Discusses the need for the library profession to learn not only how to identify information needs, but also to create new services and delivery patterns around them. The existing literature on information needs and information seeking behavior is briefly reviewed, and a research agenda for the 1990s is summarized. (51 references) (Author/CLB)

Describes the components of a hypertext system and discusses possible applications from the model of hypertext as a writer plus reader phenomenon. The role of semantic nets is described within the context of both the writer and the reader, and the relevance of hypertext techniques to computer software and expert systems is discussed. (42…

Describes how new information technology, particularly microcomputer based, has been used for information provision and research and development activities by the Technical Research Center of Finland. Areas discussed include document delivery, publishing, database maintenance, consultancy and training services, conducting research and development…

Discussion of the roles of library schools and library personnel in educating librarians for work with information technology highlights the following needs: technology-oriented and innovative graduates; relevant curricula; updated faculty; expanded continuing education offerings; on-the-job training; encouragement of further education;…

Describes the development and current status of a campus-wide computer network at Brown University. Topics discussed include the principles that guided network development; services available through the network; current structure of the network; and university support for the network. (CLB)

Examines the historic and continuing conflict between academic freedom and national security. Topics discussed include regulation and enforcement, restricted technologies, international committees, statutes, Executive Orders, and the Corson Report on scientific communication and national security. A list of recent events in which academic…

Discusses the current status of 4 developments that will determine the emergence of generally available multimedia information services: high-bandwidth networks; inexpensive user appliances capable of handling multimedia; adoption of standards for representation, compression, packaging, and transmission; and development of a corpus of multimedia…

Describes dominant political trends in librarianship, including the adoption of political neutrality as a means toward acquiring professional status, conservatism, and a willingness to allow government and business to define professional roles. It is argued that values of equity and public service, not the imperatives of technocracy and…

Discusses the uses of microcomputers in libraries. Highlights include selecting hardware and software; providing microcomputers for public use; using microcomputers to access larger systems; the use of general purpose software, including desktop publishing; computer networks; library specific software; and the future of microcomputers in…

Discusses the value of information in American democracy, the evolution and current status of federal information policy, and the need for a national strategy to facilitate evolution toward an information society. Specific information policy goals and principles are identified, and suggestions for implementing policy formation are presented. (59…

Describes developments in information technology during 1988, including new telecommunications and networking services, advances in optical disk technologies, the increased use of facsimile transmissions, and new microcomputer hardware and software products. Litigation within the computer industry is reviewed, and the implications for needed…

Describes innovative applications of different types of computers and information systems considered to have had high development impact on Asian and Pacific countries. Government computer applications in the areas of clerical systems, management systems, and public systems are described, and their developmental impact is discussed. (CLB)

The first article discusses issues relating to copyrights in America, including domestic and international organizations formed to protect copyrights, court litigation, international piracy, responsibility toward developing nations, and information technology. The second and third articles describe the Berne Convention for the Protection of…

Describes the conflict between using marketplace power to determine the cost of accessing information, and the public interest, and argues that a social policy is needed to guide the information age. It is noted that such a policy would incorporate such components as human needs, computer literacy, universality, and self-determination. (20…

Surveys over 700 Iowa farmers regarding their use of teletext and videotex technologies. Finds that for younger, higher-income farmers, these technologies are emerging as a "best source" for relatively perishable or highly volatile information like market prices; otherwise, these technologies complement rather than replace existing…