Replies to another article in this issue by Robert Tucker. Argues that Tucker's view of how debaters research is limited. Suggests that his argument relies on a skewed view of the nature of electronic resources. States that Tucker's argument is grounded in a misperception of the nature of the free marketplace of ideas and its role within a…

Responds to a reply to this author's article in this issue. Identifies the four significant points of difference in the two arguments and examines each point. Reiterates the author's initial arguments. (PA)

Documents an evolving attempt to manage a values argument writing assignment in a large enrollment plant science class. Explores how developing library skills improved students' writing. Contains 22 references. (DDR)

Examines the traditional, historical applications of abstracts and summary notes by individual authors in typical databases in order to assess and develop applications for Internet information retrieval. Highlights include information seeking; guidelines for writers; models of abstracts and summary notes; metadata; and Internet standards,…

This article addresses issues that relate to the changing functional relationship between the reference librarian and the user, based on the observation that the advance of information technology, particularly the Internet, has altered the values, attitudes, and beliefs of library users, and, as a consequence, their micro-culture. (Author/LRW)

Presents a methodology for educators to assess coverage, overlaps, and gaps in their curricula, of validating their present course offerings, and of monitoring subject-matter trends by using descriptors from commercial bibliographic databases. Describes a study that modeled the curricula for Drexel University's College of Information Science and…

Reviews standards whose goal is to improve student achievement. Discusses standards in information technology from ANSI (American National Standards Institute) and NISO (National Information Standards Organization) and focuses on learning standards from NSSE (National Study of School Evaluation), ACR (Alliance for Curriculum Reform) and AASL…

In an electronic era, the evaluation of reference and related information services should still be based on the same principles used to evaluate traditional face-to-face reference services and printed reference tools. Traditional research methods can be utilized very effectively in an electronic environment. However, electronic technologies offer…

Looks at some of the new paradigms for reference service, in particular the ideological implications of the digital reference call-center model, demonstrates how they lead to a "deprofessionalization" of reference work, and provides examples of how extensive reading can help reference librarians provide better service and become an…

Reviews international efforts to develop the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations. Examines the need to amplify access to current scholarship. Concludes that universities need to develop and support Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETD) initiatives to provide broader access to their research and provide students with the…

Describes the design of the Charles V. Park Library at Central Michigan University and the Martha Rivers and E. Bronson Ingram Library, an addition to the Frederick Ferris Thompson Memorial Library at Vassar College. Discusses the libraries as examples of merging tradition with technology. Includes photographs. (EV)

Describes a study at the University of Idaho that used focus groups to explore information seeking methods and how they had changed over the past few years. Highlights include information sources; criteria used to judge information sources; obstacles to finding information; time spent; values and emotions; and the ideal information source. (LRW)

Examines ways in which simple and effective Web searching can save catalogers time and money in the process of name authority work. Discusses the role of authority control; the NACO project and USMARC; and evaluating authority information found on the Web. (Author/LRW)

Describes an evaluation that provided data regarding the roles of school library media specialists and whether they align with guidelines in "Information Power". Reviewed job descriptions via a listserv; compiled a list of performance responsibilities to develop a model job description; and concluded that a leadership role needs to be…

The Louisiana State University Libraries adopted a mentoring program in 1998 to help tenure-track librarians successfully meet tenure requirements. The program was evaluated after the first year and the faculty determined that it was successful; it was implemented on a permanent basis. The program was developed using six basic components. Details…