robertj@tekgen.bv.tek.com (Robert Jaquiss) (11/05/90)
Index Number: 11499
I read the following material with an OCr machine. I
have corrected some misread words. I apologize for any mis-
takes.
Robert S. Jaquiss Jr.
Internet: robertj@tekgen.bv.tek.com
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The Special Interest Group on CD-ROM Applications & Technology
(SIGCAT) is a user group sponsored by the U.S. Geological Survey
which is devoted to the investigation of CD-ROM technology and its
myriad applications. This group provides an ongoing forum for the
exchange of ideas, information and experiences on CD-ROM for the
benefit of all concerned.
SIGCAT meetings are held bimonthly at various locations on the east
and west coasts, often at the U.S. Geological Survey National
Center in Reston, Va. The meetings typically run all day and are
open to the general public at no cost. The format typically
accommodates six to eight speakers, including live demonstrations
of CD-ROM technology. The content of the meetings is aimed at
providing the membership with updates on all aspects of CD-ROM as
well as conveying the experiences of those both in and out of
Government who are actually using the technology in real
applications.
The first meeting of SIGCAT took place on Tuesday, May 6, 1986.
There are now close to 4,000 members on the SIGCAT mailing list
representing over 300 different Government organizations.
Individual working groups and committees have been formed under
SIGCAT to focus on specific issues involving CDROM technology.
Currently, the following working groups are active:
SEARCH SOFTWARE Working Group
Chair - George Knapp - Geological Survey - 703/648-6823
This working group is constantly evaluating new search software
which is applicable to CD-ROM applications. A matrix of software
products and their various functional characteristics has been
created and is available to SIGCAT members.
SIGLIT - Special Interest Group on Library Information Technology
Chair - Susan David - Library of Congress - 202/707-7169
One of the most promising application areas for CD-ROM is proving
to be the library and information science environment. The
SIGLIT working group is very active in this arena and holds its own
meetings in addition the scheduled SIGCAT meetings.
SIGACE - Special Interest Group for the Application of CD-ROM in Education
Chair - Sheldon Fisher - Dept. of Education - 202/357-6699
Another active working group is SIGACE which was formed to examine,
review and demonstrate CD-ROM discs appropriate for use in training
and education. Discs are available for demonstration at the
Department of Education's Technology Resource Center, 80 F street,
Washington, DC. This group is also interested in reviewing teacher
training materials using CD-ROM for the effective use of this
medium in the classroom. Professional educators, vendors and
others interested in educational aspects of CD-ROM should contact
Mr. Fisher.
COMMON INDEX Working Group
Chair: Lt. Larry Schankin - U.S. Air Force - 617/377-2105
An effort is underway to look into the feasibility of developing
the specifications for a neutral or common index for use with
textural CD-ROM discs produced by the Federal Government. If such
an index were available, organizations could produce CD-ROM discs
complete with indexes that could then be read by a variety of
retrieval software packages. This working group will serve as a
focal point for information on the status of such a common indexing
structure.
ISO-9660 Working Group
Chair: Mike Rubinfeld - National Institute of Standards & Technology
301/975-3064
As the ISO 9660 standard becomes more widespread, it allows a
CD-ROM disc mastered in this format to be accessed in a variety of
non-MS-DOS operating system environments. Several computer
companies are now beta testing their driver software in accessing a
ISO 9660 CD-ROM disc. This working group will track these
developments and keep the SIGCAT membership aware of progress in
this area.
CDOWG - CD-ROM Data Origination Working Group
Chair: Lee Brotzman - National Aeronautics & Space Administration
301/286-6953
Many organizations in the federal sector have now acquired
workstations to allow them to perform in-house all of the
operations associated with premastering a CD-ROM disc. A new
SIGCAT working group has been established to network the people
familiar with the operation and use of these workstations. The
objective is to share solutions to common problems, useful
techniques and other tips that are often vital to the efficient
operation of these systems.
CD-CINC - CD-ROM Consistent INterface Committee
Co-chair: Susan David - Chair, SIGLIT - 202/707-7169
Co-chair: Fred Durr - National Information Services Corp. 301/243-0797
The objective of CD-CINC is to describe, in a consistent manner,
the basic functions inherent to contemporary search and retrieval
software and to suggest a consistent set of terms for these
functions. In addition, the committee will suggest key assignments
(where appropriate) that should be available to users of full text
and bibliographic CD-ROM products. Finally, CD-CINC will seek to
identify general guidelines for installing and exiting CD-ROM
applications.
GIS - CD-ROM Working Group
Chair: Dan Costanzo - Army Engineer Topographic Labs - 202/355-3451
The technology of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is finding
application in a wide variety of fields, from logistics to resource
management. In most of these applications, large amounts of data
are required to generate meaningful output. Since CD-ROM is able
to provide this type of large data storage, ft is natural to marry
these two technologies. This working group explores this
combination of CD-ROM and GIS and serves as a focal point for
information and applications.
The SIGCAT CD-ROM Compendium
SIGCAT, through the USGS Branch of Library and Information
Services, maintains a database of bibliographic information called
the SIGCAT CD-ROM Compendium. This database contains information
about those CD-ROM discs which have been produced by agencies and
companies based on Government data. Information about this
database can be obtained by contacting Beverly Westermeyer on
703/648-7047.
If you would like to join SIGCAT (there are no membership fees) and
any of the Working Groups, simply send your name, title,
organization, phone number and complete mailing address to:
E. J. (Jerry) McFaul
Chair, SIGCAT
U.S. Geological Survey
904 National Center
Reston, VA 22092-9998
We hope you share with us the enthusiasm we have for CD-ROM
technology and its potential for the cost-effective dissemination
of Government data. Your cooperation in joining and promoting
SIGCAT would be greatly appreciated and would further advance the
usefulness of SIGCAT as an information sharing forum throughout the
Federal Government. Ole look forward to hearing from you.
S I G L I T
Special Interest Group on Library and Information Technology
The Special Interest Group on Libraries and Information Technology
is an active subgroup of SIGCAT, the Special Interest Group on
CD-ROM Application Technology, headed by Jerry McFaul. SIGLIT was
founded in May 1987 by Jane Perry and Sheldon Fisher. We have met
monthly since then. Susan David is currently chair.
From the beginning, SIGLIT seemed to have a hfe of its own. A
loosely organized group, SIGLIT provides a forum for like-minded
professionals in the Washington, D.C. area to share their
experiences with CD-ROM technology. Meetings are held in libraries
or companies so we can see CD-ROM in action. Most meetings begin
with updates about our own libraries and information centers.
The group is run by a coordinating committee. Current active
members of the coordinating committee are Joyce Backus, Carol
Bursik, Susan David, Kate Dolan, Martha Feldman, Lynne McCay, and
Dan Reuben. Some SIGLIT meetings follow:
On July 21, 1987, Deborah Bezanson, a librarian at Gelman
Library at George Washington University, presented the findings
of a survey of students who were very early CD-ROM users.
On November 30, 1987 we visited Advanced Systems Development,
Inc. High Density lAboratory for a technical presentation of
CD-ROM. Dan Reuben, Scott Guilda, and Tom Thiel were our hosts.
March 24, 1988, we visited the Pentagon Library to see the
CD-ROM catalog that Carol Bursik had produced as a backup to
the online catalog.
April 20, 1988, we met at the Library of Congress for a
briefing and tour by Linda Arret and Ricky Erway of the new
Machine Readable Collection Reading Room.
On February 23, 1989 Sheldon Fisher presented the expanded
Technology Resources Center at the Department of Education. The
SIGCAT laboratory is now here.
April 26, 1989, Sami IUein arranged a meeting on standards
presented by Patricia Harris, Executive Director of the National
Information Standards Organization.
July 12, 1989, we arranged carpools to the Howard County Public
Library to see the CDROM local area network set up there for use
by the public. Norma Hill, Joyce DeMuth, Alan Bogage, and Howard
McQueen met with us.
October 26, 1989, Lisa Huber from Online, Inc. reviewed pricing
and licensing for networked CD-ROM titles.
On April 26, 1990, Kate Dolan arranged a special demonstration
of the NeXt machine.
On October 23, 1990, Ruth Hennessy gave us a tour of the Nimitz
Library, U.S. Naval Academy, and talked about how she manages
more than 20 CD-ROM titles.
Besides monthly meetings, SIGLIT sponsors the CD-ROM conference on
the FEDLEM bulletin board. Steve Pahncsar is the sysop; Harry
Brooks and Erik Delfino founded it. In Summer, 1990, Martha
Feldman began the SIGLIT videotaping program. David Clem has done
the videotaping so far and other volunteers are sought.
For more information, write to Susan David at Library of Congress, CRS,
Washington, D.C. 20540.
The Technology Resources Center
SIGCAT Library of Government
CD-s
SIGCAT, in cooperation with the Technology Resources Center. wishes
to further expand its library of CD ROM's developed by or for
Goverinment Agencies.
For the past four years the Technology Resources Center, of the US
Department of Education, has been demonstrating CD ROM and other
computer technologies to professionals from every level of
education. While the Center has some Government CD's, SIGCAT would
like to have this collection fully representative of the growth of
CD ROM for State and Federal government.
This expanded collection would:
Provide agencies with an easily accessible site where their
CD's could be reviewed.
Include discs using Government supplied data.
Provide agencies and producers with a showcase for displaying
their discs.
Agencies and producers are invited to submit their -Government -
CD's, for inclusion in the SIGCAT collection at the Technology
Resources Center.
The Center has the following equipment; Apple, Amdek, Hitachi, IBM,
Pioneer DRM-600 Multi Disc, and Toshiba CD ROM players. These
units are connected with computers from IBM (PS2/30 and 55),
Macintosh SE, and UnIX, Tandy 2500, and Commodore PC40 III (DOS).
IBM DOS Systems 3.3 and 4.0 are available. Discs must be in the
ISO 9660 standard.
The Technology Resources Center is located in the Research Library
of the US Department of Education. The Center is open to the
public from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM daily.
Materials should be sent to: Sheldon Fisher , Technology Resources
Center, Research Library, 1st Floor, 80 E Street NW, Washington, DC
20208. For further information call the Center at 202 357 6699.
(Note: this number changes after October 26 to (202) 219 1691/2
The Technology Resources Center does not evaluate nor recommend products.