This paper identifies obstacles to physical and intellectual access and effective use of books and media by South African children and suggests some possible solutions. It also includes a description of a study of the attitudes of first-year student teachers at colleges of education and universities in the Transvaal towards school libraries. The…

The purpose of this study was to find out to what extent K-12 fiction and nonfiction books about and for hearing impaired children and adolescents are included in the collections of the seven public libraries in Franklin County, Ohio. Two core bibliographies were compiled through content analysis of selective bibliographic sources. Via dial-up…

The emphasis of this text is that the problems of information retrieval are the intellectual ones of subject analysis and description. These problems are not easily solved by technology alone, although certain inroads are being made by knowledge-based expert systems and other computer aids to indexing. Linguistic approaches are also showing…

The report examines trends in federal and Oklahoma state student financial aid programs and distribution since 1974-75, looks at issues in student aid policy formation, and makes recommendations for state policy development, information dissemination, and program design and delivery. It begins with background information and a brief history of…

These 15 papers share a common theme: seeking to promote literacy as a powerful tool for challenging existing inequalities and dependencies. "Powerful Literacies" (Jim Crowther et al.) is an introduction. Section 1 establishes the theoretical and policy frameworks that underpin the book and shows how literacy is situated in different…

This report explores the diverse ways that libraries are currently supporting distance learning, both in its traditional and newer Internet-based forms. Based on interviews with administrators and staff, the following "Reports from the Field" reflect developments in public institutions: "UNET (University of Maine System Network)…

This study reports on the results of a mail questionnaire administered to 25 tribal community college libraries in 1999, 6 years after "Pathways to Excellence: A Report on Improving Library and Information Services for Native American Peoples" was released. Data obtained from nine respondents, representing 36% of those surveyed, provided…

The annotated bibliography cites 21 articles and legal documents relating to the effects of English-only policies on the quality and availability of health care for immigrants and limited English-speakers. Article topics include eviction of illegal immigrants from nursing homes, health care for undocumented aliens, welfare reform and care for…

The United States is losing high-paying jobs to countries that produce a more reliable supply of college graduates in math and science. Texas faces its own economic slowdown if it is unable to graduate more students with bachelor's degrees. The state has been addressing many of the obstacles students face in earning a four-year degree. Outreach…

With the increasing importance of information technology and access to local, state, and global information networks, it is vital to have a statewide plan for providing all elementary and secondary students with the knowledge and skills to manage and use information. Without a statewide plan, large groups of schools and their students will be left…

Access to information technology is rapidly becoming the benchmark by which quality in higher education is judged. The use of information technology for both on-campus instruction and distance learning is nowhere near reaching its full potential in Colorado. This report provides a statewide vision for the incorporation of information technology…

The Higher Order Techno Thinking (HOTT) Program was developed by a group of graduate students, who were experienced teachers, at the University of New Mexico. The objective was to develop an environment in which independent research, curriculum integration, multicultural awareness, and technology application could be integrated into a general or…

The Internet contains a vast array of educational resources, ranging from individual activities to whole curricula. This research study used content analyses and an electronic questionnaire to investigate how and why PreK-12 educators use information from the Internet for instructional design purposes in order to inform the design of an…

This booklet focuses on issues that schools encounter as they become involved with distance education and electronic networking. The E-Rate (i.e., the Education Rate resulting from the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996) is discussed in the introduction. Five sections cover the following topics: (1) distance education and electronic…

This conference proceedings of off-campus library services includes 37 papers covering the following topics: ensuring excellence in distance library services; DePaul University's research consultation service; using videos to promote library service; a virtual academic library project in England; student-centered library instruction off campus;…