Public Access Computer Systems Review Table Of Contents v6n05 (1995) URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/pacsr/pr-v6n05-contents + Page 1 + ----------------------------------------------------------------- The Public-Access Computer Systems Review Volume 6, Number 5 (1995) ISSN 1048-6542 ----------------------------------------------------------------- REFEREED ARTICLES Charles R. Hildreth, The GUI OPAC: Approach with Caution The march to GUIs by OPAC designers and vendors will continue unimpeded, so we must be on guard against the very real possibility of throwing out the baby with the bath water. We must not abandon sound principles as we make cosmetic improvements to the user interface. Point-and- click interfaces predate GUIs. More than window dressing, users need help in understanding the search process as consisting of complex, interrelated stages and levels of interaction between a variety of kinds of data and functions. The design goal should be to provide an intuitive interface that permits more direct, informed interaction on the part of the user with the interrelated stages or levels of a search as it is displayed and seen in context. o HTML file World-Wide Web: http://info.lib.uh.edu/pr/v6/n5/hild6n5.html o ASCII file Gopher: gopher://info.lib.uh.edu:70/00/articles/e-journals/ uhlibrary/pacsreview/v6/n5/hildreth.6n5 List Server: Send the e-mail message GET HILDRETH PRV6N5 F=MAIL to listserv@uhupvm1.uh.edu. + Page 2 + COLUMNS Toward Small Solutions: An Informal Column Walt Crawford, Identifying Small Solutions What's a small solution? "Small": as opposed to a grand scheme or all-encompassing plan. "Solution": something that actually improves some situation for one or more libraries. A small solution need not be insignificant. It would be hard to call either OCLC or RLG insignificant, but both spring from (and progress best by) small solutions. What's the difference between a small solution and a pilot project? Attitude and approach. Many pilot projects are small solutions, but not all. Small solutions are characterized by self-sufficiency, sustainability, clarity, and extendibility. Sometimes, small solutions work briefly but make no sense for the long run. Figure out what worked, build on it, and move on. o HTML file World-Wide Web: http://info.lib.uh.edu/pr/v6/n5/craw6n5.html o ASCII file Gopher: gopher://info.lib.uh.edu:70/00/articles/e-journals/ uhlibrary/pacsreview/v6/n5/crawford.6n5 List Server: Send the e-mail message GET CRAWFORD PRV6N5 F=MAIL to listserv@uhupvm1.uh.edu. + Page 3 + ----------------------------------------------------------------- Editor-in-Chief Charles W. Bailey, Jr. University Libraries University of Houston Houston, TX 77204-2091 (713) 743-9804 cbailey@uh.edu Associate Editor, Columns Leslie Dillon, OCLC Associate Editor, Communications Dana Rooks, University of Houston Associate Editor, Production Ann Thornton, University of Houston Editorial Board Ralph Alberico, University of Texas, Austin George H. Brett II, Clearinghouse for Networked Information Discovery and Retrieval Priscilla Caplan, University of Chicago Steve Cisler, Apple Computer, Inc. Walt Crawford, Research Libraries Group Lorcan Dempsey, University of Bath Pat Ensor, University of Houston Nancy Evans, Pennsylvania State University, Ogontz Charles Hildreth, University of Oklahoma Ronald Larsen, University of Maryland Clifford Lynch, Division of Library Automation, University of California David R. McDonald, Tufts University R. Bruce Miller, University of California, San Diego Paul Evan Peters, Coalition for Networked Information Mike Ridley, University of Waterloo Peggy Seiden, Skidmore College Peter Stone, University of Sussex John E. Ulmschneider, North Carolina State University + Page 4 + List Server Technical Support List server technical support is provided by the Information Technology Division, University of Houston. Tahereh Jafari is the primary support person. Publication Information The Public-Access Computer Systems Review is an electronic journal that is distributed on the Internet and on other computer networks. It is published on an irregular basis by the University Libraries, University of Houston. There is no subscription fee. To subscribe, send an e-mail message to listserv@uhupvm1.uh.edu that says: SUBSCRIBE PACS-P First Name Last Name. Circulation PACS-L@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU: 9,995 subscribers in 73 countries (PACS-L is estimated to have 10,000 additional USENET subscribers). PACS-P@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU: 3,534 subscribers in 62 countries. Electronic Distribution Each article is initially distributed in both ASCII and HTML formats. ASCII files are paginated. They are available from the following servers: o List Server: Send the e-mail message GET INDEX PR F=MAIL to listserv@uhupvm1.uh.edu. o Gopher: gopher://info.lib.uh.edu:70/11/articles/e-journals/ uhlibrary/pacsreview HTML files are not paginated. HTML files may have linked GIF files. HTML files may have internal links, external links, or both. The editors do not maintain external links. HTML files are available from the following server: o World-Wide Web: http://info.lib.uh.edu/pacsrev.html + Page 5 + In consultation with article authors, the editors determine whether an article is updated, whether both ASCII and HTML files are created for updated articles, and whether all prior versions of an article are retained. Print Distribution The first four volumes of The Public-Access Computer Systems Review are also available in book form from the American Library Association's Library and Information Technology Association (LITA). (Volume five is in process.) To order, contact: American Library Association, Book Order Fulfillment, 155 N. Wacker Dr., Chicago, IL 60606, (800) 545-2433. Copyright The Public-Access Computer Systems Review is Copyright (C) 1995 by the University Libraries, University of Houston. All Rights Reserved. Copying is permitted for noncommercial, educational use by academic computer centers, individual scholars, and libraries. This message must appear on all copied material. All commercial use requires permission.