Vision 2008, a gathering of technology and library experts, was an unprecedented industry think-tank developed by 3M Library Systems as a means by which the future of libraries could be projected. Participants worked together to map out a best scenario for libraries of the future. Creative thinking and cooperative working were two ideas that the…

Proposes that Appalachia pursue an economic development strategy based on exporting knowledge and training. Partnerships between governments, private utilities, and institutions of higher learning could improve the telecommunications infrastructure, establish new learning products companies, instruct adults at their home and work places, expand…

Analyzes the "Journal of the American Society for Information Science's (JASIS's)" and its immediate predecessor, "American Documentation's," position in library and information science journal rankings published during the last half-century. Concludes that journal rankings represent a frequently overlooked tool of value to…

Examines whether the time has come for electronic books to have a leading role in book publishing. Highlights the trends and issues, including hardware and software appliances, formatting standards, and legal issues and rights. Gives profiles of the major e-publishing companies and products to watch. (AEF)

Describes a survey of academic political science librarians that assessed the overall quality of political science books published by 62 publishers, both academic and commercial. Results are reported, analyzed, and compared to a similar survey of members of the American Political Science Association. (Contains 9 references.) (Author/LRW)

Describes research regarding British authors' experience, attitudes, and perceptions of publishing in paper and in electronic journals. Questionnaires addressed current skills in information technology, peer review, and use of multimedia, and it is suggested that authors be involved in future research and debate on electronic serial publishing.…

Provides an overview of performance technology, the application of knowledge for optimizing performance. Discusses the influence of ISD (instructional systems design), tactical interventions, business, and industry; its use in business, industry, military, and government; and academic backgrounds of performance designers. Outlines a…

Discusses challenges facing libraries trying to order Spanish language materials. Highlights include distribution issues, including small stocks, paying in advance, size of print runs, and varying prices; the Guadalajara International Book Fair; online ordering; communication; and a list of Spanish language book distributors that specialize in…

Discussion of academic libraries and online systems focuses on core library services and a digital library which could serve as an alternative publishing mechanism for specialized scholarly communication. Highlights include adding value to sources of information; conflicts, including those with commercial publishers; and standardization and…

From a sample of 438 British primary and 451 secondary schools, 122 and 242 respective responses were received. Compared to a 1988-89 study, attitudes toward business practices were positive, despite concerns about ethics; length of teacher placements in industry was positively associated with their perceived value; and primary teachers were less…

Argues that as the electronic information industry matures, the ground occupied by the medium-sized host, and by products aimed at the medium-sized customer, is shrinking. Discusses changes, outlines possible legal barriers to industry consolidation, and describes users' concerns about information monopoly. (Author/AEF)

Addresses the change from the system of workshop apprenticeship to that of industrial training, pioneered in 1878 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works and the Spring Garden Institute, that eventually spread to the public school system in Philadelphia (Pennsylvania). (CMK)

Case vignettes of competency-based training's links with industry depict four cultures of practice emphasizing technique, enterprise, craft, or critique. Multiple concepts of competence and multiple cultures of competence development interact and create tensions that are brokered more or less successfully by vocational education practitioners. (SK)

This Perspectives issue of the "Journal of the American Society for Information Science" brings together a collection of papers that explore the behavioral and organizational aspects of the changing communication system of science. Authors address such issues as the adoption of computer-mediated communication by scientists, the changing…

Describes a research project that focused on the evaluation and promotion of electronic journals in academic libraries in the United Kingdom and in North America. Topics include changing role of the serials librarian; costs; consortia purchasing; relationship between libraries and publishers; and collaboration to ensure interoperability.…