The development of an unusual database at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) is described. The Student Census-date Report File (STUCENFL) was designed to meet both internal and external data recipients' needs for student-related information. Attention is directed to needs for the database, underlying design…

The Joliet Junior College Academic Skills Center provides an illustration of how writing resources can be organized for easy access and how computer assistance enables efficient organization of the center. Over the years, three approaches to accessing materials have been used: the memory of the instructor, handout worksheets with resource…

A model based on storage and retrieval costs that determines efficient allocation of materials to different storage regimes in academic libraries is developed. An economically rational basis for determining role of several alternative storage methods which distinguish among materials by expected level of use is offered. Nineteen references are…

This report on the results of a two-year investigation by the Alaska Innovative Technology in Education Project which evaluated the potential role of videodisc technology in public education includes discussions of current videodisc formats, the advantages and limitations of the technology, and current and potential applications. (JL)

Reports on an explosion that occurred using Tollens' reagent, emphasizing that students should prepare the reagent immediately before use and discard it immediately after use by flushing it down the drain. States that under no conditions should Tollens' reagent be stored. (Author/JN)

It is suggested that the director of personnel should be making maximum use of available computer services. Four concerns of personnel directors are cited: number of government reports required, privacy and security, cost of space for personnel records and files, and the additional decision-making tools required for collective bargaining…

A large fire in a main administration building at Hope College (Michigan) destroyed many records, though not all. The crisis plan used to disseminate information about the fire and its results is described and both the problems and positive results are reviewed. (MSE)

Outlines the advantages of digital documents for scholars and offers considerations for designing systems for storing and retrieving digital information products. Discusses conventional and electronic storage and retrieval; network costs; digital storage; search strategies; acquisition prices; and digital initiatives. (AEF)

Describes the value of defunct newspaper morgues, with a focus on the E. H. Butler Library at Buffalo State University (New York), and provides the historical background of two Buffalo newspapers. Discusses challenges facing the special collections librarian: storage facilities, requests for information by patrons from all over the world,…

Presents a model for decision making concerning allocation of academic library materials to various levels of access (e.g., branch or central library open access shelving, compact shelving, depository facility, or interlibrary loan). Variables included in the model are the size of the collection, distribution of use, effects of time on use, and…

Discusses the application of theories of cognitive modeling to information systems design and describes research that investigated the validity of the repertory grid for incorporation into intelligent front-end interfaces for information storage and retrieval systems. Personal construct theory is discussed and future research is suggested. (67…

Discusses the problems of spatial requirements and design as they affect utilization of audio-visual (AV) resources in Nigerian university libraries and presents a new design for an AV media center as an alternative to the current practices. Discusses decision making, consultation and analysis, and storage, access, and display considerations. (AEF)

The commoditization of low-cost hardware has enabled even modest-sized laboratories and research projects to own their own "supercomputers." The authors argue that this local solution undermines rather than amplifies the research potential of scholars. CIOs, provosts, and research technologists should consider carefully an overall…

Digital image quality, indexing structures, and production workflow were the three central issues examined during the second phase--the set-up phase--of Project Open Book, a major effort by Yale University Library to explore the usefulness of digital technologies for preserving and improving access to deteriorating documents. This report outlines…

This paper describes a computer support system that eliminated many of the problems associated with the usual methods of transcribing and analyzing questionnaire data. The system was created to support the course evaluation system at Athabasca University, a distance education university in Canada. The courses evaluated were all home study courses,…