This paper reports the findings of a small-scale qualitative study that explored the perceptions of and approaches used by UK school librarians and teachers in the design and use of reading lists. The research question was: "What is the best way to construct reading lists to maximize their benefit in the school library or classroom?" The…

Many factors and pressures affect decisions made in UK university libraries on opening hours especially 24/7. This article reports on a project to examine the decision-making process, influential factors, and stakeholders. A workshop for senior library managers in the East Midlands was held to gather data and share experiences. From analysis of…

This paper provides an overview of the problems found by both professional and amateur users of archives and libraries who need to be able to phrase specific questions in conventional and online forms. It discusses issues within the context of a national archive holding over ten million photographs and is concerned with the varying roles of not…

This discussion of the design of user-initiated help systems in computers focuses on the information that users actively seek to help them with their tasks, with emphasis on how to help users ask the questions that will bridge the gap between the initial internal (mental) form of the query and their information need as expressed by the system.…

Describes how the Computer Database Advice Centre (CDAC) at Ealing College of Higher Education identifies potential user groups, assesses their information needs, and formulates demonstration seminars. Included is a preliminary evaluation of CDAC performance and usefulness, which is based on the demand for seminars and a user questionnaire. Costs…

Describes the development of a thesaurus to aid in subject retrieval of information about daily living equipment for the disabled by the Disabled Living Foundation, a British charitable organization. The discussion covers the attempt to satisfy local needs and language while remaining aware of existing classifications and thesauri. (37 references)…

This book and its accompanying video are part of the work of the Transnational Innovation Multimedia for Employment (TIME) project in England, a project designed to look at the life-long learning needs of inner-city community members and when appropriate to negotiate access to higher education. This guide is aimed at helping those who are…

This paper describes the Telematics for Teacher Training Project (T3) Work Package 08, which aims to evaluate, assess, and produce course materials to respond to the information needs of librarians supporting teacher trainers and trainees in higher education institutions across Europe. The increasing use of educational technology to deliver more…

Despite the 1993 White Paper on Open Government and the resulting Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, Britain has a reputation for secrecy and no Freedom of Information Act. Examines the use by government ministers of Public Interest Immunity Certificates to deny litigants access to government documents in the course of…

This collection of papers addresses key questions facing college managers and others choosing, introducing, and living with big, complex computer-based systems. "What Use the User Requirement?" (Tony Coles) stresses the importance of an information strategy driven by corporate objectives, not technology. "Process of Selecting a…

Argues that there is an information deficit concerning early childhood services in England. Maintains that accurate, available information is necessary for good policy, open and democratic decision making, and visibility for young children. Considers how an adequate information system might be developed based on annual returns from individual…

With the advent of the British National Curriculum, computer-based modeling has become an integral part of the school curriculum. This book is about modeling in education and providing children with computer tools to create and explore representations of the world. Members of the London Mental Models Group contributed their research: (1)…

This paper considers the purposes, methods, findings, and significance of the British Library LESSEN (Learning Support for Special Education Needs) Project. The focus was on Year 7 students (students aged 11-12, in their first year of secondary education) in ten English secondary schools who were on the Special Educational Needs (SEN) register…

Of potential interest to small towns in rural areas, this report describes England's first attempt at applying to a rural area the concept of a multi-agency information and advice center based on a library. The comprehensive review covers all phases of the project: (1) identification of a community's information and advice needs; (2) consultation…

This article examines the impact of end-users on the information profession and looks ahead to what the future holds. It examines three waves of end-users that emerged with new search technologies: (1) full-text, natural language online systems; (2) CD-ROMs; and (3) the Internet. In the 1980s, when full-text online systems such as Textline, NEXIS,…