Observes that, while indecent materials constitute a small percent of the materials on the World Wide Web, they have received much attention because they are easy to search out or stumble upon. Discusses legal issues surrounding the Communications Decency Act and other pending legislation for regulating the Internet. (DSK)

In addition to setting out the process by which the International Standard Bibliographic Description for Computer Files [ISBD(CF)] was revised and the policies incorporated in the ISBD for Electronic Resources [ISBD(ER)], a detailed indication is provided of the stipulations of the ISBD(ER). Includes implications for AACR2R. (AEF)

This paper discusses the development of the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) and the increasing trend among federal agencies to reduce printed output and distribute information in electronic form--on floppy disks, CD ROMs, and, since the development of the National Information Infrastructure (NII), the Internet. Many libraries do not have…

The topic of the 123rd meeting of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) is the information infrastructure. The ARL is seeking to influence the policies that will form the backbone of the emerging information infrastructure. The first session concentrated on government roles and initiatives and included the following papers: "Opening…

The full impact of the current information technology and networking revolution remains unknown, but the experiences of organizations and individuals who are using the tools and resources offered by information technology suggest that it may change our social fabric. Some of the current and emerging trends in information technology include: the…

With increasing Internet access, library media specialists are implementing acceptable use policies to govern student conduct online. Policy components include definition and purpose; rights, responsibilities, and risks; penalties; and parental consent. Effective policies have input from all community members, are concise, and serve as guidelines…

This book provides a selection of documentary background information on areas of the Information Highway debate that are particularly relevant to libraries. The book is designed for librarians who are online but have little time to explore the general areas of information policy, and for those not yet connected to the Internet who need to…

This special issue contains eight papers from a conference on library collection development and networking issues. Discusses the library's role and the need for new policies; serial costs and recommendations for resource sharing; evaluation of academic periodicals; partnerships and the relationship of vendors and libraries; and models and trends…

Discusses policy principles that information provider companies agree upon, including the public's right of access to information; equality of access; diverse information sources; monopoly control of public information; fees for access; and public participation in decisions about access. Funding for the depository library system and new federal…

Each year, the Institute for Information Studies publishes an Annual Review--a collection of commissioned papers that provide a variety of perspectives on a particular topic relating to the impact of communications and information technology. The articles in this 8th edition focus on the impact of the Internet not only on society and in society…

Thirty to forty years ago educators had at most the challenge of tape recorders and players and transistor radios to confront as electronic distractions in the classroom. Then pagers were introduced and became associated with drug trafficking and gang activity. Not long after, the first cellular phones were introduced and, when they became…

Traditional information services provision relies on the planned and logical building of a collection to meet current and future user information needs. This is achieved through the acquisition and discarding of material, which might ideally be based on a regularly reviewed collection development policy statement. The evolution of collection…

The University of Wisconsin-Madison began to offer computer conferencing as a service to the campus for the fall 1995 semester. The university's End User Computing Group developed a set of policies to address such questions as: who is eligible to use the service; the Division of Information Technology's responsibilities; customer responsibilities;…

The goal of this study was to determine the information technology needs at Fairfield University (Connecticut) in a client/server environment. The primary objectives were: to develop an instrument to assess the information technology needs of the user community, with particular emphasis on client/server computing and the Internet as a result of…

Proposals for shaping the National Information Infrastructure (NII) lack sufficient provision for supporting locally controlled information delivery systems, which could serve all the people, regardless of class or community environment. A system of federally sponsored National and Regional Institutes for Information Democracy could help meet this…