Avra MICHELSON Forecasting the Use of Electronic Texts by
Social Sciences and Humanities Scholars
This presentation explores the ways in which electronic texts are likely
to be used by the non-scientific scholarly community. Many of the
remarks are drawn from a report the speaker coauthored with Jeff
Rothenberg, a computer scientist at The RAND Corporation.
The speaker assesses 1) current scholarly use of information technology
and 2) the key trends in information technology most relevant to the
research process, in order to predict how social sciences and humanities
scholars are apt to use electronic texts. In introducing the topic,
current use of electronic texts is explored broadly within the context of
scholarly communication. From the perspective of scholarly
communication, the work of humanities and social sciences scholars
involves five processes: 1) identification of sources, 2) communication
with colleagues, 3) interpretation and analysis of data, 4) dissemination
of research findings, and 5) curriculum development and instruction. The
extent to which computation currently permeates aspects of scholarly
communication represents a viable indicator of the prospects for
electronic texts.
The discussion of current practice is balanced by an analysis of key
trends in the scholarly use of information technology. These include the
trends toward end-user computing and connectivity, which provide a
framework for forecasting the use of electronic texts through this
millennium. The presentation concludes with a summary of the ways in
which the nonscientific scholarly community can be expected to use
electronic texts, and the implications of that use for information
providers.
Susan VECCIA and Joanne FREEMAN Electronic Archives for the Public:
Use of American Memory in Public and
School Libraries
This joint discussion focuses on nonscholarly applications of electronic
library materials, specifically addressing use of the Library of Congress
American Memory (AM) program in a small number of public and school
libraries throughout the United States. AM consists of selected Library
of Congress primary archival materials, stored on optical media
(CD-ROM/videodisc), and presented with little or no editing. Many
collections are accompanied by electronic introductions and user's guides
offering background information and historical context. Collections
represent a variety of formats including photographs, graphic arts,
motion pictures, recorded sound, music, broadsides and manuscripts,
books, and pamphlets.
In 1991, the Library of Congress began a nationwide evaluation of AM in
different types of institutions. Test sites include public libraries,
elementary and secondary school libraries, college and university
libraries, state libraries, and special libraries. Susan VECCIA and
Joanne FREEMAN will discuss their observations on the use of AM by the
nonscholarly community, using evidence gleaned from this ongoing
evaluation effort.
VECCIA will comment on the overall goals of the evaluation project, and
the types of public and school libraries included in this study. Her
comments on nonscholarly use of AM will focus on the public library as a
cultural and community institution, often bridging the gap between formal
and informal education. FREEMAN will discuss the use of AM in school
libraries. Use by students and teachers has revealed some broad
questions about the use of electronic resources, as well as definite
benefits gained by the "nonscholar." Topics will include the problem of
grasping content and context in an electronic environment, the stumbling
blocks created by "new" technologies, and the unique skills and interests
awakened through use of electronic resources.