Provides answers to questions that educators have about networking. Highlights include functions of a network; effect on instruction and administration; connecting to the Internet; the most common kind of network; decision making; smart shopping; costs; and the future for school networking. (AEF)

Reports on the results of a study of a community computing system, Prairienet. Examines characteristics of users and the extent to which Prairienet is serving its purpose as a community resource for networked communication and information access, through the analysis of usage patterns and logs. (Author/AEF)

Presents abstracts of SIG Sessions. Highlights include digital collections; information retrieval methods; public interest/fair use; classification and indexing; electronic publication; funding; globalization; information technology projects; interface design; networking in developing countries; metadata; multilingual databases; networked…

Virginia Commonwealth University's Master of Science program in health administration uses distance education techniques to facilitate professional education with limited facilities. The program has developed from a first-generation bulletin board conferencing system to an individualized "client-server" based program on the World Wide…

The Internet gives library professionals access to job opportunities that are not readily accessible in print. Employers can advertise at minimal cost and reach a broad, technically adept audience. This article lists Internet job resource sites and listservs for library and information professionals, providing Uniform Resource Locators (URLs),…

Discusses a study conducted at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (Saudi Arabia) to reassess the need for information literacy programs, identify factors influencing non-attendance, and evaluate program impact. Concluded that information literacy was needed, participants found the programs useful, and one-on-one methods coupled with…

Profiles X.400, the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) Application layer standard that supports interpersonal electronic mail services, facsimile transfer, electronic data interchange, electronic funds transfer, electronic publishing, and electronic invoicing. Also discussed are an electronic directory to support message handling, compatibility…

Evaluates various aspects of federal information resources management and reviews technological changes within the Department of Agriculture to illustrate current issues and future trends in information resources management. Topics discussed include telecommunications and networking; distributed processing and field office automation; the role of…

Discusses cooperative efforts between research organizations and libraries to create a national information network. Topics discussed include the Linked System Project (LSP); technical processing versus reference and research functions; Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) Reference Model; the National Science Foundation Network (NSFNET); and…

Describes the events that led to the creation of the Rural Information Center (RIC), a joint venture between the Extension Service and the National Agricultural Library to provide information to government officials involved in rural development. The databases accessed by RIC are described, and plans for a gateway system and network of all…

Describes the development of centralized library networks and the current factors that make library sharing on a smaller scale feasible. The discussion covers the need to decide the level at which library cooperation should occur and the possibility of linking via the Open System Interface Reference Model. (37 references) (CLB)

Reviews movement away from mass schooling toward individualization of instruction using telecommunications and high technology to provide information and advanced subjects. Presents One Room Schoolhouse and Smallway, two models for small rural schools which preserve the community school without sacrificing educational quality. Notes need for…

Outlines reasons for ineffective information exchange between Russia and Western countries and how these barriers have been gradually removed since 1990. Examines steps Russia has taken towards becoming involved in a global information infrastructure. Describes "Russia OCLC," an online computer library center project that supports the…

Describes the first efforts at teleteaching in Belarus at the Belorussian Polytechnic Academy that will be used for secondary and higher education. Topics discussed include convincing the government of the importance of distance education programs offered to national development, economic constraints, and Internet electronic mail goals. (LRW)

Explores the levels of collaboration required for successful distance education applications. Discussion includes a description of a continuum outlining the local (micro) to international (macro) levels of collaboration, a graphical depiction of components along the continuum, and implications for change in higher education institutions using…