important.

Current Bibliography in the History of Technology (1985)

Current Bibliography in the History of Technology (1992) The following compilation is the thirty-first annual bibliography of current publications in the history of technology. Previous bibliogra­ phies in this series have appeared in Technology and Culture since 1964. The reader is also referred to the fifth publication of the SHOT Monograph Series, Eugene S. Ferguson’s Bibliography of the History of Technology (Cambridge, Mass.: SHOT and MIT Press, 1968). This year, the bibliography has continued to grow and now comprises roughly 2,800 citations, an increase of more than 10 percent over last year. Representation in the bibliography of publications in languages other than English continues to improve, though expanded coverage of Eastern European and Asian publications in the history of technology remains a desideratum. Another improvement has been the gradual stabilization of the subject terms used in the index. I can provide a copy of the working subject thesaurus to any users of the bibliography who are interested in having access to this information. The bibliography has been available to scholars in electronic form since March of 1992 on the Research Libraries Information Network (RLIN) as part of the HST (History of Science and Technology) file, which resides in the Eureka service. It is possible to search several years of the database (currently 1987-1992) simultaneously and to query it using a variety of indexes from your personal computer, assuming that you have a modem or access to Internet. Moreover, RLIN offers document delivery through its CitaDel service. For examples of Eureka screens, curious users of the bibliography can now telnet over the Internet to eureka-info.stanford.edu. For more information about the various access and pricing options, please contact the RLIN Information Center at 800-537-RLIN (U.S. and Canada) or at BL.RIC@RLG.BITNET via electronic mail. The Isis “Current Bibliography of the History of Science” is also available through RLIN in the HST file. I would like to thank the other contributors to the bibliography: Judith A. Adams, Katalin Harkanyi, Stephen H. Cutcliffe, and Ian Winship. The invaluable History of Technology Index, published under the editorship of Nicholas J. Wyatt by the Science Museum Library in© 1994 by the Society for the History of Technology. All rights reserved. 0040-165X/94/35 1 2 Henry Lowood London, has this year again been an important source of references, particularly for yielding citations from journals that were not available to be scanned by any of us. There is still ample room for additional contributors who may be willing to scan a selected set of journals or keep track of publications in one of the subfields of the history of technology. Indeed, additional contributors are needed. I encourage anyone who wishes to contribute on a regular basis to contact me, particulary if they would be willing to scanjournals published in Eastern Europe and Asia, as noted above, or if they would like to cover a topical niche. I also thank those who have sent me individual publications, offprints,journal issues, or citations. This bibliography can only provide a comprehensive picture of published research in the history of technology if those who publish will take a bit of time to submit offprints or full citations to me at the History of Science and Technology Collections, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, California 943056004 . I also welcome bibliographic information via electronic mail (Henry.Lowood@forsythe.stanford.edu) or fax (415-725-1068). I would like to thank a few people who have contributed behind the scenes. Renee Schell assisted with bibliographic verifications and data entry; her work was supported by the Ellen Poyet Endowment, which funds a library assistantship in the history of science and technology in the Stanford University Libraries. I am also grateful to the University of Chicago Journals Division staff for their work in copyediting and producing the bibliography. Robert Post and Joan Mentzer again provided encouragement and advice. Finally, I would like to repeat my annual expression of gratitude to the users of this bibliography, particu­ larly those who have made an effort to come forward with comments, criticisms, and compliments. Stanford University Libraries Henry Lowood Stanford University With the collaboration of: Lockwood Memorial Library...

Short Title Catalogue on-Line

The Eighteenth Century Short Title Catalogue (ESTC), available on the British Library's on-line bibliographic information service, BLAISE-LINE, since 1982, is now also accessible on the Research Libraries Information Network (RLIN). Examines the history of the project as an international effort and the development of the RLIN link. North American records are handled by a team in Louisana State University, while the United Kingdom and the rest of the world report holdings to the team based in the British Library. The project provides a valuable research tool for scholars, giving enhanced access to the fullest possible range of the output of the eighteenth century presses.

Interlibrary Loan: The RLIN Subsystem

In the fall of 1982 the RLIN (Research Libraries Information Network) computer system, which serves the Research Libraries Group (RLG) incorporated a new interlibrary loan subsystem which has the potential to facilitate fast and efficient interlibrary loans among members of RLG. At present, RLG consists of 24 general or fully participating members — all of which are major research libraries including the New York Public Library — and 13 special libraries such as the Museum of Modern Art. As one of its primary functions, RLG maintains a benignly liberal interlibrary loan policy for general member institutions. Not only will these members lend the same materials as they circulate to their own patrons; in many cases such normally forbidden interlibrary loan items as rare books and reference books may be lent (providing of course the lender is agreeable). And, of special importance to library patrons, photocopying, in most cases, is provided free of charge as long as the request is reasonable and within copyright restrictions. It must be stressed however that each member library is still responsible for maintaining a collection commensurate with the needs of its patrons. Thus, RLG is not meant to be a substitute for collection development of any member institution but rather to expand the availability of materials to libraries within the system.

The Research Libraries Information Network as a Public Service Tool at Stanford University Libraries

Bibliographic utilities, such as OCLC, RLIN, WLN, and UTLAS were developed, at least initially, to support automation of technical services functions. However, such utilities are increasingly used today for public service functions, especially reference and interlibrary loan. Yet to date little has been written regarding the public service use of bibliographic utilities. Blood (1977) examined the use of OCLC in reference settings, while Friedman (1980) looked at direct patron use of OCLC. Ojala (1978) reviewed, in some detail, the use of BALLOTS as a reference tool.

Cooperation and competition among library networks

AbstractRecent technological advances and the success of OCLC, Inc. has led to the emergence of three additional nonprofit library networks: the Research Libraries Information Network (RLIN) of the Research Libraries Group, Inc., the University of Toronto Library Automation System (UTLAS), and the Washington Library Network (WLN). This paper examines the economic and technological factors affecting the evolution of these networks and also explores the role of those state and regional (multistate) networks that broker OCLC services. The competitive and cooperative nature of network relationships is a major theme of the discussion.

RLG's Research Libraries Information Network: bibliographic and information services

The Research Libraries Group, Inc., a partnership of U.S. research institutions, operates and is expanding a computerized bibliographic and technical processing network called the Research Libraries Information Network (RLIN). It is one of four programs currently conducted by RLG. This paper outlines the nature and scope of RLIN through summaries of primary aspects of an operating computer network: hardware environment; software; systems, data bases, and services provided; user training and documentation; costs; governance; and development plans.