Editorial

Citation

Gelfand, J. and Riggs, C. (2004), "Editorial", Library Hi Tech News, Vol. 21 No. 7. https://doi.org/10.1108/lhtn.2004.23921gaa.001

Editorial

This issue reflects some serious trends in information technology and how it plays out in a variety of library environments worldwide. We have the usual mix of article types, including conference reports from the Libraries in the Digital Age (LIDA) which met in Croatia; the 14th Conference on Computers, Freedom and Privacy (CFP) and the Society of Scholarly Publishing (SSP), which was held in San Francisco. The heat is on as this issue goes to press with many conferences underway around the world.

Serious issues are discussed in the three features contained herein. Marcia Harrison from Cranfield University in the UK writes about eLMS, and how Cranfield is in the unique position of being able to offer a fully managed service to support various aspects of online, distributed or blended learning in a rather different way. Mesut Yalvac shares how libraries in Turkey are exploring the creation and testing of a new public library systems model and how challenging that is to unveil and model with restrictive resources. However difficult, there are some sure signs of vitality in this endeavor and interestingly, results indicate higher public opinion and interests in public libraries now than in the past. The third feature article is by Mounir Khalil and his submission is about the wireless laptop project at the City College of New York. Many libraries have experimented with creating more wireless applications and this is one extended case study.

We have a full complement of columns in this issue. E-currents is back; E-profiles presents the last trilogy of the social sciences compliment by Gerry McKiernan on open archive initiative data providers and this is among the most interesting reads on this topic. We really think you should prop yourself in a comfortable reading position and check this out. The implications for other open archives initiatives are highly articulated and makes one a strong converter if one was lukewarm in understanding this option in the past.

Read, read, read and let us know what you think. We always want to know the pulse of our readers. We also hope that you will consider submitting something that describes what is happening in library technologies at your library.

If you are in the northern hemisphere, here is hoping that you are having a good summer and if in the southern hemisphere, we hope the winter is underway in a gentle way.

With best wishes.

Julia Gelfand(jgelfand@uci.edu)Colby Riggs(cmriggs@uci.edu)Co-editors