Issue No. 24 April 1997

I Windows95 and the Library

For the past year, the Library has been working hard to migrate its systems to the new Windows95 operating system. This should provide increased application stability, improved user interface, and better network support.

When accessing Library programs, the most obvious change will be a new menuing system. The Library has had to develop this program internally, since there are very few menuing programs available for Windows 95, and none with the sophistication we require.

Users will greatly appreciate the ability to access these menus and the Library's databases from their desktops. Instead of having to search in an isolated environment, you will now be able to copy and paste data between CD-ROM databases and programs like MS Word, while still searching the Web in Netscape. This ability was not feasible with DOS/W3. l.

Windows95 - continued on page 3

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http:/ I ary.u t.hk/

publishers advising us of the availability of their e-journals. Some offered access free of charge if we have subscriptions to their printed journals, others have a variety of pricing structures. To date, we plan to add ejournals from six major publishers: American Institute of Physics, American Chemical Society, Springer-Verlag, Taylor and Francis, Society of Neuroscience, and Association of Computer Machinery. The total number of e-journals on our web site will be over 100 titles.

While we are aware of the added value electronic access brings, we are also aware of the challenges it presents to our users. For example, there are different sign-on procedures for the e-journals issued by each publisher. Library staff are experimenting with different strategies to simplify access procedures.

We are also trying to present the wide range of e-journals into their corresponding disciplines so that it would be easier for users to locate them. In the meantime, stay tuned. Look at the Electronic Journals Online page in the Library Web site and find out how many new journals are being added (http:// library. ust. hk/res/ejournals.htm[).

COLLECTION SPOTLIGHT: I Full-Text Online Journals - Part 2

In the previous issue, we reported that 17 full-text journals were available via the Library's Web server. While we recognized the potential growth of e-journals, none of us expected that it would mushroom so rapidly in such a short period of time. Almost immediately after we released the last newsletter, we began receiving notices from

The Library of the Hong Kong Un ivers ity of Sc ience and Technology

New Book Display Sh Iv

Do you want to find out what books are received by the Library everyday? The Library has installed five "New Item Display Shelves" on the ground floor. They face the Reference collection next to the main staircase leading to LGl. Each shelf is designated by day of the week.

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New books will be displayed for one week before being shelved in the collection. Library users are welcome to browse the new book shelves and check out the item(s) if they wish.

T: IRC

IRC stands for Internet Relay Chat. The IRC is a permanent 24-hour-a-day gathering where people from all over the world carry on conversations about any topic you can think of. These discussions are carried out in "channels".

Picture an IRC channel as a room where you can chat with and see the names or nicknames of everyone that is in the same room. Topics of discussion are varied. Technical and political discussions are popular, especially when world events are in progress.

When you are talking on IRC, everything you type will instantly be transmitted around the world to other users that might be watching their terminals. They can then type something and respond to your messages. The program can be very addictive.

Two of the most popular channels for the local Internet community are #HONGKONG and #ASIAN. There are usually several people talking on the channel at any hour of the day or night.

Remember, people on IRC form opinions about you based on your comments, so think before you type. Also keep in mind that messages you send IRC are not really private. If you want to have a private talk with someone, you might want to do it using e­mail or the phone.

You need an IRC client to connect to an IRC server. First, check if your system already has one by entering ire at your system prompt. If you do not have an IRC client on your system, then you need to install one. mIRC is

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an IRC client developed for Windows. Other clients run on Unix, DOS, Macintosh, etc.

Unlike the Web, IRC may seem difficult the first time you log on. Once you've mastered a few basic commands, however, IRC becomes easy to use. Some simple rules: Commands to the IRC server must begin with a slash (/) For example, to join the hongkong channel, you would connect to the IRC server and type ' / JOIN #hongkong' Once in the channel, skip the I and just type normally. When you press the 'return' key your text will be sent to all the people on the channel. / HELP will provide you with some infor­mation on using IRC, but I find it very confusing. You would be better off reading a copy of an IRC FAQ at http://www. landfie Id. com/f aqs/irc/undernet-faq/ Use /QUIT to exit IRC.

I MEDIA: Microforms' Hidden Treasure

Most Library users know that many back issues of periodicals are held in the microforms collection, but few realize there is more to microforms than old issues of the SCMP or The Journal of Organic Chemistry. The Library also has extensive collections of monographs (books) and pre-1900 journals stored on microfiche or microfilm. These include:

Landmarks of Science. Monographs (Ql 1 l.L3) contains over 7, 900 important scientific works of the past five centuries. Anyone interested in early scientific research will find this collection invaluable.

Landmarks II (QC11 l.L35) is divided into a collection of scientific journals (some dating from the 17th century) and a further collection of monographs. All of the works in both Landmarks series are searchable in the Library Online Catalog.

- - - -~ --- --

I Goldsmith 's-Kress Library of Economic

Literature (HB 161. G64) combines two important library's holdings, one from the University of London and the other from Harvard's Graduate School of Business. There are more than 28,000 early works in Business and Economics published between the fifteenth and the twentieth centuries.

Some of the works microfilmed here are the only existing copies. Others in the series come from the personal libraries of such famous people as Adam Smith, David Ricardo, William Wordsworth, and Karl Marx. These works can be useful for historical and cross-cultural studies in Economics and Business.

Both Landmarks of Science and Goldsmith 's-Kress works are in a variety of languages. In addition to English, there are Latin, French, German, and other European languages represented. They are available in Media Resources and Microforms on LGl.

I WEB: Instruction Calendar

The Library's web server is constantly being modified in order to provide you with better tools and resources.

Two features were added to Library Services and Programs (http://library.ust.hk/ service.html) : A Library Instruction Program Calendar and several room reservation schedules. With the first, you can find out the schedule and content of workshops and classes offered by the Library.

You can also register for workshops online. The room reservation schedules are found under 'Reserving Rooms' (http:// library.ust.hk/ serv/rsrv.html). Here you can check the booking schedules for the two seminar rooms, the Library Classroom, and the Library Computer Laboratory.

A new pathfinder, Ten Steps in Writing a

Research Paper, is available at http:/ I library. ust. hk/ serv/ skills/libskill. html. This pathfinder aims at equipping students with effective research skills for writing a term paper, covering everything from initial topic selection to bibliography construction. Several other pathfinders have been extensively updated (http://library.ust.hk/res/ #path)

Windows95 - continued from page 1

The Library has, however, encountered a few problems with this migration. Most of the computers in the Library had to be upgraded in order to run Windows95. Upgrading the Library servers, and testing over one hundred databases mounted on them was very time-consuming. We found that a surprising number of database programs were not compatible with the new environment, and our staff have worked with the vendors to obtain updates and workarounds. There are still a couple of databases which are unable to migrate, although we hope to solve this soon.

By for the biggest remaining problem is the lack of sophisticated Chinese character programs available for the Windows95 environment. While Big5 and GB are available, the Library Online Catalog requires the much broader Chinese Character Coding International Initiative (CCCII), and eventually of Unicode . We have been in close contact with our Chinese software vendor in Taiwan, who hopes to have a Windows95 beta version to us by the time you read this article.

In the meantime, a pilot version of the new configuration will be rolled out on ten public computers on the ground floor of the Library. Please try it out, and let us know what you think. We eagerly await your suggestions at library@usthk.ust.hk

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I Suggestions and Answers

Improved Printer Option In telnet access to the Online Catalog,

the "Print" option allows printing to an "Attached Printer". Previously, this was only useful from DOS. The print driver now supports Windows and Macintosh, and network prin­ters. This makes it useful to a much larger number of computers on campus. Chinese printing to a network printer is not yet working - but you can e-mail records to your account.

Requests and Recalls Holds may be placed on checked-out

items, or "On order/In processing" items by using the "Request ITEM" feature in the telnet or web interfaces to the Library Online Catalog. If the item is checked out to another user, the Library will issue a Recall Notice to that user, giving them one week to return it. You will be sent a Pickup Notice when the item is available, and it will be held for you at the Circulation Counter for 7 days. Media materials are not available for holds, and there will be no recalls during semester breaks.