A study of the catalog holdings of all Canadian academic libraries found that fewer noncorporate publications were available than mainstream titles published by corporations and that electronic vendors provide little access to noncorporate "small publisher" titles while providing 100% access to surveyed mainstream titles. Examines the…

The National Federation of Abstracting and Information Services (NFAIS) is an organization of over 60 publishers and online service providers. Included is a formal white paper which was released in December 1997 to clarify the rights and responsibilities of each party in the electronic information delivery process: authors, publishers,…

The World Wide Web can provide direct market research data inexpensively or can target the appropriate professional online database and narrow the search. This article discusses the Web presence of research and investment firms, financial pages, trade associations, and electronic publications containing market research data. It lists Uniform…

Discusses the growing trend in aggregated article databases and includes individual views from a panel discussion. Highlights include publisher's embargoes of current content; views of academic libraries and of vendors; full-text issues; the Tasini v. New York Times Supreme Court case; consortial buying; and future possibilities. (LRW)

The increasing popularity of digital information has brought great convenience to library patrons. It has, however, posed challenges to libraries in achieving their major missions, i.e., preservation and dissemination of information. The underlying reasons for this phenomenon are dichotomous: the restrictions imposed by electronic information…

A program was conducted to integrate computer technology into agriculture classrooms in 25 secondary schools and 4 universities in Arkansas. State-of-the-art technology from the AgriData Network of Milwaukee was used. The AgriData Network includes the Ag Ed Network, which offers more than 800 "live textbook" lessons with current…

This digest discusses several aspects of electronic networking, including network functions, implementation, and applications in education. Electronic networking is defined as including the four basic services of electronic mail (E-mail), electronic "bulletin boards," teleconferencing, and online databases, and an overview of these four…

"MIX" is an online publishing service and information exchange from the Educational Management Services Division of McGraw-Hill. Through computer conferencing and electronic mail, MIX provides access to a network of people across the country who are seeking ways to put computers to use to improve the quality of education. MIX is an…

Intended to investigate ways in which electronic publishing might be further developed to serve important consumer needs and social interests that have yet to become a focus for the industry, this two-day planning meeting consisted of roundtable discussions with 16 electronic publishing experts and practitioners. Following a presentation of the…

Reviews optical technology products currently on the market, including their storage capacities, formats and uses, and outlines the benefits of integrating optical storage devices with online databases. A description of the HAYSTACK system is offered as a model of optical technology for library applications. A suggested reading list is provided.…

Customized Internet services deliver news and selected research via e-mail, fax, Web browser, or their own software. Some are clipping services while others are full-fledged online newspapers. Most charge a monthly subscription fee, but a few are free to registered users. Provides the addresses, cost, scope, and evaluation of eight services. (PEN)

The choice of multimedia authoring systems influences the development and cost of multimedia projects. Provides a method of selecting authoring systems and organizes selection criteria into two classes for analysis: functional (authoring metaphor, interactivity, scripting language, testing paradigm, object orientation, multimedia component…

Discusses the ARL (Association of Research Libraries) E-Metrics project that is investigating problems related to collecting and using data for electronic materials and services. Describes a survey of libraries that focused on data collection activities and showed a lack of preparation as well as a lack of consistent statistics from database…

Explores the future of library automation from the perspective of online vendors. The discussions cover CD-ROM, online catalog, and gateway technologies, together with such issues as standards, cooperation, and cost effectiveness. The emphasis is on problems that must be conquered if these technologies are to reach their potential. (CLB)

Describes the events that led to the creation of the Rural Information Center (RIC), a joint venture between the Extension Service and the National Agricultural Library to provide information to government officials involved in rural development. The databases accessed by RIC are described, and plans for a gateway system and network of all…