Distance learning networks make training and advanced education possible when time and budgetary constraints make face-to-face training difficult. To make distance learning work, instructors and providers must harness the potential of synchronous and asynchronous communication technologies to create powerful, learner-centered networks. Support…

For the purposes of this digest, productivity is defined as ways in which library and information services can assist agencies, industries, and individuals in producing goods and services effectively and profitably. Two fundamental issues that affect productivity are access and control; two major strategies for improving productivity are…

Examines the Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) which provides access to the state's public library resources; federal, state, and regional information resources; and other electronic information resources. Describes OPLIN's role in Ohio, hardware and services provided, mission, origin, funding, staff training, databases, future plans…

Briefly examines a number of social studies related Internet sites and applications. Notes some of the many sites incorporating information and artwork collected and produced by young students. Includes a brief interview discussing some of the logistics involved in posting information on the Internet. (MJP)

Provides a brief but useful introduction to resources and applications of the Internet for social studies teachers. Discusses the technical relationships among the Internet, servers, and hypertext. Describes useful sites including the "K-12 History on the Internet Resource Guide." (MJP)

Libraries have long been pivotal community institutions--public spaces where people can come together to learn, reflect, and interact. Today, information is rapidly spreading beyond books and journals to digital government archives, business databases, electronic sound and image collections, and the flow of electronic impulses over computer…

Reviews a list of seven Web sites that provide extensive information on software available from educational agencies or companies specializing in media products. Recommends 15 social studies software programs covering a variety of topics including the Mayan civilization, Abraham Lincoln, and the Vietnam War. (MJP)

As a reference guide for library professionals, this volume helps librarians prepare for the future in the growing electronic environment by examining the historical and theoretical background of the National Electronic Library and assessing the role of libraries in the past, present, and future. The book is divided in two sections: "The…

Presents an annotated bibliography of educational resources from the ERIC database related to democratic education. The materials include digests, monographs, journal articles, and academic papers. The citations include all relevant bibliographic information and a short abstract, as well as, information on ordering and locating the materials. (MJP)

This book addresses many of the practical issues involved in developing the virtual library. Seven presentations from the Eighth Annual Computers in Libraries Conference are included in this book in augmented form. The papers are supplemented by "The Evolving Virtual Library: An Overview" (Laverna M. Saunders and Maurice Mitchell), a…

The papers presented at this conference challenged participants to become an integral part of the planning necessary to keep libraries on the cutting edge of technological advances. Academic libraries are admonished to reposition themselves to deliver both new and traditional services, or face the prospect of being preempted by other agencies. The…

The ever-increasing availability of electronic information resources online and on CD-ROM presents library media specialists, teachers, and students with a new set of challenges for accessing information. Electronic information resources enable access to nonlinear information, which allows searchers to explore relationships and make connections…