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The recent publication of Cysticercosis—an Analysis and Follow‐up of 450 Cases, by Drs. Dixon and Lipscombe (M.R.C. Special Report, Series No. 299) which is believed to contain information relating to all human infestations with C. Cellulosœ in this country up to 1957, prompts one to look at another picture of cysticercosis, viz., C. bovis in cattle. Almost all the cases of human cysticercosis followed up in the report were among British service personnel who had served in India and other eastern sectors, but chiefly India. Since no British troops have served in this area for the past 13 years, human cysticercosis, always a rare disease, is becoming even rarer.

1) REPORT OF INFORMATION OFFICER'S VISIT TO NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY SEPTEMBER 27th, 1971 1. Unfortunately my visit to the libirary was very short. I talked to Mr. Alan Jeffreys (Sub‐Librarian, Cataloguing) about the catalogue Computerisation Project (CCP) and I also met Mr. John Bagnall (Automation Officer) end Mr. Colin Balmforth (Deputy Librarian); there was no time to look at the automated Acquisitions system.

Newcastle University has been involved in library automation for many years, but only recently were services taken from an outside supplier, OCLC. The online public access cataloguing sub‐system of OCLC's LS/2000 went live in March 1985. The sub‐system is described, with examples of output, including the use of boolean techniques and subject searches. Peer instruction for library users is seen as preferable to more formal instruction by library staff.

The automated order system at Newcastle University Library has been running on the University's KDF 9 computer since Easter 1966. The KDF 9 is due to go out of service in the near future, and so the order system is being re‐programmed for the University's IBM 360 model 67 computer. The IBM machine has 1024k bytes of core storage, 12 disk drives, 4 tape drives, and has a large number of terminals for on‐line ‘conversational’ access. For most of the day the machine is operated under the Michigan Terminal System (called ‘MTS’) rather than under the standard IBM operating system (called ‘OS/360’). The University Library has a terminal for its own use (an IBM 2741 ‘golf‐ball’ typewriter terminal).

Introduction A machine‐readable file of periodical records was first created at Newcastle in 1977, and held on the University's IBM 370/178. By 1985 the file consisted of about 12,000 records of which 3,400 were for current titles. The output was in microfiche, produced once a year, with one print‐out for staff use, which was amended regularly to keep it up‐to‐date. The microfiche was an alphabetical title listing but access was also provided by corporate bodies and different forms of title; for example, Journal of the American Medical Association appeared as Journal‐American Medical Association and American Medical Association‐Journal. Use of OCLC for cataloguing began in 1982, and cataloguing on LS/2000 (OCLC's local system) started in April 1985. OPAC terminals were made available at the same time and with the majority of the bookstock accessible through the OPAC it was obviously desirable to include periodical records as well. Two main options emerged, either to use the existing file or to catalogue all the periodicals from scratch, using records taken from the OCLC Union Catalogue. Periodical records on OCLC are fuller and more complex than we require and the size of the database means some difficulty in searching for the correct record. It was felt that to use OCLC records in a retroconversion project would take more time and staff effort than to load and edit our existing file. The latter option also meant that the records, albeit un‐edited, were all available on the OPAC from one date, rather than being added gradually.

It is some two years since VINE described OCLC Europe's local system, the LS/2000: at that time Newcastle University Library (NUL) was — and for that matter still is — the sole contracted user and was looking then towards a live date early in 1984. In the event, that schedule proved over‐optimistic and NUL is only now gradually implementing the various modules of LS/2000. The package currently comprises circulation, cataloguing, and online public access modules or subsystems, plus the administrative subsystem for setting a wide range of system parameters. A new module running on the OCLC M300 Workstation (a modified IBM‐PC) and interfacing with both LS/2000 and with the online shared system has been developed for serials (see next issue of VINE) and the intention is that a similar development path will be followed for acquisitions. Newcastle will be taking all modules as they become available, but at the time of writing, NUL was live for cataloguing and for online public access: circulation control is currently managed by NUL's in‐house automated system. The transfer of this to LS/2000 is still waiting for enhancements to the software and on having sufficient coverage of active loan stock on the LS/2000 database.

Newcastle University Library is installing an Automated Library Systems (ALS) issue system, which will start operation in October 1973. In an ALS issue system each book must have a unique number. At Newcastle all our monographs have an accession number which is adequate for this purpose. Unlike some university libraries, New‐castle issues bound volumes of periodicals as well as monographs, and these do not have an accession number. As we wanted to include periodical issues in the automated system, a number had to be assigned to each volume, and some means devised of recognising which number belonged to which volume.

Newcastle University Library has produced a serials catalogue using the Northumbrian Universities Multiple Access Computer (NUMAC), an IBM 370/168, with software from the Newcastle File Handling System (NFHS). Input is via a visual display unit (VDU). The file contents, file organisation and data elements used are described. Output is currently paper printout. The serials catalogue is linked to the automated circulation system. An example of the editing procedures is given.

VINE is produced at least four times a year with the object of providing up‐to‐date news of work being done in the automation of library housekeeping processes, principally in the UK. It is edited and substantially written by the Information Office for Library Automation based in Southampton University Library and supported by a grant from the British Library Research and Development Department. Copyright for VINE articles rests with the British Library Board, but opinions expressed in VINE do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the British Library. The subscription for 1981 and 1982 for VINE is £20 for UK subscribers and £23 for overseas subscribers — subscription year runs from January to December.