Gilreath, 'New Full-Text and Full-Image Electronic Databases', NCSU Libraries Newsletter v22n02 (September 1994)
 
_The NCSU Libraries Newsletter_
Volume 22 no. 2
September 1994
Gilreath, Charles
"New Full-Text and Full-Image Electronic Databases"


Computer-based information products designed for direct use 
by library patrons began appearing in the mid-1980s, when a 
number of print index publishers started marketing their 
bibliographic tools in CD-ROM format.  Products such as the 
ERIC education database and general periodicals indexes such 
as InfoTrac soon became very popular with library users 
across the country, and the number of such products now 
available has grown very rapidly.  Until recently, however, 
most of the information products available in electronic 
format have been "surrogate" tools, that is, indexes that 
provide citations--perhaps with abstracts--to source 
publications, but not the full text of the item itself.  Newer 
products are now becoming available which complete the 
information cycle for users and provide not only powerful 
software for identifying information but also the full text of 
the documents.

These new databases are of two basic types--full text and full 
image.  Full-text databases contain all the textual information 
in a document, typically stored in a form that supports 
searching within the text itself and also the ability to 
download and manipulate the data.  Graphic information 
accompanying a text may not be included in such a database.  
Full-image databases, in contrast, are files composed of 
scanned images from a published source, that is, individual 
graphic images or pages from a publication.  Image databases 
typically provide access via a separate index of keywords and 
do not allow users to search within the text of the images 
themselves.  Post-retrieval manipulation is, likewise, 
considerably circumscribed in such files, but the output has 
the distinct advantage over full-text files in that it 
incorporates all the information published in the original 
source--text, graphs, illustrations, etc.

In the past two years, the NCSU Libraries has begun to acquire 
a number of these new databases, both in full-text and in full-
image formats.  Illustrative of the scope of the products now 
available in the library are:

ENGLISH POETRY FULL-TEXT.
A full-text database encompassing the works of 1,350 poets 
from the Anglo-Saxon period through the nineteenth century.

GENERAL PERIODICALS ONDISC AND BUSINESS PERIODICALS 
ONDISC.
Full-image databases containing articles from hundreds of 
general interest and business-related publications.

INFORMATION HANDLING SERVICE STANDARDS AND VENDOR 
CATALOGS.
Full-image databases, the first containing the text and 
illustrations from more than 90 percent of the world's most 
commonly used industry, national, and international standards; 
and the second containing data and illustrations from more 
than 18,000 manufacturers and distributors.

NATIONAL TRADE DATA BANK.
An extensive library of more than 70,000 government 
publications related to exports, imports, and other information 
of significance to those interested in conducting business in 
foreign countries.

PATROLOGIA LATINA.
A largely Latin-language, full-text file covering the major and 
minor Latin authors, focusing on late ancient and early 
medieval philosophy, theology, history, and literature.

U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS ON CD-ROM.
Thousands of U.S. State Department publications on conditions 
in foreign countries, including background notes, country 
reports, and tips for travelers.

This is only a sampling of the sources currently available in 
the Libraries. If you have questions about these or any of the 
many electronic information resources available in the library, 
please call the staff in the Reference Department at ext. 
5-2935.