The structure and functions of the National Laboratory on Early Childhood Education are discussed. The National Laboratory was designed to assume a leadership role by actually conducting a coordinated research and development (R&D) program and by continuously analyzing the field to identify problem areas and solutions. The National Laboratory…

Written by a board member of OCLC, this paper discusses critical issues relating to OCLC for the remaining decade of the twentieth century. A brief history of OCLC traces its development and recounts its goals and missions to establish a computerized network to promote the evolution of library use, of libraries themselves, and of librarianship.…

Twenty-five papers presented at the conference include papers on the role of the site coordinator in a distributed education network in Ontario; student support systems in the Open University of Israel; the dilemmas of designing a computer mediated communication support system; interactive libraries; tutoring in technical science in the Open…

This document reports findings of research on the placement of family support and education programs in community education. The research was conducted in Minnesota and 12 other sites across the United States. Working definitions of family support and education and the range of services that family support and education programs offer are…

This paper describes the Rural Teaching Effectiveness Network, created to overcome difficulties associated with offering staff development experiences in rural Maryland. The long distances often required to attend staff development activities can discourage rural teachers' commitment. Similar problems exist in creating standards of professional…

Weatherlinker is a unit of curriculum materials designed to enhance the study of meteorological science at the seventh-grade level and to enrich that study through the use of various types of technology. This document consists of a teacher's guide, student handouts, information on telecommunications, and a list of materials that were used by the…

The philosophy and structure of the Regional Staff Development Center capitalize on local expertise and energy. This structure of cooperation affords 4,500 Wisconsin educators the opportunity to learn from each other through alliances, networks, study committees, and specialized roles. Recognizing and showcasing the positive contributions of area…

This guide, resulting from a four-site middle school study of the use of computers and related technology in second language instruction, is presented for the use by middle school language teachers. The guide includes lessons, coded to the state teacher handbook for second language instruction, and management hints, sample lesson plans, and other…

This workshop attended by 21 participants from 13 countries was designed to promote the use of computerized information and documentation services in the eastern and southern African subregion, and increase the exchange of experiences of the personnel involved in the field. The full text is provided for the following papers presented at the…

Fifteen papers from the Division of Libraries Serving the General Public are included in this collection: "When the Children's Library Meets the Museum" (French and English versions; Annie Pissard); "Value of Library Service for Children Literature in France" (Aline Eisenegger); "The Latin American Literature in France" (Aline Eisenegger); "The…

This report recounts the experiences of an Australian librarian who spent five months in England, where she visited the University of London and the Open University for discussions on library services to external students in order to: (1) gain practical knowledge of the work and responsibilities of the Open University Liaison Librarians and their…

The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) commissioned a study to determine the baseline costs of operation for the network of libraries and agencies that provide braille, playback machine, and recorded book services to patrons of the free national program. A 15-year projection of costs was also prepared. The…

This study was funded by the Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA) to enable the Illinois School Library Media Association (ISLMA) to plan the automation of the state's school libraries. The research was intended to identify current national programs of interest to ISLMA, identify current automation programs within Illinois library systems,…

For the past 5 years at Boonsboro Middle School in Washington County, Maryland, a full-time lab coordinator has been responsible for all aspects of running the school's computer facilities. In a survey conducted at the end of the current school year, students, teachers, administrators, and district-level supervisors had the opportunity to evaluate…

The problems of integrating the multiple dimensions of a language contact situation in linguistic research have been of concern in recent years. The use of macro- (collective or group) and micro- (individual) levels of linguistic analysis illustrates this concern. Quebec's International Center for Research on Bilingualism has developed an…