Build Your Own Database. Chica

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BOOK REVIEWS JACSO, PETER AND LANCASTER, F. W. Build Your Own Database. Chicago, IL: American Library Association, 1999. 163 p. $34.00. ISBN 08389-0750-4.a A publication about database design is not one of those items likely to generate animated conversation. It more resembles a good map. When people need help getting from point A to point B, they have to have that map. Databases are a natural part of the library profession, with OCLC and MEDLINE being but two well-known examples. Hardware and database software for microcomputers have grown in sophistication to include text, numbers, calculations, and images. Librarians are incorporating database applications into many aspects of daily work, including activities such as surveys, studies, directories, and ongoing activities such as oral history projects. They can be used to organize data, to generate reports, to create mass mailings, and more. Build Your Own Database offers guidance on selecting the database and on software aspects of implementation by presenting a readable, well-constructed manual for professionals who want to build databases of better value and quality, and for beginners ready to travel a new road. The book is divided into two parts. Part one, containing the first three chapters, is called ‘‘Content and Organization of the Database’’ and part two, ‘‘Software Issues.’’ The book is designed to be used by individuals or for use in classroom instruction. Throughout the work, the authors look at database construction from the point of view of what should be considered when contemplating the creation of a new database. Chapter one describes database types, such as bibliographic, full text, image, numeric and statistical, descriptive, and directories. In chapter two, the authors move to

Bull Med Libr Assoc 88(1) January 2000

discussing database content, including domain, accessibility, predictability, continuity, currency, and critical mass. Here the authors also discuss database content such as dataware. Chapter three discusses quality and usability factors such as retrievability, number of access points, optimum level of indexing, consistency of terminology, and more. In general, part one focuses on the general principles connected with the overall quality, purpose, and practicality of database construction. Some of these principles may seem obvious, such as not creating a database that duplicates what may already be available in another source. Relevant questions regarding these principles include: Is the database for inhouse use only? Is it intended to produce a profit? Is the data easily searched and useful? Does it require updating? Part two comprises the longest portion of the book and deals with the nuts and bolts of database design. Because database construction is specific to software, all of the chapters in this part contain some discussion of software packages that are well supported, well documented, and widely used by librarians (e.g., AskSam, Data Magician, EndNote, Fangorn, FileMaker Pro, Library Master, ProCite, and Reference Manager). The authors do not provide a detailed review of any one program, nor are their comments intended as recommendations. All discussion of particular programs is secondary to detailing the elements of database construction. The authors refer to programs as they illustrate the topic under discussion. Although the discussion of database programs is not complete, it gives the reader a sense of how a database concept may depend significantly on the capabilities of the program in which the database will be developed. This part of the book will

become dated as new programs and new versions of old programs are introduced, but this fact should not affect the book as a reliable manual on database construction. Chapter four also discusses categories of database software, such as turnkey versus off-the-shelf products, operating system platforms, and selection. Chapter five, ‘‘Record and Database Structuring and Data Entry,’’ elaborates on data fields and subfields; maximum number of fields, which can be a software limitation; record types; length of fields; interdatabase linking of fields and records; data entry criteria; template design; verification features; and importing records. Chapters six, ‘‘Index Creation,’’ and seven, ‘‘Index Browsing,’’ deal with issues related to choice of data elements for indexing, modes of indexing (word versus phrase), and prefixed indexing, as well as indexing browsing and term selecting. The authors point out that none of the off-theshelf database programs allow the creation of thesauri. Chapter eight concerns searching. Every software should offer ‘‘and,’’ ‘‘or,’’ and ‘‘not.’’ Yet the convenience of using these operators can vary between programs. Here the authors discuss database structure in terms of searching, including Boolean operators, truncation, case sensitivity, proximity and positional operators, and natural language searching. The authors have excluded any discussion of search strategies. The remaining chapters, nine through eleven, discuss sorting, displaying, printing, downloading, and interfacing considerations. In addition to arranging records, sorting can also be useful in overcoming the search deficiency of a program. The authors also discuss how predefined and user-defined output layouts can add to or detract from the quality of a database. The book also contains a useful index and two appendices. Appendix A

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contains a list of uniform resource locators (URLs) for software products and Appendix B contains the import and export formats of bibliographic records. This book is a handy one that belongs on the shelf of every librarian designing databases. Richard H. Nollan Health Sciences Library University of Tennessee, Memphis

GRIFFIN, ATTRICES DEAN. Directory of Internet Sources for Health Professionals. Albany, NY: Delmar Publishers, 1998. 437 p. $27.95. ISBN 0-7668-0485-2.a In response to the recent proliferation of health-related information on the Internet, an increasing number of books have been published to offer assistance in locating relevant Internet resources in the health sciences. This book provides a welcome addition to this expanding group of publications. In addition to being nicely organized and easy to use, the Directory of Internet Sources for Health Professionals contains entries for sources on the Web arranged by major medical categories. Curiously, some medical specialties, such as anesthesiology and endocrinology, are grouped under the medical category ‘‘Medical Specialties,’’ while others comprise their own medical category, such as dermatology and gastroenterology. Griffin explains, ‘‘Placement of radiography, genetics, and several other categories under the Medical Specialties category reflects primarily an arrangement based on editorial focus’’ (xxxii–xxxiv). The entries constitute the major portion of the directory, but several practical appendices prove of interest: ‘‘Sponsor Representation According to Type,’’ ‘‘Quickie Search Spreadsheet,’’ glossary, and keyword index. The ‘‘Sponsor Representation According to Type’’ lists

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in alphabetic order the sponsors of the Web sites under broad types, such as United States Federal Government or related organizations, professional trade organizations, and commercial sponsors. The ‘‘Quickie Search Spreadsheet’’ provides brief information for quick reference by listing Web sources according to primary topic. It then furnishes the corresponding URLs for the sites and page numbers where those sources are described in the main text of the directory. Each annotated entry is formatted to make it easy to read and provides the following information about a selected Web site: primary topic, URL, sponsor, brief description, data type, access requirements, supplemental resources, user tips, and keywords. The data type is usually text, but can be images or databases. Supplemental resources are related sites on the Web; frequently, they are other sites linked from the sponsor’s home page. The ‘‘User Tips’’ feature is unique and offers practical assistance in either searching for more information or using the site efficiently. User tips customarily list toll-free telephone numbers or suggestions for checking links listed in the home page. Keywords are assigned to sites based on subject. There is also the keyword ‘‘megasite’’ that is assigned to megasites regardless of the specific subject area. The keyword index in the back of the book itemizes keywords with the corresponding page numbers for the sites in the main text. Griffin asserts that sites were selected for inclusion in the directory based on criteria related to sponsors, contents, and data type. She states, ‘‘The final entry selections are those with maximum advantage to the larger group of Directory audience of health researchers, allied health professionals, physicians, and other potential users’’ (xxiv). For the most part, selected sites are limited to those offering open access without charge. Sites

with attached solicitations or advertising are excluded. The Directory’s scope reflects the presumed needs of its broad audience. Griffin notes, ‘‘The Directory content accomplishes the objective of addressing the informational, educational, and research needs of physicians, medical practitioners, researchers, allied health professionals, health providers, planners, organizations, students, writers, publishers, suppliers, and consumers’’ (xxix). Partly because of its broad scope, the Directory contains entries for some Web sites that probably would not have been included in other directories for health professionals. For example, there is an entry for PopNet, a source for global population information sponsored by the Population Reference Bureau. While this site furnishes some information related to health issues, its focus is population or demographics. Although some may question the inclusion of such peripheral sites in a directory for health professionals, others may appreciate this characteristic of the book. This volume’s utility lies in its advantage for both the experienced and inexperienced Internet user. It supplies brief advice about modems, disappearing URLs, copyright, online privacy, and search strategies, which may assist readers with varied knowledge of the Internet. However, Griffin writes regarding modem speed, ‘‘Until the arrival of 128 baud modems, the slower 2600 baud modems served well’’ (xxiv). While this statement’s error is undoubtedly due to inadvertence, it is confusing for both novices and experts in a world where 14,400 baud is considered painfully slow for accessing the Internet. Griffin claims that the Directory provides a ‘‘comprehensive list of medical online data sources’’ (xxv). While the book lists over 2,000 Web sites, it does not cover other types of Internet resources, such as news-

Bull Med Libr Assoc 88(1) January 2000