The University of Missouri's alumni association is using technology to recruit new members, increase retention, and provide benefits and services. Examples include the use of members' electronic mail for communication, use of personal barcodes on membership renewal notices, and automatic membership renewal using credit and debit accounts. (MSE)

Examines the World Bank Internet initiative, the Development Gateway. Describes the importance of the Bank as a knowledge bank and the threats posed by the Internet to its near monopoly of development thinking. Argues that the initiative reveals biases and misunderstandings in the World Bank's approach to knowledge for development. (CAJ)

Explores the interface of technology and education for human development in southern Africa. Uses the case of Mozambique to describe the challenges presented by the global marketplace and local policy. Outlines the vision of the New Partnership for Africa's Development Centre (SARDC) to reduce the digital divide for Africa. (CAJ)

Discusses museum informatics that studies how information science and technology affect the museum environment. Examines digital technology; information organization and access; digitization, personal computers, and the Internet; data sharing; standards; social impacts of new technologies; collaboration; consortia; multimedia exhibits; virtual…

An Intelligent Information System (IIS) uses data warehouse technology to facilitate the cycle of data and knowledge processing, including input, standardization, storage, representation, retrieval, calculation, and delivery. This article provides an overview of IIS products and artificial intelligence systems, illustrates examples of IIS…

Investigates the influence of changing demographics, media use patterns, and communication needs on user interest in Integrated Systems Digital Networks for receiving and sending messages and other consumer purposes. Conventional demographic factors alone make inadequate predictors; a wider range of subjective measures, including individual…

Today's new technologies are allowing new colleges and universities to not only extend programs to off-campus students but also change to a learner-centered model of education, stressing collaboration and increased use of distributed multimedia learning environments. Partnerships between institutions, between institutions and agencies, and between…

Provides an overview of the 1996 EDUCOM annual meeting in Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) that focused on transcending traditional boundaries of information technology. Highlights include the higher education initiative to seek funding and support for Internet II; school-business partnerships; digital libraries; multimedia fair use guidelines;…

Describes the development of a formula to determine the needed quantity of computers for a school library. Four types of information technology activities (administrative, personal productive, class/group productive, online public access catalog) and several variables (age levels served, campus focus, number of staff, size of student body, average…

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)

Describes six library projects that won Apple Library of Tomorrow (ALOT) grants for proposed information technology projects. Public library, high school library, university library, and Library of Congress projects are profiled that deal with learning facilities with videodisk, electronic bulletin boards, community outreach projects,…

Older computer applications are often caught in cycles where maintenance and operation become increasingly expensive, yet replacement costs are prohibitive. Massachusetts Institute of Technology developed a strategic approach toward enhancing an existing alumni/fund-raising/gifts system to extend its life and avoid the capital costs associated…

Describes how knowledge support systems, which utilize microcomputer and information technologies, can provide employees with training, reference, and expert advice. How managers can cope with short-term and long-term requirements for cutbacks and cost control is discussed, and a knowledge support system is presented that integrates computer-based…

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…

Compares, contrasts, and critiques predictions that have been made about the future of research libraries, focusing on the impact of technology on the library's role and users' needs. The discussion includes models for the adaptation of new technologies that may assist in library planning and change. (38 references) (CLB)