An evaluation of CD-ROM MEDLINE use in Thailand By Anchalee Chamchuklin, M.A. Serials Librarian, Library Faculty of Medicine Chulalongkorn University G.P.O. Box 2328 Bangkok 10330, Thailand Aung-Myint, M.Sc. Special Lecturer
Department of Physiology Faculty of Science Mahidol University Bangkok 10500, Thailand
An analysis of requests for CD-ROM MEDLINE* searches from June to December 1987 at the Medical Library, Chulalongkorn University, was performed. Requests were received from eighty-two places, in Bangkok and the provinces; 97.8% were from government organizations. MEDLINE on CD-ROM was available from 1982 to date. Most users requested searches covering the previous five or six years. Users were surveyed regarding the service: just over 87% found the service userfriendly. In addition, users suggested that the library conduct search training programs, and more than half of the users noted that a single work station could not meet the search load.
INTRODUCTION The use of computers for the control of the information explosion is well established. During the 1970s, databases using large mainframe computers served as major points for worldwide information distribution. These databases were primarily designed for use by trained intermediaries, and end users needed lengthy training to conduct their own searches successfully. Access to these databases through remote terminals was also limited, due mainly to high telecommunication costs. The development of microcomputers during the late 1970s initiated significant changes in the concept of information storage and distribution. Many micro-based information systems were developed; databases became increasingly specialized and fragmented, allowing large numbers of end users to access information [1-2]. * MEDLINE is a registered trademark of the National Library of Medicine.
Bull Med Libr Assoc 78(4) October 1990
Today, microcomputer-based systems play a significant role in the information industry due to the affordability of hardware, system software, and training. There are, however, limitations to these systems, one of which is their limited storage capacity; this is especially serious where data storage and retrieval is the primary concern. Fortunately, computer and laser technologies have advanced to solve this problem with the use of compact-disc, read-only-memory (CDROM) systems. First introduced in the entertainment and music industries in the 1980s, CD-ROM was quickly adopted by the information industry due to the large capacity available for data storage [3-4]. As Chulalongkorn University Medical Library (CUML) evolved from manual to online information search programs, it too faced the problem of high telecommunication costs. Access to databases was restricted because of limited numbers of terminals and restricted online time. Members of the Faculty of Medicine had access to the services of five DIALOG terminals in Thailand, the nearest one being two kilometers away at the CU Academic Resources Center; MEDLINE was the most-used database. When MED395
Chamchuklin and Aung-Myint Figure 1 Number of requests received from June to December 1987 (n = 1,184)
Figure 3 Requests by type of requesters (INST-instructors, RESDresidents, STU2-postgrad. students, RESH-researchers, OTHS-others, EXTN-externs, STUl -medical students,
SCIT-scientists) (n = 1,184)
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Jun
Jul
Oct Nov Sep Months (June-December 1987)
Aug
Dec INST
RESD
STU2
RESH
OTHS
EXTN
STU1
SCIT
Type of requesters
LINE became available on CD-ROM in early 1987, the faculty administration invested in the Compact Cambridge MEDLINE system. The first unit in Thailand was installed at CUML in June 1987. Six discs, one per year, covered the period from 1982 to 1987 and contained 1,808,424 records [5]. A CD-ROM work station was placed in the serials section of the library; ten staff members were trained in its operation and search strategy. The availability of the mediated service was then announced to the faculty and to all libraries in the interlibrary loan Figure 2 Number of requests sent by more active CU Faculty of Medicine departments (n = 972)
network. Beginning in July 1987, the service was available from 8:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M. on weekdays. The first six months of use is the subject for this study.
Microcomputer-based systems play a significant role in the information industry due to the affordability of hardware, system software, and training. There are, however, limitations to these systems, one of which is their limited storage capacity.
METHODOLOGY (n a) um
5,
0*
to a1)
0 5) .0
E
Medicine
Obstetrics/
Gynecology Surgery
Microbiology Ophthalmology Pharmacy Physiology Radiology Nursing
Pediatrics
Departments
The system used a Phillips CM 100 CD-ROM reader with an interface card for an IBM PC/XT with 640KB RAM and a 20-MB hard disk. Users were asked to fill out a search request form, and the searches were conducted by trained staff members. As requested, search output was saved on disk or printed out as hard copy. The request forms were used for the use analysis. A random sample of requesters was undertaken at the end of 1987, using a questionnaire designed to assess impressions of the CD-ROM service. Request forms and returned questionnaires were input for computer analysis according to date of request, institution, requester category and objective, year(s) of request, language, and users' comments and suggestions.
396
Bull Med Libr Assoc 78(4) October 1990
CD-ROM MEDLINE in Thailand Figure 4 Requests by objective (RESEA-research, CONFE-conference/ seminar, MANUS-manuscript preparation, THESE-theses, TEACH-teaching, N.A.-not available, TREAT-treatment, G.ROUN-grand round) (n = 1,184)
Figure 5 Number of requests by search duration in years (n = 1,184)
U) U) U)
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4)
a)
a1) ~0
a1) -o
z
E
E z
Search duration in years RESEA
CONFE MANUS THESE TEACH
N.A.
TREAT OTHER G.ROUN
Type of objectives
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Volume of requests A total of 1,184 search requests were processed in six months. During the first four months, awareness of the service both within and outside the faculty was reflected by a steady increase in the number of search requests. The final two months of the survey period showed a leveling of the number of requests (Figure 1). A second CD-ROM MEDLINE system was installed at Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University toward the end of 1987. This service point was five kilometers from CU, and the load of outside requests was then shared. The CU service now serves mainly faculty members. Source of requests Although the current policy of the library is to offer free services to all users, from both government or private sectors, the majority of the requests (1,158 97.8%) came from government organizations; only twenty-six (2.2%) came from private enterprises. During the survey period, requests were received from eighty-two locations in Bangkok and the provinces. Thirty-one of the 82 request sources (37.8%) were from the CU Faculty of Medicine or related university faculties. Fifty-one sources (62.2%) were non-CU. CU users accounted for 972 (82.1%) of the total requests, compared to 212 (17.9%) requested by other organizations. Bull Med Libr Assoc 78(4) October 1990
The majority of the search requests from CU faculty related to medicine, with 942 (96.9%) coming from the Faculty of Medicine; 30 (3.1%) came from other CU faculties. Analysis of request sources showed that 976 (82.6%) came from medical schools, 97 (8.2%) came from hospitals, 47 (4.0%) came from allied health institutions, 38 (3.2%) came from universities, and 26 (2.2%) came from other organizations. Departments showing greater demand are charted in Figure 2. The three departments showing the highest volume of use are those having the greatest manpower and the greatest number of research projects.
Requests were received from eighty-two locations in Bangkok and the provinces. Thirty-one of the 82 request sources (37.8%) were from the CU faculty of medicine or related university faculties. Type of requesters At the Faculty of Medicine, instructors are generally engaged in many research projects with residents, in addition to their teaching responsibilities; this is shown by the distribution of all 1,184 requests in Figure 3. Request analysis It is clear from Figure 4 that research requests dominate the use pattern. A majority of users requested searches covering the entire six-year database (Figure 5). English was the language requested by most users 397
Chamchuklin and Aung-Myint Figure 6 Requests by language (n = 1,184) 900800700 ,
'
600
500-
0
a)
.0
400-
E= z 300200100-
0All English
English abstract
Any language
Language of requests
(Figure 6), and a high percentage of users (25.6%) asked for any language with an English abstract. Very few users (3.8%) specified "any language."
Postsearch requests Half of the requesters (50.5%) asked for printed search results. The normal practice for users was to review search results with CDMATE, a special postsearch management software package developed to manage results from CD-ROM searches. CDMATE converts search-save results into random access files so that
The majority of the users, like those in many other developing countries, were not accustomed to performing online searches. The library, therefore, decided to provide trained staff to perform the searches as an initial, acclimatizing phase. users can quickly browse, delete irrelevant citations, and save or print references. Many users had access to microcomputers; 38.3% requested output on diskettes or that results be saved on the hard disk for later review. Some users (7.3%) preferred to note relevant references and request immediately the source literature.
Users' impression survey Although the CD-ROM system is designed for direct end-user searching with minimal assistance from trained intermediaries [6], the majority of the users, 398
like those in many other developing countries, were not accustomed to performing online searches. The library, therefore, decided to provide trained staff to perform the searches as an initial, acclimatizing phase. After six months of use, it was expected that users would be familiar with the system and could give relevant comments. A user survey was conducted using a questionnaire. Users were not prepared to comment on the difference between online and CD-ROM searching, but 80.0% expressed their preference for computerized compared to manual searches, as also reported earlier [7]. Only a few (20.0%) indicated no preference for either method. A majority of users (87.1%) indicated that the search service on CD-ROM was user-friendly or that they felt it was easy to use. Only 12.9% found the service difficult to use. More than half of the respondents (65.7%) preferred that trained staff conduct the search for them; some respondents (22.9%) had no preference for the type of searcher, and 11.4% preferred to conduct their own searches. Nearly half (46.4%) said that lack of search knowledge was the reason that they preferred to have staff-mediated searching. Some respondents (28.6%) felt that staff-mediated searches were more accurate, but a majority (89.3%) claimed that they could not invest the time to conduct their own searches and thus preferred staff-mediated service. Almost all users (94.5%) who preferred to search for themselves gave the ability to monitor the search in progress as their reason. Half of the users believed that they would obtain a more accurate search result if they did it
themselves. COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS
More than half of the respondents (56.3%) noted that the CD-ROM work station was always busy. A total of 40.6% of the users noted they had no knowledge of CD-ROM MEDLINE use. No end-user training was available. Some users (9.4%) noted that the service was slow and assigned staff members were not always available (9.4%) since the same staff were also assigned to copy documents. More than half of the respondents (58.3%) suggested that the library organize user-orientation classes and prepare a manual on CD-ROM searching. Others (41.7%) suggested service-related improvements, mainly to investigate the possibility of changing to a multi-use system so that several users could search simultaneously. This study describes users' behavior, mainly at CU Faculty of Medicine. The institution's focus is academic, with instructors and residents engaged in research. The plateau in request volume noted in the last two months of the study can be regarded as an equilibrium established between demand and service Bull Med Libr Assoc 78(4) October 1990
CD-ROM MEDLINE in Thailand
capabilities, with the latter acting as the limiting factor. Establishing more CD-ROM stations is, of course, one way to increase service capacity. Given a limited budget, the library is investigating other approaches to increase service, such as extending service hours and reorganizing service procedures.
With proper training and a user manual, users could achieve higher satisfaction levels either by conducting their own searches or by formulating better requests for mediated searching. The users' impression of CD-ROM MEDLINE was positive. The study indicates that users are ready for orientation courses on the use of the CD-ROM system. Although users expressed considerable satisfaction with staff searches, they felt that they could perform better searches if they were familiar with search methods. With proper training and a user manual, users could achieve higher satisfaction levels either by conducting their own searches or by formulating better requests for mediated searching. The subject areas requested varied by department and individual interest. Users showed a common interest in the duration of the scope of a search and were most interested in the latest two years. A similar pattern was reported by Takada in the study conducted at the International Medical Information Center (IMIC) in Japan [8]. Users in both studies were research-oriented; this suggests that service procedures can be revised by priority posting to active database files or journals. It is the policy of CUML to constantly monitor and adjust services as user needs change. Information from
Bull Med Libr Assoc 78(4) October 1990
this study provides guidelines for refining library services so that users can gain the maximum benefit from the system. Data from this study will serve as a baseline for future comparisons.
REFERENCES 1. GRIFFITH JM. Main trends in information technology. Unesco J Inf Sci Libr Arch Admin 1982 Oct/Dec;4(4): 230-8. 2. MAGALHAES R. The impact of the micro-electronics revolution in library and information work: an analysis of future trends. Unesco J Inf Sci Libr Arch Admin 1983 Jan! Mar;5(1):2-1 1. 3. TSENG SC. CD-ROM information databases for Asian and Pacific libraries. In: Chen CC, Raitt DI, eds. First Pacific Conference: New Information Technology for Library and Information Professionals. 16-18 Jun 1987, Bangkok. Boston, MA: MicroUse Information, 1987:319-32. 4. PAISLEY W, BuTLER M. The first wave: CD-ROM adoption in offices and libraries. In: Chen CC, Raitt DI, eds. First Pacific Conference: New Information Technology for Library and Information Professionals. 16-18 Jun 1987, Bangkok. Boston, MA: MicroUse Information, 1987:233-30. 5. EDWARDS TK. Compact MEDLINE. JAMA 1987 May 22/ 29;257(20):2835-6. 6. WERTZ RK. CD-ROM: a new advance in medical information retrieval. JAMA 1986 Dec 26;256(24):3376-8. 7. HUMPHREY SM, MELLONI BJ. Databases: a primer for retrieving information by computer. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1986:1-2. 8. TAKADA Y, TANI K, OHTAKE T. Surveys of core medical journals through photocopy requests in Japan. In: Medical libraries-one world: resources, cooperation, services. Proceedings, Fifth International Congress on Medical Librarianship, 30 Sep-4 Oct 1985. v.1. Tokyo, Japan: The Congress Organizing Committee, 1985:709-17.
Received November 1988; accepted April 1990
399
Department of Physiology Faculty of Science Mahidol University Bangkok 10500, Thailand
An analysis of requests for CD-ROM MEDLINE* searches from June to December 1987 at the Medical Library, Chulalongkorn University, was performed. Requests were received from eighty-two places, in Bangkok and the provinces; 97.8% were from government organizations. MEDLINE on CD-ROM was available from 1982 to date. Most users requested searches covering the previous five or six years. Users were surveyed regarding the service: just over 87% found the service userfriendly. In addition, users suggested that the library conduct search training programs, and more than half of the users noted that a single work station could not meet the search load.
INTRODUCTION The use of computers for the control of the information explosion is well established. During the 1970s, databases using large mainframe computers served as major points for worldwide information distribution. These databases were primarily designed for use by trained intermediaries, and end users needed lengthy training to conduct their own searches successfully. Access to these databases through remote terminals was also limited, due mainly to high telecommunication costs. The development of microcomputers during the late 1970s initiated significant changes in the concept of information storage and distribution. Many micro-based information systems were developed; databases became increasingly specialized and fragmented, allowing large numbers of end users to access information [1-2]. * MEDLINE is a registered trademark of the National Library of Medicine.
Bull Med Libr Assoc 78(4) October 1990
Today, microcomputer-based systems play a significant role in the information industry due to the affordability of hardware, system software, and training. There are, however, limitations to these systems, one of which is their limited storage capacity; this is especially serious where data storage and retrieval is the primary concern. Fortunately, computer and laser technologies have advanced to solve this problem with the use of compact-disc, read-only-memory (CDROM) systems. First introduced in the entertainment and music industries in the 1980s, CD-ROM was quickly adopted by the information industry due to the large capacity available for data storage [3-4]. As Chulalongkorn University Medical Library (CUML) evolved from manual to online information search programs, it too faced the problem of high telecommunication costs. Access to databases was restricted because of limited numbers of terminals and restricted online time. Members of the Faculty of Medicine had access to the services of five DIALOG terminals in Thailand, the nearest one being two kilometers away at the CU Academic Resources Center; MEDLINE was the most-used database. When MED395
Chamchuklin and Aung-Myint Figure 1 Number of requests received from June to December 1987 (n = 1,184)
Figure 3 Requests by type of requesters (INST-instructors, RESDresidents, STU2-postgrad. students, RESH-researchers, OTHS-others, EXTN-externs, STUl -medical students,
SCIT-scientists) (n = 1,184)
4J0
22
o
2C u)
c
a)
0 .-
a)
1
+J
E
aL) c/I
1
0)
E z
a)
0
I
E z
Jun
Jul
Oct Nov Sep Months (June-December 1987)
Aug
Dec INST
RESD
STU2
RESH
OTHS
EXTN
STU1
SCIT
Type of requesters
LINE became available on CD-ROM in early 1987, the faculty administration invested in the Compact Cambridge MEDLINE system. The first unit in Thailand was installed at CUML in June 1987. Six discs, one per year, covered the period from 1982 to 1987 and contained 1,808,424 records [5]. A CD-ROM work station was placed in the serials section of the library; ten staff members were trained in its operation and search strategy. The availability of the mediated service was then announced to the faculty and to all libraries in the interlibrary loan Figure 2 Number of requests sent by more active CU Faculty of Medicine departments (n = 972)
network. Beginning in July 1987, the service was available from 8:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M. on weekdays. The first six months of use is the subject for this study.
Microcomputer-based systems play a significant role in the information industry due to the affordability of hardware, system software, and training. There are, however, limitations to these systems, one of which is their limited storage capacity.
METHODOLOGY (n a) um
5,
0*
to a1)
0 5) .0
E
Medicine
Obstetrics/
Gynecology Surgery
Microbiology Ophthalmology Pharmacy Physiology Radiology Nursing
Pediatrics
Departments
The system used a Phillips CM 100 CD-ROM reader with an interface card for an IBM PC/XT with 640KB RAM and a 20-MB hard disk. Users were asked to fill out a search request form, and the searches were conducted by trained staff members. As requested, search output was saved on disk or printed out as hard copy. The request forms were used for the use analysis. A random sample of requesters was undertaken at the end of 1987, using a questionnaire designed to assess impressions of the CD-ROM service. Request forms and returned questionnaires were input for computer analysis according to date of request, institution, requester category and objective, year(s) of request, language, and users' comments and suggestions.
396
Bull Med Libr Assoc 78(4) October 1990
CD-ROM MEDLINE in Thailand Figure 4 Requests by objective (RESEA-research, CONFE-conference/ seminar, MANUS-manuscript preparation, THESE-theses, TEACH-teaching, N.A.-not available, TREAT-treatment, G.ROUN-grand round) (n = 1,184)
Figure 5 Number of requests by search duration in years (n = 1,184)
U) U) U)
U1)
4)
a)
a1) ~0
a1) -o
z
E
E z
Search duration in years RESEA
CONFE MANUS THESE TEACH
N.A.
TREAT OTHER G.ROUN
Type of objectives
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Volume of requests A total of 1,184 search requests were processed in six months. During the first four months, awareness of the service both within and outside the faculty was reflected by a steady increase in the number of search requests. The final two months of the survey period showed a leveling of the number of requests (Figure 1). A second CD-ROM MEDLINE system was installed at Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University toward the end of 1987. This service point was five kilometers from CU, and the load of outside requests was then shared. The CU service now serves mainly faculty members. Source of requests Although the current policy of the library is to offer free services to all users, from both government or private sectors, the majority of the requests (1,158 97.8%) came from government organizations; only twenty-six (2.2%) came from private enterprises. During the survey period, requests were received from eighty-two locations in Bangkok and the provinces. Thirty-one of the 82 request sources (37.8%) were from the CU Faculty of Medicine or related university faculties. Fifty-one sources (62.2%) were non-CU. CU users accounted for 972 (82.1%) of the total requests, compared to 212 (17.9%) requested by other organizations. Bull Med Libr Assoc 78(4) October 1990
The majority of the search requests from CU faculty related to medicine, with 942 (96.9%) coming from the Faculty of Medicine; 30 (3.1%) came from other CU faculties. Analysis of request sources showed that 976 (82.6%) came from medical schools, 97 (8.2%) came from hospitals, 47 (4.0%) came from allied health institutions, 38 (3.2%) came from universities, and 26 (2.2%) came from other organizations. Departments showing greater demand are charted in Figure 2. The three departments showing the highest volume of use are those having the greatest manpower and the greatest number of research projects.
Requests were received from eighty-two locations in Bangkok and the provinces. Thirty-one of the 82 request sources (37.8%) were from the CU faculty of medicine or related university faculties. Type of requesters At the Faculty of Medicine, instructors are generally engaged in many research projects with residents, in addition to their teaching responsibilities; this is shown by the distribution of all 1,184 requests in Figure 3. Request analysis It is clear from Figure 4 that research requests dominate the use pattern. A majority of users requested searches covering the entire six-year database (Figure 5). English was the language requested by most users 397
Chamchuklin and Aung-Myint Figure 6 Requests by language (n = 1,184) 900800700 ,
'
600
500-
0
a)
.0
400-
E= z 300200100-
0All English
English abstract
Any language
Language of requests
(Figure 6), and a high percentage of users (25.6%) asked for any language with an English abstract. Very few users (3.8%) specified "any language."
Postsearch requests Half of the requesters (50.5%) asked for printed search results. The normal practice for users was to review search results with CDMATE, a special postsearch management software package developed to manage results from CD-ROM searches. CDMATE converts search-save results into random access files so that
The majority of the users, like those in many other developing countries, were not accustomed to performing online searches. The library, therefore, decided to provide trained staff to perform the searches as an initial, acclimatizing phase. users can quickly browse, delete irrelevant citations, and save or print references. Many users had access to microcomputers; 38.3% requested output on diskettes or that results be saved on the hard disk for later review. Some users (7.3%) preferred to note relevant references and request immediately the source literature.
Users' impression survey Although the CD-ROM system is designed for direct end-user searching with minimal assistance from trained intermediaries [6], the majority of the users, 398
like those in many other developing countries, were not accustomed to performing online searches. The library, therefore, decided to provide trained staff to perform the searches as an initial, acclimatizing phase. After six months of use, it was expected that users would be familiar with the system and could give relevant comments. A user survey was conducted using a questionnaire. Users were not prepared to comment on the difference between online and CD-ROM searching, but 80.0% expressed their preference for computerized compared to manual searches, as also reported earlier [7]. Only a few (20.0%) indicated no preference for either method. A majority of users (87.1%) indicated that the search service on CD-ROM was user-friendly or that they felt it was easy to use. Only 12.9% found the service difficult to use. More than half of the respondents (65.7%) preferred that trained staff conduct the search for them; some respondents (22.9%) had no preference for the type of searcher, and 11.4% preferred to conduct their own searches. Nearly half (46.4%) said that lack of search knowledge was the reason that they preferred to have staff-mediated searching. Some respondents (28.6%) felt that staff-mediated searches were more accurate, but a majority (89.3%) claimed that they could not invest the time to conduct their own searches and thus preferred staff-mediated service. Almost all users (94.5%) who preferred to search for themselves gave the ability to monitor the search in progress as their reason. Half of the users believed that they would obtain a more accurate search result if they did it
themselves. COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS
More than half of the respondents (56.3%) noted that the CD-ROM work station was always busy. A total of 40.6% of the users noted they had no knowledge of CD-ROM MEDLINE use. No end-user training was available. Some users (9.4%) noted that the service was slow and assigned staff members were not always available (9.4%) since the same staff were also assigned to copy documents. More than half of the respondents (58.3%) suggested that the library organize user-orientation classes and prepare a manual on CD-ROM searching. Others (41.7%) suggested service-related improvements, mainly to investigate the possibility of changing to a multi-use system so that several users could search simultaneously. This study describes users' behavior, mainly at CU Faculty of Medicine. The institution's focus is academic, with instructors and residents engaged in research. The plateau in request volume noted in the last two months of the study can be regarded as an equilibrium established between demand and service Bull Med Libr Assoc 78(4) October 1990
CD-ROM MEDLINE in Thailand
capabilities, with the latter acting as the limiting factor. Establishing more CD-ROM stations is, of course, one way to increase service capacity. Given a limited budget, the library is investigating other approaches to increase service, such as extending service hours and reorganizing service procedures.
With proper training and a user manual, users could achieve higher satisfaction levels either by conducting their own searches or by formulating better requests for mediated searching. The users' impression of CD-ROM MEDLINE was positive. The study indicates that users are ready for orientation courses on the use of the CD-ROM system. Although users expressed considerable satisfaction with staff searches, they felt that they could perform better searches if they were familiar with search methods. With proper training and a user manual, users could achieve higher satisfaction levels either by conducting their own searches or by formulating better requests for mediated searching. The subject areas requested varied by department and individual interest. Users showed a common interest in the duration of the scope of a search and were most interested in the latest two years. A similar pattern was reported by Takada in the study conducted at the International Medical Information Center (IMIC) in Japan [8]. Users in both studies were research-oriented; this suggests that service procedures can be revised by priority posting to active database files or journals. It is the policy of CUML to constantly monitor and adjust services as user needs change. Information from
Bull Med Libr Assoc 78(4) October 1990
this study provides guidelines for refining library services so that users can gain the maximum benefit from the system. Data from this study will serve as a baseline for future comparisons.
REFERENCES 1. GRIFFITH JM. Main trends in information technology. Unesco J Inf Sci Libr Arch Admin 1982 Oct/Dec;4(4): 230-8. 2. MAGALHAES R. The impact of the micro-electronics revolution in library and information work: an analysis of future trends. Unesco J Inf Sci Libr Arch Admin 1983 Jan! Mar;5(1):2-1 1. 3. TSENG SC. CD-ROM information databases for Asian and Pacific libraries. In: Chen CC, Raitt DI, eds. First Pacific Conference: New Information Technology for Library and Information Professionals. 16-18 Jun 1987, Bangkok. Boston, MA: MicroUse Information, 1987:319-32. 4. PAISLEY W, BuTLER M. The first wave: CD-ROM adoption in offices and libraries. In: Chen CC, Raitt DI, eds. First Pacific Conference: New Information Technology for Library and Information Professionals. 16-18 Jun 1987, Bangkok. Boston, MA: MicroUse Information, 1987:233-30. 5. EDWARDS TK. Compact MEDLINE. JAMA 1987 May 22/ 29;257(20):2835-6. 6. WERTZ RK. CD-ROM: a new advance in medical information retrieval. JAMA 1986 Dec 26;256(24):3376-8. 7. HUMPHREY SM, MELLONI BJ. Databases: a primer for retrieving information by computer. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1986:1-2. 8. TAKADA Y, TANI K, OHTAKE T. Surveys of core medical journals through photocopy requests in Japan. In: Medical libraries-one world: resources, cooperation, services. Proceedings, Fifth International Congress on Medical Librarianship, 30 Sep-4 Oct 1985. v.1. Tokyo, Japan: The Congress Organizing Committee, 1985:709-17.
Received November 1988; accepted April 1990
399
