Newsgroups: bit.listserv.pacs-l
Date:         Wed, 2 Sep 1992 10:38:32 CDT
From:         Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <LIBPACS@UHUPVM1.BITNET>
Subject:      Library Automation--Comments & Questions

2 Messages, 82 Lines
1) Personal Bibliographic Databases--Response
2) Screen Captures over the Internet
*-----

From: RSD@AppleLink.Apple.COM (Research SW Design, D Goldman,PRT)
Subject: Re: Library Automation Questio

Bernard,
First, as the creator of one commercially-available bibliographic database
program (PAPYRUS), I am hoping that you could expand on this part of your
message:

>I would also emphasize that a bibliographic database is most useful
>when it can be directly used to incorporate citation in documents,
>which is precisely the purpose of the BibTex/Refer format. However,
>they become unmanageable when the database becomes large.

Do you mean that the particular programs you have tried did not function well
with large databases? Or do you feel that there are intrinsic problems with the
idea of using _any_ personal bibliographic database program to maintain a large
database? (And how large is "large"?)

Second, I hope that you can help me to understand what the problem is with:

>...a conference proceeding that is also an issue of 2 distinct journals, all 3
>being the same document. Or a PhD dissertation which is also a technical
>report...

If I follow you, you are talking about a situation in which a single document
has been published more than once. How would you cite such a document in a
_manuscript's bibliography_? I can see two likely methods:

1) You cite only the form that you had physically acquired and read, ignoring
the others.
2) You cite one of the forms, using standard formatting rules, and then mention
the others in a parenthetical note at the end of the citation.

Either of these methods can also be followed when using a bibliographic
program, or when using a BibTeX or Refer type of format. One can also simply
include the same reference three separate times, once for each published form,
and allow the end-user to keep any or all of these for future use.


Finally, as a general observation I would point out that BibTeX and Refer are
*not* the same format, and that neither of them is a full-fledged "standard".
PAPYRUS can import bibliographic lists in either of these general styles, but
as a rule the PAPYRUS import template that works for one user of "Refer" files
will not work on someone else's "Refer" files without at least some minor
changes. (This has been true even when both Refer files come from the same
source, namely EndNote.) BibTeX suffers from the same incompleteness of
definition.

-- Dave Goldman (RSD@applelink.apple.com)
   Research Software Design

P.S. "disque" does indeed have a certain je ne sais quoi...
*-----

From: ALANBOYD@OCVAXC.BITNET
Subject: screen captures over the Internet

             Our computing center supports 2 terminal emulation
             packages: EM320 for DOS and VersaTerm for the Mac.
             When these packages are used for searching Internet
             library catalogs that require VT100, the emulation
             software "save screen" functions capture a lot of
             control characters that severely limit the users'
             ability to use wordprocessing software to reformat
             the search results.

             All terminal emulation packages we've tested so far
             pass through an unaccepatble number of control
             characters to the local save screen disk file.  I
             know that some local systems now offer an export
             function, but short of that has anyone found a
             reasonable solution to recommend to the wider world
             of Internet catalog searchers?

             Alan Boyd
             Oberlin College Library
             alanboyd@ocvaxc.cc.oberlin.edu
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU