Reviews the development of telecommunications networks and describes current technology being used for online information retrieval. Highlights include use for military and research needs; experiences in Europe versus those in the United States; value-added networks (VANs); local area networks (LANs) and personal computers; and the Integrated…

Explores issues relating libraries, telecommunications, the Communications Act of 1934, the Federal Communications Commission, and the common carriers. Computer networking technologies and standards are discussed and progress in library networking is compared to the development of a planned national science network. Future public policy issues…

Discusses the current status of 4 developments that will determine the emergence of generally available multimedia information services: high-bandwidth networks; inexpensive user appliances capable of handling multimedia; adoption of standards for representation, compression, packaging, and transmission; and development of a corpus of multimedia…

Both a classification of the relatively new standards-setting consortia and a theoretical basis for their emergence are developed. It is noted that the theory is based on the confluence of political theory and the theory of markets, and the implications of these consortia for the standards-setting process are considered from theoretical and…

Noting that standards are needed to enable libraries using different processors and different operating systems to connect their computers and share services in meaningful ways, this article examines the content and status of ANSI Z39.50: Information Retrieval Service Definition and Protocol Specification for Library Applications and related work.…

Explains the technologies of electronic imaging as background for other articles in this section, focusing on technologies seen by the developer or user of electronic imaging applications. Topics discussed include image acquisition, storage, retrieval, compression, transmission, display, manipulation, and printing; standards and architectural…

This report is based on a questionnaire sent to 32 selected National Archives and on interviews with archivists from eight countries. Geared to the needs of developing countries, the report covers: (1) the impact of computerization on finding aids; (2) advantages and problems of computerization, including enhanced archival control, integration of…

This summary of the literature on document image processing from 1988-90 focuses on WORM (write once read many) technology and on rewritable (i.e., erasable) optical discs, and excludes CD-ROM. Highlights include vendors and products, standards, comparisons of storage media, software, legal issues, records management, indexing, and computer…

Examines the history and present state of federal initiatives in electronic networking, particularly the National Information Infrastructure and National Research and Education Network; discusses electronic publishing; and considers implications for national policy. Topics addressed include commercialization; community networking; end-user…

In 2004-2005, The National Library of the Netherlands (Koninklijke Bibliotheek) conducted a survey for the IFLA-CDNL Alliance for Bibliographic Standards (ICABS)--an alliance founded jointly by the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA), the Conference of Directors of National Libraries (CDNL) and the national libraries of…

This paper is intended to provide interested librarians with a basic knowledge of research networks (as opposed to library networks), focusing specifically on the manner in which they can be used by the international library community to support library functions and improve access to bibliographic information, as well as the technical and policy…

Discusses European Community policy relating to information technology and the information industry. Topics addressed include the information services industry; transborder information flow, including electronic mail, data owner responsibility, and software piracy; digital data networks; electronic data interchange; telecommunications; information…

This paper considers questions related to the integrity and accessibility of new electronic information resources. It begins with a review of recent developments in networked information resources and the tools to identify, navigate, and use such resources. An overview is then given of the issues involved in access and integrity questions. Links…

Description of a Canadian research and development project that involved the development of a library information system which would satisfy the needs of a variety of libraries focuses on the technological aspects of the system. Data manipulation is discussed, software is described, standards are considered, and customer requirements are examined.…

Predicting that a large component of the library of the not so distant future will be an electronic network of file servers where information is stored for access by personal computer workstations in remote locations as well as the library, this paper discusses innovative computer technologies--particularly CD-ROM (Compact Disk-Read Only Memory)…