Discussion of the factors that should be considered when purchasing or upgrading a microcomputer focuses on the MS-DOS and OS/2 operating systems. Macintosh purchasing decisions are discussed in a sidebar. A glossary is provided. (CLB)

History consists of events and things that happened in the distant or the recent past. Students can make a time capsule to leave a piece of history for the future to discover. Time capsule items should be carefully selected, preserved, labeled, stored in a sealed container, and buried with a marker to indicate the site. (JDD)

Discusses the need to back up computer files, and describes the technological evolution of back-up methods. Reviews tape drive and external hard drive back-up products offered by computer companies and presents back-up strategies to use with all back-up methods. A sidebar lists information on the reviewed products. (JMV)

Offers early childhood program administrators time management strategies to increase available time, efficiency, and effectiveness. To manage paper, directors should clear the desk top, use in-out baskets, create a filing system, and handle mail effectively. Tips for managing meetings include preparing an agenda, scheduling meetings for…

Discusses design options for CD-ROM storage. Highlights include a marketing strategy resulting in the creation of the jewel box; replacement and duplex jewel boxes; caddies; business furniture companies for large collections; flip-racks; and lazy-susans. (AEF)

Reviews several noncyclical, nonrepetitive hypotheses that try to predict broad spectrum maturational stages of overall information technology growth. Based on the areas of convergence among the hypotheses, several predictions are offered, and it is suggested that we are at a major transition point entering the third stage of computerized…

Proposes a scheme of hierarchical piecewise linear approximation as an adaptive image pyramid. A progressive image coder comes naturally from the proposed image pyramid. The new pyramid is semantically more powerful than regular tessellation but syntactically simpler than free segmentation. This compromise between adaptability and complexity…

The inventory system designed for six storerooms in three buildings at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's School of Chemical Sciences replaced an issue-slip and transactions record system with barcode technology. Data collection error reductions have been significant, making it easier to determine stock levels and plan purchases.…

Although Internet, a major computerized information network, makes massive quantities of information available free to users, there are concerns associated with it, including the lack of permanent storage of information and the need for colleges to recover costs incurred in making information available off-campus. (MSE)

Provides a general overview of multimedia and its significance in educational applications. Topics discussed include hypermedia; interactive multimedia; storage formats, including analog, digital, and CD-ROM; and multimedia standards, including Compact Disk Interactive (CDI), CD-ROM Extended Architecture (CD-ROM XA), and Digital Video Interactive…

Discusses issues that must be addressed when archivists consider whether to join in cooperative preservation microfilming projects. Highlights include the pros and cons of microfilming, project planning needs, physical preparation, intellectual control (i.e., the order of the materials on the film), quality control inspection, cataloging,…

Describes Extensible Markup Language (XML), a subset of the Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) that is designed to make it easy to interchange structured documents over the Internet. Topics include Document Type Definition (DTD), components of XML, the use of XML, text and non-text elements, and uses for XML-coded files. (LRW)

Discusses the loss of stored knowledge due to the continuous obsolescence of digital formats and platforms. Topics include digital storage versus digital preservation; the use of metadata and efforts to create standards for it; information on the Internet; and the need for long-term planning to solve digital degradation. (LRW)

Discusses two reasons why institutions should create digital image files--access and preservation. Suggests a collection survey for determining what to scan. Describes the five most important technical issues of digital imaging: resolution, file formats, storage, refreshment, and copyright. Discusses digitization of manuscript collections and…

Discussion of digitizing an archive's photograph collection focuses on the FEAR method (Funding, Equipment/Expertise, Approach, and Rationale). Topics include whether digitization is an appropriate choice; formulating objectives; file format and compression; storage alternatives, including CD-ROM; and outsourcing. (LRW)