This paper presents the plight of the world's poor, which was discussed at The World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development in July, 1979. Urban bias is attributed to the failure of rural development. More participation of rural people is needed. Progress is being made. Examples of literary programs in Iraq and the Sudan are included.…

Presents a state-of-the-art of the reference interview with emphasis on evaluation. Article discusses the interview in terms of its components and which of them can be measured or evaluated. Components include performance of professionals v nonprofessionals, physical setting, verbal and nonverbal behavior, and user satisfaction. Implications are…

Discusses the feasibility and describes the implementation of small scale periodical index database searching operations for library reference service. The general description, with examples from a small liberal arts college, presents a favorable balance between search service benfits and potential costs. (RAA)

A research study analyzed variables contributing to current ratings of graduate institutions. Findings show these variables in order of importance: extensive library holdings, economic resources, and faculty-student ratio. Private and southern institutions achieve less recognition in proportion to resources than do others. (AV)

Describes a modular, interdisciplinary curriculum offered by the City and East London Confederation. This curriculum aims to encourage more student responsibility for education, to create a problem solving approach to learning, to give early exposure to clinical elements, and to develop student communication skills. (DDR)

In the Telecommunications Act of 1996, Congress directed the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to establish the Universal Service program to provide financial support for communications services for all K-12 schools/libraries. A Washington telecommunications attorney discusses eligible services and the application process, and offers tips…

In the case of digital collections of text, provision of a simple unified user interface faces several challenges, among them a tension between intellectual adequacy and simplicity of access. Examines the question of how to allow cross-collection searching and display while preserving the variation in texts and their markup and points to…

Reports findings from an exploratory study investigating working notes created during encoding and external storage (EES) processes by human search intermediaries (librarians at the University of North Texas) using a Boolean information retrieval (IR) system. Implications for the design of IR interfaces and further research is discussed.…

Describes School Librarian Links, an Internet directory developed by a school library media specialist, listing professional resources available via the Internet for school library media specialists and teachers. Highlights directory sections: acceptable use policies, curriculum links, best education sites, librarian resources, publishers and…

Reviews studies of journal articles as a means of professional communication in the field of library and information science. The focus has been on content analysis and bibliometrics, which includes author, topic, and citation analysis. (LAM)

Analyzed a survey of 157 Chinese American librarians working in American libraries and found that more work in academic (44.6%) than in public (30.6%) libraries, that 80.9% are satisfied with their current jobs, and that 75% have managerial positions. Major barriers at work were identified as cultural differences (35.7%), race (23.6%), and…

Describes how parent volunteers assisted in implementing the educational technology plan of public schools in Howard County, Maryland. Discusses involvement in the planning; assistance in the library media center; training; help in labs and classrooms; and assistance in technology-related staff training. (AEF)

Censorship attacks on books are growing more common in school classrooms and media centers, as well as in the nation's public libraries. School board members can take steps to keep intellectual freedom alive. (MLF)

Phase 1 of a two-phase project funded by the NSF-National Science Digital Library Project used focus groups to determine how undergraduate science students perceive journal literature and how they use digital library resources. Their perceptions and use are contrasted with faculty and graduate teaching assistants. Results reveal undergraduates…

Reports findings of a questionnaire-based study of graduates of the Diploma in Library and Information Studies at the University of Botswana (Africa) regarding their practical placement experience. Discusses perceived value of the practical placement, problems relating to the management of the program, inadequate supervision, and suggestions for…