Describes a Job Club for still-unemployed students after graduation. Informal monthly meetings allow students to network; obtain moral support and encouragement; and get ideas, suggestions, and leads. Department faculty serve as informal brokers in bringing employers and graduates together and provide a support system for students during their job…

Discusses recent European library and information science (LIS) events. Describes the development and use of regional and intra-European Union networks for science. Highlights three European conferences held in 1996: ACM-SIGIR on information retrieval held in Switzerland, Information Seeking in Context (ISIC) held in Finland, and Conceptions of…

Concerned about improving beginning principals' professional development, the Minnesota Administrators' Academy initiated an administrative mentoring program in the early 1990s. A recent evaluation found that successful mentoring relationships involved mutually respectful pairs that met at least monthly and participated in various activities…

Provides a framework for analyzing the utility, usability, and likeability of Internet and World Wide Web services, and illustrates applications to scholarly communities. Highlights include human factors; measuring Internet utility through growth of utilization; utility of the Web; a layered-protocol model of discourse through the Internet;…

Discusses computer user authentication and authorization issues when libraries need to let valid users access databases and information services without making the process too difficult for either party. Common solutions are explained, including filtering, passwords, and kerberos (cryptographic authentication scheme for secure use over public…

A European online electronic learning network, Cyberspace Learning for Kids, was evaluated through surveys of 596 teachers, 661 parents, and participating children. Teachers identified lack of training and funds to purchase equipment. All groups felt the project taught useful skills in an enjoyable way. A decline in parent-child and teacher-parent…

Organized across schools, districts, or states, educational reform networks offer teachers and administrators a chance to discuss their work and tackle problems in a trusting, supportive atmosphere. Networks can develop flexible activities and responsive structures, replace prescription and compliance with a culture of continuous inquiry, and help…

Describes the development of the Nebraska Earth Science Education Network and its current activities in providing support for experienced teachers by enhancing and expanding teaching resource materials and educational opportunities. Provides a framework that other state geological surveys could use to establish a similar communication network.…

Out of a 1995 meeting of local educational stakeholders, the Aurora (Illinois) Online Community Network was born. The purpose was to share resources among schools, colleges, and other educational organizations and learn about the Internet. Aurora University shared its technological expertise with the community, initiated a cooperative master's…

Responses from 102 of 140 Iowa secondary agriculture teachers revealed attitudes toward the interactive communications network (ICN), a two-way fiber optic telecommunications system. Teachers were concerned about such obstacles as scheduling ICN use and managing laboratory and supervised agricultural experience activities. They were undecided…

The 10-year-old High Schools that Work program of the Southern Regional Education Board has improved test scores of vocational students and attempts to demonstrate that career-bound students can handle high-level curriculum. Despite successes, some states and school districts are reluctant to adopt the program. (SK)

A case study of an official organization's attempt to organize Dutch rural women who had already formed their own informal groups illustrates issues of knowledge, power, and control. The resulting conflict demonstrates the wisdom of following local organizing practices when attempting development interventions. (SK)

Technology is driving much of education, but learning is socially constructed. Learning, including electronic forms, should be designed to create a social learning environment. This can help bridge the divide between the "analog" professor and the "digital" student. (SK)

Examines the role of several factors in shaping the employment outcomes of people with mental illness. While several aspects of work history and work competence were important for gaining employment, equally critical was the role of the social network, particularly family members and employers, in influencing employment outcomes. (Contains 31…

Discusses the impact of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and the digital divide in India. Considers the impact of information technologies, including the Internet and the Web, on the life and work of people; digital determinism; library and information infrastructure and superstructure; digital library initiatives; and the need…