Discusses the development a national information policy in the United Kingdom (UK): policies for national information infrastructures, electronic information services, privacy and data protection, copyright, public and national libraries; reviews problems inhibiting Internet use; compares the UK's and the European Commission's approaches to…

The Aspen Institute's Communications and Society Program convened leaders and experts in the telecommunications and related fields to address telecommunications regulation in an IP (Internet Protocols) environment at the 15th annual Aspen Institute Telecommunications Policy Conference (Aspen, Colorado, August 12-16, 2000). The report from this…

This document comprises the proceedings of the 2001 conference of the Pacific Telecommunications Council. Papers are included on: implementation of e-commerce applications; use of corporate e-mail; socio-economic considerations in the adoption of new technologies; an innovation standard for telecommunications universal service; call center-based…

In 1997, the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) supported a project on the geographic spread of the commercial Internet Service Provider (ISP) market. This Research Brief describes some of the principle findings of a report (by Professor Shane Greenstein of the Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University) on the…

Explores organizational influence in the policy network that formed around the issue of determining essential services on the Canadian information highway. Qualitative content analysis found the essential services issue had two main aspects: ensuring universal access to telecommunications networks and determining the criteria for defining…

Examines the growing demand for e-mail reference (Aska) service and how librarians can best manage an electronic help desk. Discusses problems of minimal information and anonymous patrons, followed by views on restricting/not restricting access to the service. Suggests ways to try to screen requests and specify a clientele. Notes the importance of…

Suggests that current conditions are nearly ideal for the effective meta-assessment of online reference services (ORS), in part because expected patterns and modes of service have not yet been established for emerging and evolving online environments, and in part because the distance between theory and practice regarding reference service in…

This paper discusses the importance of intellectual freedom for libraries, librarians, and library associations. Examples of attempts at censorship in Australia are presented, including the Broadcasting Services Amendment (Online Services) Act, 1999, legislation that requires filtering of Internet content. The IFLA (International Federation of…

Discusses changes and new issues involved with implementation of the E-rate by the Federal Communications Commission. Highlights include the four corporations overseeing the E-rate; USAC board members; a lawsuit intended to stop the E-rate in its present form; existing contracts; the application form and Web site; and other…

Highlights dangers on the Internet that parents should be aware of and provides suggestions on how parents can ensure their children's safety on the Internet. Describes how librarians can help parents by establishing Internet policies, providing access to quality Web sites, resolving filtering issues, and providing instruction for children and…

This 1996 National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS) survey gathered data from a national sample of public libraries concerning the current level of public library involvement with the Internet. The purpose of this study was to: (1) provide policymakers, researchers, and library professionals with longitudinal data that…

This report represents the views and perceptions of participants at a December 1994 Strategic Information Resources Management (SIRM) seminar, held in the District of Columbia, entitled "Building and Managing Government Internet Services." The group was comprised of 67 government officials and contractors who either had or were about to…

The 1998 Aspen Systems Conference on Telecommunications Policy met to consider ways of speeding the deployment of telecommunication systems that allow for robust, reliable, and innovative communications services to the home. By organizing participants into three working groups, the session was able to come up with analytical suggestions and policy…

The purpose of this study was to obtain descriptive information about the nation's public library connectivity, use, and costs related to the Internet. The study gathered data from a national sample of public libraries from the period between May and July 1997. Unlike the 1994 and 1996 students, the 1997 study drew a new library sample that…

Two Internet testbeds conducted at the New York State Center for Technology in Government (CTG) identified five threshold factors that shape a government agency's ability to initiate Web-based services: technical infrastructure, user capabilities, information content, cost, and security. Six kinds of benefits of the Web to deliver government…