Discusses the idea of a national electronic library as a possible solution to current economic trends in the information industry. Topics addressed include commercial entertainment ventures; the decreasing buying power of library acquisition budgets; the need for free access; government's role; cooperation; serials publications; licensing…

Examines changes from 1970-1980 in indicators of primary school quality in low- and middle-income developing nations. Focuses on expenditures per pupil, pupil/teacher ratio, percentage of pupils entering grade six, and schooling required for fully qualified teachers. Analyzes the influence of contextual factors related to national wealth, size of…

Discussion of the development of undergraduate libraries focuses on Harvard's Lamont Library. Topics include financial issues, including sources of revenue, computerization, and personnel costs; technological changes, including hypermedia and the virtual library; and organizational changes, highlighting the merger of libraries at Cornell…

Describes the "Online Journal of Current Clinical Trials," a joint venture of OCLC and the American Association for the Advancement of Science that is the first electronic peer-reviewed science journal with graphics and searchable full text. Topics discussed include library automation, document delivery, benefits of electronic journals,…

Describes a survey of academic libraries that explored serials collection assessment. Highlights include serials budget allocations; serials cancellation projects; changes in ratio of allocation by subject area; use of computers for serials collection assessment; use of vendors, especially for statistics; and future plans for collection…

Proposes a model for creating a technology program that provides a framework for achieving a more effective utilization of new technology in libraries. Topics discussed include environmental requirements; personnel; user needs; technologies, including standards for hardware and software; budgets; costs; maintenance; supplies; training; and…

Reviews research on the association between school size and educational outcomes and considers policy implications of that research. Suggests a shift of value from large size to small size. Describes current state finance formulas, with an emphasis on sparsity and geographical isolation factors. Identifies policy considerations relative to the use…

Explores whether scale economies in a single statewide, nonproperty-tax-supported district differ from studies in more traditional settings. The sample consisted of 179 randomly selected Hawaiian elementary and middle schools enrolling sixth-grade students. Stanford Achievement Test scores for grades three and six were used. Smaller schools had…

Describes results of a CD-ROM Market Study that surveyed public, academic, and special libraries. Highlights include expenditures for CD-ROM versus online databases; budget allocations for CD-ROM; vendors and services; criteria for the selection of a CD-ROM database; the use of online services; local area networks (LANs); number of terminals; and…

A review of eight new books suggests that increased privatization of education in Europe is inevitable, particularly for higher education. Twelve data tables provide statistics for 29 European countries on enrollment ratios, private school enrollments, vocational education, engineering and science students, public expenditures on education, and…

Interviews with 128 administrators in 2 high-performing and 2 low-performing school districts in British Columbia (Canada) indicate a variety of collegial activities among principals and a productive ethos in high-performing districts that are lacking in low-performing districts. These create a climate for instructional improvement. (SLD)

Describes problems facing academic libraries today concerning the amount of literature and information available, costs, copyright issues affecting ownership, and technological changes. Strategies for dealing with diminishing funds and increasing information resources are suggested, and activities at the Association of Research Libraries (ARL)…

Discusses budgets for library materials and how to select and evaluate book and serial vendors. Trends in automation, publishing, and economics that affect both libraries and vendors are discussed; and examples from the University of California at Berkeley that include serials service charges and approval plan discounts are presented. (six…

Describes measures of cost effectiveness that are useful for academic library collections, based on experiences at the Louisiana State University libraries. Highlights include circulation analysis of newly cataloged books; current periodical use compared to cost; faculty ranking of journals; and circulation patterns (i.e., use versus cost and…

Provides an overview of the current and future educational technology marketplace, which is considered a fertile area for financial investment. Growth factors, the emerging mainstream role of technology, and the K-12, home education, and adult education market segments are described. Current and future levels of spending for educational technology…