Incorporated in the National Library of Canada's (NLC) digital library initiatives are projects relating to digitization, collecting Canadian networked electronic publications, development of virtual catalogs, metadata creation, and preservation of digital resources. Issues relating to collaboration, access to digital collections and databases,…

The European Commission and several national libraries in Europe have initiated the project Nedlib (Networked European Deposit Library) to address problems of accessibility, authenticity, control and preservation of electronic publications. Describes the tasks of Nedlib, the basic functional model for deposit archives (OAIS) and proposes…

Collecting bulky series of paper materials happens very often in an institution as large as the Archives de Paris. Questions arise of how to give access to those materials and how to produce finding aids well suited to their many diverse uses. The numerous specific application programs that are used by the offices of origin of the archives can…

Patrons in academic libraries want convenient 24-hour access to full-text journals in a rapid, convenient manner. They want "anytime, anywhere" access to information and they do not want to enter a library to obtain it. This article describes how Eastern Washington University Libraries provide access to full-text journals through several…

The scholarly communication system is in a critical stage, due to a number of factors. The Open Access movement is perhaps the most interesting response that the scientific community has tried to give to this problem. The paper examines strengths and weaknesses of the Open Access strategy in general and, more specifically, of the Open Archives…

Scholars publish in journals to preserve their work and to make sure that it is available for current and future researchers. More and more of this publishing is done in electronic format. Libraries, the institutions that have traditionally overseen the preservation of print publications, are now struggling with the preservation of digital…

It is a given today that we are living in an information age. Numerous studies and statistics attest to this fact. But not only is information proliferating at a rapid rate, the manner in which people are using information is changing, as is the nature of information itself. Such changes as these have meant that accessing and using information…

Libraries in distance education universities such as Athabasca University in Alberta, Canada, are faced with special difficulties when seeking ways to reach out to their students to expand their understanding of libraries as information sources and provide them with the skills to tap library and other information sources. However, developments in…

Four papers addressing the future of information and changes brought on due to the Internet include: "Internet and the Future of Collection Development: A Teacher Librarian's Perspective" (Jill Johnson); "The Provision of Information Services in Networked Schools" (Eric Wainwright); "When the Book? When the Net?"…

This paper examines the current status and future of Canada's Depository Service Program (DSP) for government information. The first section discusses the depository model, including changes due to information technology and decentralization of government authority. Access and preservation are addressed in the second section, including the…

Argues that democracy is best served by a Federal Depository Library Program that receives information in multiple formats (print, electronic, and microfiche) so that the needs of diverse users for equal opportunity to access government information can be met. Concludes that Congress is seeking to reduce costs at the expense of the public.…

In order for the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) and depository libraries to assume their new role in the electronic environment, librarians need to examine their current technology, deal with political realities, and be critical of FDLP ideals. The FDLP needs to be reorganized into a new system of information centers to provide the best…

Describes the Electronic Dissemination of Information database operated by Martin Marietta Data Systems, under contract to the Department of Agriculture, to illustrate the issues and problems librarians face in trying to provide access to government information in electronic formats, and to discuss the role of public and private sectors in…

Describes the Gopher system developed at the University of Minnesota for accessing information on the Internet. Highlights include the need for navigation tools; Gopher clients; FTP (File Transfer Protocol); campuswide information systems; navigational enhancements; privacy and security issues; electronic publishing; multimedia; and future…

Discusses the impact of information technology and networking on higher education with particular reference to academic libraries, based on experiences in Australia and New Zealand. Highlights include technology and learning; open learning and the virtual campus; network infrastructure; database access; electronic publishing; information…