billy@vaxb.acs.unt.edu (03/20/91)
Hi, Another minor release of the "UNT's Accessing On-line Bibliographic Databases" handout is now complete. A few new additions, but mostly corrections requested by various people on the network. Included at the end of this letter is the answer to some questions that have popped up on numerous occasions. Further discussion should take place on the PACS-L or LIB_HYTELNET mailing lists. ================================================================================ Billy Barron Bitnet : BILLY@UNTVAX VAX/Unix Systems Manager THENET : NTVAX::BILLY University of North Texas Internet : billy@vaxb.acs.unt.edu SPAN : UTSPAN::UTADNX::NTVAX::BILLY ================================================================================ Some commonly asked questions: How do I acquire the files? The files are available on vaxb.acs.unt.edu (129.120.1.4) via anonymous FTP. The files are: LIBRARIES.TXT - ASCII version LIBRARIES.PS - Postscript version LIBRARIES.WP5 - WordPerfect 5.1 source (transfer in binary mode) LIBRARIES.ADR - Numeric IP addresses of Internet libraries LIBRARIES.CONTACTS - Contacts for some of the Internet libraries NETWORKS.HLP - VMS help file source for a wide area networks help topic, which includes a section on library systems. BITNET only users should use the BITFTP service to acquire the files. Information on BITFTP can be acquired by sending a mail message with the word HELP in the body to BITFTP@PUCC. As an absolute last resort, the files may be requested via email (note: some networks such as UUCP may file size limits that may prohibit the transfer of these documents through electronic mail). Why is there UNT's guide and the Art St. George/Ron Larsen guide? Art St. George and I have some differences of opinion in the area of formatting and what should be included in an Internet library guide. Though I could just use the St. George guide, I need to format the information into a easy to use for novice computer users for my on-campus users. It is not much harder to provide it to the Internet at large and also gather my own information. Joe St. Sauver, the author of the VAXbook, on PACS-L put forth a rather good argument for the case that two guides are actually a benefical thing. Are there some other useful sources of information? 1. HYTELNET - A Hypertext database for MS-DOS systems on Internet Resources including Library systems. Available via anonymous FTP on WUARCHIVE.WUSTL.EDU, WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL, or VAXB.ACS.UNT.EDU. Written by Peter Scott, University of Saskatchewan. A new version should be released in the near future. 2. LIBTEL - A TELNET front-end for VMS and Unix system to access Library Systems. Available via anonymous FTP on VAXB.ACS.UNT.EDU. Written by D. Mahone, University of New Mexico. Where do I send updates? Send all new information, updates, and deletions to BILLY@VAXB.ACS.UNT.EDU (more details on first page of guide). If you are using a TELNET/TN3270 package not listed in the appendix, please send me the information on it. Also, if you have instructions for a library software package not yet described, please send them to me and give me at least one example where it is in use. Sorry about the Appendices on some library software that are not yet completed. I will complete as time permits. I have problems printing the PostScript file. I found a problem at my end that was causing 75% of these problems. I have not yet resolved what is causing other people difficulty. The evidence right now is pointing to the fact that *some* FTP packages are stripping out CRs when they are not supposed to (WIN/TCP on VMS is an example of this).