Summaries of impact evaluations are presented to indicate the extent and types of studies that have been conducted. Studies reflect various segments of the field: employers, continuing professional education, adult basic education, career education, external degrees, libraries and counseling, continuing education of women, and discussion groups…

The IIa Internet Study addressed the problem of access/retrieval of relevant information for end users in the digital environment. Findings indicate the feasibility of building distributed digital collections of Web-based documents by applying evolving technologies for dynamic harvesting, processing, and maintenance of catalog content. (AEF)

Discusses collaboration between secondary school teacher-librarians and English teachers to promote literacy and reading through choice book units, where students can choose from a selection of suggested titles. Topics include nonfiction books; advantages for low-ability readers; audio books; and Teachers as Readers book discussion groups. (LRW)

To compete effectively in the world of electronic reference, libraries must offer remote patrons a variety of index, abstract, and full text services, which are easy to access and which answer questions. A marketing alliance between electronic reference vendors and public libraries would ensure access, fair compensation for publishers and authors,…

Describes the use of Big6 strategies in guiding student research projects as part of a cooperative program between teachers and the school librarian. Topics include information seeking strategies; evaluating information sources; locating information using search engines; analyzing information sources; and achieving information literacy and…

Provides specific tips and guidelines for information professionals who are currently administering, or who plan to introduce, end-user search programs. Discusses the reference interview, evaluation of information sources, electronic database standards, pragmatics of access, electronic search strategies, and the role of the information center.…

Describes a study conducted at Ohio State University libraries that gauged success using the Library Resources Network by having 43 users complete an exercise that forced them to make database selections, use a variety of database interfaces, and select appropriate terminology. Sample screen displays and the questionnaire used are appended.…

Discusses access to information concerning environmental issues in Canada and the United States. Highlights include the cross-disciplinary nature of the field; sources of environmental information, including scientific and corporate sources and reviews; government literature; the Canadian Access to Information Act; electronic databases; and the…

Describes study conducted with British undergraduate library science students that compared natural language indexing and searching with controlled language searching on a computerized database. The use of the ERIC Thesaurus and Sears List of Subject Headings is explained, recall and precision measures are reported, and further research is…

The research library is the focus of a scholarly communication system in crisis. Costs, volume of information, and technological advancement have brought changes that significantly challenge the current library structure. However, technology is not the most important variable; the culture and lifestyle of faculty and students must adapt also. (MSE)

Discusses information malpractice and describes unethical behaviors that information consultants and librarians should be aware of. Guidelines for proper practice are presented, including be sure you are competent to provide services in areas you say you are; take continuing education courses; protect client confidentiality; present reliable…

Explores the public policy issues raised by the electronic collection and dissemination of Federal government information from the perspectives of Congress, the Executive Branch, the private sector, and the user community. Lists of selected references and texts of relevant Office of Management and Budget source documents are provided. An Update on…

Makes a distinction between library training and staff development, and argues that staff development programs have not been as successful because they typically fail to provide opportunities for self assessment or opportunities to evaluate one's performance in a structured team environment, and they are not based on appropriate instructional…

Use of debate in graduate study in education, especially with intrinsically interesting topics, can be valuable for developing critical thinking skills needed by teachers, counselors, and administrators. Debates address a range of communication skills and provide opportunities for teamwork and assessment of individual strengths and weaknesses.…

Discusses the use of instructional television and video materials in the classroom and suggests what the role of the library/media specialist should be in increasing the use of these materials. Topics discussed include matching video materials with current curriculum needs; computer database programs; needs assessment forms; promotional…