College campuses are hothouses of data, including course schedules, degree requirements, and grades. But much of the information remains spread out across software systems or locked on university servers. Start-up companies want to pry the information loose from campus servers in order to offer personalized services that could transform the…

Google is opening up whole new worlds for internet surfers and researchers everywhere. Google Book Search (books.google.com), which is still in beta after several years of testing, offers the ubiquitous Google search box on its home page. It also has categories of books as well as book cover images that refresh every time the home page is…

With faculty changing instructional practices to take advantage of customizable, focused content (and digital delivery of that content), many people assume that digital distribution is the answer to bringing the costs of course content delivery in line. But the picture just isn't that simple. A wide continuum of options is available to faculty and…

Describes services aimed at agricultural information dissemination in India, which are based on a network of extension services provided through the cooperative efforts of agricultural universities, research institutes, state and federal government agencies, voluntary organizations, and commercial agencies. (CLB)

Discusses the need for a coherent federal information policy that would provide access to domestic and foreign scientific and technical information, foster the competitiveness of American corporations, and recognize the role of the National Technical Information Service within the federal government. (10 references) (CLB)

Outlines the history of government-to-government relations between United States and Japan. Discusses the reasons why there are so few American researchers in Japan, the interactions between the two countries' Research and Development systems by private industries, and the problem of access and the future of the relations. (YP)

TIS (Technology Information System) is being used at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) to develop software for Intelligent Gateway Computers (IGC) suitable for the prototyping of advanced, integrated information networks. Dedicated to information management, TIS leads the user to available information resources, on TIS or…

This paper discusses services and technology offered to remote sites by the Curtin University of Technology (Australia) Library and Information Service. The following topics are covered: (1) imperatives driving the library to reticulate scholarly electronic information services to clients wherever they are, including the growth of distance…

The International Program for Agricultural Knowledge Systems (INTERPAKS) research team is developing a descriptive and analytic framework to examine and assess agricultural technology systems. The first part of the framework is an inductive methodology that organizes data collection and orders data for comparison between countries. It requires and…

The European Patent Office (EPO) has recently implemented the last part of its ambitious automation project aimed at creating an automated search environment for approximately 1200 EPO patent search examiners. The examiners now have at their disposal an integrated set of tools offering a full range of functionalities from online searching, via…

Telecottages originated in Scandinavia in the 1980s in an attempt to reverse the decline of isolated communities by giving them access to information and services, facilities for training and distance education, and the opportunity to produce income through telecommuting. In 1992-1993, the Australian government began funding the Telecentre…

Discusses the need for access to scientific and technical information to attain national development goals in the Asia Pacific region, and outlines the objectives and program areas of a regional information network established by Unesco. Problems with the current system and future needs are identified. (CLB)