Péter Jacsó

Information Processing: Volume and File Structure of CD–ROM for Information Processing. Approved by the American National Standards institute; developed by the National Information Standards Organization. New Brunswick, N.J.: Transaction Publishers, 1993. xii, 51 p. (National Information Standards Series, ISSN 1041–5653) ISBN0–887–38936–8. $48.00

This booklet is an exact replica of the ISO 9660 Standard that specifies the requirements for the standard CD–ROM (published in 1988 by the International Standards Organization). It will be of interest to those very few who design and implement CD–ROM premastering and formatting programs.

Those who set out to produce an in–house CD–ROM do not really need to know these specifications. A CD–ROM title developer either submits the master and index files, with picture and sound files, to a mastering facility that will take care of complying with the standard; or the developer may use an off–the–shelf formatting program that transparently imposes ISO 9660 specifications. It is only the authoring software (and of course the contents) that need to concern those who are developing CD–ROM applications.

This book is not recommended. Those persons who design and implement CD–ROM premastering and formatting programs will already have these specifications. Those interested in developing CD–ROM titles will do better to acquire books that explain the process, considerations, and necessary expenses.

 About the Reviewer

Péter Jacsó is Associate Professor, Graduate School of Library and Information Science, Rosary College. He has a doctorate from Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest. He has been Director of the Computer Science Library and Information Center, Budapest; Visiting Associate Professor, Columbia University; and Visiting Associate Professor, University of Hawaii. Dr. Jacso has been a consultant for the United Nations and UNESCO. He is a frequent speaker and presenter of workshops around the world, and has published widely in the library and computer science literature. His recent books are CD–ROM Software, Dataware, and Hardware (1992), and CD–ROM Databases for Serials, Technical, and Reference Services (1993). His professional interests include CD–ROM technology and applications, library systems analysis, database design, online searching, and information transfer.

© 1993 Péter Jacsó.

Citation

Jacsó, Péter, “Review of Information Processing: Volume and File Structure of CD–ROM for Information Processing. Approved by the American National Standards Institute; developed by the National Information Standards Organization,” Third World Libraries, Volume 4, Number 1 (Fall 1993).