Bibliofile for Serials Cataloging

Microcomputers have for years been affordable for librarians. They could choose among much software for cataloging support, but typically the data had to be created by themselves. The Library Corporation pioneered the first CD-ROM product for libraries, the Bibliofile database. It offers over four million MARC records from the Library of Congress. Nearly half a million of those records are for serial publications. The records selected can be edited and downloaded for an in-house catalog database in the USMARC communications format. Catalog cards and spine labels may be printed. This article evaluates and illustrates the database, the procedures of searching, editing, displaying and exporting records. Bibliofile gets a high score for price/performance. Recommendations are made to introduce some new features.