As another year draws to a close, the author reflects on the trends in play related to library technologies and attempts to anticipate their trajectory going forward. The library economy has not necessarily achieved full recovery from the recent downturn. Nevertheless, the author expects that investments in technology will expand next year. For…

Briefly explains the principles and uses of expert systems, and reviews the research literature on the use of expert systems for descriptive cataloging. Problems with automatic cataloging are identified and implications for current cataloging rules are discussed. (21 notes with references) (Author/CLB)

Describes research networks available in Canada and planning for a high-speed network called CANARIE (Canadian Network for the Advancement of Research, Industry, and Education). Potential library applications of research networks are discussed, including information retrieval, interlibrary loan, document delivery, shared cataloging, and…

This discussion of the progress made in the fields of technology and communications in India describes a number of government projects, leading manufacturers and industries, advances made in various areas, and the current status of information technologies in India. (CLB)

Describes cooperation between the national libraries of Europe on access to electronic publications, and outlines reasons why it has been necessary to act at a European level to improve library services. Highlights include the European Union, research and development, Telematics for Libraries activities, national policies, and future…

The 10 articles in this issue on authority control in the online environment focus on name and title authority. Topics covered include sharing authority records nationally and internationally; perspectives on recent research and theoretical studies; suggestions for future research; and the design of three computerized authority control systems and…

Describes the federal College Library Technology and Cooperation Grants program designed to assist college and university libraries in acquiring technological equipment and conducting research in information technology. Topics addressed include history, structure/process, reviewers, criteria, and trends. (JLB)

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…

Describes the growth and accomplishments of Digital Libraries Initiative Phase 2 (DLI-2), lists performer and abstract information for Fiscal Year 1999 awards; progress in reference linking for journal articles with model; presents a Geospatial Knowledge Representation System (GKRS) prototype that integrates multiple knowledge sources to support…

Describes the development by the Xerox Corporation of an international network of its information centers. Topics discussed include the role of the major research centers; the organization of and services provided by the network; and the development of network products and resources aimed at increased productivity. (eight references) (CLB)

Describes The RightPages Service developed by AT&T Bell Laboratories library and computer researchers to enable AT&T employees to access the library from their workstations. The service incorporates ASCII text, bitmap images, and an alerting service. Copyright issues, user interface, image and text processing procedures, results, and…

Describes library and information science education in Norway with emphasis on a postgraduate program in information science and data processing, and a research and development group integrated into that program. The discussion covers the importance of data processing training in preparing students for information handling in libraries and other…

Reviews recent and current research and development projects in the United Kingdom dealing with online information systems. Main areas of research (systems design, impact on user behavior and organizational structure, ergonomics and bibliographic factors) and research techniques (features analysis, transaction log analysis, surveys and comparative…