Documents early efforts of the four units of Electronic Text Consortium as they investigated uses of electronic text in higher education. The University of Wisconsin Extension's creation and implementation of electronic text products are described, and the practical issues illuminated by this project are discussed. (MBR)

This essay reassesses various predictions made 10 years ago concerning the replacement of print on paper by electronic publication in light of what has actually taken place in the ensuing decade. A summary of earlier observations, stages of change, electronic publishing and publications, and changes in libraries are highlighted. (EJS)

MINDS (Multiple Intelligent Node Document Servers) is a distributed system of knowledge-based query engines for efficiently retrieving multimedia documents in an office environment of distributed workstations. By learning document distribution patterns and user interests and preferences during system usage, it customizes document retrievals for…

Describes an interactive television system based on fiber-optic communications technology which is used to facilitate participation by University of London medical students in lecture/tutorials by teachers in different hospital locations. Highlights include advantages of fiber-optics, cable manufacture and installation, opto-electronic interface,…

Analyzes traditional roles and services of academic libraries, summarizes new communication links, and suggests major policy areas to be considered by university officers: centralized financial and technological planning, integration of information services with academic programs, access to scholarly resources, electronic publishing, copyright and…

The implementation of an executive network in 1983 by the Maricopa Community Colleges is described. The system was to be used to transmit electronic mail, manage calendars, schedule meetings, take advantage of word processing, retrieve data, and represent data graphically in color. (Author/MLW)

Two catalogs produced at the Far West Laboratory for Educational Research and Development describe programs and practices used by elementary and secondary level building administrators to handle common problems of instructional management. Addresses and phone numbers of principals whose practices are cited are provided to encourage information…

Discusses information needs of the aging, current state of services for them, and steps taken by National Commission on Libraries and Information Science to call attention to need for enhancement of services. Suggestions are given for service providers to consider for cooperation and collaboration in serving the elderly. (13 references) (EJS)

Four articles outline problems, programing, case studies, and hardware/software selection in library use of microcomputer-based electronic bulletin board systems (BBS). Highlights include the North-Pulaski (Chicago, Illinois) BBS, features of Liverpool Public Library (New York) system, and misuse of a library BBS (obscenity, bulletin board…

Overview of the impact of information technology on libraries highlights turnkey vendors, bibliographic utilities, commercial suppliers of records, state and regional networks, computer-to-computer linkages, remote database searching, terminals and microcomputers, building local databases, delivery of information, digital telefacsimile,…

One measure of a nation's historical, sociological, and cultural endeavors, including oral histories, is revealed by the expressed needs of its librarians and archivists who acquire, maintain, and provide access to the products of such activities. The oral history movement and access to oral history products in Pacific countries are discussed. (RM)

Availability of low-cost digital optical disks will revolutionize storage and retrieval systems over next decade. Three major factors will effect this change: availability of disks and controllers at low-cost and in plentiful supply; availability of low-cost and better output means for system users; and more flexible, less expensive communication…

Analyzes computer terminal memory performance in terms of overflow probability and average queueing delay, and presents new method to derive a closed expression for data arrivals with Erlangly distributed interarrival times and an approach to derive steady state probability expressions of the terminal memory content process. Twenty references are…

This article presents a discussion of current and future effects of telecommunication satellites. Children need to be made aware of possible satellite applications and risks. Background information, teacher resources, classroom activities, and a children's booklist are provided to help prepare a telecommunications teaching unit. (DF)

Explains satellite teleconferencing, and outlines the costs and procedures involved. Also discusses the future of this industry and, using the Urban League as an example, describes the industry's potential uses by minority organizations around the country. (GC)