Three models have been developed to provide a framework for describing range of delivery technologies available that are consistent with missions of training organizations. Performance support model presents a strategy for applying solutions to performance problems; knowledge transfer model depicts combinations of communication media; and…

Interview with a computer scientist for the U.S. Geological Survey focuses on CD-ROM as a medium for publishing, disseminating, and archiving government data; the private sector's role in producing value-added CD-ROM products; and SIGCAT (Special Interest Group for CD-ROM Applications and Technology), a free CD-ROM user group. (NRP)

The University of Massachusetts has adopted user data groups (groups of information users whose function is to address data issues rather than applications or operations) to help develop an institutional culture supportive of more advanced information technology. The university is treated as a corporation and its five campuses as divisions. (MSE)

Discusses the National Research and Education Network (NREN) and explains its role in the information infrastructures of higher education and research. Stages in the growth of NREN from 1970 to 2015 are described, finances are discussed, prospects for management and users are considered, and suggestions for future growth, finances, and public…

Discussion of NREN (National Research and Education Network) focuses on balancing the needs of a wider user constituency with those of the more technical scientific community. The flow of information technology is discussed, including the roles of schools, universities, and libraries; and issues of government intervention and questions of funding…

Discusses legal and policy questions relating to public availability of federal government information in electronic form. Consumer needs are considered; public and private sector roles in adding value to electronic information are discussed; and stages of information processing at which value can be added are described. (15 references) (LRW)

Reviews distance education advances and suggests prospects for the future. The roles of the federal government and state governments are discussed, a classification of technology-based information systems is presented, the likelihood of a shift from rural to urban uses of distance education is suggested, and slow-scan video systems are described…

Discusses changes in educational requirements for library-oriented careers in information management caused by developments in the for-profit sector. Highlights include the role of technology; the growth of special library, corporate, and information industry employment; mobility of information professionals; and the interdisciplinary nature of…

Discusses how collections in the digital library, instead of traditional cataloging, call for metadata, structured information about information. Describes three categories of metadata information about digital resources: descriptive, structural, and administrative. Examines emerging standards for digital-library classification. (AEF)

Provides a brief description of the Z39.50 information retrieval standard and reviews evaluation criteria and questions that should be asked when selecting a Z39.50 client. Areas for consideration include whether to buy or build a Z39.50 client, the end-user's requirements, connecting to a remote server, searching, managing the search response,…

In this study, 182 Canadian senior administrators, middle managers, and front-line librarians in public and academic libraries were asked to describe the nature of organizational change in their workplaces and how new technology affected the restructuring. Respondents agreed that financial pressure is driving most change and that technology is a…

Reports on a survey of 631 colleges that investigated changes in library instruction and compared the results with previous LOEX (Library Orientation/Instruction Exchange) studies (1979, 1987). Provides data on size and type of institution, administration of instruction, types and methods of instruction (required, print, nonprint, methods used,…

Provides an annotated bibliography of 42 books that rank as the library profession's most outstanding literature published between January 1997 and March 1998. The list is organized by the following categories: academic libraries; archives/preservation; cataloging/technical services; children's services; collection development; general library…

Discusses academic library consortia, examines types of consortia, and presents three case histories (OhioLINK, PALCI and CIC). Highlights include economic competition; changes in information access and delivery; growth of information technology; quality improvement; and future strategies, including pricing models for electronic information,…

In this study, small academic libraries (monographic collections of under 30,001 volumes) were surveyed to determine the types and extent of electronic technology available and how it was being used. Satisfaction of users and staff, the correlation between instruction and the use of electronic technology, and funding are also discussed. (LRW)