Discusses the concept of social intelligence (SI), including its history and contexts in which it may be valid; assesses SI from the perspectives of information management, information policy, and information economics; reviews tools and techniques associated with SI, including networks, hypermedia, and connectionism; and considers education and…

Discusses the emerging information universe in order to frame the context of the domain of future professional practice as well as its core competencies. Addresses how librarians might transform themselves in order to participate in this information universe. Skill sets necessary to this transformation are examined that define professional…

Describes Information Mapping, a methodology for the analysis, organization, sequencing, and presentation of information and explains three major parts of the method: (1) content analysis, (2) project life-cycle synthesis and integration of the content analysis, and (3) sequencing and formatting. Major criticisms of the methodology are addressed.…

Discusses Prospero, a distributed file system which provides tools to help users organize INTERNET resources. The Virtual System Model, the basis for Prospero, is introduced. Possible ways of organizing and retrieving information are described and illustrated with a sample session. Plans for the future are considered. (11 references) (MES)

Presents the reflections of a designer of visual interfaces for online public access catalogs regarding the importance of a historical perspective for design practices. Topics discussed include cognitive psychology research; conventions for organizing information; and the ongoing process of changes in media. (LRW)

Three articles discuss major issues dealing with federal information management and policy currently being debated in the U.S. Congress. Topics discussed include the Government Printing Office Improvement Act of 1990; the Federal Information Resources Management Act of 1989; and modernization of the National Technical Information Service. (43…

Discusses technological developments in information distribution and management in relation to concepts of ownership. A historical overview of the concept of copyright is presented; licensing elements for databases are examined; and implications for gateway systems are explored, including ownership, identification of users, and allowable uses of…

Summarizes results of a survey on the value of the corporate library and presents a strategy for successful information management: (1) learn the information needs of senior executives; (2) be businesslike; (3) defend your turf; (4) segment the market; (5) market to those who need information; and (6) be involved in the business. (Three…

Argues that the first phase of the Web is communication through shared knowledge. Predicts that the second side to the Web, yet to emerge, is that of machine-understandable information, with humans providing the inspiration and the intuition. (CR)

School districts often lack the capacity for turning vast amounts of existing student-performance data into useful information for helping teachers and improving classrooms. The California Accountability Project helps districts to function more systematically on behalf of children and to understand schools' pockets of success and underperformance.…

Provides a general overview of how electronic mailing-list-management software works, then focuses on the "human dimensions" involved in every mailing list as they relate to management of two lists, WALDEN (Women Academic Library Directors Engaged in Networking) and SWEDE-L. (Author/AEF)

Illustrates the importance of following the advice in the American Library Association's "Preservation Microfilming" guide and maintains that in library and archive-preservation microfilming, 100% inspection should be conducted on every completed film. Discusses inspection criteria and examining what is and was being filmed and what is…

A report by the Commission on Preservation and Access and the Research Libraries Group (May 1996) recommends a certification process for digital archives and calls for a legal authority to rescue digital files in danger of being lost. Reactions of the library, archival, and educational communities are reviewed and current actions being taken are…

Describes the development of electronic finding aids for archives at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign that used XML (extensible markup language) and EAD (encoded archival description) to enable more flexible information management and retrieval than using MARC or a relational database management system. EAD template is appended.…

According to a former community relations director for a Washington State district, there are three key elements of effective public engagement: choosing a focus, acknowledging that employees are a school system's first public, and using feedback loops. Employees are school ambassadors whose words and actions can either build community support or…