Reports on a study undertaken to determine whether status inconsistency (discrepancies within individuals regarding such factors as income, occupation, and education) would contribute additional explanation of variance in attention to public affairs media content beyond the effects of individual status predictors. (GT)

The PLATO and EDUCOM systems of computer-aided instruction are described with emphasis on their potential uses in legal education. Included in the discussion are a review of teaching techniques used in PLATO and EDUCOM, an analysis of their role in the law school curriculum, and a survey of actual law school use of these systems. (JMD)

Describes a study conducted at Tarrant County Junior College to compare the use of 21 instructional resources by 138 full- and part-time vocational instructors, assuming that familiarity with instructional techniques and media is a measure of teacher effectiveness. (JP)

A survey of 93 Mexican American high school seniors revealed no relationship between total use of English-language mass media and academic performance, a negative relationship between grade point average and television use for entertainment, and a positive relationship between grade point average and newspaper use for public affairs information.…

An analysis of patient views toward very brief interventions (counseling consisting of three or fewer sessions) indicates that counseling termination should not be viewed as a failure or a patient drop-out, but rather that the original expectations of the patient are met in a relatively brief contact. (MB)

Provides statistics based on the 1996 National Households Education Survey (NHES) of 55,000 families, measuring library use by presence of children, race, and ethnicity. Provides tables reporting use of public libraries by presence of children, by any household member, and by any household member in the last month. (PEN)

The collection and services of the Alexandria Digital Library (ADL) at the University of California Santa Barbara focus on geospatial information sources with links to geographic locations. Evaluation studies conducted within the ADL project are described as well as what was learned about user characteristics and reactions to ADL. (Author/AEF)

Examines the information practices and strategies used by interdisciplinary scientists in research libraries. Highlights include gathering and disseminating knowledge outside their core knowledge domains through personal networks, conferences, and the literature; intermediaries who help transfer knowledge and information from unfamiliar subject…

Describes a study conducted at Jacksonville State University (Alabama) that compared the ERIC print index, "Resources in Education" (RIE), to the ERIC index in CD-ROM format. Accuracy of results, time savings, and user satisfaction are discussed, and copies of the questionnaire and survey are appended. (Author/LRW)

Discusses results of a survey of gender factors in library resource use at Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria (Africa). Highlights include reasons for library use, how library materials are located, materials consulted, relevance of library materials to information needs, frequency of use, and factors inhibiting effective use of the library.…

Includes five articles that examine key trends in the development of the public Web: size and growth, internationalization, and metadata usage; Flexible Extensible Digital Object and Repository Architecture (Fedora) for use in digital libraries; developments in the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative (DCMI); the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna…

Reports an analysis of American Chemical Society electronic journal downloads at Cornell University (Ithaca, New York) by individual IP (Internet Protocol) addresses. Highlights include usage statistics to evaluate library journal subscriptions; understanding scientists' reading behavior; individual use of articles and of journals; and the…

Examines the short-term effects of online availability on the use of print chemistry journals based on a study at Duke University Chemistry Library. Discusses results that showed a diminished use of the print collection and considers implications for collection management in scientific and technical libraries. (Author/LRW)

A Netherlands study concluded that user-oriented information systems should provide freedom to browse as well as ease and speed in finding information; inexpensive service; up-to-date topical information for online services and large quantities of slowly changing information for offline services; and choices between several information services,…

Discusses the use of the Internet by teachers, students, and school librarians. Statistics reported include use at home and at school, use by students with librarians, use by students with teachers, use of research or reference materials, search engine use, specific Web sites used, supervision methods and filtering software, and commercial…