Examines trends in academic research libraries and their role in the management of scholarly communication. Part 1 traces research library development from the early 20th century to the 1990s, with a focus on collections, expenditures, and acquisitions. Part 2 discusses the impact of technology and electronic information resources on the…

Explores the consequences of textbook authors' failure to recognize that producers can acquire the good in which they lack a comparative advantage through either trade or internal production. Examines variations in the construction and graphical depiction of consumption possibility frontiers in principles of economics textbooks. (MJP)

The importance and urgency of rural education to each state was assessed using seven and nine indicators, respectively. The Mid-South Delta, central Appalachia, coastal Southeast, the north Plains, and northern New England emerged as priority rural education regions. The most important urgency indicators were teacher salaries, computer use, school…

Research shows that failure in adequate school performance is the rule for the poor. Courts should recognize the inequalities in educational opportunity caused by family income inequality and declare that the failure of public schools to respond to this inequality constitutes a violation of the equal protection clause. (MLF)

An overview of the rising costs of sending students to college critically examines a variety of issues, including increased capital expenditures, rising administrative costs, the role of student financial aid, faculty attitudes toward teaching undergraduates, fund raising, curricular offerings, lack of institutional mission, and admissions…

Includes seven articles that discuss research on libraries; numbers of libraries in the United States and Canada; library acquisition expenditures; price indexes for academic and school libraries; expenditures in school library media centers; state rankings of public library data; and library building construction. (LRW)

Describes a study of the current usage and status of CD-ROM products. Results of a survey of academic and research libraries that covered products owned or subscribed to, how they are paid for, numbers of workstations, usage, and cost are reported. The years 1984-85 and 1989-90 are compared. Cancellation of print sources is also addressed.…

Selectively surveys the literature of collection development in 1990. Topics covered include library materials budgets and finances; serials and the economics of scholarly publication; collection evaluation and analysis; cooperative arrangements; selection, deselection, housing, and preservation of library materials; staffing and organization; and…

According to U.S. Census Bureau and Department of Education statistics, public school enrollment is increasing; minority student increases are pushing elementary school enrollment to record highs. Trends are also summarized for preschool education, student and family characteristics, number of schools and teachers, revenues and expenditures,…

Asserts that the serious problem of educational funding in China requires new ideas and new strategies. Recommends that the per unit cost of education be calculated scientifically with teachers' salaries being given special attention. Proposes two options for increasing educational expenditures. (CFR)

Reviews the implementation of the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) and explores its effects on higher education. The law, largely silent about higher education, does mandate a professional standards board for teacher certification, and there are implications for teacher education. Efforts at the University of Louisville to meet KERA challenges…

During the 1970s, the Hong Kong government declared elementary and lower secondary schooling to be free and compulsory and increased funding at all levels. Analysis of census data on birth cohorts in their upper teens in 1971-86 found increasing educational attainment over time and decreasing effects on educational attainment of parent income and…

Presents an analysis of the Internet Public Library (IPL) from an economic perspective, using the model of the cost-minimizing firm. Highlights include application of the model to the IPL, analysis of revenue and cost in the reference department, analysis of reference statistics, and unit cost of reference service. (AEF)

Describes programs developed by the Chicago School District to renovate and revitalize its school libraries. Topics include funding, other educational reforms in the district, updating library collections, updating librarians' skills, increasing budgets through grants, flexible scheduling, corporate support, relations with the Chicago Public…

Using data from Virginia school districts, this paper concludes that a district's educational-resource level is associated with its socioeconomic characteristics and that interdistrict variations in educational resources are associated with two kinds of student outcomes (attainments and aspiration), but not math and reading test scores. (Contains…