This publication establishes goals and specifies priorities for the State of Louisiana consistent with the purposes of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). Four goals are listed, with accompanying activities, procedures, and evaluation for their implementation; the fourth goal specifies four priorities. The goals are: (1) To administer…

In 1995, there were 107 universities of the third age (U3As) in Australia (up from 104 in 1994) and Australian membership in U3A groups totaled 26,346 (compared to 20,788 in 1994). U3A membership in New Zealand was also up. In view of the increasing popularity of U3As in Australasia and the success of U3A networks in a number of countries…

Over the past century, rural girls and women have increasingly taken on leadership roles in response to rural community development concerns and farm crises threatening the very existence of family farms and surrounding communities. This paper provides a brief historical overview of the status of women in rural Canada, and then describes the…

The pre-Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU) Asian Librarians' Roundtable is the first of its kind for librarians of AAOU and other Asian distance and open education institutions to share their views on the use of the latest technology and the provision of library services to distance learners. This document describes the library services…

Racially different economic outcomes stem from multiple causes, including various "mismatches" between minority employees and available jobs. A skill mismatch occurs when individuals' education and job skills do not qualify them for existing jobs. A spatial mismatch means that people live far from the work for which they qualify. A…

The September 11th terrorist attacks on the United States have contributed greatly to a change in the information environment around the world. The weeks following the attacks saw governments around the world rush to pass legislation designed to prevent future acts of terrorism. Much of this legislation targeted information flow, especially on the…

From July 30-August 1, 1998, eighty parents and family members from across the country attended a national workshop held in St. Louis, Missouri sponsored by the National Technical Assistance Consortium for Children and Young Adults who are Deaf-Blind and the National Family Association for Deaf-Blind. The workshop, entitled "Going for the Best:…

As part of its contract to develop a framework for continuous school improvement in its four-state region (Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia), Appalachia Educational Laboratory staff designed the Quest project. Based upon principles of inquiry, collaboration, and action research, Quest supports and investigates ongoing school…

As part of its contract to develop a framework for continuous school improvement in its four-state region (Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia), Appalachia Educational Laboratory staff designed the Quest project. Based upon principles of inquiry, collaboration, and action research, Quest supports and investigates ongoing school…

This paper examines the belief that no more than half of the public school libraries in the state of Ohio are automated to any degree. The purpose of the research was to determine the degree and nature of automation at the public school libraries in Ohio. A written survey was mailed to 350 libraries that represented a randomized sample of the…

The National Science Foundation (NSF) released its first call for proposals for the National Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology Education Digital Library (NSDL) program early in 2000. Building on work supported under the multi-agency Digital Libraries Initiative, this program aims to establish a national digital library that will…

An electronic decision making process was studied as an approach to an educational problem. Data suggested that students beginning kindergarten in large southern urban areas were not prepared cognitively or socially for a successful school experience. Twenty experts in early childhood education were invited to attend one of two sessions in a…

This paper describes the basic knowledge necessary to promote the students' ability to analyze, design, and construct information systems. The curricula and the practical teaching material are proposed with which students can experience information system development by applying the basic knowledge of lectures. The subjects of the basic knowledge…

Rural areas around the world face problems stemming from the globalization of agricultural and other markets, the resulting competitiveness for existing and shifting markets, loss of population, and consequent decline of economic and social infrastructure. Rural communities need to develop the ability to manage change, and this requires engaging…

The Centre for Research and Learning in Regional Australia is investigating the elements of social capital and developing a set of indicators that show when social capital is building. The indicators can be used where groups or organizations with a shared purpose engage in productive interactions that benefit not only the individual member groups…