This study examines the cost and performance of six commercial document suppliers accessible via Online computer Library Center (OCLC), compares their service to traditional interlibrary loan (ILL). Results indicate that, although commercial firms cannot replace ILL, they can add flexibility to a library's plan for document delivery. (Author/AEF)

Examines competing, commercially developed electronic mail programs and how these technologies will affect the functionality and quality of electronic mail. How new standards for client-server mail systems are likely to enhance messaging capabilities and the use of electronic mail for information retrieval are considered. (Contains eight…

Analyzes the future direction of accessing government information via online electronic formats from commercial, public, and private sources; addresses library challenges in accessing and preserving online information; and examines reduced availability of government information. Discusses federal administration initiatives, federal agency…

Examines vendors' views on the future of CD-ROM technology. Topics include the library role, single point access, costs, tape backup, user-friendly library automation systems and databases, improved quality, the growth of Internet access, and perspectives on technology in schools. (AEF)

Describes consumer or business-oriented online services that provide access to current news information and offers a less expensive alternative to standard online databases. Online clipping services are discussed, their costs are examined, and profiles of five services are compared: CompuServe, CompuServe as a gateway to IQuest, DELPHI, DIALCOM,…

Considers electronic online access to newspapers, magazines, and newsletters. Legal factors discussed include license agreements and copyright; financial factors include royalties, pricing, and publisher priorities; and technological factors include keyed versus electronic copy, electronic delivery, graphics, telecommunications, and image-based…

Considers how to plan for online reference services. Highlights include local access to databases, including CD-ROM and database licensing; local gateways; online search services; and planning considerations, including cost, locating online information, telecommunications and computing infrastructures, and equal access. (Contains 15 references.)…

The federal Escrowed Encryption Standard (EES) has been opposed by civil liberties advocates and the computer industry. The author argues that the standard does not threaten privacy as long as its use remains voluntary, alternative forms of encryption are allowed, and the power of government to intercept transmission is kept in check. (20…

Describes the UTAD (Utah Article Delivery) Pilot Project, an innovative resource-sharing service that provides journal articles to the Utah higher education community, developed by the Utah Academic Library Consortium (UALC) in partnership with EBSCO Document Services. Highlights include goals, options considered, challenges, and evaluation. The…

Provides an overview of developments in authoring tools and describes ways to categorize products by platform, type of end-product, sophistication of end-product, and authoring metaphor. Discusses products from AimTech, Allegiant, Allen Communication, Asymetrix, Corel, Discovery Systems International, Enigma, Harrow Media, Horizons, Innovus,…

Considers how the role of information specialists is changing and evolving due to the use of the Internet and the World Wide Web. Topics include the impact of new technology, knowledge of information systems and databases, the emergence of new vendors, examples of unique Web sites, and economic factors. (LRW)

A study of the catalog holdings of all Canadian academic libraries found that fewer noncorporate publications were available than mainstream titles published by corporations and that electronic vendors provide little access to noncorporate "small publisher" titles while providing 100% access to surveyed mainstream titles. Examines the…

Examines why many information professionals are still resisting the Internet as a legitimate resources and how the Internet will affect the future of search engines. Highlights include: user perspectives on Internet searches; search engine preferences; vendor perspectives on Web-based databases; electronic journals; the Internet versus…

The National Federation of Abstracting and Information Services (NFAIS) is an organization of over 60 publishers and online service providers. Included is a formal white paper which was released in December 1997 to clarify the rights and responsibilities of each party in the electronic information delivery process: authors, publishers,…

Discusses issues related to managing electronic resources in academic libraries from a vendor's perspective. Topics include collection development policies; format and content; decisions to buy, borrow, or link to online resources; ethics and SPARC (Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition); service, cost, and value; vendors'…