CD‐ROM Technology: A Manual for Librarians and Educators

Citation

Chowdhury, G.G. (1999), "CD‐ROM Technology: A Manual for Librarians and Educators", Asian Libraries, Vol. 8 No. 5, pp. 174-175. https://doi.org/10.1108/al.1999.8.5.174.2

This manual of 12 chapters is divided into three parts. The first part, Administrator’s Guide, consists of three chapters: Designing CD‐ROM Systems for Libraries and Schools, The CD‐ROM Title Evaluation Process, and Selecting the Right CD‐ROM Titles for a Library or School. Together these chapters discuss the basics of developing a CD‐ROM system in school libraries, including such topics as hardware requirements, furniture, financial planning, compatibility, copyright issues, and the process of CD‐ROM title selection and evaluation.

The second part, Practitioner’s Guide, also contains three chapters: Supervising the CD‐ROM Title Installation Process, CD‐ROM Workstation Maintenance and Upgrades, and Troubleshooting a Library or School’s CD‐ROM Workstation. The second part of the book provides a practical guide to managing the CD‐ROM system, including details of the preparation for, and basic steps of, the installation process, maintenance of hardware, preventive measures for some common problems, and troubleshooting.

Part 3, Technical Guide, contains six chapters: Preparing to Install CD‐ROM Titles, Installing CD‐ROM Titles, How to Solve Many Common DOS Problems, How to Solve Many Common Windows 3X Problems, How to Solve Many Common Windows 9X Problems, and How to Solve Many Common Macintosh Problems. Written in nontechnical language, this part of the book discusses such issues as configuring workstations, installing CD‐ROM titles, and solving common problems associated with DOS, Windows and Macintosh operating systems.

The book has four appendices: Appendix A talks briefly about optical discs and related technologies; Appendix B provides a glossary; Appendix C is a directory containing information on some selected CD‐ROM title distributors and producers, CD‐ROM workstation and equipment manufacturers, as well as professional organisations and associations; and Appendix D provides some recommended readings under specific headings. It also provides a list of selected journals on CD‐ROM technology.

Though the book is very useful for schools and libraries, it has some peculiar and rather unconventional features. For example, section and subsection headings are not numbered in the first six chapters, while those in the rest of the book are. The book does not have a bibliography as such; the recommended readings appear in an appendix. Entries in the index are also somewhat unconventional. Nevertheless, this book has been written in nontechnical language and can help librarians, administrators and teachers manage CD‐ROM and related technologies in schools.