This study of 51 Australian elementary school students found that information seeking, driven by a contextual and practical need, resulted in greater retention. Research in the use of electronic information sources has shown that while students can retrieve information, they often fail to retain the information. Attributes the gain to an increased…

Interactive multimedia training can be delivered via CD-ROM, hard drive, local area networks (LAN), wide area networks (WAN), Intranet, Internet and hybrid systems. This article presents a case study of how two companies (Los Angeles Times and Allen Communication) evaluated alternative delivery systems, chose one, and implemented multimedia…

Library media staff at Western High School (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) established a library media center without walls and an information hub without limits. This article describes the planning, funding, wiring, equipping, programming, managing, and benefits of the $624,500 network. (PEN)

Discusses statewide initiatives in information services and resource sharing in Kentucky. Describes developments of the Kentucky Library Network; the EMPOWER Kentucky initiative; the Strategic Information Technology Plan; Online Computer Library Center's (OCLC) FirstSearch for resource sharing; and future perspectives. (AEF)

Investigates job satisfaction and attrition factors for music teachers through interviews of 30 music teachers within their first 10 years of teaching. Finds that teachers view three factors as essential to their well-being: (1) positive administrative support; (2) resources to do one's job; and (3) a support network, including experienced music…

CrossRef was created to make broad-based linking efficient and scalable across a wide range of primary publishers, secondary publishers, abstracting and indexing services, and libraries. CrossRef runs a system that enables publishers to assign Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) to articles and collects standardized metadata so the identifiers can…

Offers points to consider when deciding whether to begin a full-scale campus portal project. Discusses approaches for creating campus portals; implementation strategies; barriers to implementation; and the potential ability of portals to extend the academic experience beyond the classroom to create 21st century learning communities. (AEF)

A study examined self-definition in 11 adolescents with and without disabilities. Variation depended on sense of self, vision of the future, and access and use of supports to cope with difficulties as they prepared to graduate. Students with disabilities were most likely to have low self-definition and experience high struggle. (Contains…

Addresses problems with the integration of the Internet into French schools. Topics include network technology; computer-student ratios in elementary, middle, and secondary schools; multimedia characteristics of the Internet; international dimensions; navigation methods; diversity of applications; and the need for teacher education. (LRW)

Describes software solutions in the recent efforts of ALEPH, Israel's research library network, to create an online catalog system that could support the Roman, Hebrew, Arabic, and Cyrillic alphabets. The result is a multiscript, bidirectional system that uses soft fonts. (BEW)

Examines the history of information systems in the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), proposed development strategies for the area, the OECS INFONET project, and resulting recommendations for developing and sustaining regional information networks. An appendix summarizes 1991 Gross National Product and population data for the…

Victims and their primary significant others (SOs) were asked to rate the amounts of supportive and unsupportive behaviors of the SOs following sexual or nonsexual assaults. Victim and SO reports of supportive behavior were moderately correlated. Victim and SO reports of unsupportive behavior were weakly correlated. Victims and SOs reported…

Attempts to provide an understanding of the purpose behind the recent increase in parent-teacher associations (PTA) in Hong Kong over the past three years. Shows that enhancing home-school communication is the most important objective. Examines the practices and networking functions of the PTA, and develops a model of PTA functions. (DSK)

Interviews students who were involved with the 1989 Beijing student movement. Finds that the spatial concentration of students on Beijing university campuses nurtured many close-knit social networks and exposed students to environmental influences promoting social action; these conditions helped sustain the student movement and guided its choice…

Outlines a theory of how social capital contributes to volunteering, hypothesizing that social capital has a stronger effect on volunteering among people with more human capital and socioeconomic status. Specifies a test (of the effects) of social capital on volunteering and discusses the findings (of the test) in detail. (CMK)