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Describes the development and activities of BIASLIC, the Britain and Ireland Association of Aquatic Science Libraries, including the formation of EURASLIC, the European Association of Aquatic Sciences Libraries and Information Centres, and the provision of UK input into the Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts (AFSA). BIASLIC maintains links with several international agencies as well as providing its members with a support network and a collective voice. At a recent conference, concern was voiced about changes in the structure and funding of aquatic science research and the adverse effect this is having on library staffing. BIASLIC’s new Web site aims to become a focal point for disseminating information about its activities and about developments in the UK and Irish information sector.

Jorge Sàbato, the Latin American scientist, predicted that ‘either Latin America dominates technology or through other countries technology will dominate Latin America’ (Sagasti 1984). This prediction might serve to point toward one of the objectives to challenge our countries of the Caribbean and Latin America in the coming century. To understand how hard we will have to work to achieve that goal we might look at the barriers to information technology in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The directory includes only the major bibliographic databases that are offered by more than one online service; ‘sole suppliers’ have not been listed as no comparison is possible.

Virus‐Blocker A program called Virus‐Blocker has been developed by a West German company, Expert Informatik GmbH. There are versions in English and Dutch, as well as German. The company claims that no special expertise is needed to operate this program, and that it can recognise, and to renderharmless, a dozen of the most common viruses, including the infamous ‘Israel’ and ‘Black‐Jack’. Virus‐Blocker is marketed by ISMC AG of Switzerland.

OCLC is the world's largest library consortium and the British Library a national institution that is also a leading document supplier. The latest annual reports from each therefore serve as signposts to the electronic library scene in general.

Unfair charges prevent free competition. ‘After 1992 there is supposed to be free competition within the EEC within the same basic market. But how can someone working in Greece compete with the same type of company in Germany when Greek data communication costs — fixed by a state monopoly — are 2.5 times higher for the same thing?’

New Cambridge Databases on Magnetic Tape. Cambridge Scientific Abstracts has introduced a new line of magnetic tape databases for users of local area networks. The databases offer libraries and other research organizations unlimited access to large amounts of data with faster search results using the client's existing hardware and software.

Gives an overview of marine scientific information and library services at local, national, regional and international levels. Discusses the Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Information System (ASFIS) and other international co‐operative programmes designed to improve information flow and exchange, and describes the activities and services of six regional networks. Identifies gaps and deficiencies in currently available services, and considers prospects for the future.

The serial coverage and indexing policies of Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts (ASFA), Oceanic Abstracts, Biosis, and Georef were compared. Analyses indicated considerable overlap in serial sources in marine biology for ASFA, Oceanic Abstracts, and Georef. Biosis appeared to include the largest amount of material relevant to marine biology and Georef the largest relevant to marine geology. Oceanic Abstracts and Georef provided the most extensive general subject indexing, Biosis the most complete taxonomic indexing, and ASFA and Georef the easiest systems for geographic retrieval.