Teachers in England and Wales were asked about their use of teachers' centers and leaders of teachers' centers were asked about materials produced by the Schools Council. Hopes originally voiced for coordination between teachers' centers and the Schools Council in the dissemination of new materials have not been met. (IS)

This update covers the approximate time period from mid-1980 through late 1981, contains 640 references, and includes books, state of the art reviews, program descriptions, use studies, periodical articles, and the proceedings of four conferences on information retrieval. (Author/JL)

Discusses an "intelligent" videodisc system utilizing a H-P 2000 computer and an optical videodisc for retrieval of images of art slides stored on disc at the University of Iowa. The results of a user survey are discussed, including such concerns as image quality, search time, and programing limitations. (Author/JJD)

Reexamines the concept of the journal in light of current computer-communications technology and describes four forms of electronic journals on the Electronic Information Exchange System (EIES), stressing the potential of each for future development. Technological advances that will make electronic journals more feasible are also considered.…

A study was conducted to help the computer department in an Oregon school district determine the use and value of its programs and services. Results reinforced the importance of current programs and indicated a need to instruct teachers and administrators in computer assisted instruction applications. (MER)

Suggests improvement to online catalogs based on a 2 1/2 year study of patron search patterns. Preliminary findings indicate significant differences in search strategies and suggest that these strategies and the reasons patrons choose them should be important factors in the design of future online catalogs. Fourteen references are included.…

Presents the background, database, user instructions, design criteria, hardware, and commands of the online catalog system at the University of New Brunswick (Canada) library, as well as self-instructional features of the system. Evaluation of systems use and potential applications are discussed, and sample displays are provided. (RBF)

The findings of a CAUSE survey of institutions of higher education that are either currently using or have used a database management system are presented. In addition to demographic information, other issues addressed are: management implications, systems concepts, systems development, personnel, operational considerations and prospects for the…

This study investigates the behavioral responses of urban and semirural residents to a newly initiated Canadian national park environmental policy. The policy involved the reduction of service facilities within the park and a concomitant emphasis on the park's natural environment. (BT)

In a survey of preschools in the City of Greater Wollongong in New South Wales, extensions and other changes in preschool facilities, staffing, scheduling, objectives, and clientele were revealed by comparison with a similar survey seven years earlier. Recommendations are made for changes in program design. (Editor/SJL)

Summarizes the literature on users studies from the perspective that variation in type of search may be considered central to providing a rational explanation and justification of the variations in resource allocation in different types of libraries. (CWM)

Describes participation patterns in scholarly mailing lists; analyzes their implications for the design and implementation of collaborative distributed multimedia, particularly systems intended for academic and professional settings; and suggests that participant reluctance to invest time in reading or contributing messages could be amplified when…

Librarians at the University of Pacific (Stockton, California) designed a replication of an earlier transaction log study. Researchers found it difficult to compare the year-to-year data, primarily due to a continually changing technological environment. Findings did reveal a rise in student use of online periodical databases which subsequently…

This literature review examines nine studies within a seven-year time period (1990-1996) concentrating on the use and users of government-produced information. Parallels are drawn in current status of knowledge, but limitations are pointed out in what is becoming an abandoned form of research in government documents librarianship. (Author/AEF)

Describes a multifaceted approach for generating systematic information on scientific and technological institutions in developing countries based on the concept of the research system as a multiorganizational network. Provides an account of how this approach was implemented in a three-country study to shed light on problems in developing…