======================================================
April 1995 LANL Research Library Monthly Newsletter
======================================================
ASK - Anomalous State of Knowledge: An anomaly in one's state of knowledge, or lack of
knowledge, with respect to a problem faced. The start of the information retrieval
process. Call 7-5809 or e-mail ref@lanl.gov to ASK.
======================================================
1. Library Advisory Board members for 1995
2. Physics World Electronic News
3. Purchasing specifications and standards via the Internet
4. Beilstein CrossFire demonstration
5. SciFinder
6. Cost cutting tips for STN searching
7. New sample journal display, March 1995
8. Copyright/Copywrong? Part I - Background & history
======================================================
1. Library Advisory Board members for 1995
======================================================
This year our Library Advisory Board was restructured to better reflect the reorganization
of the Laboratory. New members were selected to provide representation from all eight of
the Laboratory's core competencies.
Library Advisory Board Members - 1995 Name Group MS E-mail WILLIAM L. EARL CST-6 G740 wle@lanl.gov CHRISTEN M. FRANKLE NIS-6 J562 cfrankle@lanl.gov DAVID E. HANSON T-12 B268 deh@lanl.gov NORMAN A. KURNIT CST-2 J564 kurnit@lanl.gov ROGER A. MEADE CIC-10 C322 rzxm@lanl.gov CHARLES RZESZUTKO PDIP K571 crzeszutko@lanl.gov LARS F. SOHOLT EM/ER/D&D M773 soholt@lanl.gov DAVID C. TORNEY T-10 K710 dct@lanl.gov TRUEL W. WEST NIS-8 B230 twest@lanl.gov RODNEY W. WHITAKER EES-5 F665 rww@lanl.gov KARL-HEINZ WINKLER DDCIC B260 khw@lanl.gov RICHARD LUCE CIC-14 P362 rick.luce@lanl.gov JACQUELINE STACK CIC-14 P362 jstack@lanl.gov
Richard Luce, rick.luce@lanl.gov
======================================================
2. Physics World Electronic News
======================================================
This electronic newsletter was launched in November 1994 by the Institute of Physics. It
provides coverage of European and international physics funding, policies and community
developments. Physics World Electronic News (PWEN) allows for the rapid dissemination of
routine, detailed information from the international physics community.
This publication is mailed on an ad-hoc basis. One could receive daily issues as important news becomes available. The normal frequency is weekly.
Below is the table of contents from edition: No 17 -- Friday 17 February 1995
17.1 World Wide Web leaves CERN
17.2 UK council imposes major cut in particle physics
17.3 New priority programme for Swedish research council
17.4 UK research council approves physics programme
17.5 Moves to interconnect Europe at 34 Mbps
17.6 Physics disappears from most cited papers list
17.7 First international conference on R&D evaluation
17.8 Neutrino mass stirs controversy
17.9 Neural net learns from astronomers
PWEN is available by subscription only. For information send instruction HELP PWEN in the main body of an e-mail message to listproc@listserver.ioppublishing.com.
Frances Knudson, fknudson@lanl.gov
======================================================
3. Purchasing specifications and standards via the Internet
======================================================
Specifications and standards are technical documents describing an accepted procedure or a
specific item. They allow for uniform manufacturing, safety and interchangeability. The
most well-known standards organizations are the American National Standards Institute
(ANSI) and the International Standards Organization (ISO). Both of these organizations
publish standards produced by professional societies.
Adherence to standards before an item is manufactured means that engineers won't have to go back to ground zero every time a new customer is added to the sales list. If you are involved in developing a product for a multinational company, you have to be certain that your product is "up-to-spec" internationally, not just in the United States.
The Research Library subscribes to all standards issued by ANSI. If you need to consult an ANSI standard, your first stop should be the Research Library. You may search the IHS Worldwide Standards Service on LIBNET, the Library's internal network (LANLRL News Feb. '95). IHS Worldwide Standards can help you to identify what standards may be applicable to your projects.
If you need to purchase your own copy of a standard, there are several avenues open to you. Both local bookstores are capable of ordering standards. An Internet source you may want to utilize is ISO Online. Open URL http://www.iso.ch/welcome.html in Mosaic to access the ISO catalogue electronically. This is a searchable index. These standards may be ordered from ANSI by phone (212-642-4900) or fax (212-398-0023). Additionally, another Internet source is the Document Center in California. Available via Mosaic, the Document Center has over 1 million standards in stock with Federal Express service available. Government and industry standards are available including: ANSI, ASME, ASTM, DLA, DoD, EIA, FAA, IEC, IEEE, IPC, ISO, NASA, SAE, and UL. To search the Document Center's electronic catalog, open URL http://doccenter.com/doccenter/home.html in Mosaic, or call the Document Center. Orders are accepted by phone (415-591-7600) or fax (415-591-7617).
Anne Menefee, amenefee@lanl.gov
======================================================
4. Beilstein CrossFire demonstration
======================================================
Los Alamos National Laboratory Research Library is sponsoring a visit from Sean Mullen of
Beilstein Information on Tuesday, April 11. Demonstrations will be scheduled for 1 pm and
2 pm, lasting approximately an hour. We would like to aim for 10 people/demo.
The Research Library needs your expertise concerning the possible purchase of Beilstein's new client-server system, CrossFire.
CrossFire allows searching of the entire Beilstein file with more than 6,000,000 heterocyclic, acyclic and isocyclic compounds, covering the literature from 1779 to the present. CrossFire is updated quarterly by a CD-ROM called Current Facts.
In February the Midwest University Consortium, including universities such as University of Chicago, University of Illinois, Indiana University and the University of Michigan, announced that the Consortium was deploying CrossFire as part of their Virtual Electronic Library. A similar consortium type relationship could be established within New Mexico for better resource sharing of this product.
Please send e-mail to ref@lanl.gov with the time you would like to attend. If the two afternoon sessions fill up we will schedule more sessions later in the afternoon. We appreciate your time in aiding the Research Library in this possible acquisition.
Sue Watkins, swatkins@lanl.gov
======================================================
5. SciFinder
======================================================
During the Spring meeting of the American Chemical Society, CAS will roll out a new
end-user product called SciFinder. Several people in the Laboratory have seen a
demonstration and are interested in obtaining this product. If you are attending the
Spring ACS meeting, I would urge you to look at this product. If you are not attending,
Tony Trippe, our STN representative, will be here April 18, 1995. We will schedule several
demonstrations of SciFinder here in the library.
SciFinder is an easy way to search the STN Chemical Abstracts and Registry files directly from your workstation. It is a Windows based software package loaded on your computer. It has a journal list that can be marked to indicate our Library's holdings. It has an update feature that tracks new articles on your current interests.
SciFinder was highlighted in a Chemical & Engineering News article in the, Oct. 31, 1994 issue (p. 19-23).
The pricing of SciFinder is on an annual basis with unlimited searching. For an individual, the cost is $3,500 per year. For 20 users, the cost per individual is $3,000 per year. For 50 users, the cost per individual is $2,600. These are list prices; some negotiation of these prices is possible. Some of our end users spend more than $1000 per month on CAS searches, so SciFinder would definitely reduce costs for the higher volume user. Please contact me if you are interested in SciFinder.
Frances Knudson, fknudson@lanl.gov
======================================================
6. Cost cutting tips for STN searching
======================================================
Tip number 1: Connect via the Internet.
Internet $5.00/connect hour
CompuServe $9.00/connect hour
Sprintnet $11.00/hour
Tymnet $12.00/hour
One can determine the method of connection by reviewing your monthly statement. Switching
from a Tymnet connection to an Internet connection will cut your telecommunication costs
in half.
Tip number 2: Use the display scan command. This will display a random record from your answer set. It displays titles and indexing terms. You can determine if you are on the right track. You could also determine if there are phrases or words that you are not interested in and eliminate those from your search. This command only works when you are searching one file. There is no charge for this display command.
Tip number 3: Know when to use CA or HCA. The difference for these files is the method of determining cost. CA gives you a low connect fee ($30/hour) but charges $1.09 for each search term. This is good for well formed, discrete searches. HCA has no search term charge but has a higher connect time charge ($144.00). HCA is a good place for "fishing expeditions." This same pricing method holds for CAPlus and HCAPlus, CAOld and HCAOld, CAPreviews and HCAPreviews, Chemlist and HChemlist, CIN and HCIN.
Tip number 4: Use the STN 800 help line: 1-800-848-6533. If you experience difficulty in searching STN, call the STN 800 number. We are a valued customer and receive exceptional assistance. If you are disconnected and lose results or if your download fails, call for assistance.
Frances Knudson, fknudson@lanl.gov
======================================================
7. New sample journal display, March 1995
======================================================
Fourteen sample journals from a wide variety of disciplines are now on display at the
front of the Library. We welcome your comments on these publications which are currently
being considered as possible additions to our collection. If you would like to recommend
that the Library subscribe to any of these new journals, please fill out one of the
evaluation forms in the display area or send your comments in an e-mail message to
ref@lanl.gov. The following journals are currently on display:
ACM Transactions on Graphics. Published by the Association for Computing Machinery, this journal covers various forms of graphics applications. Topics include geometric modeling, design and analysis of algorithms, and computer graphics hardware. 4 issues/year. $110.
Computers and Industrial Engineering. This international journal provides information on computerized industrial engineering applications, methodology for developing computer solutions to industrial engineering problems, and the implementation of different industrial engineering techniques on computers. 8 issues/year. $963.
International Journal of Approximate Reasoning. Publishes research results from the field of approximate reasoning, with an emphasis on the design and implementation of intelligent systems for scientific and engineering applications. 8 issues/year. $310.
International Journal of Computational Geometry and Applications. Emphasizes the computational aspects of geometric problems including topics such as pattern recognition, robotics, computer graphics and constructive solid geometry. 4 issues/year. $242.
Journal of the Air and Waste Management Association. Publishes articles on hazardous waste management and air pollution control. 12 issues/year. $200.
Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. Focuses on molecular studies that advance understanding of phylogeny and evolution. 4 issues/year. $186.
Nature Medicine. This new journal combines articles in all disciplines of biomedical science from cutting edge biological research to more clinically oriented human investigations. 12 issues/year. $395.
Plasma Sources Science and Technology. Publishes papers on non-fusion plasma sources that operate at all ranges of pressure and density. 4 issues/year. $272.
Quaternary Research. This interdisciplinary journal specializes in articles on paleoclimatology of the past two million years. 6 issues/year. $240.
Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry. Provides preliminary reports of recent research in mass spectrometry. 12 issues/year. $945.
Scientific Computing and Automation. Publishes information on the latest technology available for industrial, analytical, clinical, and life science research laboratories. 12 issues/year. $60.
Stochastic Analysis and Applications. Provides for the rapid publication of papers covering the development and application of stochastic analysis techniques in many areas of science. 5 issues/year. $535.
Text Technology. Includes articles and reviews on using computers for the creation, processing, communication, and analysis of texts. 4 issues/year. $72.
Water Environment Research. Published by the Water Environment Federation, this international journal reports on recent research concerning water quality and pollution control. 12 issues/year. $144.
Nancy Sprague, nsprague@lanl.gov
======================================================
8. Copyright/Copywrong? Part I - Background & history
======================================================
Understanding copyright begins with the understanding of certain terms and concepts that
are basic to copyright law.
What is copyright? A copyright grants to its owner the right to control an intellectual or artistic creation, to prohibit other people from using that work in specific ways without permission and to profit from the sale and performance of the work. This is essentially a monopoly. The copyright monopoly provides vital rights to authors, scholars and all others whose income derives from the products of creative and intellectual efforts. Copyright protects invention; otherwise, there would be no economic incentive for people to create scholarly works or art or literature. However, this must be balanced against the needs of the public for access to these works. The purpose of copyright law is to balance the rights of the author with the rights of the public--it is a compromise between the owner's rights to control the work and to receive income and the public's right to use the work in certain specified ways.
What is copyrightable? The law defines this as "original works of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression, now known or later developed, from which they can be perceived, reproduced, or otherwise communicated, either directly or with the aid of a machine or device."
There are three important ideas to understand from this paragraph. What is an "original work"? Case law has defined originality as the extent to which a work has NOT been copied from a previous work. Originality in this context does not require uniqueness or novelty or any attempt at artistic merit. Labor to create the work is not required either; although it may be seen as a corollary to the creation of the work.
"Authorship" - this component is defined as independent creation. Computer technology has made authorship a subject for debate in the context of whether a human is always responsible for authorship. Current legal opinion is that the computer program's owners or creators or the computer operator will hold the copyright on something a computer creates.
The final concept is "fixed in any tangible medium." This means that the work is fixed in a sufficiently stable medium that will allow it to be perceived, reproduced or otherwise communicated for a period of more than transitory duration. This idea is vital to understanding copyright because it demonstrates that there is no protection for an idea--only for the expression of the idea.
So, the philosophy of copyright is to protect authors who contribute to our quality of life; publishers, who are the packagers and distributors of the works; and the public. The law allows the public to use the copyrighted works. Libraries are usually the representatives of the public in this area. Many of you are aware of how computers and the Internet are radically changing the basic philosophy behind the current law. This is leading to many new ideas for changes in the law.
U.S. law is derived from British common and statutory law. The earliest story about copyright concerns a King of Ireland settling a dispute between two priests, Columba of Iona and Fennian, Abbot of Moville. Columba had made an unauthorized copy of Fennian's psalter and then would not return the original. Copyright laws really were not needed until there was technology that allowed easy copying of original works. The printing press arrived in England in 1476 and it took almost one hundred years for a literate middle class to develop for there to start being problems. The royal family saw the printing press as a way to spread dissent; so they established a guild known as the Stationers' Company that gave members the sole rights to approve or deny publication. Authors sold their manuscripts to this guild and under their charter the publishers could print any material as long as they pleased. This arrangement lasted until the 18th century, when literary piracy became so serious that the Stationers' Company begged for further legal restrictions. Unfortunately the Statue of Anne was not what they expected. This legislation gave publication rights to authors, allowing them ownership of their works for 21 years. After the Statue of Anne we begin to see that technology was responsible for subsequent changes in copyright law. The next change was in 1735 and was driven by graphic artists, lead by the famous engraver William Hogarth. The first U.S. law was in 1790, during a period of national discovery and expansion. It was instigated by cartographers and the need to encourage and protect their maps. In 1831 protection was added for music, and in 1867 photography was included. These laws furthered the industries and technologies covered by protecting the creative partners that are so often responsible for the growth in these areas. Further U.S. legislation was the 1909 Act which was passed to cover the new developments in motion picture film and radio and the current 1976 Copyright Act which included new technologies such as videotape and photocopiers. This last revision was needed to bring our copyright laws into some degree of compliance with European law and the Berne Convention, which simplifies copyright for all European Union members.
Donna Berg, donna.berg@lanl.gov
===================================================