Argues that making agricultural information produced by the federal government in electronic formats available through private vendors may lead to inequitable access for its users and challenges the federal government's role in the dissemination of agricultural information. An information public for agricultural information is defined, and…

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…

E-mail has swept the communications and information world, providing instantaneous global information and data exchange. However, an information elite still exists, made up of those with access to and knowledge about computers and e-mail. The diverging trends in access based on income and education are placing significant groups of current and…

Technological literacy--computer skills and the ability to use computers and other technology to improve learning, productivity, and performance--has become as fundamental to a person's ability to navigate through society as traditional skills like reading, writing, and arithmetic. The Technology Literacy Challenge, envisioning a 21st century…

Information has become an increasingly valuable commodity. Access to full-text information, containing text, images, and in some cases, sound, is becoming vital to decision-making for organizations as well as individuals. The book covers the following topics: (1) the information marketplace in a cyberculture; (2) the telecommunications foundation…

This paper explores the challenges and opportunities facing libraries as they evolve into the electronic networked environment, and looks at options for libraries in the year 2000 and beyond. The internationally networked environment has fundamentally changed the way in which people acquire and use information resources and services. The paper…