An Education Department plan to restructure ERIC, the government's network of education-research clearinghouses, has members of Congress concerned and they have asked that the plan not be put into effect until they can study it further. The department's plan follows a year-long review of ERIC. (MLW)

Discusses the addition of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration database to the National Science Foundation's NSFnet data communication network. Outlines the history of databases in the United States and enumerates proposed upgrades from a new Office of Science and Technology policy report. (TW)

Reviews the creation and evolution of ERIC, and describes changes being implemented in the system as a result of a recently concluded redesign study. Areas of change discussed include clearinghouse contract procedures, ACCESS ERIC, ERIC partners, and adjunct clearinghouses. Conclusions about the future of ERIC are offered. (five references) (CLB)

This report examines the impact of recent and anticipated advances in communication and information technologies on the intellectual property system. Focusing primarily on the federal copyright system, it assesses the effectiveness of copyright law as a policy tool in the light of technologies such as audio and videorecorders, computer programs,…

An open forum was held to let concerned parties comment on the report, "Provision of Federal Government Publications in Electronic Format to Depository Libraries," and to solicit suggestions for possible pilot projects that could test the feasibility of the proposal. More than 150 agency representatives, congressional staffers,…

This report discusses the need for a national information policy. This need has been generated by advances in computer and communications technology, by shifts in the United States economy from a manufacturing to an information base, and by citizen demands for clarification of their rights to have and control information. Fifteen major policy…

This paper, which was presented to National Aeronautics and Space Administration librarians as part of a telecommunications conference, describes features of the proposed National Research and Education Network (NREN). First, NREN's predecessor, the National Science Foundation network (the current NSFnet/Internet system), is discussed and the…

Examines current OCLC practices and future possibilities under the leadership of K. Wayne Smith. Topics discussed include the changing roles of libraries, business, and government; the electronic information future; network possibilities, including the NREN (National Research and Education Network); future collaborations; online databases; and…

Describes the development and current uses of computerized databases of information about individuals by the government and private agencies, especially credit bureaus, and discusses three major categories of abusive information practices that threaten personal privacy: information collection, information dissemination, and information management…

Discusses problems that have impeded the use of learning technologies in education, including costs, training educators, and the confusion of networks and databases. Greater involvement by the federal government is suggested as a solution; federal help in the past is described; and legislation currently proposed is explained. (LRW)

The Rural Information Center (RIC), a project of two agencies of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has served rural information needs since 1988. The targeted audience for the RIC is local officials and citizens, rather than scientists and federal officials, and the thrust of its information is rural development rather than production…

Concern is growing over the problems of freedom of information, individual right to privacy, and automated recordkeeping systems. As a guide to policy considerations for overview and for detail, this extensive structured bibliography of privacy and disclosure literature adopts a topical scheme, dividing the subject first into governmental and…

Describes two phases of the automation of library and information services in mainland China. From 1974-86, much effort was concentrated on developing computer systems, databases, online retrieval, and networking. From 1986 to the present, practical progress became possible largely because of CD-ROM technology; and large scale networking for…

The National Information Infrastructure (NII) is planned as a web of communications networks, computers, databases, and consumer electronics that will put vast amounts of information at the users' fingertips. Private sector firms are beginning to develop this infrastructure, but essential roles remain for the Federal Government. The National…

Analyzes Latin American educational research phases--the artisan and industrial. During the artisan phase (1950s-early 1970s), university scholars conducted isolated projects with limited access to information. Research centers, government supports, and information networks characterize the industrial period (post-mid 1970s). Argues information…