The types of reference question considered most difficult by the staffs of Northern California public library systems were the subject of a workshop conducted by the Bay Area Reference Center (BARC). The topics included: antiques and collectibles; identifying a poem from its middle line; how to make practically anything; how to repair various…

An evaluation of what comprises an effective educational information system, where we now stand with regard to such systems, and how we can improve these systems so that they are usable for educational decision makers and practitioners at all levels. The needs for a multi-level information system, interpersonal communication "a warm and walking…

The establishment of a regional news agency for Latin America to improve the balance of news flow and increase the transmission of news more applicable to regional problems has often been proposed. Despite wide acceptance of the concept, the birth of the Third World's first regional news agency, Agencia Latinoamericana de Informacion (LATIN), has…

This study had two purposes: 1) to determine what kinds of instructional support teachers used; and 2) to identify factors which facilitate or inhibit the use of such resources. The methods used to obtain data were, first, participant observation of school district activities, and second, interviews of 19 teachers. One result of the study was a…

Criticizes the typical reference librarian's solution to a student's information request--the book--and presents specific reasons for offering a variety of sources and formats. Included is an information 'credo' that emphasizes information, not its package. (JD)

This selected, annotated bibliography of information resources in English and/or French is divided into sections on books; documents and articles; UNESCO publications; reference works; and African periodicals. A list of institutions concerned with education in Africa is included, as well as educational documentation and information services in…

Describes calls to a grammar hot line about usage, grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Concludes that many people besides educators and professional writers care about exact and accurate language usage. (EL)

This article discusses sources from which information used in in-house databases can be obtained and enumerates points to consider in database building phase (test database design ideas against external database if available, make arrangements for data entry, exercise quality control). Fourteen contractors or sources of computerized information…

Discusses library role in providing access to information on political candidates and issues. Press coverage, political party literature, Federal Election Commission, interest groups, monographs, serials, and online databases are highlighted. Lists of 15 references, 89 national organizations that rate members of Congress, and 9 active political…

The first part of the paper deals with statute law and describes the inadequacy of the official Statutes Revised' system for maintaining up-to-date records. There is a similar lack of official retrieval tools for tracing information on case law. The problems of factual information retrieval are dealt with briefly. (Author/NH)

Briefly reviews historical development of mental health and the law as a multidisciplinary field and considers variety of information seekers addressing certain topics of special importance. Pertinent information sources and services are outlined. Fifteen references and a recommended core library for fellowship programs in forensic psychiatry are…

Provides a broad overview of the development of abstracting and indexing services in science and technology during the last three and one-half decades. Major trends that have affected individual producers, services, and the field as a whole are identified. A 10-item reference list accompanies the text. (Author/JL)

Reviews recent federal publications on government information, particularly in the area of general informational services, public access to government information and privacy issues, coordination of government information systems, and congressional information needs. (Author)

Discusses business use of the Web and related search engine design issues as well as research on general and academic links before reporting on a survey of the links published by a collection of business Web sites. Results indicate around 66% of Web sites do carry external links, most of which are targeted at a specific purpose, but about 17%…

This dictionary explains 225 terms used in bibliometrics, and it provides nontechnical definitions of bibliometric concepts and suggests sources where more information can be found about the defined term. Special features include sample references, cross references, variants (synonyms), and an index of names. The introduction relates the terms of…