While designs of professional learning have expanded exponentially beyond the required-attendance inservice day workshop model, infusing meaningful data into daily decisions and conversations has not gained as much traction. Leaders of professional learning are increasingly coming under pressure to demonstrate that evidence is not an anathema in…

The articles in this special Practitioner's Edition of "Psychology in the Schools" share the application of sound educational and behavioral practices in real school and classroom contexts. Given this emphasis in these articles on the applied use of behavioral practices, the purpose of this brief commentary is to highlight and comment on some of…

Intended to introduce librarians to social science concepts relevant to the future of librarianship, this essay explores Birdsall's thesis that librarians belong to a special class of professions that share knowledge with their clients, and that the problems of these professions are political as well as social and economic. (EM)

Sophisticated managers know that reams of data cannot take the place of important information. Planning is necessary to ensure that what is being reported in an organization is necessary and useful and that data are not assembled just because the computer makes it possible. (MLF)

Outlines the kinds of contributions picture postcards can make to library or museum materials, particularly to historical files as documentation of certain aspects of history. Various methods for putting collections of cards in order are described, from general policies concerning use and disposal, to sorting, indexing, and housing. (Author)

Presents user orientation and instruction guidelines for online search systems, including a sample reference manual outline in five parts: (1) introduction, (2) summary of services, (3) system descriptions, (4) principles of searching, and (5) operating instructions. Harmonization of search instructions is advocated, in order to eliminate user…

A discussion of the use of advisory committees in college and university administration outlines their many potential roles at both program and institutional levels, identifying reasons they are established and often underused. Issues of advisory committee effectiveness are then explored by examining several types of underinvolved and overinvolved…

Discusses the problems associated with using connect time as the basis of user fees for searching numeric online databases, and proposes a methodology for user charge estimation based on query formulation and results. (87 references) (CLB)

Specific conditions and information needs of the engineer in Indonesia are described. Much foreign input is applied in development projects resulting in a continuous need for transfer of technology. Most libraries and information services are not adequately equipped to provide for the engineer's information needs. Steps are being taken to help…

There are many ways to collect information about college teaching. Many are quick, easy, and unintrusive, and are valuable supplements to the standard source of information, student ratings. A matrix of data needs and corresponding sources of course, instructor, and student information helps refine the information gathering process. (MSE)

In college and university fundraising, mergers and initial public offerings can create donor-deadlines windows of opportunity during which prospective donors can make tax-favored major gifts. Development officers need to monitor their prospects' holdings for these deadlines. Categories of donor prospects to consider and indicators to watch are…

A discussion of the relationship between theory and practice in professional continuing education considers the different kinds of professional knowledge (according to its generalizability or explicitness), modes of knowledge (replication, application, interpretation, association), and the contexts of knowledge use. (MSE)

Tabulates each state's minimum competency activities, indicating who mandated the action (state legislature/state board of education), who set the standards (local/state), which areas are tested (math/language arts/other), which tests are used (local/state/commercial), and use of the data (high school graduation/grade promotion/remedial…

Describes the integration of a library orientation session with an information resources assignment in which students write papers describing resources available in their particular areas of specialty. (TJ)

Conditions that can enhance college teachers' acceptance and productive use of feedback about instruction are outlined, including understanding of the purposes of evaluation, who provides the feedback, the message itself (form, timing, sources, and subsequent messages), characteristics of the recipient, immediate environment, and consequences…