This paper describes library role as provider of digital resources in the digital information age. Its remarks have focused primarily on the marketing challenge libraries face in providing digital resources. Then, it is explained that field education is also necessary on the educational program of librarians. Finally, it is explained that libraries in the digital environment are expected to develop (1) new metrics to characterize library excellence in the digital resource environment, (2) new economic models for the digital environment, and (3) new strategies for capturing scholarly communication in its emerging forms.
The Internet and WWW revolution is giving big impact on every library. Usual libraries must seek new way to operate libraries taking into account new informational technologies. The concept of conventional library will be challenged by the so called digital library. However problem is very different for libraries affiliated to national research laboratories. The latter must consider the problem from a wider perspective in that libraries are part of information and computing infrastructure of the institutions.
The Kanagawa Prefectural Kawasaki Library, newly reorganized as a special library in the scientific, technological and industrial fields, has started its public service in April 1998. The reorganization was decided based on a report published by the Personnel Training Task Force of the Kanagawa Prefectural Board of Education. This paper summarizes the content of the report and the present status of staff training in the library.
Recently, construction and design companies have been establishing information centers based on libraries within the companies. The expectation for the information centers is growing, but its position in the companies and the society is not firm yet. In order to study and discuss common subjects together, some construction and design companies made a working group called ACICA (Architectural & Civil Engineering Information Center's Association). This paper describes about ACICA's research and study.
Librarians are an expert on searching for materials and information. They are required to have deep knowledge about retrieval system, the subjects and understanding the needs of users, as professionals who intermediate between materials and users. It is their specialty to make a useful retrieval system and reference tools. Understanding the needs of users quickly and precisely heightens the satisfaction of them. Under the information society, it is the role for librarians to change the data into the information.
Although the long history of the handbooks for the chemistry and/or material science, the factual databases were not so expected. The cause seemed to be that the delivery system didn't meet the demand from the users. However, the latest wide-used computer network and the advanced computer technology enable innovative dissemination of factual data, and combinatorial chemistry and computer science arouse new demands for factual databases. This paper describes the dissemination technology of factual databases in the computer network and introduces the advanced material databases developed by JST.
This article presents sample translations. Paragraphs are taken from actual research articles. Suggestive corrections and an alternative translation by English natives are explained for each example.