The Electronic Library, or ELibrary, is a joint service of the Brown University Library and Computing and Information Services (CIS). It was developed in 1991 as Brown's first networking platform for access to electronic databases and other reference information sources available in CD-ROM format. The ELibrary platform and the databases it delivers may be accessed from outside of the libraries only by appropriately equipped IBM PCs (or clones) located on the Brown campus network. While many of the discipline-specific indexing and abstracting tools previously available via the ELibrary platform are now delivered by a new client-server platform called Electronic Reference Library (ERL), as described in the Spring, 1995 issue of BiblioFile, a mix of familiar and new databases are currently available, including: AMA-FREIDA, America: History and Life, Congressional Masterfile, Foreign Broadcast Information Service, GPO Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government Publications, Historical Abstracts, Philosopher's Index, and United Nations Documents and Publications.
ELibrary can be reached by compatible workstations running DOS by logging on to the Novell server called LIBRARY and at the DOS prompt, entering: novell on library/guest. For assistance in configuring a workstation on campus to access the Electronic Library or connecting to the LIBRARY server, contact your Departmental Computing Coordinator (DCC) or call the CIS Student Consultants at x7HLP. ELibrary, as well as ERL, databases are also available on shared workstations in the Reference areas of the Rockefeller, Sciences, and Demography libraries. For assistance in searching the databases, contact the Rockefeller Reference Desk at x2167 or Rock@Brown.edu or the Sciences Reference Desk at x3333 or Sciences@Brown.edu. Also, Brown Bag Demos and other training sessions are offered regularly. Questions about ELibrary may also be directed to Raynna_Bowlby@Brown.edu. -R.B.