This is part of a series of reports to the President and Congress developed by the President's Information Technology Advisory Committee (PITAC) on key contemporary issues in information technology. This report defines open source software, explains PITAC's interest in this model, describes the process used to investigate issues in open source…

The International Federation of Library Association (IFLA) announced that Dutch scientific and German special libraries adopted electronic licensing guidelines. Emphasizes consortia and the need for libraries to stick together. Discusses general principles; access and use; storage, formats and integration; services and costs; information and use;…

Describes a multifaceted approach for generating systematic information on scientific and technological institutions in developing countries based on the concept of the research system as a multiorganizational network. Provides an account of how this approach was implemented in a three-country study to shed light on problems in developing…

Florida's Joint Committee on Information Technology Resources analyzed the impact of technology on the Florida Public Records Law and proposed legislation requiring agencies to consider issues such as encouraging a diversity of sources, the public's right to access, prohibiting monopoly control, and access fees in the development of information…

Examines the pattern and distribution of secondary information systems and services in China. Topics include the role of government, government policies and relevant standards, distribution of discipline-oriented bibliographies and indexes, the change from printed materials to databases, and the transition to a market economy. (Author/LRW)

Lists items on government information published or indexed from November 1993-April 1994, including materials on U.S. government information policy, publications, and resources; foreign, international, and intergovernmental government information policy and resources; government archives (worldwide); state and local publications and resources;…

Computing involves social issues and political choices. Issues such as privacy, computer crime, gender inequity, disemployment, and electronic democracy versus "Big Brother" are addressed in the context of efforts to develop a national public policy for information technology. A broad range of research and case studies are examined in an…

The Internet remains as a wonder for the 21st century and its growth is phenomenon. According to a recent survey, the online population is now about 500 million globally and if this trend continues, it should reach 700 million by the end of 2002. This exponential growth of the Internet has given rise to several security, privacy and ethical…

The librarians and directors contributing to this article review current trends in censorship, and describe strategies, policies, and practices they would recommend. Discussion includes selection policies, educating the public, new technologies and materials, and the Internet. All agree on the library's responsibility of preserving intellectual…

Explores privacy issues raised by information technology at colleges and universities. Drawing on accounts and opinions of faculty and staff members, provides examples of current practices and policies on Internet and e-mail use and discusses the possible need for more developed policies. (EV)

Asserts that higher education institutions can benefit greatly, or cease to exist, depending upon how each college and university adapts to the transformational power of information technology in the future. Discusses the inevitable changes in higher education, catalysts, responses, and potential impact of change, and how to adapt to inevitable…

In order for online course delivery to be efficient, digital material such as scanned text, diagrams and graphics, and audio/video clips must be copied and distributed. The policies and processes for copyright clearance of digital materials are, however, poorly defined and cumbersome. As a result, university instructors often have incomplete…

This article attempts to articulate in broad outline the post-industrial regime of knowledge and information and point out its fatal flaw. The Internet is treated as a socio-technological complex animated by capital and information. The notion of information is interrogated and an alternative notion closer to our everyday intuitions is proposed.…

Using data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) state assessment and a survey of state-level technology policies, this study examined digital equity in education as a multilevel organizational phenomenon with data from 70,382 students in 3,479 schools and 40 states. Students in rural schools or schools with higher…

For years computer viruses have threatened productive use of personal computers, challenging users and support providers to prevent and recover from viral attacks. Now another type of computing malady has begun to enter popular consciousness: spyware. Typically, analyses of spyware focus on technical issues or provide pointers to resources for…