Feature Articles
An Algorithm for Variable-Length Proper-Name Compression (p.257-275)
JAMES L. DOLBY
Viable on-line search systems require reasonable capabilities to automatically detect (and hopefully correct) variations between request format and stored format. An important requirement is the solution of the problem of matching proper names, not only because both input specifications and storage specifications are subject to error, but also because various transliteration schemes exist and can provide variant proper name forms in the same data base. This paper reviews several proper name matching schemes and provides an updated version of these schemes which tests out nicely on the proper name equivalence classes of a suburban telephone book. An appendix lists the corpus of names used for algorithm test.
On-line Acquisitions by LOLITA (p.276-294)
FRANCES G. SPIGAI AND THOMAS MAHAN
The on-line acquisitions program (LOLITA) in use at the Oregon State University Library is described in terms of development costs, equipment requirements, and overall design philosophy. In particular, the record format and content of records in the on-order file, and the on-line processing of these records (input, search, correction, output) using a cathode ray tube display terminal are detailed.
Listings of Uncataloged Collections (p.295-303)
FRED L. BELLOMY AND LIES N. JACCARINO
An operational computerized system used by the UCSB Libraries produces listings of bibliographic data about items in collections where full cataloging treatment is not considered justified. The system produces listings of the brief bibliographic records sorted by any of the data elements in the record, including up to twenty-five subject terms. Of special interest are the authority listings of descriptions and the coordinate indexes to the full records.