Daily Bulletin, Friday, July 22, 1994

ELECTRONIC LIBRARY:  UW's libraries took a big step Wednesday with the
announcement of their "WorldWideWeb server and Electronic Library
hypermedia information system".

In other words, they've opened a computerized equivalent of the traditional
books-on-paper library.  Says Richard Pinnell, the map and design
librarian, who's on the library's Internet committee: "This web, ftp,
telnet, and gopher service is intended to address some of the teaching
and research informational needs of students, faculty, and staff at the
University of Waterloo by providing them with access to a wide range of
electronic source material."

The library already does that kind of thing through UWinfo, but there are
limitations, as the "gopher" software on which UWinfo runs can only handle
text.  The WorldWideWeb also offers graphics (and potentially sound and
video), and viewers such as "Mosaic" can deliver all those materials to
a computer that's equipped to handle them.  

The Web also allows a "forms interface", says Christine Jewell of the 
Dana Porter reference department, the chair of the library's Internet
committee.  "So we can provide a user-friendly interface with the Oxford
English Dictionary, as well as an electronic reference service and an
electronic interlibrary loan form."

Much of the new "electronic library" is made up of lists, organized by
academic department, of on-line resources -- texts, mailing lists, databases
and other things that might be used by faculty and students.  "We would
appreciate suggestions for additions," says Jewell, "particularly URLs
for discipline related WorldWideWeb sites."

What's a URL?  A "uniform resource locator", a string of characters that
tells a computer where to find the database it's after.  UW's electronic
library is at http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/.  There will shortly be a link
to the electronic library in the home page of the UWinfo Web system, which
is being developed by the campus-wide folks who already bring you the
UWinfo gopher.  UWinfo Web can be found at //www.uwaterloo.ca/.

VOLUNTEERS WANTED:  The local Volunteer Action Centre is looking for help
as always.   Here are the latest requests:

     Joke Junction volunteers:  Joke Junction is humour therapy that
     can be used by patients of a local acute care facility to help
     relieve the stressful hours before surgery or to relieve boredom
     and direct attention away from pain.  Volunteers are needed to
     interact with patients to provide this service, deliver videos to
     patients and perform routine office procedures.  The program
     operates 12:30 to 4:30 Monday through Friday and 6:45 through 8:45
     Monday through Thursday.  A once-a-week six-month time commitment
     is preferred.  Listing 041-958

     Recreation assistants:  Ceramics, knitting, crocheting, T-shirt
     painting are some of the recreational pursuits these individuals
     with mental health problems enjoy.  You can assist group members 
     on either Tuesday, Thursday or Friday morning fro 9:30 to 12.
     Training is provided as needed.  Listing 046-295

SUMMERFEST runs Friday and Saturday night at Federation Hall.  Tickets for 
tonight are almost gone, says Avvey Peters of the Federation of 
Students; the price is $3 for Federation members, $4 for others. She
says Saturday is sold out, but there will be tickets at the door as of 8 
p.m.  The theme is "Down Under", meaning Australian life. "Some of the more 
novel events are a horizontal bungee-jump (?) and a hydraulic surfboard. 
There's also an all-day Beach volleyball tournament going on Saturday."

Also this weekend: the University Choir gives its summer concert Saturday 
night at 8 in the Theatre of the Arts.  And today's a birthday for David 
Williams of the school of optometry.

Chris Redmond
Information and Public Affairs, University of Waterloo
888-4567 ext. 3004      credmond@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca