This volume presents policy statements as they have been formulated by standing and special committees of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) from 1940 to the present. Also included are a number of reports on special topics that have been approved by the AAUP for publication. The AAUP has been engaged in developing standards…

Discusses museum informatics that studies how information science and technology affect the museum environment. Examines digital technology; information organization and access; digitization, personal computers, and the Internet; data sharing; standards; social impacts of new technologies; collaboration; consortia; multimedia exhibits; virtual…

Faculty union meetings will focus increasingly on the role of technology on college campuses, including adoption of new technologies, assuring support services, clarifying intellectual property issues, and preserving teacher-student contact as teleconferencing and network use grows. (MSE)

The reasons for increased collaboration between Australian universities and industry are examined, focusing on competitive research grant programs developed by the government in the last decade. University and industry response to these opportunities and to issues such as intellectual property rights and publication rights are discussed. (MSE)

Universities experience pressures for secrecy in research, often imposed by the government, for national security reasons. Institutions face major policy issues regarding sponsorship of research, conflicts of interest, and intellectual property rights. However, universities are urged to consider that the free flow of information is vital to the…

Details a lesson plan that examines the life and career of Lewis Latimer. Latimer, the self-taught son of fugitive slaves, rose to a prominent position in Thomas Edison's Electric Company and pioneered many innovations in the early electric industry. Includes a biographical sketch of Latimer, photographs, and illustrations. (MJP)

Presents the text of a question-and-answer session that addressed the Copyright Clearance Center, library compliance with copyright law, copyrights and electronic information, fair use and the World Wide Web, copyrighted images and the Web, permission procedures, scanning historical images, distance education and scanned documents, future…

Universitas 21, an international network of research universities in seven countries, has filed an application in Britain to become an incorporated business. It aims to attract corporate clients interested in exploiting the combined academic assets and intellectual property of its member institutions, particularly in the areas of technology…

Considers the challenges that licensing for electronic products are creating for academic libraries. Discusses ownership of versus access to information; packaging of electronic journals; cost-benefit analysis; multiple versions of the same information, e.g. print and electronic; consortial agreements; negotiating; legal issues; and the question…

Provides an overview of the basic components of a digital library. Highlights include library collections; metadata; services, including information seeking and retrieval, reference query fulfillment, and user training; user interaction with digital libraries, including searching, browsing, and navigation; economic support; maintenance;…

Critical thinking enjoys almost universal support, except when applied to controversial topics. Yet it is these topics that are often the most effective initiators of critical thinking exercises that improve students' rational approaches to challenging problems. The use of controversial issues to promote critical thinking requires an institutional…

What do we know about technology and rights? This article provides a fairly comprehensive overview of current issues regarding this topic. We explore and analyse a wide spectrum of rights that are challenged in this current era of technological convergence. We use the United States Bill of Rights as an example of the vulnerability of legal…

Educational institutions are increasingly adopting "closed" learning environments that hide learning materials in password-protected areas. While this may be a logical solution to a range of problems, much is lost in this mode of course delivery. Although there are logical reasons for moving toward closed environments, we may be erring…

"Education Matters" is the monthly newsletter of the Association of American Educators (AAE), an organization dedicated to advancing the American teaching profession through personal growth, professional development, teacher advocacy and protection. This issue of the newsletter includes: (1) Supreme Court Hears Union Coercion Case; What…

This report presents information on the experience of universities under the Patent and Trademark Amendments of 1980 (Public Law 96-517), and summarizes findings from annual reporting requirements of the law. The objectives of the report were to find what the perceived impact of the law had been at universities active in patent activities, find…