Indexes to Conference Proceedings: A Comparison Featuring the Index to Scientific and Technical Proceedings Available to Purchase

Librarians whose patrons need access to scientific and technical conference proceedings will find the Index to Scientific and Technical Proceedings a multi‐faceted library reference tool designed with their needs in mind. ISTP provides comprehensive current worldwide coverage of scientific and technical conference proceedings, packaged for ease of use for a variety of library purposes, ranging from reference use to use in acquisitions and interlibrary loans. The table of contents format of the main Contents of Proceedings Section of the monthly issues of ISTP, like the table of contents format of the Institute for Scientific Information's Current Contents publications, makes current awareness browsing for research and for acquisitions of new conference proceedings possible for both scientists and librarians. The six index access points to this main section facilitate quick convenient narrowing of scan when time is a factor. The semiannual cumulations provide similar capability for retrospective searches. To date, librarians have found both library staff and scientists using ISTP require a minimum of training in its use.