Federal legislation authorizing the creation of the National Research and Education Network (NREN)--i.e., the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 (P.L. 102-194)--was signed into law by the President in December 1991. This network is envisioned as an expansion and enhancement of the existing U.S. Internet, the collection of interconnected…

This digest discusses how libraries of all types are using the facsimile (or "fax") machine to meet users' information needs. A definition of facsimile technology includes the components of a fax machine, the four types of fax machines, and the recent development of the "fax board," which allows a computer to transmit…

This digest discusses some of the major trends and issues found in a systematic content review of the professional literature of library and information science. Two "megatrends" are identified and discussed: (1) the concern for the impact of technology upon every facet of library work, in academic, school, public, and special libraries;…

The Internet is an international computer network encompassing thousands of smaller interconnected networks. This digest describes various uses of the Internet and its impact on libraries, as well as Internet-related library issues. The Internet applications of electronic mail (E-mail), telnet, and file transfer protocol (FTP) are briefly…