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

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

Benefits n Keeping the user up to date n Saving time n Creation of new ideas n Savings on journals n 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 E-CAS n Using cost-effective products or databases covering the subject field n Running at regular intervals using effective and easy-to-use software n Creating search profiles for individual needs n Delivering relevant search results to the user; exporting into personal database n Making provisions for rapid document delivery

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

Examples of E-CAS products and services n Current Content n UnCover n Commercial Science Publisher u Elsevier Science Publisher - COTENTS-Alert - CoDAS u Springer Verlag Science Publisher n OCLC

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

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

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

External Services Disadvantages n Difficult to change search terms and titles covered n Serendipity effect lost n Erratic services. n Coverage imposed n 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 Non-Computer based option L ocal scanning of newspapers, newsletters, journals and other published information sources n Copies of title pages from journals n Copies of the first page of articles n Daily newspaper cuttings n Advertisement bulletins n Bulletins of events

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