U. library system revamps on-line Franklin database

With the creation of a new on-line catalog and improved journal article databases, University library officials hope the library system's World Wide Web site will now be easier than ever to navigate. The changes to the site, http://www.library.upenn.edu, come in accordance with the library's "Information Access 2000: A Strategic Plan for 1996-2000" and the University's Agenda for Excellence. "Our goal is to put Penn in the forefront of the electronic information arena," Vice Provost and Director of Libraries Paul Mosher said. "We hope to provide more information better, faster and cheaper than the competition." The new Franklin on-line catalog replaces the mainframe-based system designed in the 1970s. Mosher explained that its capabilities have been surpassed by recent technological advancements. "The way you can find information has changed radically from the old system," he said. Among the additions to Franklin are hypertext links within records and a more specific keyword search. The hypertext links will allow users to search on a highlighted subject heading without typing in a new search. Mosher said users can now also choose among four different search methods. "The system gradually helps you structure your search in the way the old catalog couldn't," he said. "It adds a new dimension to the ability to focus your study." The changes made to the journal article databases include the addition of an Academic Index and the improvement of such databases as the WILS Index and ABI/Inform. Additionally, full text can now be accessed through databases other than Lexis/Nexis, which was previously the only full-text provider. Academic Index, also known as Expanded Academic Index ASAP, lists over 2.75 million articles from more than 1,500 scholarly journals and general-interest magazines. Full-text display is available for articles written in the last few years, and the database is updated daily, general reference librarian Ellen DeMarinis said. Full text is not yet available, however, for all of the library's databases. "There are thousands of publishers, and what we can do is largely what they allow," Mosher said. "Movement is quicker in science, health science and law." The library made Franklin available for general use in June while making the other additions gradually over the summer, DeMarinis said. Although the database still has a few bugs in the system, it will be in full working order by the end of the semester. Mosher's executive assistant, Joseph Zucca, requested that students comment and report errors in the system using the "questions, suggestions and comments" feature on the Penn Library Web site. According to a library mission statement, "Information Access 2000" is a five-year plan aiming to "capitalize on advanced technology to serve a changing order of academic needs, particularly in science, engineering, medicine, business and the quantitative social sciences." Among the future goals of the plan is the creation of a "tasteful Web design" that will enable users to return to previous sites without having to reload, thus increasing search speeds 10-fold.