PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
October 16, 2003
UM Libraries’ User Education Manager
Co-Authors Book on Online Information
Trudi Bellardo Hahn , Manager of Library User Education
Services and Adjunct Professor at the College of Information Studies, University
of Maryland, College Park, has co-authored a new book, A History of Online
Information Services, 1963-1976, with Charles P. Bourne,
a pioneer in information retrieval services.
Bourne was formerly Director of the Institute of Library Research at the University of California and Vice President of DIALOG Information Services.
The new book provides a rich narrative of the early development of online information retrieval systems and services, from 1963 to 1976--a period important to anyone who uses a search engine, online catalog, or large database.
Drawing on personal experience, extensive research, and interviews with many of the key participants, authors Hahn and Bourne describe the individuals, projects, and institutions of the period. They also correct many common errors and misconceptions and provide milestones for many of the significant developments in online systems and technology.
In reviewing the book, W. Boyd Rayward, Graduate School
of Library and Information Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,
said "This extraordinary encyclopedic work is likely to become a major
resource to be mined by historians of information science and computing
for many years to come. . . . The book embodies research by two
collaborators whose backgrounds and expertise complement
each other in ways that have led to both great richness of detail and balance
in its treatment."
Donald W. King, School of Information Sciences, University
of Pittsburgh, said, " This marvelous book provides a unique blend of historical
precedent with a revealing personal touch through interviews
with many of the field's pioneers. It bridges a disturbing
disconnect between the heyday of information retrieval research and development
and the modern era. It is an essential work for anyone seriously interested
in the online retrieval industry."
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