The SIG/LAN Newsletter is published irregularly by the American Society for Information Science (ASIS) Special Interest Group for Library Automation and Networks (SIG/LAN). It is sent free of charge to all members of SIG/LAN.
The next issue is expected to be published in July 1997. Send articles, reviews and news contributions to Pat Ball or Ann Eagan.
The American Society for Information Science assumes no responsibility for statements advanced by contributions to the Society's publications. Editorial views do not necessarily represent the official position of ASIS.
1996/1997 SIG/LAN Officers
| Chair:
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Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect:
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| Newsletter Co-Editor:
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Newsletter Co-Editor:
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Ann Eagan, University of Arizona
Included in the December 1996 issue was a survey in which two questions were asked: "In what format do you prefer to receive the SIG/LAN Newsletter?" and "In what format are you capable of receiving the SIG/LAN Newsletter?" Fifty-three surveys were returned. Of those, only three indicated that they could not access the newsletter electronically. See more discussion about the decision to go to a Web version only in the messages from the Chair and Chair-Elect.
Accommodations are being made for those without electronic access. Paper copies of the newsletter will be sent to those who cannot receive the newsletter electronically. The availability of the newsletter will also be announced on ASIS-L and in other ASIS publications.
Cass Armstrong, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
The SIG planning meetings were organized a bit differently this year. The SIGs planned proposals independently the first day, then met the 2nd day to share planned proposals and look for opportunities to co-sponsor or merge planning efforts for similar sessions. Several good ideas for co-sponsoring let to a few successful proposals.
We had a few very active members this year. That, coupled with the new plan of action for SIG planning meetings has resulted in the following sessions being accepted for presentation.
SIG LAN will sponsor the third plenary session at the mid-year meeting in Scottsdale. Thanks to the efforts of Mike Stallings, chair-elect of the SIG, Bob Frankston of Microsoft will share the panel with Michael Lesk of University College London.
Laura Cosineau of Duke put together "User Issues: Integration of the World Wide Web with Library Resources" for the annual meeting and we're co-sponsoring a session on metadata, specifically URCs (Uniform Resource Characteristics), with SIG CR. That session is being organized by Ray Schwartz of Rutgers.
Mike Stallings is working on a Virtual Reality Room for 1998. He's begun to lay the groundwork for an exciting year as Chair of the SIG.
There's been a lot of discussion of the means of distribution of this newsletter between the officers of the SIG and the editors. The consensus is that we'd like to save trees as well as funds by posting the newsletter on the WEB page maintained by Mike Stallings. Mike and Barbara Deutsch co-created the page last year. Use of the page as a central point for distribution of SIG news is a natural next step but we don't want to limit access to any of the members. A user survey indicated that a couple of people in the SIG would not have access to the WEB site. Send your thoughts on this to Pat Ball at pball@ce1.af.public.lib.ga.us.
SIG LAN members are a big part of the mid-year program this year with Sam Hastings topping the list by participating in two concurrent sessions to kickoff the conference on Monday. Good luck Sam!
The timing should be tricky on that one. SIG LAN member Ray Larson will be moderating the one entitled "Electronic Course Reserves: Fair Use and Copyright Issues." The other one is "Public Access: Privacy and Security Issues in Public Libraries."
After lunch, SIG members Vivian Hay is moderating the session "Privacy, Integrity and Security for the Holocaust Project Database" sponsored by SIG CRS.
On Tuesday, SIG member Marilyn Redmond is moderating "The Role of Digital Electronic Security Tools in Assuring Data and Image Integrity," sponsored by SIGs PUB and VIS.
Vivian Hay returns to moderate on Wednesday, "A New Definition of Privacy," sponsored by SIGs CRS and AH and Mark Needleman co-hosts the box lunch and wrap-up session scheduled for that day.
Geoff McKim and Jim Rush are both leading workshops on Sunday, Geoff's "Introduction to Computer and Network Security" and Jim's "Data Communications: Understanding the Basics."
Michael Stallings, Microsoft Library
SIGs are great --you meet other ASIS members; you get to know fellow SIG members at planning sessions and networking dinners; and you experience the professional version of "school spirit" at events like SIG Rush.
In the wider arena, SIGs perform a service to ASIS as a whole by planning conference sessions and putting out newsletters. They also organize ASIS into a manageable number of voices at Cabinet and other governance sessions.
SIGs do a lot of cool things, but could they do more? Could they be a more radical agent for change, for instance? Under LAN Chair Cass Armstrong , we have taken steps in this direction in 1996-7. We asked the question "If you're not electronically connected, why are you in SIG/LAN?" and responded by eliminating the paper newsletter and committing to a totally WWW version. This saves a lot of money and a few trees, but it risks irritating some folks and maybe even causing them to quit LAN. This kind of risk goes hand-in-hand with change.
As your Chair-Elect, I'd like to know what kind of risks you'd like us to take in the next year. Should we be a radical agent for change within ASIS, or should we stick with the status quo? What kinds of change do you think would invigorate ASIS in general and LAN in particular?
Please e-mail me with your comments and suggestions at MSTALL@MICROSOFT.COM. The fact that I'm asking these questions shows a predisposition to risk-taking, so if I don't hear from you watch out!
"There is nothing stable in the world; uproar's your only music." John Keats (1795-1821)
Annual Conference Planners, plan to write a short article on your program for the newsletter! Deadline is September 30!
If you have just read a great book, article or Web document that you would like to share, write down your thoughts and send them to Pat Ball at 135 Cumberland Crossing, Smyrna, GA 30080 or patball@delphi.com . Don't worry about the length or too much about the spelling. We will clean it up. Just send us some material, please!
ASIS Mid-Year:
ASIS Annual:
Michael Lesk and Bob Frankston will share their thoughts, knowledge, and expertise concerning present issues and future concerns they deem to be of importance in these areas. The session is designed to be interactive in nature audience participation is encouraged.
Bob Frankston, co-creator of Visicale, the first personal computer spreadsheet, contributes to the architecture and design of advanced technology projects in the development of the next generation of software products for the digital highway at Microsoft. Prior to joining Microsoft, Frankston was at Slate Corporation, a pen-based software company, developing for the hand-held and portable market. Before Slate Corporation, he was at Lotus Development Corporation where he created Lotus Express. Previously he was president of Software Arts, the company he co-founded with Dan Bricklin in 1979. Frankston holds a master's degree in computing and a bachelor of science in both mathematics and computer science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Michael Lesk, "Big enchilada", Computer Science Research Department, Bellcore. 1960's: worked for the SMART project, wrote much of their retrieval code and did many of the retrieval experiments, as well as obtaining a PhD in Chemical Physics. 1970's: worked in the group that built Unix and wrote Unix tools for word processing (tbl, refer), compiling (lex), and networking (uucp). 1980's: worked on specific information systems applications, mostly with geography ( a system for disambiguating words in context), as well, as running a research group at Bellcore. 1990's: worked on a large chemical information system, the CORE project, with Cornell, OCLC, ACS and CAS. Lesk is also Visiting Professor in computer science at University College London; on the Visiting Committee for the Harvard University Library; and has worked with the Commission on Preservation and Access addressing digital preservation issues. He received the "Flame" award for lifetime achievement from Usenix in 1994, and is a Fellow of the ACM."
Ellen Sleeter, Morris Automation Information network, Moderator.