At the March 7, 1973, Association of Scientific Dissemination of Information Centers meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a panel discussion on cost elements and charge bases in information centers was held. The panel was composed of representatives of seven information centers which process machine-readable bibliographic data bases and provide…

This paper describes the contributions of the Gerontological Information Program (GRIP) to the area of career preparation, particularly its role in (1) assisting college faculty in providing courses in gerontology, (2) training students in the utilization of gerontological information, (3) career placement, and (4) manpower assessment. A…

This paper describes the operations of the Nuclear Safety Analysis Center. Established soon after an accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, its efforts were initially directed towards a detailed analysis of the accident. Continuing functions include: (1) the analysis of generic nuclear safety issues,…

Discussed is the reporting quandary at higher education institutions. These points are appraised: the clearinghouse function, data definitions, and the data base management function. The author warns against the suggestion that the institutional research office should assume the responsibility for all reports prepared by and departing from the…

Use of online information services is currently widespread in public, academic, government, and corporate libraries and information centers. The trend is for smaller libraries of all varieties to install terminals and obtain passwords, while larger libraries add systems of all types. Even in the face of a severe recession, online growth rates have…

Two information dissemination centers at University of California at Los Angeles and University of Georgia studied the interactions between computer based search facilities and their users. The study, largely descriptive in nature, investigated the interaction processes between data base users and profile analysis or information specialists in…

The role of information research centers in institutional research activities was explored, based on 1,040 requests for student data at an information center at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, during 1980-1985. Three distinct information center markets were identified and mechanisms for serving each market were recommended. The first was…

The "Discredit" Bureau borrows some of the computerized information-processing techniques adopted by credit-reporting agencies and uses them in the interest of consumers to help them press complaints against suppliers and prospective employers. This is an additional service currently being incorporated into those already afforded by a…

This paper describes the Loyola Center for Educational Improvement's (LCEI) effort to develop a clearinghouse on mastery learning (CML) which would serve as a depository for conceptual and research documents on mastery learning, competency-based education, instructional design, and other related topics. The nature of the clearinghouse is defined…

This collection of ten conference reports begins with "Historical Impact of Computers on the Operation of Libraries and Information Systems: A Personal Perspective" and is followed by "Tips on Computer Software: Advantages and Methods of Program Dissemination" and "BLOCS--A Unique Multi-Dimensional Approach to On-Line Circulation". Next, libraries…

This paper provides a brief history of the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC), as well as an overview of the present status of the ERIC system, i.e., its management, technical operations, current products and services, current plans, and projected new activities. After an account of the legislative mandate that resulted in the…

This is a summary of a presentation on the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC). The presentation provided information on how the user can gain access to the ERIC microfiche collection at libraries throughout the United States, and to reprints through the ERIC Document Reproduction Service (EDRS). Use of the Thesaurus of ERIC…

The role of institutional research in the creation and operation of an information center is discussed, along with the ways in which the spread of information centers within higher education is likely to influence the future development of institutional research. Forces leading to the emergence of information centers are advances in computer…

The paper, presented at a four-State adult education regional institute, first presents some problems in developing curricula for adult and continuing education, drawing distinctions between the terms "curriculum" (content-centered, credit offerings) and "program" (learner-centered, or problem-centered, non-credit offerings).…

The historical and current status of information dissemination centers and the problem of user interface are reviewed. During the past decade, the problems of technical data processing have been conquered; information dissemination has evolved from a loosely knit group of experimental centers to an organization of established centers, many…