Describing the state of the art of delivering research and evaluation assistance to rural school districts, this article addresses the philosophy, organization, function and potential of Mississippi's PREPS (Program of Research and Evaluation for Public Schools) which helps districts identify their problems and utilize a task force approach. (DS)

A cooperative venture by the California State University and Colleges System (CSUCS) Consortium and the College of the Sequoias, a community college, is described in which students can pursue a liberal arts degree program with expanded community service. (LBH)

Describes five statewide academic library consortia providing access to electronic resources via the Internet: GALILEO in Georgia, the Louisiana Library Network, OhioLINK, TexShare in Texas, and VIVA in Virginia. Highlights participating libraries, core programs, reason for formation, funding, involvement of larger academic libraries in the…

Discusses library cooperation and academic library consortia and presents a case study of a Canadian consortia that conducted a cost-benefit analysis for purchasing an electronic resource. Reports on member library subscription costs, external economic factors, value of patron time saved, costs and benefits for patrons, and net savings. (LRW)

This article describes the activities of two consortia that consist of individuals who assist people who are blind and visually impaired to secure employment. Consortia members are direct service employment specialists who focus on five critical activities: preparing consumers for job seeking, job development, placement, follow-up, and job…

Expectations of graduate medical education consortia are contrasted with the experiences of 36 such groups. Results indicate consortia differ markedly in structure, functions, and other features but have some common concerns. Recommendations for improvement addresses such issues as leadership, needs assessment, and resource allocation. (Author/MSE)

Describes the formation and operations of the Navajo Dryland Environments Laboratory (NDEL). NDEL, established by the Waste-Management Education and Research Consortium of New Mexico on the campus of Navajo Community College, focuses on environmental geology, hydrology, and resource management of the Colorado Plateau drylands. (DMM)

Traces the growing involvement of community colleges in international education/projects. Explains the role of the Community Colleges for International Development and other foreign technical assistance programs. Discusses community college cooperation with foreign companies and international organizations. Highlights outreach efforts in India.…

Discusses academic library consortia, examines types of consortia, and presents three case histories (OhioLINK, PALCI and CIC). Highlights include economic competition; changes in information access and delivery; growth of information technology; quality improvement; and future strategies, including pricing models for electronic information,…

Examines the current interest in consortia among colleges and universities, and describes Five Colleges, Inc., one of the oldest consortiums in the United States. The advantages, challenges, and factors in such collaborative relationships are discussed, with some attention given to financial issues. (MSE)

Lists networks, consortia, and other cooperative library organizations; national library and information-industry associations--United States and Canada; state, provincial, and regional associations; state and provincial library agencies; state school library media associations; international library associations; and foreign library associations.…

Explains the development of library networks in Florida and the role of the state library. Topics include regional multitype library consortia; a statewide bibliographic database; interlibrary loan; Internet access in public libraries; government information, including remote public access; automation projects; telecommunications; and free-nets.…

Describes Virginia's statewide and community electronic resource access projects, including the Blacksburg Electronic Village, connected with Virginia Tech and the Internet; a public education network; a consortium of college and university libraries; the state library's digital initiative; and a cooperative library network. (LRW)

This section of "Educational Media and Technology Yearbook" profiles centers and institutes that carry out research and development in the field of instructional technology. Both the Concord Consortium and the Institute for Learning Technology at Columbia University are working hard to use media and technology to transform teaching and learning…

Provides a brief history of library cooperation in America, with emphasis on the latter half of the 20th century. Identifies motives for library cooperation, potential obstacles and keys to success, as well as a nexus between service quality improvement and library cooperation. Describes the role of library consortia in the current electronic…