Reviewed by Donald MacRae
Chair, Department of Germanic and Slavic Studies
Brock University

Bookends Plus 5.0 is the latest release in the line of Bookends software products from Sonny Software (the product was formerly produced by Westing). This review describes some of the new features; for an account of the older version, see my earlier positive review.

Upgrades

Bookends Plus 5.0 may be downloaded from the Sonny Software website (www.sonnysoftware.com). Users of Bookends who already have databases created with earlier versions of Bookends (including Pro or Web) will simply transfer them to Bookends 5.0 using the procedure outlined in the electronic manual which accompanies the program. Upgrading from Bookends Mac to Bookends Plus 5.0 is also possible, but the Journal Glossary, Search Strategies, and Formats cannot be updated.

Before making the decision to purchase, first-time users will want to download the free, fully functional demonstration version of the program. This is a good way to put Bookends through its paces. The download will do everything the full-fledged version will do, but it only allow the entry of 15 references into a database. Once the decision to purchase has been made, Bookends may be paid for either through the order form on the company’s homepage or by mail to the address above. A registration number will be sent by the company to unlock the full-featured version.

Installation of Bookends Plus 5.0 couldn’t be easier: double-click the Installer icon and use the Easy Install button to transfer the necessary files to the hard disk. There is also an option for custom installation. As in previous versions, a new database is created by duplicating the Database Master in the Finder.

Viewing and Entering Data

After identifying and locating the word processor we want to use, (Edit / Preferences / Find Word Processor), we can begin to enter the data we require into the Reference screen. Bookends 5.0 will run with virtually all word processors currently in use in the Mac environment.

The purpose of most of the fields presented here in View 1 should be obvious, but it is worth noting that Bookends 5.0 now offers the user an additional four new fields which its predecessors did not have: 2nd Title, User 1, User 2, and User 3. The latter three are user-defined fields, so now you can create fields for Translator, URL, ISBN, patent numbers, etc. Although each field will hold up to 30,000 characters, extensive references entered into the Keyword, Abstracts or Notes fields, in particular, may fill the display space on the screen very quickly. Bookends handles this problem in a simple way. Click on the name of the field and the entire screen will expand to show that field alone. Editing an entry is then quick and easy. Another click returns the user to the original screen.

The Marked button in the upper left-hand section of the reference screen indicates that particular references have been entered into the Hits List for manipulation by sorting, printing, etc., while the large double arrows on either side of the centre box at the top of the page allow the user to move quickly through a large number of references.

Vital information such as author, title, journal name, etc., is entered by tabbing from field to field. The normal Macintosh conventions apply: mouse and arrow functions, tabs and delete keys should be familiar to anyone who uses a word processor. The tab or tab/shift keys move the user forward or back from field to field.

The only caveat to be heeded here is that the user must adhere to the precise pattern for entering data into the author and title fields. Failure to follow a few simple rules may lead to problems with sorting or the appearance of unwanted punctuation in the final output. In the Keywords field as well, each word is entered on a separate line in order to ensure correct formatting of the data contained there.

Yet another convenient feature of Bookends Plus 5.0 is the Journal Glossary (Utilities / Journal Glossary) which facilitates the entry of repeated references to the same journal. If, for example, we decide to use the code "PMLA" to represent the Publications of the Modern Language Association, we need only enter these four letters (or any others) to have the full title appear when we leave the field. Not only do we save time, we avoid careless typing errors in our data entry. External Journal Glossary files and Medline formats (with periods) are now supplied with Bookends. In this case as well, Bookends offers a simple, yet elegant, solution to a very real need.

Any good database must provide the user with an efficient means of importing databases from outside sources. In a straight-forward way, Bookends Plus 5.0 addresses this need admirably. It will even allow the imported references to be entered directly into the Hits List which will recognize the files as a subset of references which can be sorted, deleted, printed, etc. as required.

One of the really nice new features added to Bookends 5.0 is the ability to import references directly from the clipboard. There is no longer any need to save data as text files and then import this information into a database. This process can lead to tremendous savings in time.

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System Requirements:
Macintosh computer with a hard drive and at least 32 megabytes of memory. Both 680x0 (from SE) and Power Macs are supported. Bookends Plus 5.0 is accelerated for Power Macintosh.

Hard disk should have at least 4 megabytes of free space. Mac OS 7.5 or later. Runs with OS 8. On-line capabilities require Web server software such as MacHTTP or WebStar and the ability to access the Internet. Some advanced features require the extensions: AppleScript 1.1 or later and Apple Guide 2.0.

System used for review:
Macintosh 7500, 1.2 gigabyte hard drive, 48 megabytes RAM, System 7.5.3.

Version:
Latest: 5.0
Reviewed: 5.0

Availability:
Bookends products are available for order from Sonny Software.

Retail: $99; Educational: $69. Upgrade discounts are available.

Demo:
Available via Sonny Software's web site. The demo offers all of the features of the complete program, including a complete tutorial, but the database is limited to 15 references. When the program is ordered, this limitation is removed.

Screen Capture:
(Click for larger image)

View 1: Fields

View 2: Selecting References by Number

View 3: Working with a Term List

View 4: Refining a Search