08/04/03
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This newsletter is available to the public at the following locations:
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Text of H.R. 2613
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=108_cong_bills&docid=f:h2613ih.txt.pdf
A bill to amend title 17, United States Code, to exclude from copyright protection works
resulting from scientific research substantially funded by the Federal Government.
Statement of John Boehner
http://edworkforce.house.gov/markups/108th/fc/hr438/610sb.htm
Text, Amendments, and related documents
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:h.r.00438:
“NSTA Legislative Update, July 21, 2003
House Approves Student Loan Forgiveness for Science Teachers
Last week the full House of Representatives passed the Teacher Recruitment and Retention Act (H.R. 438), which would allow loan forgiveness for federal Stafford loans of up to $17,500 for science, math, special education, and state-certified reading teachers who agree to teach in high poverty Title I schools for five consecutive years. This is the first of many bills that will eventually reauthorize the Higher Education Act (HEA).
The second HEA bill approved by the House is the Ready to Teach Act (H.R. 2211), introduced by Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-GA). This bill addresses HEA Title II programs (teacher education) and reflects the Committee's attempts to align the preparation of future teachers with the highly qualified teacher definition in NCLB. H.R. 2211 mandates that teacher colleges and states report the passing rates on certification and licensure tests of prospective teacher candidates. The bill also establishes three competitive grants that could be used to strengthen teacher preparation programs.
Senate legislation to reauthorize the HEA is not expected until later this year.”
The New Biology
http://www4.nas.edu/nas/nashome.nsf/Multi+Database+Search/D23BF843FDE1392485256D080065962F?OpenDocum
Listen to a National Academy of Sciences symposium, “The New Biology:
Celebrating the Past; Imagining the Future.” The event was featured during the
Academy's recent annual meeting (requires free RealPlayer).
Communities of Practice Presentation
http://cops.comm.nsdlib.org/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?Communities_of_Practice
Please join a teleconference on August 20 at 4:00PM EDT to hear Bruce Caron (PI,
Data Discovery Toolkit and Foundry) talk about his experience building community in
the Federation of Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP).
ESIP brings together government agencies, universities, non-profit organizations, and businesses in an effort to make Earth Science information available to a broader community. It facilitates interactions among scientists, engineers, information technologists, and user communities by encouraging the use of best science, supports exchange and integration of Earth science data, information, products, and services, and increases the diversity and breadth of users and uses of Earth science data, information, products and services.
So, listen in to find out how this community works, and participate in a discussion about lessons learned along the way. Call information will be posted on the Communities of Practice web site and announced via email shortly. (From Whiteboard)
Collection Solution in a Box from Internet Scout
The Internet Scout Project, as part of the National Science Foundation's NSDL initiative,
is currently soliciting beta testers for the initial release of the CWIS software package.
This turnkey, open source software package helps groups or organizations put an NSDL
collection portal online with minimal investment in technical resources or expertise.
The initial release of CWIS will include:
To install and run CWIS you will need:
The initial release of CWIS is scheduled for early September 2003. Any NSDL collection developers interested in becoming beta-testers for CWIS should send e-mail to cwisbeta@scout.wisc.edu. (From Whiteboard)
Dark Matter Detection
http://www4.nas.edu/nas/nashome.nsf/Multi+Database+Search/8A51930DBA019DDE85256D0800645FF7?OpenDocum
Listen to the Beckman Frontiers of Science symposium, “Dark Matter
Detection.” The event, organized by and for young scientists, was
presented in April during the National Academy of Sciences' 140th annual
meeting (requires free RealPlayer).
Gender Differences in the Careers of Academic Scientists and Engineers: A Literature Review.
NSF, 2003.
http://www.nsf.gov/pubsys/ods/getpub.cfm?nsf03322
Research and Development in Industry, 2000.
NSF, 2003.
http://www.nsf.gov/pubsys/ods/getpub.cfm?nsf03318
Lipson, Hod, et al. 3-D Printing the History of Mechanisms.
Cornell Univ., 2003.
http://www.mae.cornell.edu/lipson/tmpz/3DprintingHistory.pdf
Initial employment report: physics PhD recipients, 2000 and 2001.
AIP, 2003.
http://www.aip.org/statistics/trends/highlite/emp00/emp01.pdf
Assessment of Scientific Information for the Radiation Exposure Screening and Education Program: Interim Report.
NAP, 2003.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10766.html?onpi_listserv071103
The Sun to the Earth -- and Beyond: A Decadal Research Strategy in Solar and Space Physics.
NAP, 2003.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10477.html?onpi_listserv071103
Assessment of Mars Science and Mission Priorities.
NAP, 2003.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10715.html?onpi_listserv071103
Global Economic Crime Surveys 2003.
Price, Waterhouse, Coopers, 2003.
http://www.pwc.com/extweb/ncsurvres.nsf/docid/E4BD4A78EE004C2D85256D4D005C2023
Review of NOAA's National Geophysical Data Center.
NAP, 2003.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10773.html?onpi_listserv080103
Kleiman, Kathryn.
Internet Governance: A View from the Trenches, Participation Needed for Successful Advocacy in the ICANN Arena.
ACM, 2003.
http://www.acm.org/usacm/PDF/ACM-IGP_Ford_Foundation_White_Paper.pdf
Veterans and Agent Orange: Update 2002.
NAP, 2003.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10603.html?onpi_listserv080103
Kely, Terrence K., et al.
A Review of Reports on Selected Large Federal Science Facilities: Management and Life-Cycle Issues.
RAND 2003.
http://www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR1728/
Enabling Ocean Research in the 21st Century: Implementation of a Network of Ocean Observatories.
NAP, 2003
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10775.html?onpi_listserv080103
International Perspectives: The Future of Nonhuman Primate Resources, Proceedings of the Workshop Held April 17-19, 2002.
NAP, 2003.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10774.html?onpi_listserv080103
Hachigian, Nina.
The Information Revolution in Asia.
RAND, 2003.
http://www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR1719/
Enhancing the Vitality of the National Institutes of Health: Organizational Change to Meet New Challenges.
NAP, 2003.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10779.html?onpi_listserv080103
Zycher, Benjamin.
A Preliminary Benefit/Cost Framework for Counterterrorism Public Expenditures.
RAND, 2003.
http://www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR1693/
Graafland-Essers, Irma, et al.
Benchmarking e-Government in Europe and the US.
RAND, 2003.
http://www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR1733/
geodata.gov
http://www.geodata.gov/
“geodata.gov is a web-based portal for one-stop access to maps, data and other
geospatial services that will simplify the ability of all levels of government and
citizens to find geospatial data and learn more about geospatial projects
underway.”
Data categories include:
The Top 10 Most Cited Researchers
http://www.in-cites.com/top/2003/index.html
From ISI, the 2003 list of the most cited researchers in more than 20 fields.
BioMedNet: The Endocrine Society 2003 Meeting
http://news.bmn.com/conferences/list/view?fileyear=2003&fileacronyn=ENDO&pagefile=content.html
BioMedNet presents this detailed report on the annual meeting of the
Endocrine Society, held recently in Philadelphia. Journalistic coverage of
the event offers an engaging account of the “startling variety of research
taking place under the endocrinology banner.” Readers will find presentation
summaries for each day of the 4-day event, as well as profiles of a few
participating researchers. As the Web site describes: “From sex reversal in
alligators to ongoing controversies on the subject of hormone replacement
therapy, there really was something for everyone.” Users must first complete
a free registration with BioMedNet to view this site, which also includes
links to related full-text articles published in various scientific journals
(abstracts available for free). This site is also reviewed in the July 11,
2003 NSDL Life Sciences Report. [RS] (From the Scout Report)
BBC Radio 4: Hearing Colours, Eating Sounds
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/hearingcolours.shtml
In this two-part radio series from BBC Radio 4, the condition of
synaesthesia is explored through interviews with scientists and those who
have been diagnosed with the condition. Synaesthesia is a condition in which
the five senses intermingle, so that stimulation in one sense may give rise
to a stimulation in another sense. For one example, certain letters of the
alphabet may be associated with certain colors for a synaesthete. The
program here is divided into two 30-minute sections. The first program
explores the experiences of several synaesthetes, such as James Wannerton
who tastes spoken words, and Jane Mackay, who sees shapes and colors when
she hears music. The second part of the program “examines the mounting
evidence that we all start life with the potential for synaesthesia.” The
study of this condition is pushing the boundaries of neuroscience, and this
provocative exploration of this condition and its study offered by the BBC
is quite engaging and informative. [KMG] (From the Scout Report)
Biology Links: Evolution
http://mcb.harvard.edu/BioLinks/Evolution.html
The Harvard Dept. of Molecular and Cellualar Biology has put together this very
nice links page to sources of information on evolution. It presents a straightforward
organization of quality links on the subject.
Ancient Creature of the Deep
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/fish/
This is a companion site for a PBS NOVA program about the
discovery of the coelacanth, a fish thought to be extinct,
by Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer and J.L.B. Smith in 1938 in
East London, South Africa. Includes information about
coelacanth anatomy, other living “fossil fish” (bichir,
bowfin, gar, hagfish, lamprey, lungfish, paddlefish, and
sturgeon), program transcript, images, teachers guide, and
related links. (From Librarian's Index to the Internet)
Digital Morphology
http://digimorph.org/
This spectacular and vast image library lets you go deep inside
the head of a dinosaur, salamander, and Sudanese plated lizard
without ever having to pierce skin or pick up a fossil. Compiled
and categorized by a crack team of researchers and taxonomists,
these X-ray computed tomographic (X-ray CT) images reveal crisp,
detailed 2D and 3D slices of anatomy more clearly than any cat
scan. The breakthrough scanner used was built to zoom in on the
internal structure of natural objects at the macro and micro level.
Find living and extinct creatures by their scientific names or
common names, look through what's new, or search by popular species.
Decide for yourself who's the looker in the bird family -- the emu,
ostrich, or kiwi? Animated close-ups of sawfish in action, a bevy
of bats, or the mysterious Mata Mata allow you to marvel at
evolution's oddities. It pays to stay one step ahead of the rest
the food chain. (From Yahoo's Picks of the Week)
New Multimedia Searching Tool
http://www.resourceshelf.com/archives/2003_07_01_resourceshelf_archive.html/#105719886997409111
This software is under development at CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial
Research Organisation) in Australia. From the article, a new web tool makes online
video and audio as interactive as text, say its creators. The software could enhance
surfing, and help individuals and organizations manage large quantities of footage
. . . The new software, called Annodex, allows any section within a file
to be given a descriptive tag - ‘love scene’, ‘fight’ or
‘interview’, for example. Tags form a stream of information that runs
alongside the file, changing to keep track of it. (From the Resource Shelf)
Environment: Oceanography Index
http://www.poemsinc.org/
Practical Ocean Energy Management Systems, Inc. (POEMS) establishes a forum
for ocean-based energy development that supports Research and Development on
the full range of issues involved in the extraction, storage and
transmission of power from the ocean. Educational material is offered on the
Environment: Oceanography Index page of the Web site, which includes dozens
of topics to help students understand oceanography and the environment. The
subjects covered include beaches, continental drift, currents, oceans,
storms, tides, tsunamis, and waves. Each of these links brings the user to
the related page, which contains thorough descriptions, graphics,
calculations, links, and other helpful material for students. Although the
rest of the site is a bit difficult to explore, there are some additional
quality materials that educators may want to include in a lesson or let
students explore on their own. This site is also reviewed in the July 11,
2003 NSDL Physical Sciences Report. [JAB] (From the Scout Report)
Earth Science World Image Bank
http://www.earthscienceworld.org/imagebank/
“The Earth Science World ImageBank is a resource made available to the
geoscience community and general public for the purposes of enhancing Earth
education, and serving the community of science that the American Geological
Institute supports. This digital archive was released to the public in June
2003, after nearly a year of work acquiring, scanning, and indexing images.
Photographers who have submitted images to the Earth Science World ImageBank
acknowledge that the photos displayed here are acceptable for use in non-commercial
venues. Some images are available at a high-resolution free of charge for
non-commercial purposes, as well. Click on the high-resolution link below each
image if you are interested in this possible usage. Commercial usage rights vary
depending on the photographer's wishes. If you would like more information regarding
a particular image for use in a commercial (for profit) manner contact
photo@agiweb.org
for specific details.” The image bank includes over 1000 high quality images
in every aspect of earth science including archaeology.
Henri D. Grissino-Mayer's Ultimate Tree-Ring Web Pages
http://web.utk.edu/~grissino/
“I've designed these pages to be easily understood by people at all levels of
education, from elementary school students to high school students, from first grade
teachers to college professors. You won't find anything fancy here -- I want these
pages to be readable, enjoyable, and (most of all) educational.” An
attractively designed website which even includes a “Tree-Ring Tip of the
Week”. How can you resist that?
Autopedia: Physics of Racing Series
http://autopedia.com/stuttgart-west/StuttPhysics.html
Autopedia.com is described as “the comprehensive internet source for
automotive related information, where consumers can find information related
to Autos, Boats, Trucks, Minivans, Motorcycles, RVs and Sport Utilities.”
Provided by the site and written by physicist Brian Beckman, the Physics of
Racing Series offers an interesting look into the science behind racing and
race cars. Visitors can read descriptions and view graphics on the subjects
of weight transfer, keeping your tires stuck to the ground, there is no such
thing as centrifugal force, speed and horsepower, the traction budget,
simulating car dynamics with a computer program, grip angle, braking, and
much more. Any physics or racing enthusiast will appreciate the interesting
and out-of-the-ordinary information provided on the site. [JAB] (From the
Scout Report)
SPACETIME WRINKLES [QuickTime]
http://archive.ncsa.uiuc.edu/Cyberia/NumRel/NumRelHome.html
The Spacetime Wrinkles Web site, chronicling the life and legacy of Albert
Einstein, is provided by the National Center for Supercomputing
Applications. Visitors can learn who Einstein was, what gravity is, where
black holes lurk, and much more. The multimedia offerings of the site
include movies by University of Illinois staff describing various phenomena
and animations of wormholes, black holes, and more. The site does a good job
of explaining many of science's most complicated concepts giving even the
most non-technical-minded person a clear glimpse into the workings of our
universe. [JAB] (From the Scout Report)
Project Links: Mathematics and Its Applications in Engineering & Science
http://links.math.rpi.edu/
“Integrating the concepts of higher math with their applications in science
and engineering lies at the heart of Project Links' mission. Our method relies on
interactive web-based modules used in the classroom to engage students in guided
learning -- providing students with a unique experience unavailable in traditional
lecture or textbook lessons.
One of the primary goals of this project is to more closely integrate mathematics into engineering and science topics in the classroom. As a result, each module must be designed to be used in both a math course and a non-math course.”
Even a cursory look at this website is enough to hint at the exciting content. It is well laid out and well thought out, equally approachable from a mathematics or a science & engineering viewpoint.
American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database
http://www.geo.arizona.edu/AMS/amcsd.php
“American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database. This site is an
interface to a crystal structure database that includes every structure
published in both the American Mineralogist and The Canadian
Mineralogist, and beginning to include structures from the European
Journal of Mineralogy. The database is maintained under the care of the
Mineralogical Society of America and the Mineralogical Association of
Canada, and financed by the National Science Foundation.” (From
Infomine)
Arctic Health
http://www.arctichealth.org/
This National Library of Medicine site aims “to provide a
central source of information on diverse aspects of the
Arctic environment and the health of Northern peoples. It
provides access to evaluated health information from
hundreds of local, state, national, and international
agencies, as well as from professional societies and
universities.” Features a searchable directory of health
topics, sections for telemedicine and traditional medicine,
a guide to the Arctic Council, and news headlines.
(From Librarian's Index to the Internet)
Speech Accent Archive
http://classweb.gmu.edu/accent/
According to several online resources, there are approximately
6,800 known languages spoken in the 191 countries of the world.
This site examines the accents of non-native English speakers who
represent some of those languages -- 248 so far. Each speaker reads
a paragraph -- a strange little story about a woman named Stella
and her trip to the store -- that contains practically all of the
sounds of English. From Afrikaans to Zulu, the native speakers come
from all four corners of the world, and their accents give a glimpse
of different languages around the planet. Where else can you enjoy
this unique opportunity to hear hundreds of accents at one time?
(From Yahoo's Picks of the Week)
Race -- The Power of an Illusion
http://www.pbs.org/race/
How valid are your beliefs about the human species? That's the
question posed by this PBS site about race in society, science,
and history. Through facts, expert opinions, and Flash activities,
the site shows that most of our assumptions about race are wrong,
yet the consequences of racism are very real. Learn the facts behind
the concept of race, and then try sorting people to see how subjective
racial categories are. Take the human diversity quiz and realize
that people share more similarities than differences, then watch
one of the slideshows to walk a mile in someone else's shoes.
Finally, take a trip to where race lives to understand how government
policies created suburbs for some and ghettos for others. By
investigating the idea of race, how it evolved, and how American
institutions have used it, this site (and the documentary it's
based on) challenges us to work towards a more equitable society.
(From Yahoo's Picks of the Week)
Art of the First Cities
http://www.metmuseum.org/explore/First_Cities/firstcities_splash.htm
Civilization does strange things to mere mortals. It transforms
them from servants of their natural environment to rulers and
conquerors of the world. This landmark Metropolitan Museum exhibit
delves into the explosion of creativity that swept through the
Mediterranean, Mesopotamia, and the Indus Valley over 5,000 years
ago. As the fledgling cities in these areas grew, so did their
vanity and extravagance. Artisans within the mud-brick of Mohenjo-daro
carved delicate sculptures, while the elite of the Caucasus enjoyed
divine burials. Wealth, trade, and attention to craft were expressed
in intricate inlay, writing tablets, and ornate seals. From dusty
cities to eventual empires, these unearthed gems show how our
ancestors learned to appreciate the finer things in life. (From Yahoo's
Picks of the Week)
Government Information Awareness
http://opengov.media.mit.edu/
“Government Information Awareness (GIA) is a research effort by the
Computing Culture group of the MIT Media Lab. It aims to provide software
and data to help citizens understand the complexities of their government.
We were motivated by the Defense Advance Research Program Administration
(DARPA) program, Total Information Awareness, which seeks to gather,
consolidate, and analyze information about Americans and foreigners. We see
such research as possibly helpful, and probably dangerous to the democratic
process.
The premise of GIA is that individual citizens have the right to know details about government, while government has the power to know details about citizens. Our goal is develop a technology which empowers citizens to form a sort of intelligence agency; gathering, sorting, and acting on information they gather about the government. Only by employing such technologies can we hope to have a government ‘by the people, and for the people.&rsquo ”
African Ceremonies: Photographs of Sacred Rituals in Tribal Cultures
http://www.africanceremonies.com/
“Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher's lifelong commitment to
photographing the vanishing rituals and customs of tribal
African cultures culminates in their monumental masterwork,
African Ceremonies.” This site features a gallery of photos
from the book, as well as information about related African
charities and foundations “developed by Carol Beckwith and
Angela Fisher to assist nomadic pastoral peoples during
times of drought” and to fund research about African
ceremonies. (From Librarian's Index to the Internet)
Law in Mexico Before the Conquest
http://www.law.utexas.edu/rare/aztec/
This site explores Aztec and Mayan law through images and
brief overviews of topics such as warfare, courts, attorneys
and judges, property law, family law, punishment,
drunkenness, and slavery. Includes a small collection of
annotated links on Aztec, Mayan, and other Mesoamerican
civilizations. From the Jamail Center for Legal Research,
University of Texas School of Law.
(From Librarian's Index to the Internet)
ACM Website on Electronic Voting
http://www.acm.org/usacm/Issues/EVoting.htm
Visually plain website contains links to the ACM's documents and activities concerning
electronic voting, and links to related websites on this important issue.
The following items are from Edupage. To subscribe to Edupage: send mail to: listproc@educom.unc.edu with the message: subscribe edupage Anonymous (if your name is Anonymous; otherwise, substitute your own name). To unsubscribe send a message to: listproc@educom.unc.edu with the message: unsubscribe edupage. (If you have subscription problems, send mail to: manager@educom.unc.edu.)
MIT DEVELOPING SEARCH ENGINE FOR GLOBAL POOR
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3065063.stm
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) argue
that existing Web technologies cater to “Western” users, who are
“cash-rich but time-poor.” Users in poor countries, they say, where
phone lines can be hard to come by and many Internet connections are
extremely slow, are in a very different boat: little money but lots of
time. To address this gap, researchers are developing a search engine
that sends requests by e-mail to MIT, where computers perform searches
and return e-mail lists of filtered results the next day. The premise
of the system, according to MIT's Saman Amarasinghe, is that
“developing countries are willing to pay in time for knowledge.”
Because those who could benefit from the search engine have only very
slow Internet connections, the software is being distributed on CDs to
users in developing countries.
BBC, 15 July 2003 via Edupage
NEW RAM PROMISES FASTER ACCESS
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,59559,00.html
Both Motorola and Altis Semiconductor (a venture of IBM and Infineon
Technologies) are working to develop magnetoresistive random access
memory (MRAM) chips to replace current RAM technology. Because RAM is
volatile, data must be transferred between it and the computer's hard
drive every time the machine is turned on or off. MRAM works by
polarizing magnetic layers, rather than with electrical charges, making
it a potentially effective non-volatile, high-speed memory. The result,
say researchers, could be computers that simply turn on or off rather
than go through lengthy boot-up or boot-down procedures. Motorola
expects to start shipping MRAM chips by the end of this year. The
company expects MRAM cell phones and PDAs to be available around the
middle of next year. Elke Eckstein, CEO of Altis Semiconductor, said
her company's goal is to “be the first company to bring MRAM to
market.”
Wired News, 9 July 2003 via Edupage
DARPA FUNDS HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPUTING
http://dc.internet.com/news/article.php/2232931
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded a
total of $146 million to Sun Microsystems, IBM, and Cray to pursue
high-performance computing projects. The awards are part of the
government's High Productivity Computing Systems Program, the goal of
which is to develop extremely fast computing systems that are
relatively easy to use. Each company will receive funds to investigate
separate projects designed to achieve peta-scale computing power around
2009-2010. The focus of each company's project is making such
high-performance systems easy to use, both for researchers and for
programmers.
Internet News, 9 July 2003 via Edupage
HOUSE BILL SUPPORTS RURAL TELEMEDICINE
http://chronicle.com/daily/2003/07/2003071601t.htm
An appropriations bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives
would allocate $678 million to the Department of Agriculture to fund
technologies that would benefit rural medical patients. Many residents
of rural parts of the country use telemedicine to “meet” with doctors
and specialists, and the money in the House bill would support
broadband Internet connections at institutions that support this type
of medical treatment, including many colleges and universities. The
allocation would represent a significant increase over current and
requested funding. The Department of Agriculture received $436 million
for the telemedicine program this year and requested $413 million for
next year. The House's appropriations bill must be reconciled with the
Senate's, and the final will go to President Bush for his signature
before any of the funds become available.
Chronicle of Higher Education, 16 July 2003 (sub. req'd) via Edupage
GROUP AT SYRACUSE TRYING TO SAVE RESEARCH TOOL
http://chronicle.com/daily/2003/07/2003071701t.htm
Researchers at Syracuse University are working to preserve the popular
research tool AskERIC after the Department of Education decided to stop
funding for the tool. AskERIC is a Web site that provides online access
to educational resources and to experts who can help users sift through
the range of available resources. Syracuse already operates the AskERIC
site, which is run by the Clearinghouse on Information and Technology
of the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC). ERIC now
comprises 16 clearinghouses, though the Department of Education is
working to combine them into a single database. Officials at the
Department of Education said the new structure will make a service such
as AskERIC unnecessary. Many long-time users and operators of AskERIC
disagree, however, and are working to secure funding from Syracuse and
other sources to maintain AskERIC in its current form.
Chronicle of Higher Education, 17 July 2003 (sub. req'd) via Edupage.
REPORT SHOWS STEEP RISE IN DISTANCE EDUCATION
http://chronicle.com/daily/2003/07/2003072102t.htm
According to a new report from the Department of Education, enrollment
in for-credit, distance-education courses at U.S. institutions more
than doubled from the 1997-1998 academic year to the 2000-2001 academic
year. The report, based on a survey of about 1,500 institutions, showed
a similar rise in the number of distance-education courses offered and
indicated that the percentage of institutions offering such courses
rose from 44 percent to 56 percent. The survey highlighted the
prevalence of Internet technologies for distance education, as well as
videoconferencing and one- and two-way audio. John Bailey of the
Department of Education's Office of Educational Technology said that
distance education is not replacing traditional education but has
become an important alternative for many students “who otherwise would
not be able to participate.”
Chronicle of Higher Education, 21 July 2003 (sub. req'd)via Edupage.
The European Commission (EC) has approved a resolution to create new European Network and Information Security Agency (NISA) to assist businesses and governments in Europe to defend themselves against viruses, hackers, and other emerging cyber security threats. Other duties of the new agency will include facilitation of security standardization, coordination of cross-border cooperation on network and information security and raising public awareness of cyber security issues throughout the region. In creating the new agency, the European Commission noted the proliferation of broadband and wireless technologies, the rapid spread of computer viruses and the lack of coordination amongst member countries as the need for the agency.
The European Parliament is expected to approve the EC resolution in the coming months allowing NISA to become operational by January 1, 2004. While every member country of the European Union will be represented within the agency, a decision on the physical location has not been announced.
To review the resolution that has been approved by the EC, see: http://ue.eu.int/pressData/en/trans/76064.pdf (pdf).
To review a statement by the Business Software Alliance on NISA, see: http://global.bsa.org/eupolicy/networksecurity/BSACommentsonENISA.pdf (pdf) (From ACM Washington Update)
How a Librarian Saved Basra's Treasured Books
http://www.iht.com/articles/104211.html
“Alia Muhammad Baker's house is full of books. There are books in stacks, books
in the cupboards, books bundled into flour sacks like lumpy aid rations. Books fill
an old refrigerator. Pull aside a window curtain, and there is no view, just more
books.” The story of a dedicated librarian that saved part of Iraq's national
treasures from looting. Thank goodness for librarians the world around . . .
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