Discussion of library information systems focuses on the idea of including user-supplied data (USD) in libraries' automated catalogs. Hypertext is mentioned, the information explosion and the ability to selectively retrieve information is considered, and the value of user input in evaluating the relevance of material is discussed. (12 references)…

The effects of personal systems on formal library and secondary information services use are analyzed. Conclusions are that personal information systems are not personalized libraries;'' formal library services should concentrate on developing complimentary programs. (9 references) (Author)

This report considers the effects of new technology (online search services) on user access to information; the role of libraries in providing such access; the structure of a future national information network in the United Kingdom; and general managerial considerations. Seventeen references are cited. (EJS)

Since its establishment in 1960, the Institute of Public Administration (IPA) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia has had responsibility for documenting Saudi administrative literature, the official publications of Saudi Arabia, and the literature of regional and international organizations through establishment of the Document Center in 1961. This paper…

Examines a multiplicity of issues that must be considered as features are taken from two existing systems--libraries and computing centers--and used in moving toward the integrated information support system of the future. Discussion covers indexing, conversion, access, security, costs, changes in the workplace, and challenges of transition. (EJS)

Libraries should be active participants in knowledge production, and should develop classificatory structures that support the needs of a diverse information ecology consisting of a complex web of interacting agents, users, and technologies. Within such an information ecology, a classificatory structure cannot follow a one-size-fits-all paradigm,…

Discusses the need for digital librarians who will manage and organize digital libraries. Topics include digital information systems; the information superhighway; navigation, browsing, and filtering; multimedia searching and indexing; data mining; information access and retrieval; competencies and skills for a digital librarian; and professional…

This paper begins by examining concepts of artificial intelligence (AI) and discusses various definitions of the concept that have been suggested in the literature. The nesting relationship of expert systems within the broader framework of AI is described, and expert systems are characterized as knowledge-based systems (KBS) which attempt to solve…

Explains the history and organization of the U.S. Global Change Research Program. Highlights include participating agencies; data and information management needs, including the Global Change Data and Information System (GCDIS); and four sidebars that discuss GCDIS implementation, prototype projects, the library access, search, and retrieval pilot…

The aim of this seminar was twofold: to make senior civil servants of Zimbabwe aware of the importance of information and documentation for planning and decision-making, and to introduce the concept of a national information and documentation center (NIDC) as designed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Pan-African Documentation…

Reviews studies of clinicians' information-seeking behavior and discusses various library programs and services designed to deliver information to clinicians. Topics discussed include LATCH (Literature Attached to the Chart) services; enduser searching; quality filtering and critical appraisal; clinical information systems; and the impact of the…

Discussions and recommendations for developing national documentation centers (library and information services) in developing nations are provided as a result of a study conducted by the International Federation for Documentation (FID) Committee for Developing Countries (FID/DC) and commissioned by Unesco. The ten facets studied include: (1) the…