Discusses issues related to the idea of a virtual library, or electronic library, in an academic setting. Topics discussed include access to academic libraries via personal computers; online catalogs; wide area networks, such as Internet, and their impact on library and computer center services; administrative issues; human and technological…

Describes how Illinois libraries are promoting awareness and ease of access to government documents and services. Electronic products, select bibliographies, sources of foreign country information for businesses, dealing with electronically published information, and classification of Illinois documents are among the topics covered in this…

Discusses problems and benefits of the electronic book and challenges in the electronic environment in terms of aggregation, pricing, authentication and authorization, presentation, downloading and printing, intellectual property, continued availability, and reliability and accessibility. Gives examples of commercial book aggregators and…

The emergence of computer and network technologies has presented the archival profession with daunting challenges as well as inspiring opportunities. Archivists have been actively imagining and realizing the application of advanced technologies to their professional functions and activities. Using advanced technologies, archivists have been…

The study investigated implications of variations in EAD [Encoded Archival Description]-encoded finding aids on the Web. A content analysis methodology was used to examine five different aspects of EAD finding aids: (1) data elements; (2) labeling terminology; (3) navigation; (4) browsing; (5) searching. Seventeen EAD finding aid web sites…

Publication is at the heart of scholarship. Traditionally, print media has been the vehicle for communicating research results and scholarly thought. Recently, electronic journals have been increasing. This paper explores, from a scholarship perspective, the rationale for publishing electronic journals. It also examines why scholars publish; the…

The assumption is made that what the 1990s have in store for users of depository libraries will hinge on three crucial areas: (1) the reform and development of government information policies; (2) changing technology; and (3) the willingness and ability of the depository libraries to accommodate these changes. The uncertain role of the government…

The six papers compiled here cover topics related to government publications and bibliography. In "The Impact of the Use of New Technology in Government Publishing on Libraries," Bernadine E. Abbott Hoduski discusses the impact of the use of new technology by government publishers on the dissemination of government information to…

Discusses the reasons behind the trend of distribution of public domain statistics by private, commercial agencies in the United States and Great Britain, identifies marketable materials and marketing strategies, and explores possible disadvantages in terms of the public good and the possibility that governments will no longer collect statistical…

Electronic publications are flooding the market. Some of these publications are created specifically for the electronic environment, but many are conversions of existing material to electronic format. It is not worth the time and effort merely to publish existing material in electronic format if no value is added in the conversion process. The…

This paper discusses developments in information and communications technologies and their impact on university libraries. Topics addressed include: (1) background, including the Information Revolution, the Knowledge Economy, implications for education and information services, and responses to the challenges of globalization; (2) university…

This paper presents the results of a survey on national bibliographies among the members of the Conference of Directors of National Libraries in 2001. The survey is a follow up of a 1996 survey on bibliographic control and national bibliography. All parts of the world are represented by 52 responses. The main findings of the survey are that legal…

Argues that Mexican and other Latin American libraries must make changes to take advantage of increasingly available electronic information sources. Discusses developments in the previously paper-based publishing industry; the industry's relation with the academic and research environment; and Mexican electronic sources for the study of Latin…

Rising periodical prices and lagging library budgets have many academics hoping that scholarly print journals will migrate to online versions. Examines economic factors shaping the electronic journal market, emerging new electronic journals, access versus ownership, consortial purchasing, self-maintained infrastructures, elimination of tenure and…

Discusses three electronic information formats: CD-ROM, tape loads, and online hosts; reviews some of the hardware platforms used for accessing information in these formats; and discusses some of the issues involved in interconnecting computer systems to increase access to electronic collections. (Author)