Discusses worldwide developments and trends in information technology. Highlights include online databases versus CD-ROMs; audiotex and voice processing; fax information delivery; networks and gateway services; possibilities in eastern Europe; national information policies; effects of the creation of a single European market; and the role of…

Discusses document delivery services in the light of new technology. Topics addressed include the historical influences of the printing press; the influence of microcomputers on the publishing industry; copyright issues; the changing role of publishers, researchers, and academic librarians; information partnerships among publishers, librarians,…

Explains the STUDIO for Creative Inquiry, an interdisciplinary center at Carnegie Mellon University that supports experimental activities in the arts, and its Interdisciplinary Teaching Network. Three STUDIO projects are described: the Ancient Egypt Prototype application of the network; an interactive fiction system based on artificial…

Discussed is the High Performance Computing Act of 1991 which would provide federal funding for the establishment of a National Research and Education network. The rationale for the proposed legislation is discussed. (CW)

Argues that educational computing is a discipline and discusses issues that need to be addressed in this discipline, including similarities with experimental psychology; networks and integrated learning systems; problem-solving software versus domain-specific software; computer labs versus classroom integration; software quality; computer equity;…

Discusses electronic serials that are available on noncommercial international computer networks such as BITNET and Internet. Issues affecting libraries are discussed, including access and ownership; computer conferences are considered; examples of electronic newsletters and electronic journals are described; and the possible future of electronic…

Describes uses and applications for computer networks that link K-12 schools with universities, utilizing the prototypical network in Indiana named the Student and Teachers Electronic Productivity System (STEPS). The project called the Electronic School District has used STEPS since 1987 to investigate the benefits of a widespread and innovative…

Defines collaborating systems, i.e., hardware, software, communications, and people working together; examines the need for machine-supported collaboration; and addresses the major obstacles impeding the progress of collaboration, including economic, political, human, and technical factors. A framework for the implementation of machine-supported…

Describes telecommunications and networking developments in Australia that provide increased communication and cooperation opportunities for libraries, as well as linkages to international information sources. Staff attitudes, document access and supply, the current situation of Australian academic libraries, and the concept of a distributed…

Discusses current technology for electronic publishing, including various options in desktop-based, television-based, and portable platforms, and describes the capabilities of CD-I (compact disk-interactive). Future directions for electronic publishing in the areas of networking, potential for creativity in producing multimedia versions of titles,…

Four articles describe the usefulness of the Internet to reference librarians and discuss Internet search tools: "Getting Started on the Net" (Karen R. Diaz); "Gopher Searching Using VERONICA" (Lousie McGillis); "How to Use VERONICA To Find Information on the Internet" (Jackie Mardikian); and "The Internet…

Describes efforts to introduce computers into Malaysian education during the past decade. Topics discussed include computer clubs as extramural activities; Ministry of Education initiatives, including developing a national policy and a national network; college and university initiatives; private sector initiatives; and future challenges.…

Discusses national information networks from the points of view of an academic librarian and the director of the Coalition for Networked Information (CNI). Topics addressed include the roles of libraries, the government, professional library associations, library administrators, and the private sector; user fees; and intellectual property rights.…

Describes a pilot project using electronic mail and conferencing in college courses including blind and deaf students. The effectiveness of group interaction is compared to the standard classroom. The use of communication technologies in the design of educational systems to simultaneously transcend physical distance and physical disabilities is…

Describes the Bradley Library Information Support System (BLISS), a comprehensive local area network designed to provide library users with electronic information access and management services to support Bradley University (Illinois). System architecture is explained; and six sidebars provide more detailed information on various services, the…