Describes the role, users, collections and services of the National Agricultural Library. Some of the services discussed include a machine readable bibliographic database, an international interlibrary loan system, programs to develop library networks and cooperative cataloging, and the development and use of information technologies such as laser…

Describes an undergraduate course that was developed at Salem State College to provide students with an overview of information technologies, including online databases, online catalogs, CD-ROM, hypertext, interactive video, electronic bulletin boards, and computer networks. Student reactions are discussed, including changed perceptions, and…

Discusses the need for formal training in Internet use for K-12 educators and presents rubrics to help staff-development designers measure the following competencies: Internet basics; e-mail/electronic mailing lists; World Wide Web; search tools; newsgroups, gophers, telnet; obtaining, decompressing, using files; real-time/push technologies;…

Examines the types of computerized resources and services available for research in American history, finding that electronic mail, discussion lists, and library catalogs are most frequently utilized. Internet documents are used cautiously due to unreliable locations and authenticity. In the future, historians will want electronic journals and…

Describes research that was part of the European Community's "Socrates Mailbox" project that investigated changes in learning produced by the introduction of information and communication technology (ICT) in primary and secondary schools. Effects of e-mail, the Internet, the World Wide Web, and teleconferencing on both pupils and…

Rural areas lag behind urban areas in access to information technologies. Public institutions play a critical role in extending the benefits of information technologies to those who would not otherwise have access. The most successful rural telecommunications plans address barriers to use, such as unawareness of the benefits, technophobia, the…

This document reports results of an online survey that examined practices and procedures in the management of electronic resources in 65 academic library reference departments. Responses are related to: (1) student population; (2) library use by community people; (3) number of public access workstations, workstations with World Wide Web access,…

Describes the implementation of a training course in computerized educational resource management provided for staff of Pedagogical Resource Centres in Catalonia (Spain). Training in telematics is explained, including documentary training and an ongoing process of permanent training assistance; the telematics infrastructure is discussed; and the…

In 1994, the information technology organization at Indiana University, Bloomington, undertook a major computing technology conversion that affected 40,000 people. The project is described, and factors contributing to its success are discussed, including system architecture, marketing and customer communications, and migration of information…

In a college accounting course, two faculty members experimented with a new approach to office hours, with all communication between students and teachers other than classroom dialog. Through electronic mail and other methods of data transmission. This included distribution of course syllabus, reading lists, study materials, and exams, and…

Most professionals interested in the use of technology in education understand the importance of an e-learning course site, whether the course is taught totally online or in a hybrid environment where the instructor has some face-to-face contact with students. However, many instructors have not thoroughly considered the importance of posting…

Case studies of email and video conferencing projects between partners in educational institutions in England and France are presented as a means of identifying the key issues that lead to the success of such activities. The writers, all of whom have a long history of being involved in such projects with schoolchildren and teachers, then consider…

The National School Boards Association (NSBA), the National School Boards Foundation, NSBA's Institute for the Transfer of Technology to Education, and Apple Computer, Inc., launched "The School Board of Tomorrow Exhibit" at NSBA's 1996 annual conference and exposition in Orlando, Florida. This handbook summarizes the communication technologies…

A new course, Independent Study Research and Writing via Telecommunications, is being developed by the Division of Independent Study (DIS) of the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction to teach telepublishing skills utilizing the NeXT telecommunicating (interpersonal computing) techniques, i.e., NeXT Mail. This multimedia electronic-mail…

The purpose of this guide is to help computer network users get over the hurdle of new technologies. Every Internet user is different, but most network activities depend on the mastery of three basic skills: using electronic mail (e-mail) to communicate with other Internet users; logging in to remote computers with a service called Telnet, and…