For the Federal government of the United States, freedom of information policy is expressed in statutory law--the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), enacted in 1966, being the first such expression in this regard. Other transparency laws would follow. The FOIA, however, was legislated in the face of considerable opposition by the executive branch.…

It is clear that families and communities play key roles in student achievement and school improvement efforts. Across the nation, states are leading initiatives to improve communication and engagement with these stakeholders through effective data sharing. Key points highlighted in this brief include: (1) Maintaining close ties with family and…

Examines the Internet's potential for becoming an information highway. Highlights include definitions of the information highway and the Internet; the infrastructure of an information highway; capacity; connectivity; simultaneity; network protocols; applications; interactivity; openness; mobility and remote access; universal access; affordable…

Describes the results of a literature survey on recent developments in national information policies in the area of universal access that tries to ensure equal access to information, and considers the digital divide. Highlights include policies in Australia, Canada, the European Union, Hong Kong, the United States, and Okinawa. (Contains 64…

Discusses three methods for the preservation of the intellectual content of deteriorating paper materials--photocopying, microforms, and electronic digital technologies. Topics addressed include selection, preparation procedures, standards, bibliographic control, obsolescence of technologies, costs and user fees as possible deterrents to access to…

The development of an infrastructure of computer networks based on the present Internet is creating a new environment for dissemination of public information, and government information will be an integral force in the expansion of computer networks. These factors will blur the distinction between information dissemination and access to…

Provides an overview of recent technological developments in the area of multimedia technologies that enhance information access and describes recent developments in PROJECT EMPEROR-I, an interactive videodisc project that has expanded with multimedia technology. Digital technologies and their interactive applications are discussed, and sample…

Presents a literature review that covers the following topics related to indexing, browsing, and searching of digital video: video coding and standards; conventional approaches to accessing digital video; automatically structuring and indexing digital video; searching, browsing, and summarization; measurement and evaluation of the effectiveness of…

Reviews recent legal developments in information policy related to digital information, particularly on the Internet. Focuses on trends in which information ownership is encroaching on public uses of information or on public information space, that is, control and ownership of information versus public access to and use of information. (Contains…

Describes the origins of hypertext and reviews the history of the concept of nonsequential access to information that led to hypertext. Technological developments that have been combined with hypertext are discussed, including workstations, video and laser disk technology, and microcomputers; and library applications of hypertext and hypermedia…

Reviews the literature relating to the development and application of modern imaging technology between 1987 and 1993. Highlights include image representation, including image data, compression, and image formats; and image access, including indexing and modeling, user interface design, and distributed access. (143 references) (LRW)

Reviews six research literatures that consider access from different vantage points to identify common aspects of the concept "access to information." Highlights include conceptualizations of information itself; conceptualizations of the notion of access, including access to knowledge, technology, communication, and control;…

Looks at the use of online public access catalogs, the utility of subject and call-number searching, and possible archival applications. The Wallace Archives at the Claremont Colleges is used as an example of the availability of bibliographic descriptions of multiformat archival materials through the library catalog. Sample records and searches…

Discusses the emerging need of users for bulk numerical, graphic, and textual information, and describes a range of tools available for information reduction and restructuring, and the conversion of data into information. Some of the tools described include graphics databases, hypertext applications, and search systems that utilize relationships,…

Discusses implications of using the Internet for library technical services. Topics addressed include creative uses of the Internet; three basic applications on the Internet, i.e., electronic mail, remote log-in to another computer, and file transfer; electronic processing of information; electronic access to information; and electronic processing…