Thanks, Jim, for mentioning our study of special librarians and the
Internet. It is available by anonymous ftp from hydra.uwo.ca,
directory /libsoft/ but the file name is SPEC_LIBS.TXT (not SPEC-LIBS.TXT).
It is also available as ERIC Doc. No. ED345751. I will be glad to
send anyone an e-copy as well.
The full report of our research is part of a book that Special Libraries
Association is publishing, titled _The Internet and Special Librarians:
Use, Training and the Future_, which will be avaiable at the SLA Annual
Conference in Cincinnati, June 5-10.
BTW, we are not alone in our finding that electronic conferences (or
LISTSERVS, discussion lists, etc.) are widely used by researchers
and scholars. Other studies you might want to check are:
Ayden, Carolyn E. and Rice, Ronald E. (1992). Bringing
social worlds together: computers as catalysts for new
interactions in health care organizations. _Journal of
Health and Social Behavior_, 33(2), 168-185.
Kerr, Elaine B. and Hiltz, Starr R. (1982). _Computer-Mediated
Communication Systems: Status and Evaluation_. New York:
Academic PRess.
Sproull, Lee S. and Kiesler, Sara. (1991). Computers, networks
and work. _Scientific American_, 265(3), 116-123.
Peter Denning provides an excellent analysis of the role of
electronic communication in scientific inquiry in his article,
A new paradigm for science, _American Scientist_ 75, Nov/Dec., 1987,
572-573. In this article Denning explains that scientific "knowledge
and know-how lives in the people of science and in their conversations
with one another." He calls for a new paradigm which "will place
people in a central role, supporting their conversations and collaborations.
It will use networks of computers to nurture networks of people ...
the network augments communication and sharing; it is both a learning
device for novices and a tool kit for experts."
Although I have not seen the Chronicle issue which summarizes the
study discounting the usefulness of electronic conferences, I too hope
that reports such as this will not result in administrative restrictions
to their availability and use. Certainly there is a lot of chaff
out there, particularly in some of the Usenet lists, but the synergy
that is created when "communities of scholars" come together and
exchange ideas electronically is exciting to behold. I see it
happening in my own discipline of special librarianship, and the
literature I've read leads me to conclude that it is taking place
in other disciplines as well.
Sharyn Ladner
Business Librarian
University of Miami (FL)
Internet: sladner@umiami.ir.miami.edu
FIRN: ladners
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