March 1999 Newsletter - LANL Research Library

The Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) of the Monterey Institute for International Studies maintains five valuable databases that are now available to Laboratory researchers through the Research Library. Until recently access to these databases, available only by subscription to the CNSData service, was limited to selected staff within LANL. The Research Library in collaboration with CISA, NIS-DO, NIS-7, NIS-8, NIS-9 and NAC has arranged to make these databases available throughout the Laboratory to all interested researchers.

The CNS databases contain continually updated information compiled from over 340 source publications, including United Nations and International Atomic Energy Agency documents, trade journals, government and defense publications, periodicals and electronic news sources, academic journals, US congressional testimony, conference proceedings, book chapters, correspondence from international advisors, unpublished papers, and Internet sources. Not only bibliographic references, but often full-text documents are provided. Subject coverage is the global proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (nuclear, chemical, and biological) and their delivery systems.

To use these databases, onsite LANL researchers can
- connect to http://cns.miis.edu/db/index.htm directly, or
- select "CNS databases" from the Library's Web site map, or
- select from the Library's Electronic Databases pages by name (use the Alphabetic listing or search on keywords like "CNS") or by Subject category, "International Affairs."

When offsite, LANL researchers can use a login/password available from the Library Service Desk (email: library@lanl.gov or phone: 7-5809). Please send questions and comments regarding these databases to: db-info@lanl.gov.

One of the most popular services the Research Library offers to the scientist's desktop is the linking of journal articles to the citations in such databases as SciSearch® at LANL, INSPEC®, BIOSIS®, DOE Energy, and Engineering Index®. Having the article instantly available for use in the lab or R&D process makes everyone more productive and informed.

The Research Library now has links to almost 2,000 journal titles, and for many of those titles we have electronic articles for several years. However, Lab staff should be aware that if you are using a commercial database with electronic article service you may be charged $25.00 or more per article. To avoid these high fees you can quickly check the Electronic Journals list from the Library Home Page to see which titles we subscribe to. For these titles you have free access, directly from the Electronic Journals list (or from within the databases mentioned above). Electronic information availability is a major asset in today's fast moving research environment; take advantage of the products and services being offered by your Research Library.

Looking for a technical report? Confused about how and where to find it? The Research Library's online catalog and the DOE Energy at LANL database are great places to start. Last summer Library staff began a project to automate the Library's 1.3 million unclassified reports. To date over 160,000 unclassified technical reports have been added to the online catalog and hundreds are being added daily. Technical reports now comprise over half of the items in the online catalog. Holdings (items available for loan or electronic access) from the online catalog are also displayed in the DOE Energy at LANL database. Over 26,000 technical reports are available electronically. If you are using the web version of the online catalog or DOE Energy at LANL, simply click on the URL given below a citation to launch the PDF file.

If you don't find the technical report that you need in the Online Catalog or in DOE Energy at LANL, don't assume that we don't own it. Please contact the Report staff (phone: 7-4446 or email: reports@lanl.gov) for assistance. In many cases, a copy is available in our vault but hasn't yet been added to the Online Catalog. If we don't own it, we'll make every effort to get it for you as soon as possible.

Librarian Lou Pray attended a one-day session on "Marketing High-Tech Ventures" where the speaker highlighted Market Research resources available at the UNM libraries in Albuquerque. Your Research Library also has a good selection of Market Research tools (both electronic and print).

The best source for market research in electronic form that we have available at no cost to our users is ABI/INFORM periodicals currently available on CD in the library. The library has purchased web access to this popular database that allows access to over 600 electronic full-image journals in trade, industry, and market research. This web product should be available at your desktop in the next month.

Also view the Business Subject Resources page for internet-accessible resources such as Hoover's Online, Edgar's Online, etc. The library also has access to hundreds of other business databases, Lexis/Nexis included, for a fee payable with a cost code and program code.

The print collection in Reference (found in call numbers beginning with HD) contains a number of excellent sources including Ward's Business Directory, Hoover's Best American Companies, etc.

The Research Library does not have a copy of the Louis E. Toth classic, "Transition Metal Carbides and Nitrides." It is volume 7 of the series "Refractory Materials" from Academic Press, 1971. If you have a copy you would like to donate it would be very appreciated by the Library and your colleagues.

Rick Luce gave a "Forecasting the Future of Digital Library Services" presentation at the Elsevier Global meeting in Orlando. Elsevier is a leader in sci-tech publishing with almost 1200 English-language journals, and has been actively involved in exploring electronic publishing alternatives and expanding the boundaries of new technologies since the early 1980s. As the only librarian invited to attend, this was a unique opportunity, and a great forum for hearing about Elsevier's future directions.

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As of March 1, 1999, the number of electronic journals available through the Research Library is 2026. See the Electronic Journals page for a searchable, browseable listing.

Date	Session & Description	Time
3/3	Research Library Tour	1:00-1:30
3/3	Introduction to Electronic Library Resources	1:30-2:00
3/9	Alerting Service for the SciSearch® & Social SciSearch® Databases	1:00-1:30
3/17	Research Library Tour	1:00-1:30
3/17	Introduction to Electronic Library Resources	1:30-2:00
3/18	InfoSurfing: Basic Web Searching Strategies	2:00-4:00
3/31	Research Library Tour	1:00-1:30
3/31	Introduction to Electronic Library Resources	1:30-2:00

Classes are free. Pre-registration is appreciated. Register by email to library@lanl.gov or by calling the Library Service Desk at 7-5809. Please include your name, Z#, and the date and title of the session in your message.

Special classes and orientations can also be arranged; call 7-5809 for more information.

To receive electronic notice of new issues of the Research Library Newsletter, sent at the beginning of each month to your e-mail address, do the following:

The name and e-mail address of the Library member who contributed an article appears at the end of the article. If you have comments or further questions, please contact that person. If you have general questions or comments about the Newsletter itself, please contact the Newsletter Editor, Kathy Varjabedian.

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