4th Edition of E-Journal Directory Available Ann Okerson 17 May 1994 13:52 UTC
For Immediate Release: ARL EXPANDED 4TH EDITION OF DIRECTORY OF ELECTRONIC PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE The Association of Research Libraries announces publication of the Fourth Edition of the hard-copy standard reference work for serials on the Internet: the Directory of Electronic Journals, Newsletters, and Academic Discussion Lists. The extraordinary rate of expansion of microcomputers and linked networks as vehicles for scholarly exchange, along with growth in the rate of the use of the Internet, does not abate. The number of journals, newsletters, and serial-like academic publications continues to increase daily and scholarly communication expands in exciting new ways. Although many journals, newsletters, and scholarly lists may be accessed free of charge through Internet and affiliated networks, it is not always simple to find what is available. The new edition of the Directory is a compilation of entries for nearly 1800 scholarly lists and some 440 electronic journals, newsletters, and related titles such as newsletter-digests -- an increase in size of about 70% since the third edition of April 1993 and 3.5 times since the first edition of July 1991. The directory provides instructions for electronic access to each publication. The objective is to assist the user in finding relevant publications and connecting to them quickly, even if he or she is not completely versed in the full range of user-access systems. Diane Kovacs of the Kent State University Libraries continues to lead the KSU team -- nine individuals who collaboratively created the fourth edition's scholarly discussion lists and interest groups section. Principal compiler of the journals and newsletters section is Lisabeth A. King, Research Assistant for the ARL Office of Scientific & Academic Publishing, with support from Dru Mogge, Electronic Services Coordinator. Ann Okerson of the ARL/OSAP is overall project coordinator for the printed directory. The printed directory points to the widely available Kovacs files as the free-of-charge Internet sources for the discussion lists section. According to the OSAP, it is ARL's intent to make an abridged version of the journals section available on its Internet server as well, during summer, 1994. A diskette version will be available in June. The Fourth Edition is produced in 8.5 x 11 paperbound format in 588 pages. Scholarly lists are grouped by broad subject areas, and journals and newsletters are in alphabetical order. A substantial index of keywords, titles, and institutional affiliations is provided. As in the previous three years, frontmatter of value to electronic serial readers is included. A scholarly article, Geoffrey Nunberg's (Xerox PARC) "The Places of Books in the Age of Electronic Representation," reprinted with permission from the University of California Press journal Representations (Spring 1993) leads. It is followed by other commissioned articles related to electronic journals. Jean-Claude Guedon, co-editor of the electronic journal Surfaces and a specialist in the History of Science at the University of Montreal, contributes an essay on "categorizing" serials in a new medium. Birdie MacLennan of the University of Vermont has prepared a listing and assessment of sites for electronic serials that are maintained by various organizations on the Internet. Again, David Robison of NorthWestNet offers an updated annual bibliography of articles on electronic publishing. A new addition is Steve Outing's early listing of newspapers available on the Internet, a project he has begun and hopes to expand in detail. The Association of Research Libraries is a not-for-profit organization representing 119 research libraries in the United States and Canada. Its mission is to identify and influence forces affecting the future of research libraries in the process of scholarly communication. ARL programs and services promote equitable access to, and effective use of recorded knowledge in support of teaching, research, scholarship, and community service. These programs include annual statistical publications, federal relations and information policy, and enhancing access to scholarly information resources through telecommunications, collection development, preservation, and bibliographic control. The Office of Scientific and Academic Publishing works to identify and influence the forces affecting the production, dissemination, and use of scholarly and scientific information. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To Order Contact: ARL Publications (phone) 202-296-2296 (fax) 202-872-0884 (e-mail) osap@cni.org Pricing: $54.00, PLUS postage/shipping/handling (inquire for rates depending on country) Discount: To ARL member libraries (inquire) All orders must be prepaid in U.S. Dollars only, or we accept MasterCard and Visa.