News
on the
Net

What do you do when you arrive at your desk each day? Perhaps after checking email you need to see what’s making news around the world? Now you can do that from your office PC by using the Current Affairs website. This site, compiled by library staff, can be found at http://www.lib.monash.edu.au/hss/news/

The Newspapers section is organised geographically. Select a region, then the specific newspaper and the main stories will be presented; most papers are updated at least daily. For news as it breaks, try the Radio, Television or Wire Services sections; these services are often updated hourly. Listening to the news is also possible provided your computer has the appropriate ‘plug-in’ software. This software is usually available for free over the Internet. If in-depth analysis of a topic is needed try the Transcripts section which links to various current affairs television and radio programmes. If the particular service is not listed in any of the sections provided, use the General Sources link. This section offers four major gateways to comprehensive listings of news services.

Government publications have also been included as they are an important source of information, often reflecting ideas on contemporary issues. In fact over the past few years governments have been changing their traditional publishing methods to utilise technologies facilitated through the internet. More and more government reports or at least executive summaries are available in digital format. This means they are often available on the net the same day they are announced in the press.

The sites listed on the Current Awareness website have been chosen because they provide up-to-date news, are from authoritative sources, provide in-depth analysis of topics and in general do not require subscriptions. Work on the website is continuing so keep returning to see the development. If you have any of your own current affairs ‘treasures’ that you would like to share , email Gayle Whyte at gayle.whyte@lib.monash.edu.au
 

SESAME2
to be
Replaced

The University purchased the PALS library system in 1988/89. Over the years it has given excellent service however after ten years, PALS is now obsolete. The hardware has become very expensive to maintain and software support is being phased out during 1999 as the State of Minnesota, for which it was originally developed, acquires a new system.

The Library is well on the way towards identifying a replacement for PALS. The University Information Technology Advisory Committee (UNITAC) agreed to support the Library's request for funding for a new system. Tenders were called in December 1997, and the deadline for submission of proposals was February 1998. Two vendors were short-listed and both have made detailed product presentations to library and computer centre staff. A final decision is expected in July. As soon as contract negotiations are completed and the contract signed, system installation, data migration and staff training will commence.

The present plan is to commission the new system progressively during 1998 and 1999. The public catalogue and circulation will come on stream in time for the start of Semester 1 1999.
 

ARC
Grant
Helps
Reveal
Library's
Hidden
Treasures

As a result of discussions with other libraries and with scholars in the area of European studies, Monash together with a small number of other Australian libraries applied for an ARC grant to acquire or create individual catalogue records for microfilmed books and journals. The application was successful and the $350,000 granted was supplemented with a further $35,000 from each participating library.

A decision has not yet been taken on the full expenditure of the funds, but already agreement has been reached to purchase sets of records for a number of significant Monash collections. Chief among these is the Goldsmiths’ Kress library of economic literature which contains over 50,000 books and journals from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Records are also being purchased for the 25,000 books in Early English books, 1475-1640. These will complement the records for Early English books, 1641-1700 which were purchased some years ago. Also to be added to the catalogue will be records for Spanish drama of the golden age and Publishing, the booktrade and the diffusion of knowledge, a section of the Nineteenth century collection.

Coordination of Monash library’s participation in the project is being provided by Robert Stafford, Collection Management Librarian. Enquires can be emailed to him at robert.stafford@lib.monash.edu.au. The loading of the catalogue records will be undertaken by the Technical Services Database Management and Library Systems units.

20,000
volumes
find a
safe
haven

This high-density storage facility which opened last year, has been equipped with quality humidity and temperature control. Located in Bundoora adjacent to the La Trobe University, it now houses some tens of thousands of volumes from Victoria’s major research libraries.

The need for a centralised storage facility has long been recognised. Every year large research libraries such as Monash are faced with the difficulty of making space for thousands of new volumes, while still retaining copies of older, little used material. Libraries are reluctant to discard this material which may have research value in the future. With the opening of the CARM store, scholars can now be assured that a copy of every item once held in Victoria will be kept within the state. The participating libraries retain joint ownership of these “last copies” with a guarantee of continued access to the items.

The CARM store includes facilities for scholars to use the material on-site. Anyone interested in doing so should first contact the store on 94592722. Alternatively, requests can be made through the DocDel unit and the item will be delivered to Monash, usually within 24 hours. Requests to DocDel can be made electronically via the website at http://www.lib.monash.edu.au/docdel/