Two University of Arizona faculty members contend that librarians need training in practical library skills, but argue that basic instruction cannot be effectively carried out at the graduate level. Suggestions are provided for employers, the American Library Association and the schools themselves for addressing the practical skills problem. (AEF)

Reviews the scope and effects of distributed information management. Discusses cultural and social influences, including library and Internet culture, information and knowledge, electronic libraries, and social aspects of libraries; digital collections; indexing; permanent link systems; metadata; the Open Archives initiative; digital object…

Bioinformatics is one of the fastest growing scientific areas over the last decade. It focuses on the use of informatics tools for the organization and analysis of biological data. An example of their importance is the availability nowadays of dozens of software programs for genomic and proteomic studies. Thus, there is a growing field (private…

Because assessment reflects course pedagogy, aims, objectives but also broader institutional and cultural expectations, traditional examination still has a role in the new media of asynchronous, distance learning. This paper recounts experiences of incorporating such examination within an Internet-delivered, GIScience programme, outlining some…

This article explores issues of scalability and sustainability in distance learning. The authors kept detailed records of time they spent teaching a course in geographic information science via the World Wide Web over a six-month period, during which class sizes averaged 49 students. The authors also surveyed students' satisfaction with the…

This article describes several sessions of a larger case study that examined cognitive categories for library information in a group of children in kindergarten through grade 4. While the initial motivation for the project was pragmatic in nature, theoretical issues relating to people's cognitive categories for information are examined as well.…

Knowledge management (KM) in the U.S. Navy is championed as a strategic initiative to improve shipboard maintenance and troubleshooting at a distance. The approach requires capturing, coordinating, and distributing domain expertise in electronics and computer engineering via advanced information and communication technologies. Coordination must be…

With the proliferation of distance education courses in the field of library and information science today, academic library paraprofessionals have the means to continue their education while continuing to be productive in their jobs. Courses can be taken online through institutions and organizations such as library schools, community colleges,…

A tool for teaching bioinformatics concepts to information systems majors is described. Biological data are available from numerous sources and a good knowledge of biology is needed to understand much of these data. As the subject of bioinformatics gains popularity among computer and information science course offerings, it will become essential…

The Delphi method is an attractive method for graduate students completing masters and PhD level research. It is a flexible research technique that has been successfully used in our program at the University of Calgary to explore new concepts within and outside of the information systems body of knowledge. The Delphi method is an iterative process…

The "Community of Inquiry" (COI) theoretical framework suggests that successful higher education experiences are supported by the presence and interaction of cognitive, social and teaching elements. Since the COI model has been widely used for examining quality of asynchronous computer-mediated communication (CMC) educational interactions, its…

At the fifth Trinational Library Forum in 1995, 165 librarians from the United States, Canada, and Mexico gathered to discuss topics of international librarianship and exchanges, copyright regulations, and professional accreditation in information science. Presentations, with the full text in both English and Spanish, include: (1)…

At the workshop, better management through strategic planning of information and consultancy was discussed as one way in which developing and Eastern European countries could tackle the complex information problems they are facing during the transition to a market economy. The sixteen papers in this volume are grouped into three basic categories:…

This paper presents a procedure for teaching Management Information Science (MIS) courses called the "Current Reality Tree" (a tool of the Theory of Constraints used to determine the major problem of a system) and proposes a methodology to use it to aid in instruction. The first part of the model (business problems) suggests initiating a session…

This paper addresses the very timely issue of national information policy, particularly in view of the pending second White House Conference on Libraries and Information Services in July 1991. Information policy is examined from economic, political, and social points of view and the national government is urged to address the challenging task of…