This report summarizes the activities of the South Carolina State Library for 1998-1999. Sections include: (1) library governance and mission statement; (2) brief library history; (3) details about the organization and operations of the library, including a description of each of the six service departments, a list of library staff, highlights of…

This paper focuses on the changes taking place in the behavior of those engaged in research and teaching as a result of the increasing availability of source material on the Internet. It first discusses who customers are and what they are using information sources for. It then looks at the range of new services that are on offer, and reviews a…

This paper describes the academic library environment in Finland, discussing increases in research funding that have not been directly evident in library budgets. It then describes the FinELib program, the National Electronic Library, which has a centralized approach to joint acquisition of electronic information resources. The key issues have…

The AccessMichigan Electronic Community Health Information Initiative (AMECHII) is a response to a recommendation of the Michigan Information Technology Commission Report recommending improved access to high-quality health care information for all Michigan stakeholders. This project is multi-type, including public, general academic, academic…

The purpose of this book is threefold: (1) to inform Internet users of the legal ramifications of their on-line activities; (2) to help administrators handle specific situations or complaints regarding Internet activity; and (3) to provide guidance for the formulation of acceptable computer use policies on campuses. The chapters are: chapter 1,…

The Southern Rural Development Center (SRDC) is one of four regional rural development centers in the nation. SRDC coordinates rural development research and extension education programs cooperatively with the 29 land-grant institutions in 13 Southern states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. This annual report outlines activities undertaken by…

Rural communities with populations of under 15,000 are the least resilient to negative economic shocks, but local initiatives can reduce the negative impact of rapid economic change. Data from a study of three rural Australian communities and one "community-of-common-purpose" were used to develop a model of how the informal learning…

A case study in a rural Australian township attempted to determine indicators verifying the existence of social capital. Social capital is provisionally defined as the networks, norms, and trust that constitute the capacity of individuals, workplaces, groups, organizations, and communities to strive for sustainable futures in a changing…

Associations can provide information, expertise, and services that individual institutions do not always possess. Although membership in some associations is a necessity, it is important to choose carefully among others to gain optimal resources such as information, meetings, newsletters, and other points of contact. Some guidelines are provided.…

Presented at the National Council on Family Relations Annual Meeting, October, 1981, Milwaukee, WI. The creative response of households to boom-town stress is examined, indicating a significant amount of household-initiated future-oriented community building takes place under stress of rapid growth. (Author/JAC)

To assess the influence of personal and environmental factors on the composition of children's networks and the relative amounts and use of time spent with people of various ages, sexes, and roles, 72 Swedish children between the ages of 8 and 11 replied to interview questions about their family members, relatives, friends, and the nonrelative…

Describes strategies used by reference librarians to provide service to the developmentally disabled, including reference service to volunteer and professional service providers, specialized information networks, information and referral services, and key reference tools. Deinstitutionalization, normalization, the developmental model, and least…

Three separate articles describe the online union catalog developed and implemented at the University of California to enhance public access. Planning for library automation, development and production of the database, access points to the catalog, the patron interface, standardizing input data, and merging records are discussed. References are…

Stresses providing reliable, factual information directly to users. Describes classes of data, the need for good data, quality control of databases, the electronic revolution in data dissemination, systematic cooperation to reduce costs of developing online services and of creating data bases, and trends in data dissemination. (JN)

Four papers describe systems adopted by public libraries in the United States for computerizing community information services and information and referral programs. Word processing at the Fresno County Information and Referral Network and the automation of library processes in the Pikes Peak Library District are among the topics discussed. (JL)