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Parallels between subsistence foraging and scholarly information seeking are described in the context of the World‐Wide Web. It is suggested that the prevailing information retrieval paradigm lacks requisite variety to capture the complex of behaviours and stimuli that drives scholars' quests for new ideas and insights. The authors outline a variety of research questions suggested by extended use of the optimal foraging metaphor in relation to distributed multimedia information resources.

This paper argues that training is a critical success factor for the implementation of the Internet in organizations. Given the Internet′s potential for transforming organizations, it is imperative that we develop training that goes beyond the teaching of Internet skills and instead enables trainees to become active participants in the strategic planning process. This perspective on training is termed the learning organization perspective. A number of conceptual areas are suggested as relevant to the development of the necessary training and the associated theoretical perspective. It is hoped that this initial articulation of the critical role of training will provide the impetus for others to expand on the perspective and its actual implementation in organizations

Three questions – what can be studied; how can studies be done; and what can be measured – drive research methods and help to identify information metrics for user studies. User studies can investigate user needs, search strategies, or preferences. Observing and asking, the two main methods for conducting user studies, yield quantitative and qualitative data through studying patterns of behavior and insights into motivation. ciber (Centre for Information Behaviour and the Evaluation of Research, City University, London) is in a good position to continue supporting information user behavior studies that use a variety of methods to gather both qualitative and quantitative data and help establish consistent metrics.

From earliest times the land and all it produced to feed and sustain those who dwelt on it was mankind's greatest asset. From the Biblical “land of milk and honey”, down through history to the “country of farmers” visualised by the American colonists when they severed the links with the mother country, those who had all their needs met by the land were blessed — they still are! The inevitable change brought about by the fast‐growing populations caused them to turn to industry; Britain introduced the “machine age” to the world; the USA the concept of mass production — and the troubles and problems of man increased to the present chaos of to‐day. There remained areas which depended on an agri‐economy — the granary countries, as the vast open spaces of pre‐War Russia; now the great plains of North America, to supply grain for the bread of the peoples of the dense industrial conurbations, which no longer produced anything like enough to feed themselves.

Verification is always a controversial topic, even establishing what it means and whether it is really necessary. The development of interlending in France and New Zealand is on very different lines and whether to join a national network or a local co‐operative is a problem faced by many: the solution is that probably both are necessary. Scandinavia has a long tradition of co‐operation and similar patterns have developed in each country. The results of a survey on document supply for business in Finland show that this is generally successful, with considerable reliance on international sources. The theory and practice of ILL in Tunisia differ considerably and the need for specialized document supply centres in Latin America is explored. Some of the problems of international financial limitations can be solved by a coupon system such as that proposed for AGRIS. The decision to introduce payments for ILL in Australia has caused much concern and a lot of anger and similar problems are now being faced in France with the restructuring of finances for universities. Statistical research into ILL is valuable but can cause problems unless written up well for a more general audience. Finally it is shown that document supply as an industry continues to grow throughout the world.

JUST AROUND a hundred years ago W H Davies posed that question. Yet though to find the time to stand and stare is important, there is also a time for action that cannot, or should not be delayed. Surely that is the time that is facing us today?

Mr Peter Lenk has transferred from the Fraunhofer‐Institut to mls munich laser systems since 1 July 1987. Prior to this move, Mr Lenk was employed at the Fraunhofer Institut für Festkörpertechnologie in Munich, where he organised and set up the procedures for the Institute's thick film technology department, supervised the complete film processing for thick film technology and research to prove the authenticity of thick film resistors. Mr Lenk also supervised and conducted training in thick film technology.

The objective of this study is to analyse how changes in relevance criteria are related to changes in problem stages during the task performance process. Relevance is understood as a task‐ and process‐oriented user construct. The assessment of relevance is based on both retrieved bibliographical information and the documents acquired and read on the basis of this information. The participants of the study were eleven students who attended a course for one term for preparing a research proposal for the master’s thesis. The students were asked to make an IR search at the beginning, middle and end of the course. Data for describing their understanding of the work task, search goals and tactics as well as relevance assessments were collected during the search sessions. Pre‐ and post‐search interviews were conducted during each session. The students were asked to think aloud during the search session. The transaction logs were captured and the thinking aloud was recorded. Research and search diaries were also collected. The findings support to a certain extent the overall hypotheses that a person’s problem stage during task performance is related to his or her use of relevance criteria in assessing retrieved references and documents. There is a connection between an individual’s changing understanding of his or her task and how the relevance of references and full texts is judged. The more structured the task in the process, the more able the person is to distinguish between relevant and other sources. The relevance criteria of documents changed more than the criteria of references during the process. Moreover, it seems that understanding of topicality varies depending on the phase of the process.

SINCE I have spent the better part of fifteen years parading in the public arena the superiority which attaches to me by reason of not possessing a television set, I had better now come clean and reveal that immediately before Christmas my wife and I changed our minds and rented one for a trial period of six months.

The Royal County of Berkshire is well known for its population of lions at the Windsor Safari Park. Lions also feature prominently in Berkshire's county crest. Berkshire Library and Information Service have therefore introduced an animated “Library Lion” as a mascot to promote the use of children's libraries throughout the county.