Investigates the capabilities of graduate students to effectively use library resources and their awareness of the resources and services available at the University of Botswana Library. Concludes that to enable students to make maximum use of resources and sources, training must be provided. (Author/AEF)

Discusses advantages and disadvantages of using the Internet for delivering teaching modules and makes recommendations for successful use of the Internet. Highlights include the availability of information at all times and from remote locations, multimedia capabilities, infrastructure needed, security issues, updating, needed skills, and…

Discusses the nature of hate speech in general, and Holocaust denial in particular, on the World Wide Web, citing specific Web sources. Argues that, although discussion of Holocaust denial may be a difficult classroom discussion topic, and should be approached carefully, intelligent use of the Internet must be taught in the classroom. (MSE)

The Dublin Core (DC) metadata standard is emerging as one of the leading initiatives in digitization programs; as libraries, museums, archives and others begin to digitize their physical materials it will be imperative that internationally recognized standards be used. Key elements behind the development of DC, and the 15 fields of DC are…

Discusses the school librarian's role in helping teachers use the Internet effectively. Topics include access to the Internet, including bookmarks; pro-active Internet use by librarians, including notifying teachers about good Web sites; evaluating Internet information; making use of the Internet's interactive capabilities; and encouraging teacher…

This annual compilation is designed as a resource for access to products (hardware and software) and services related to library automation and information storage. Sections include products and services by category, vendor, and brand name, as well as addresses (including phone/fax, e-mail, and URL for web pages) of companies and consultants. (AEF)

Discussion of user problems with navigating large spaces in virtual information environments focuses on a top-down application of semantic knowledge by the user from experiences within the sociocognitive context of information production and consumption. Considers individual differences in studies of interaction; spatial and semantic cues; and…

Proposes a model of document selection by real users of a bibliographic retrieval system. Reports on Part I of a longitudinal study of decision making on document use by academics (25 faculty and graduate students in Agricultural Economics). Examines what components are relevant to the users' decisions and what cognitive process may have occurred…

Presents a model for medical reference source instruction. Focuses on identifying the potential audiences; conducting user and information assessments; creating and delivering models of training; and future goals. Includes a list of Internet healthcare sites. (AEF)

Reviews the state of scholarly social science resources on the Web, describing selected search engines and Web sites. Discusses advantages and disadvantages for information retrieval; using meta-indexes; connecting to research centers; and suggests strategies for more effective retrieval. (AEF)

Describes characteristics of subject gateways on the Web (i.e., facilities allowing easier access to network-based resources in a defined subject area) and compares them to search engines (e.g., AltaVista). The application of WHOIS++, centroids, query routing, and forward knowledge to searching several gateways simultaneously is outlined, and…

Presents six principles for building and evaluating Web-based information retrieval interfaces: help the user develop an understanding of the interface and search process, judge the value of continuing search paths, and refine search queries or search topics; avoid complex navigation; make system actions explicit; and provide verbal labels…

Reports the feasibility and reliability of calculating impact factors for Web sites, called Web Impact Factors. Analyzes seven small/medium scale national Web sites, four large Web domains, and six institutional Web sites over a series of snapshots taken of the Web during a month. Describes data isolation and calculation methods and discusses…

This research examined the communication process between users and online catalogs by gathering empirical data about user performance on different types of online catalogs. An experiment was designed to test whether content and layout of bibliographic displays influenced effectiveness of the interface between online catalogs and users. Data are…

CrossRef was created to make broad-based linking efficient and scalable across a wide range of primary publishers, secondary publishers, abstracting and indexing services, and libraries. CrossRef runs a system that enables publishers to assign Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) to articles and collects standardized metadata so the identifiers can…