The author outlines the dimensions of the retirement boom in Australia and the cost implications of the changing population structure. He also discusses preretirement education (PRE) in Australia and the centralized information and planning of PRE. Finally, he uses American data to provide market background for a discussion of new activities. (CT)

This document reports on the e-mail-based question and answer services (digital reference) that the Department of Education offers to customers. The report is presented in five sections. Section 1, "Introduction," outlines the research goals which were to: analyze current processes, procedures and problems; suggest solutions for…

The National Environmental Data Referral Service (NEDRES) is being developed in response to a national need to improve the awareness of and access to a broad range of environmental data files. Two studies were conducted in support of this effort: a survey of prospective users confirming the need for and willingness to pay fees for the service and…

New information technology is viewed as analogous to a railway network that serves many, in diverse areas, and leads users to new frontiers. It is suggested that higher education can contribute to this system by developing useful new applications, providing guidelines for appropriate "passenger" behavior, and enhancing quality. (MSE)

Public library services are being modified or changed by the Internet. Questions about how to evaluate and measure electronic services have become increasingly important. This article presents an analysis of some ways to create, define, and institute electronic network measures. (Author/AEF)

Seeking alternative revenue sources, the University of Hartford (Connecticut) established a fee-based electronic information service for off-campus clients. After two years of pilot projects, market research, product identification and redesign, diverse marketing strategies, and financial investment, the service was not yielding anticipated…

Advancements in information technology have caused many colleges and universities to reconsider the organization of the units providing information services. Ranging from joint planning exercises to full vertical mergers, changes in organizational structure are powerful tools administrators can use to integrate and effectively manage information…

Although a sustained campaign has been underway to preserve published materials of importance to scholarly research in the United States, there has not been a similar impetus for the preservation of unpublished materials and the kinds of collections held by archives. A systematic methodology for developing preservation priorities for archival…

A survey was conducted to assess environmental data users' interest in a referral system such as the National Environmental Data Referral Service (NEDRES) and to gauge user willingness to participate in a proposed NEDRES network and to comply with a system of NEDRES user fees. Twenty-one organizations were identified and 3,200 individuals were…

Building on the findings of a survey of potential users and a descriptive review of five existing information networks, the present study represents an attempt to characterize several options for a voluntary confederation of participants in operating the National Environmental Data Referral Services (NEDRES) being developed by the Assessment and…

The authors outline the development of a youth policy as it exists in South Australia. They examine the background of the policy's formation, the draft of a discussion paper and the resulting dialogue, and priority areas considered in the youth policy document. (CT)

This two-report volume was prepared to describe approaches for evaluating individual Office of Telecommunications Policy (OTP) demonstration projects in the future and to aid demonstration project directors in project planning and development. The first report focuses on the role of planning and evaluation activities, stressing their importance in…

A detailed work plan is presented for the conduct of Phase II activities, which are concerned with creating a pilot test file, conducting a test of it, evaluating the process and input of the file, and preparing the file management plan. Due to the outcomes of activities in Phase I, this plan was revised from an earlier outline. Included in the…

To administer a program to assist schools and libraries in acquiring modern telecommunications services, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) directed the creation of the Schools and Libraries Corporation (the Corporation). Recommendations were made in July 1998 by the General Accounting Office for the Corporation to take certain actions to…

Describes European initiatives concerned with development of networked learner support (NLS) in higher education, including the NetLinkS, IMPEL2 (Impact on People on Electronic Libraries), TAPin (Training and Awareness Programme in Networks), T3 (Telematics for Teacher Training), and EDUCATE projects. Discusses themes relating to professional…