The Southern Rural Development Center (SRDC) is one of four regional rural development centers in the nation. SRDC coordinates rural development research and extension education programs cooperatively with the 29 land-grant institutions in 13 Southern states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. This annual report outlines activities undertaken by…

Rural communities with populations of under 15,000 are the least resilient to negative economic shocks, but local initiatives can reduce the negative impact of rapid economic change. Data from a study of three rural Australian communities and one "community-of-common-purpose" were used to develop a model of how the informal learning…

A case study in a rural Australian township attempted to determine indicators verifying the existence of social capital. Social capital is provisionally defined as the networks, norms, and trust that constitute the capacity of individuals, workplaces, groups, organizations, and communities to strive for sustainable futures in a changing…

Associations can provide information, expertise, and services that individual institutions do not always possess. Although membership in some associations is a necessity, it is important to choose carefully among others to gain optimal resources such as information, meetings, newsletters, and other points of contact. Some guidelines are provided.…

Presented at the National Council on Family Relations Annual Meeting, October, 1981, Milwaukee, WI. The creative response of households to boom-town stress is examined, indicating a significant amount of household-initiated future-oriented community building takes place under stress of rapid growth. (Author/JAC)

To assess the influence of personal and environmental factors on the composition of children's networks and the relative amounts and use of time spent with people of various ages, sexes, and roles, 72 Swedish children between the ages of 8 and 11 replied to interview questions about their family members, relatives, friends, and the nonrelative…

Describes strategies used by reference librarians to provide service to the developmentally disabled, including reference service to volunteer and professional service providers, specialized information networks, information and referral services, and key reference tools. Deinstitutionalization, normalization, the developmental model, and least…

Three separate articles describe the online union catalog developed and implemented at the University of California to enhance public access. Planning for library automation, development and production of the database, access points to the catalog, the patron interface, standardizing input data, and merging records are discussed. References are…

Stresses providing reliable, factual information directly to users. Describes classes of data, the need for good data, quality control of databases, the electronic revolution in data dissemination, systematic cooperation to reduce costs of developing online services and of creating data bases, and trends in data dissemination. (JN)

Four papers describe systems adopted by public libraries in the United States for computerizing community information services and information and referral programs. Word processing at the Fresno County Information and Referral Network and the automation of library processes in the Pikes Peak Library District are among the topics discussed. (JL)

Networking is a process in which people and resources are engaged through intentional acts based upon acquired skills. The term is associated with self-directed learning and can serve as a collaborative rather than a competitive educational principle. "People" and "program" networks for graduate education and identification of networking skills…

Discussed are the complex problems faced in the implementation of the project on research and human needs, and how systems analysis would make it possible to provide United Nations member states with information which would give them a better basis on which to decide the priorities in scientific research. (BT)

Lists citations of publications from mid-1973 through 1977, grouped under such headings as overview and general, bibliographies, standards, specific systems, technical processing, acquisitions, cataloging and classification, the catalog, serials, circulation, interlibrary loan, reference services, special subject materials, minicomputer…

Comparison of two matched groups of seven students with severe disabilities (placed in either general education classrooms or special education classes) found that students in the general education placement interacted more frequently with nondisabled peers, provided and received more social support, and had larger networks of peers without…

Describes local networking approaches that encourage student interaction and better information access for the school community, while maintaining security measures. Discusses computer-supported collaborative work, simultaneous online discussion, educator support and curriculum development, courses on the Internet, and implementation. (AEF)