Discusses advances in telecommunications and telemedicine in developing countries and describes a partnership between the Emergency Scientific Medical Center in Armenia, Boston University School of Medicine, and the University of Massachusetts to exchange personnel for educational and technical assistance and to provide better services and…

With the rise of the Internet and the debate over the National Information Infrastructure, Congress had an opportunity with the Telecommunications Act of 1996 to reassess communication policy in light of the information age. Instead, Congress passed a product of political compromise rather than political vision; it calls for deregulation without…

As a result of litigation, a number of companies have written policies declaring the right to monitor employee electronic communication. Discusses reasons why employers monitor employee e-mail, the prevalence of monitoring in universities, use and ethics policy statements, and bills of rights statements protecting employee privacy. (PEN)

Describes the Chemical Integrated Information Service Network (ChI2Net), a comprehensive online information service system which includes chemical, technical, economic, market, news, and management information based on computer and modern communication technology that was built by the China National Chemical Information Centre. (Author/LRW)

One of the most important initiatives of Turkish higher education is the Open Education Faculty (OEF), which uses telecommunication technologies to deliver distance education. Discusses Turkish distance education and limitations of the Turkish OEF: lack of up-to-date technology, perception that graduates of the OEF are not as qualified as those of…

Discusses mobile access via wireless application protocol (WAP) to online services that is offered in Sweden through InfoTorg. Topics include the Swedish online market; filtering HTML data from an Internet/Web server into WML (wireless markup language); mobile phone technology; microbrowsers; WAP protocol; and future possibilities. (LRW)

Describes external sources of funding for public libraries to establish and maintain their technology infrastructure, telecommunications services, and network-based resources and services. Highlights include LSTA (Library Services and Technology Act); the E-rate program; and the Bill and Melissa Gates Foundation U.S. Library Program. (LRW)

Reviews three types of collective learning networks, teams, and communities. Advocates learning communities as a powerful way to stimulate shared learning. Warns that, although technology enables networked learning, group dynamics are crucial and must be considered. Describes progressive inquiry and team roles as ways to support collective…

Describes the development of technological design standards for a 35-school construction/renovation effort by Guilford County Schools in North Carolina. The standards encompassed the physical infrastructure, telephone systems, and paging systems. (EV)

During the library centralization effort at a large telecommunications company, certain middle managers balked at giving up their library collections. A consultant was hired to determine library goals and objectives, and a survey of middle managers was conducted. Once support for centralized library services was demonstrated, an official decision…

Analysis of consumer decision making following deregulation of the telephone industry (based on a sample of 500 Pennsylvania residents) shows that independent decision making and tendency to use information and influence others are highly interrelated. Four types of consumers were identified: influential, active, dependent, and nondecision makers.…

Extensive use of the telephone by businesses should cause business educators to look at the objectives of the telephone unit. In addition to telephone personality, voice characteristics, listening skills, and the use of the directory and yellow pages, the telephone unit can be expanded to include telephone features, special equipment, and…

This updated bibliography on information retrieval covers the period from late 1986 through mid-1988. The 1,059 references are organized in 11 subject sections. Author and permuted title indexes are included. (MES)

Discusses current RLIN (Research Libraries Information Network) communications technology and motivations for change. Goals, topology, hardware, software, and protocol, terminal wiring, and deployment are considered. Sidebars provide a diagram of the current RLIN communications technology and describe the integrated RLIN network. (one reference)…

Examines the implications of technology transfer in the area of computer and communications technology to the Asian third world. Benefits of and deterrents to technology transfer are explored, and experiences are discussed on a country by country basis. (19 references) (Author/MES)