CD-ROM periodical indexes are becoming increasingly tailored for specific age ranges and are also providing access to full text. Two charts separate several full-text CD-ROM products by intended audience (middle school versus secondary school students) and compare costs and features. Tips are provided on assessing institutional needs and…

Presents an overview of past, present, and future activities involving automation and networking in Oklahoma libraries. Topics include a library technology network concerned with equitable library service; a union list of CD-ROM library holdings; telecommunications infrastructure; telephone charges and Internet access; upgrades of rural library…

Describes the structure, purpose, and some of the idiosyncracies of the Century of Prose Corpus. The database covers English prose for the 1675-1780 period. Part A consists of 20 major authors; part B contains 100 secondary authors. Selections vary in length and allow scholars to search for comparisons and inconsistencies. (MJP)

Considers the increase in the variety of electronic reference options in academic libraries based on surveys of ARL (Association of Research Libraries) members. Discusses online catalogs; CD-ROM databases; World Wide Web access; and changes in library instruction, including formal instruction, point-of-use instruction, and Internet instruction.…

This paper reports on the design and implementation of a project-based course--World Water Problems--that was introduced within the framework of introductory undergraduate geography education. The aims of the course were twofold: (1) to cultivate in students a world geographic perspective on water problems; and (2) to conduct an original research…

The Visual Image User Study (VIUS), an extensive needs assessment project at Penn State University, describes academic users of pictures and their perceptions. These findings outline the potential market for digital images and list the likely determinates of whether or not a system will be used. They also explain some key user requirements for…

The Data Quality Campaign is a national, collaborative effort to encourage and support state policymakers to improve the collection, availability and use of high-quality education data and to implement state longitudinal data systems to improve student achievement. The campaign aims to provide tools and resources that will assist state development…

The need to develop new OPACs that meet the needs of users better is becoming well acknowledged. How libraries can transform their OPACs to modern web friendly formats is not yet clear. This paper describes the State Library of Tasmania's experience in developing a new OPAC by exporting bibliographic data to a software package outside the ILMS.…

Each of nine issues of this newsletter focuses on one topic. The topics covered are: (1) Librarian Salaries at Colorado Community Colleges; (2) Criteria for Allocating the Library Materials Budget; (3) School Library Media Centers in Colorado 1994; (4) Circulation Statistics: What's Included & What's Excluded?; (5) U.S. Population Unserved…

This paper outlines the use of computer resources to conduct a literature search. While the phrase "computer archives" can refer to all computerized materials, for this discussion it is limited to textual information available online. Both commercial online services and organizations on the Internet offer files to search and download. In addition,…

Initial steps in a long-term effort to identify and analyze evaluations of inclusive education programs are discussed. Three activities have been initiated to survey current evaluation practice. A literature search revealed that "inclusion" is not yet a description for the ERIC system, but that some papers have been published on the topic. A…

This directory of programs that prepare professionals and paraprofessionals for careers in special education is available as both a searchable electronic database and a printed resource. The directory is based on replies to a survey of over 1,800 institutions of higher education as of June 1995. The directory is arranged in alphabetical order by…

In an effort to integrate existing data into decision-making processes, the School of Education at the University of Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) began development of a comprehensive set of databases to be used in planning and administration. University strategic planning had begun in 1975 and continued with new impetus and revisions in 1984 and…

The possibility of producing journal articles in electronic form is creating a revolution in scholarly communication. A number of research libraries are investigating or offering local and remote access to electronic journals. Because Internet access to a journal may not be available at the time of need, a prime collection development issue is the…

As an introduction to the use of the DIALOG online retrieval service, this guide presents material that was developed during a fellowship at Carlos III University, School of Library Science and Documentation, Madrid (Spain) and that is based on a course on the same subject taught in English at Texas Women's University. Although the use of DIALOG…