Current Awareness Services Definition n A service which

Current Awareness Services

Definition n A service which provides the recipient with information on the latest developments within the subject areas in which he or she has a specific interest or need to know. (Hamilton)

Components of CAS n n n Database User interest profile Notification Feedback Document delivery (Rowley)

Factors of a good CAS n n Knowing what topics to cover Knowing who wants what Knowing the source for obtaining the latest information Supplying the information regularly and reliably (Hamilton)

Benefits n n n Keeping the user up to date Saving time Creation of new ideas Savings on journals Reducing paper flow. (Rowley)

E-CAS n Electronic current awareness uses a computer-based technique for matching the contents file of the information product with the interest profile of the user

Elements of ECAS n n n Using cost-effective products or databases covering the subject field Running at regular intervals using effective and easy-to-use software Creating search profiles for individual needs Delivering relevant search results to the user; exporting into personal database Making provisions for rapid document delivery

Advantages of ECAS n n n Keeping users better informed Providing access to needed documents Supporting academic, professional and managerial taks Automating the process of searching for retrieving relevant information Providing information in a preferred format

Examples of E-CAS products and services n n n Current Content Un. Cover Commercial Science Publisher u Elsevier Science Publisher - COTENTS-Alert - Co. DAS u Springer Verlag Science Publisher n OCLC

Examples of E-CAS products and services n n Online hosts Journal subscription agents - Swets subscription service - EBSCO Information services - Current Citations - Customised TOC

In house Vs. External Services n n External services - Advantages - Disadvantages In-house CAS - Computer based options - Non-computer based options (Rowley)

External Services Advantages n n Access to a large store of information Downloading for further processing and packaging Freeing staff time Saving cost, if subscription and the staff time taken into account

External Services Disadvantages n n n Difficult to change search terms and titles covered Serendipity effect lost Erratic services. Coverage imposed No personalization

In-House CAS n Computer based option A computer based solution offers both a better service, with more flexibility and easier indexing and maintenance of the database in the longer term, coupled with lower costs.

In-House CAS n n n Non-Computer based option Local scanning of newspapers, newsletters, journals and other published information sources Copies of title pages from journals Copies of the first page of articles Daily newspaper cuttings Advertisement bulletins Bulletins of events

Evaluation of CAS n n n n Coverage Currency Cost Mechanisms for creating and maintaining profiles User friendliness of the interfaces that support theses activities Personalization Integration with document delivery Relevance to user needs