Reports findings from an exploratory study investigating working notes created during encoding and external storage (EES) processes by human search intermediaries (librarians at the University of North Texas) using a Boolean information retrieval (IR) system. Implications for the design of IR interfaces and further research is discussed.…

Describes School Librarian Links, an Internet directory developed by a school library media specialist, listing professional resources available via the Internet for school library media specialists and teachers. Highlights directory sections: acceptable use policies, curriculum links, best education sites, librarian resources, publishers and…

Reviews studies of journal articles as a means of professional communication in the field of library and information science. The focus has been on content analysis and bibliometrics, which includes author, topic, and citation analysis. (LAM)

Analyzed a survey of 157 Chinese American librarians working in American libraries and found that more work in academic (44.6%) than in public (30.6%) libraries, that 80.9% are satisfied with their current jobs, and that 75% have managerial positions. Major barriers at work were identified as cultural differences (35.7%), race (23.6%), and…

Describes how parent volunteers assisted in implementing the educational technology plan of public schools in Howard County, Maryland. Discusses involvement in the planning; assistance in the library media center; training; help in labs and classrooms; and assistance in technology-related staff training. (AEF)

Censorship attacks on books are growing more common in school classrooms and media centers, as well as in the nation's public libraries. School board members can take steps to keep intellectual freedom alive. (MLF)

Phase 1 of a two-phase project funded by the NSF-National Science Digital Library Project used focus groups to determine how undergraduate science students perceive journal literature and how they use digital library resources. Their perceptions and use are contrasted with faculty and graduate teaching assistants. Results reveal undergraduates…

Reports findings of a questionnaire-based study of graduates of the Diploma in Library and Information Studies at the University of Botswana (Africa) regarding their practical placement experience. Discusses perceived value of the practical placement, problems relating to the management of the program, inadequate supervision, and suggestions for…

Explains the I-Search model for student research, focusing on allowing students to pick their own topics; application in elementary and secondary education; helpful elements for school library media specialists to consider in selecting an information literacy model for use in schools, including adaptability and flexibility; and developmental…

Discusses issues related to natural language processing, including theoretical developments; natural language understanding; tools and techniques; natural language text processing systems; abstracting; information extraction; information retrieval; interfaces; software; Internet, Web, and digital library applications; machine translation for…

Describes an online library catalog that was developed for an Austrian scientific library that includes table of contents in addition to the standard bibliographic information in order to increase relevance for searchers. Discusses the technology involved, including OCR (Optical Character Recognition) and automatic indexing techniques; weighted…

Describes a study that sought to facilitate curriculum planning by ascertaining the attitudes of library school alumni regarding the value of various competencies in a master's program. Highlights include the possible impact of electronic information on competency, a literature review, competencies rated by type of library, and ratings by…

Describes a cooperative project in which Brooklyn College librarians provided honors students, teachers, and librarians in two New York City high schools with basic bibliographic instruction and access to the college library. The teachers assigned projects requiring college-level research. Outlines preparation and instruction and discusses student…

In the two places where children should feel safe and supported (home and school), gay and lesbian youth are routinely reviled. Educators have a clear professional mandate to address sexual-minority students' needs. Stratford (Connecticut) Public Schools are addressing five important issues concerning professional development, support staff and…

Assesses continuing education programs and initiatives in library and information service (LIS) in South Africa. Reviews how apartheid left educational institutions unevenly developed and argues that despite the availability of programs to most LIS personnel, those not belonging to professional organizations and those from previously disadvantaged…