Surveys existing checklists and investigates the extent to which they enable the expression of useful assessments for software selection. Problems and limitations are noted, with an emphasis on predominantly technical attributes of packages at the expense of consideration of broader classroom environments and activities, learning processes, and…

Discusses the future of information policies, focusing on information requirements and constraints; problems of a rapidly changing society for policy formation; European and global political concerns; and cultural, economic, and research environments. (Author/AEF)

Examines the use of federal economic statistics by library patrons. Highlights include statistical questions, overview of the federal statistical system, the impact of government policies, responses of federal agencies to budget reductions and government policies, and problems and alternatives. (LRW)

Outlines common problems facing the academic library and graduate schools of library/information studies and examines the relationship between librarians and faculty. Topics include the image of academic librarians, including faculty status and research; library collections, services, and instruction; and involvement of librarians in library and…

Discusses the integration of CD-ROMs with online service producers. Highlights include publishing; LucasFilm's Habitat project; programs through Prodigy, CompuServe, America Online, and Philips Media; hybrid links to Internet sites; multiplayer games; virtual chat with avatars; and problems, including CD-ROM's slowness, download time, storage…

Interviews with 20 undergraduate nursing students cited such external problems as excessive academic load, large class size, faculty inattentiveness, racial tensions, dorm/roommate problems, parking, and commuting time and such internal problems as poor study habits, loneliness, homesickness, family conflicts, and difficulty with peer…

Discussion of collection assessment focuses on academic library experiences. Topics addressed include library accountability; funding shortages; barriers to collection assessment; strategies to aid in assessment, including adequate training and performance incentives; and implications of collection assessment for library budgets, including…

Discusses recent developments in extending library services into provincial centers and rural areas in the Solomon Islands. Topics addressed include background on library development in the Solomon Islands, the establishment of the National Library Service, links to government policy, rural library history and development, provincial libraries,…

Reports on a study that examined spelling errors of keywords in a university library online catalog. Data are presented on distribution of errors by machine-readable catalog (MARC) field location, part of speech, origin of the bibliographic record, and error type. Commonly misspelled word roots and specific mistakes are listed. (12 references)…

Discussion of problems with retrieval of records in library online public access catalogs (OPACs) focuses on an ongoing research project at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) that has been trying to improve subject retrieval vocabulary control using natural and thesaural language and on the design of a good graphical user interface.…

Explores the development of videotex in Great Britain, west Germany, France, and the United States from 1968-90. Using the Social Construction of Technology framework, the interaction of social groups, problems, solutions, and technological artifacts in videotex development is discussed. Transmission, display, standards, and marketing problems are…

Describes OASIS, a prototype adaptive online catalog implemented as a front end to the University of California MELVYL catalog. Topics addressed include the concept of adaptive retrieval systems, strategic search commands, feedback, prototyping using a front-end, the problem of excessive retrieval, commands to limit or increase search results, and…

Discusses the content of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and how it will affect libraries, particularly public libraries, in the areas of employment and public accommodations. Weaknesses of the ADA are addressed, and librarians' roles in providing equal access use are emphasized. (14 references) (LRW)

Reviews the history of library education in Russia and examines current practices in the education of librarians and library technicians. Various levels of library education are explained, including undergraduate, postgraduate, and on-the-job training; instruction in library automation is described; and current problems in library education are…

Discussion of the use of teleconferencing by teacher-librarians focuses on teleconferences between middle school students and authors as part of reading motivation programs. Topics addressed include costs, how to contact authors, how to prepare students, procedures during and after the teleconference, benefits to students, and limitations of…