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In December 2013, the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) sponsored a workshop that explored the ways in which library and information technology services (LITS) organizations and academic institutions will need to evolve in the face of new challenges and opportunities. The workshop discussions, reflected in this paper, offer insight into how the transformative potential of an evolving digital infrastructure can help relieve the pressures faced by these institutions. Meeting participants discussed the changing nature of their combined LITS organizations and explored opportunities and challenges presented by the blended organization model. This blend of disciplinary viewpoints and the expanded vision that these professionals must have to lead an integrated LITS division allowed the group to consider libraries and IT in a broader institutional context.

This paper reports on the Macromedia Accessibility Project (MAP), a collaborative effort developed by Macromedia, Inc., The League for Innovation in the Community College, and Pima Community College, Arizona, in order to explore the questions and challenges of implementing accessibility standards in online developmental math courses in community colleges. The purpose of the project, as a two-part process, was to evaluate the capacity to create online mathematical content in an accessible format, and to identify the differences between updating content and design differences for Web-based courses versus creating new content and design features for Web-based delivery. Project team members were charged to audit and upgrade one existing online math course and create one new online math course. As a summer project commencing June 15, 2002 and ending September 15, 2002, the 3-month timeline called for inclusion of training sessions, groups meetings, and follow-up communications. Comments from MAP team developers were summarized for review. This paper describes the two different processes teams went through in the course revisions and the new course development. The MAP team members completed all project goals and objectives as designated, yet noted that their work barely scratched the surface. Includes 5 figures and recommendations for further research. (NB)

A student Web portal is a personalized, student-centric view of College Web resources. The "Artemis" system at Florida Community College at Jacksonville (FCCJ), represents movement toward realization of the efficiencies and student service possibilities of a Web portal. This proposal recommends a radical expansion of Artemis functions, one that has the potential to: integrate disparate information resources at the College; increase student retention, particularly during the critical first term; increase student satisfaction on measures of institutional effectiveness;increase student access to services and provide enhanced support for distance learners; increase operational efficiency through students use of self-help resources; and revitalize student success services. Realization of these outcomes will require a major institutional commitment--comparable to that devoted to other significant College achievements--and ongoing development and support. It will require a reallocation of resources and consideration of reorganization to support emerging functions. This proposal suggests what can be done and how to get started. Discussion includes theoretical foundations; design considerations including student, marketing, integration and project management factors; design overview; portal elements; and issues and concerns including infrastructure and project feasibility and issues and staff commitment and organizational support. Implementation suggestions and a bibliography are appended. (AEF)

This paper presents an evaluation of Colorado's educational needs related to economic competitiveness and to providing equal access to higher education. The paper looks at the Colorado economy's shift toward an information/service based system. Thus the paper argues, the educational needs of Colorado's workforce are higher and to maintain its competitive edge, those needs must be met. Also discussed are demographic shifts changing the makeup of the future workforce which will be older, more female and more diverse. Also, the paper argues, demographic shift will not lead to an equitable distribution of educational participation without efforts to increase the participation of previously disenfranchised individuals. Consequently a statewide ethnic minority graduation goal of 18.6 percent by the year 2000 has been adopted. If that goal is funded by the state, the public institutions would need to graduate an additional 1,484 minority graduates above current projects in the year 2000. The paper argues that if Colorado public educational institutions are to continue to produce their current percentage of the demand for sub-baccalaureate and baccalaureate degrees, the estimated annual cost to the state for public institutions to meet that demand is $45 million above the costs already estimated in the higher education demand projections. Ten references are included. (JB)

This paper examines what the World Wide Web has to offer persons who work in education, employment and training, and career development. The guide is designed for the following purposes: (1) to provide "hot lists" of significant career and occupational information resources on the Web, with brief descriptions of what they offer and information on how to find them quickly; (2) to present online specific strategies and techniques to use in exploring the Web for topics and sites of interest; (3) to encourage greater use of the Web to obtain resources that might not be available or accessible in other ways; (4) to encourage users to evaluate Internet resources, based on their needs and applications, to determine their usefulness and appropriateness; and (5) to introduce beginning users to some pertinent Internet concepts and terminology. The guide is organized in three chapters. Chapter 1 briefly introduces key concepts and tools that will help the reader to go online. Chapter 2 provides a concise but wide-ranging list of job search and career information and career development Web sites. Chapter 3 explores some sites that feature labor market, economic, and education data. (KC)

This paper looks at the information technology infrastructure which is driving a transition toward a new information/service economy and which consequently requires a "reengineering" of higher education. Following a preface, the first chapter, "Reengineering and Related Concepts in the Literature," looks at reengineering in general, the concepts involved, organizational resistance, new forms of leadership and organizational culture, empowering individuals, developing teams, setting standards for quality, building networks, and planning and management. The second chapter, "Reengineering in Higher Education," speaks of the need for reengineering including uneasiness over the rising cost of higher education, the need to respond to student consumerism, and rapid and far-reaching change as the dominant paradigm for entering the 21st century. The balance of the chapter describes the organizational culture in academe, new paradigms for higher education, dynamics of organizational growth, and critical success factors. The final chapter, "Implications of Reengineering for Information Technology Units," looks at higher education solutions to resource issues and institutional necessities in light of new types of information technology units, the possibility of broad based "buy-ins" and the growth of campput needs and expectations. A conclusion offers a vision for future higher education developments. Included is a bibliography of over 150 items. Extensive references follow each chapter. (JB)

The Canadian Association of College and Technical Libraries (CTCL) survey was mailed out to 135 CTCL member libraries in February 1996. Results paint a positive picture of the ability of Canadian college and technical libraries to incorporate new technology into their service delivery within a relatively short time frame. Eighty-five libraries (88% of the respondents) indicated that they were providing student and/or staff access to the Internet at workstations in their libraries. Most of the respondents had been offering access for less than one year. The survey revealed that two key issues related to Internet access are: (1) providing effective training for library staff, and (2) finding the resources to meet rising user expectations about services and accessibility in the library. The survey instrument was divided into two main parts. Part One--to be answered by all libraries providing any Internet access to own staff or to students or instructors--focused on general questions about Internet access and services being offered in the library. Part Two--to be answered by libraries that provide Internet access to library staff only--was designed to find out what services are provided and what conditions govern Internet use in libraries where student and instructional staff access is supported. (AEF)

In response to rapidly escalating survey response requests from publishers of college guides and magazine rating features, institutional researchers at the University of California at Berkeley (UC Berkeley) developed a standard response form. In fact, the extensive research and level of detail that many surveys request require significant effort on the part of the institution. That effort, it is argued, actually subsidizes the college guide publication industry as much of the information is sold commercially in database format and not used in guidebooks. The UC Berkeley prototype response consists of two documents: A "Fact Sheet" and a "Publication List." The Fact Sheet provides basic information on the campus such as enrollment, faculty size, admissions policies, library holdings, and includes only items, that are common to several surveys and published in guidebooks; and of actual value to parents and students looking for colleges. The Publications List outlines a set of standard campus publication and national data collection reports that provide more detailed information on various programs and issues. This basic set of information is provided to all guide publishers on request. (Includes a copy of the standard response form and a list of variables for the response form.) (Author/JB)

This paper discusses the key role of information in helping minority group parents and students gain access to postsecondary education and offers a descriptive framework for understanding information needs and availability. The framework is a taxonomy of the kinds and types of information needed by students and parents in order for the student to successfully enroll in and complete postsecondary education, and the ways in which these needs change over time. The framework is largely based on the Donald Hossler model, which suggests that information needs may be catalogued into one of two categories: academic and financial. Academic information may be broken down into curriculum requirements and performance requirements. Financial information breaks down into three types: (1) the cost of college and the necessary planning and preparation needed to pay for college; (2) the returns education offers for those who complete in their program of study; and (3) the availability of financial aid for students. Research on information availability indicates that systems often do not take student and parent information needs into account, that students and parents are dissatisfied with the information they do receive, and that access to information resources and services may be more limited for low income high school students. (JB)

This compilation consists of various letters and documents issued for public comment during 1986-1987 by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) of the U.S. Department of Education, during its examination of the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) system to determine any needed changes and improvements. This compilation includes only the material that was distributed for public comment. It does not include the minutes of meetings of advisory groups formed during 1986 to study ERIC, the background papers that were prepared to stimulate internal discussion, or the many letter reactions that were received from the field in response to these public announcements. The components of this package are: (1) "ERIC in Its Third Decade" (a statement of principles); (2) "Domains or Scope Areas to Be Included in the ERIC System"; and (3) "Summary of the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) Redesign" (an implementation paper). Appended to the third component are two position papers: (1) "Access ERIC" (including "ERIC Partners"), by John Collins; and (2) "Adjunct Clearinghouses," by Elizabeth Payer. Except insofar as they may be modified by further public comment or congressional action, it is OERI's intent to proceed to modify ERIC along the lines described in these documents. These changes involve: (1) Merging the Clearinghouses on Teacher Education and Counseling and Personnel Services into a "School Professionals" Clearinghouse; (2) Changing the names of seven Clearinghouses; (3) adding a Clearinghouse on "Education Statistics," to be located within the Center for Education Statistics (CES); (4) Initiating a new ERIC system component called "ACCESS ERIC" to concentrate on marketing, promotion, advertising, public relations, training, system-wide information analysis products, and liaison with other information systems; (5) Initiating a formal users' group to be called "ERIC Partners"; (6) Initiating a new kind of "Adjunct Clearinghouse" that will, at no cost to ERIC, acquire and process for ERIC the educational literature in the distinctive areas (e.g., art) in which their host organizations may have a special interest. (AA)

This paper reviews recent measurement work on User-Created Content (UCC) undertaken in OECD countries. It shows that UCC is emerging as a significant area of economic and social activity worthy of consideration for official measurement and discusses the implications for the OECD Model Survey on ICT Access and Use by Households and Individuals. (Study summary and questionnaires are annexed. Contains 10 footnotes, 6 figures and 1 table.)

This volume is the first of two in a report on a state-of-the-art assessment which was conducted to determine the roles of school, academic, special, and community libraries in creating and/or providing viewtext information services; the information resources now available or expected to be available in the future to a sample of libraries in the United States; and the unique contribution that viewtext can make to providing information to homes or businesses. Included in this volume are an executive summary, a state-of-the-art paper, and three appendices. The summary outlines the rationale for the project, discusses its goals, describes the research carried out, summarizes the results of research activities, and presents 10 general conclusions based on these results. Data collected through a review of the literature and consultation with knowledgeable experts are presented in a context paper and bibliography for use by libraries in assessing their role in providing and delivering viewtext information. The paper and bibliography (Appendix A) focus on seven critical topic areas: the role of the library in an information-based society; legislation and regulations related to viewtext; technical aspects of viewtext; the current status of viewtext information services; current applications of viewtext in libraries; the design, implementation, and maintenance of viewtext in libraries; and the social implications of viewtext and the significance for libraries. Lists of major businesses delivering remote electronic access to delivery of information (READI) and libraries providing viewtext services are also appended. (BBM)

Evaluation strategies used in a 1979 assessment study of information services in Oregon are described. The study was designed to assist staff and members of the Oregon Educational Coordinating Commission with a policy decision. A multi-form, multi-method and multiple audience assessment strategy was used in an effort to account for both the technical and the political dimensions of analysis. The assessment featured in-mail surveys, interviews, extensive use of secondary sources of data, identification of environmental factors that might affect future educational information and counseling service development in Oregon, a specification of study limitations, and a final working conference where preliminary assessment findings were reviewed and debated. The needs assessment considered the adequacy of educational information and counseling services in the state in order to help in the decision of whether to apply for federal funds under the Educational Information Centers Program. It was concluded that information services were not adequate. (Author/SW)

This report discusses the ability of public libraries to address the problems of older Americans, particularly older women, and to make their lives more satisfying. A review of facts and figures about the older population is followed by a discussion of programs and responses to the needs of older Americans by libraries and other agencies, such as Books for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, services to the homebound, and information and referral services. A historical look at library services for the elderly is provided, characteristics of such services are described, and suggestions for program development and improvement are given. Several library programs for the elderly are described, classified by the geographic location of the library system which provides support. The next section on perceptions of aging reviews research, studies, and opinions which confirm the lack of a typical old age or reaction to aging. The final section discusses recommendations for libraries and lists 10 areas that should be considered in developing new library programs and activities for the older population. (NRB)

This report provides an overview of library and information services for older adults today. New programs are described which have been developed to serve older adults and to respond to their needs. The training of librarians to provide such services is also discussed. The first section of this report focuses on access and includes discussions on the public library's response to the psychological and social needs of older adults, materials and facilities, and interagency cooperation and coordinated service delivery. Issues such as role loss, agism, segregation, ethnic needs, special services to the impaired, and alternative delivery systems are addressed. The next section on education concerns older adult learning, lifelong learning, and information education for service providers as well as a description of a public library model project which concentrates on information provision and education to increase information literacy. The third section discusses information, including information on demand, career and employment information, information and referral services, and information through programming. The final section on management and training to provide public library services for the aging addresses administrative issues in service provision and education for library and information professionals; the future of the public library system is also considered. (NRB)

The conference recorded in this document covered a wide variety of themes and consisted of keynote addresses, research presentations, and workshops. The following keynote addresses are included: "Technician Training: A New Zealand Perspective" (Wood); and "The Provision of Information Services in Vocational Education: The Present and the Future" (Lee). The following research presentations are included: "Responding to Diversity: Learning Styles in Vocational Education" (Andrews); "The Future for Vocational and Technical Education" (Strong); "Alternative Approaches to Vocational Education--The Malaysian Experience" (Saleh); "Recent Initiatives in Staff Development in Vocational Education in Scotland" (Niven); and "Vocational Education: An International Perspective" (Hickey). The following workshop presentations are included: "Teaching Learning Skills as a Foundation for Technical Training" (Nelson); "Approaches to Instructional Strategies for an Information-Based Society" (Ross); "Socialization and Cognitive Process in the Appropriation of Technical-Scientific Knowledge and Practical Abilities in Vocational High School" (Hardy); "An Experimental Study of Incorporating Creative and Inventive Concepts into Vocational High School Curricula" (Wu); "Teaching and Learning in TAFE: Does TAFE Sell Its Students Short?" (Gove); "Vocational Qualification and Access to Higher Education" (Smithers); "Competency Tests: Their Role in Selection of Apprentice and Trainee Technical Officers in Australia" (Holdgate); "Development and Analysis of a Criterion-Referenced Test Item Bank" (Hinton); "Follow-up Studies of Vocational and Technical Education Graduates Using State Databases" (Strong); "Analysis of a Programme of Electromechanics of Automated Systems in Terms of Underlying Physical Concepts and Principles" (Gagnon); "Fast Track Apprenticeships and Multi-Skilling: Can We Have the Best of Both Worlds?" (Thomas); "Collecting Case Studies in TAFE Curriculum: Some Problems" (McBeath); "Teacher Motivation in Vocational Education: Causes and Consequences" (Nyberg); "Vocational Teacher Education: Research into Practice" (Prichard); "Evaluation of the In-Service Education Ordinance and Programs for Industrial Vocational Teachers in the Republic of China" (Shieh); "Apprentices Literacy Skills" (Sofo); "Regional Colleges: Resource Sharing between Vocational Education and Higher Education" (Atkinson); "Student Withdrawal from Part-Time Courses of Further Education" (Parkin); and "Improving the Quality of Vocational Education" (Jain). (CML)

Described are principal options through which employers may address the child care concerns of their employees. Options fall into four general categories: financial assistance, time availability, direct care services, and provision of information. The principal options in the category of financial assistance are dependent care assistance plans and flexible benefits plans offering dependent care options. Employers may make additional time available or flexible for employees through parental leave policies, part-time work options, and alternative work schedules. The most familiar and visible of the child care options is the on-site or near-site child care center, but an increasingly popular option is corporate support of family day care homes or systems, in which four or five children are cared for by a provider in the provider's home. Employers choosing to provide information on work- and family-related issues for employees can effectively raise morale and help to reduce the stress of holding two full-time jobs (as parent and employee) simultaneously. These information options include child care information services and work and family seminars. (RH)

Canada has explored the use of satellites as a means to provide information and communications services to geographically isolated populations since 1962. Between 1972 and 1984, five series of satellites known as Anik A, B, C, and D and Hermes were launched. Each satellite provided expanded communications services, and each led to research and experiments in educational applications, some of which included joint ventures with other countries. For example, more than 20 Canadian organizations carried out technical and social experiments with the Hermes satellite, including direct-to-home television and radio broadcasting, tele-education, telemedicine, community interaction, administrative services, and native communications services. Research indicates that communications satellites far surpass their initial purpose of reaching remote populations. Current and future developments include two-way satellite technology, integration of satellites and computer assisted and managed instruction in distance education, and local and regional computer networking via satellite. Among the most important issues regarding the use of satellites for educational purposes are: (1) determining ownership and copyright of satellite programs; (2) integrating satellite educational services with existing terrestrial distribution systems; (3) determining cost-effectiveness of satellite delivered educational service; (4) evaluating student satisfaction and performance for educational services delivered by satellite; (5) establishing educational satellite consortia on a regional basis; and (6) deciding whether a satellite educational service should have one-way or two-way capabilities. (10 references) (DB)