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2 messages, 105 lines:

(1)-------------------------
Date:         Fri, 23 Feb 1996 14:10:29 -0600
From:         Lori Hein <lhein@BETHELKS.EDU>
Subject:      Re: Books in print on CD-ROM

Hi Leslie Button and others on the list,

RE Leslie Button's inquiry:

>Our library is investigating the possibility of purchasing a CD-ROM version
>of "Books in print."  Can any of my colleagues on Serialst share information
>about what products they might have in their own library?  I am interested
>particularly in those libraries who have it loaded to a local area network
>and available for patron use.
>
>How user friendly is the interface?  Do your patrons find it easy to use?
>Do you find it easy to use?  Does it operate in a DOS or windows environment?

We used the BIP (Books In Print) CD-ROM for over a year and have
switched to the Baker & Taylor's version.  This is why:

1) It is cheaper and they give you more subscription options. (every 12
mo.; twice a year; three times a year; 9 mo school year; every other
month; etc)

2) We were doing a majority of our book ordering electronically through
them already and it made it even a little more simple.

3) It appeared to me that Baker & Taylor's information is at least as
accurate and probably more up to date than BIP. (After all their business
depends on it) Especially pre-pub and out-of-print information.

4) I preferred their format. (I liked the DOS version of BIP until they made
some changes that in my opinion were not better. And I did not like their
windows version. I found it to be confusing and cumbersome. It also
wasted a lot of paper - but I think this may have been corrected.)

5) We have always had good service from all departments of Baker &
Taylor- even tech support. I did not get good service from BIP tech
support.

6) Baker & Taylor was easier to install. With BIP, computer files had to
updated everytime you received a new disc. Not so with Baker & Taylor.
Just simply have to pop in the new disc.

7) With Baker & Taylor if you wish to have more than one copy available
for use (I use one for searching & ordering and we also have a search
only copy available for public access instead of BIP) there is a ONE TIME
charge of
$125 and you can run as many copies as you want. Books In Print
wanted a bigger annual fee for each additional copy run.

8) I have found Baker & Taylor to be user friendly and I have heard no
complaints from our patrons using it in the public service area.

9) Baker and Taylor is not as pretty as BIP but they are working on it. It
can be run through DOS or Windows. We run it through Windows.

I hope this is helpful and I would like to get feedback from others on the
same subject.

Thank You.

**********************************************************************
Lori Hein                              e-mail    lhein@bethelks.edu
Acquisitions and Serials               phone     316-284-5366
Bethel College Library                 FAX       316-284-5286
300 East 27th Street
North Newton, KS 67117-0531
**********************************************************************

(2)-------------------
Date:         Fri, 23 Feb 1996 16:41:20 -0400
From:         ELEANOR COOK <COOKEI@CONRAD.APPSTATE.EDU>
Subject:      BIP on CD-ROM
Comments: To: button@library.umass.edu, serialst@uvmvm.uvm.edu

Leslie and others:

ACQNET had had much discussion about BIP on CD-ROM over the years.
I suggest you check the ACQNET archives for this. Many people find BIP
on CD hard to network, but other people seem to have found a way; their
suggestions may be valuable.

The best way to check ACQNET archives is through AcqWeb.

To Get to AcqWeb:

    http://www.library.vanderbilt.edu/law/acqs/acqs.html

Go to the ACQNET section and first look at the INDEX under BIP, and find
the relevant issues. Or use another search strategy if available to you.

Sincerely,
Eleanor Cook
Editor, ACQNET

*********************************************************************
Eleanor I. Cook                   704-262-2786 (wrk)
Serials Specialist                704-262-2773 (fax)
Belk Library
Appalachian State University
Boone, NC 28608                  cookei@appstate.edu
*********************************************************************

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
I am the Sr VP of Electronic Publishing at Bowker Reed Reference
Electronic Publishing and would like to respond to some of the points
indicated by others who have used both BIP and BT Link.

1.  An annual subscription to BIP is generally just $100 more per year
than BIP.  However, our 2-4 user networking price is less expensive
than B&T's reported prices.  And we frequently offer "show-specials"
that include a gratis CD-ROM drive or the equivalent discount on a 3-yr
committment.

2.  Both BIP and BT Link work with the BT Link ordering software.  There
is one additional step that must be taken with BIP, but even this step
should be eliminated in a future update.  BIP also works with the
B&T Libris system.  BIP also creates order files that are compatible with
the ordering software of 22 other vendors including Ingram, Blackwell,
Brodart, PUBNET, Yankee Book, etc.

3.  In our view, BT Link does a pretty good job with bibliographic data on
titles that they actually inventory, once they have stock on-hand, but
does not do such a good job on titles that they don't inventory.  We
believe that such data is picked up from the Library of Congress MARC
tapes, which are frequently late in cataloging new titles and do not have
up to date price information, especially on new editions and reprints.
Also, we don't feel that they do as good a job as we do on forthcoming
books where we now have EDI relationships with 357 imprints.

4.  The format change that was alluded to is that in almost all cases we
now place multiple bindings for the same intellectual work into the same
record.  Each binding starts on a new line so that it is easy to read on
the display.  Some librarians complained that this new format takes up
too much paper when printing.  So we added another new format called
the  Concise Format which takes all the data in the new Standard Format
and displays it without line spaces and indents and looks almost exactly
like the format before we changed it.

The reason why  we place multiple bindings in the same record is that it
is easier to compare different bindings and editions and also because
we have run out of space on the CD-ROM disc, even using extensive
compression.  This is due to the amazing growth of new title information
that has been added the last few years.

5.  BIP (DOS version) can also be run through DOS or Windows.
However, we have also released the Beta (it's on every copy of the
MS--DOS version) of our Windows edition.  As far as we know, the B&T
Windows edition will not be released for quite some time.  Our Windows
version has been reviewed favorably in several articles by Peter Jasco
in Information Today.

6.  We provide free life-of-product tech support for the product.  We
have increased the size of our department to better support the
marketplace.  Generally, if we are very busy and can't take your call
live, you will be called back within the hour.  We have highly trained staff
(including a former B&T employee) and will get you running if there is a
problem.

Although in the last year, we have released new software with virtually
every monthly release, only in some cases must you reinstall.  The
purpose of the new releases is to provide new enhancements and some
bug fixes.  The process is very simple.  You put the CD-ROM in the drive
and type UPDATE C:.  A few files get copied and then the enhanced
software may be used.  The reason why you don't have to do this with
B&T is that they seldom enhance their software.

BIP is actually very easy to network.  Most of the people who have had
problems networking and have reported that in various discussion
groups have not purchased the network version of the product.  And
99% of all network problems have to do with not having enough
conventional memory, although we have reduced the conventional
memory required from 535K to under 500K.  The Windows network
version is far easier than the DOS to Install.  The Windows install
provides a list of all your file servers and you simply pick the server that
you wish to install on.  It also lets you control which clients have access
to printing/ordering or saving files.   B&T has no network version
although one is under development.

7.  In summary, we believe that BIP is much stronger than B&T in the
following areas:  Over 270,000 full-text book reviews (in the reviews
version); consistency of user-interface over a wide range of products;
ease-of-use, especially in the Windows version which features four
different types of searching (Boolean Search, Browse, Fill in the Form,
Hypertext); multiple display and output formats; compatibility with 23
order vendors; networking; full publisher information including SAN
numbers; and high-quality bibliographic data which is totally
comprehensive and not based on a suppliers catalog.

Martin Brooks
mbrooks@reedref.com