Information Online and On Disc 97: : Proceedings of the Eighth Australasian Information Online and On Disc Conference and Exhibition, Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Sydney, Australia, 21‐23 January 1997

Citation

Debowski, S. (1998), "Information Online and On Disc 97: : Proceedings of the Eighth Australasian Information Online and On Disc Conference and Exhibition, Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Sydney, Australia, 21‐23 January 1997", Asian Libraries, Vol. 7 No. 6, pp. 142-143. https://doi.org/10.1108/al.1998.7.6.142.6

The Information Online and On Disc Conference is one of the major events in our library and information science calendar. Held biennially, is intended to provide professionals with current information on developments in electronic information service from around Australia and further afield. These Proceedings reflect this diversity in both topics and writers.

The issues addressed here relate to a range of concerns and can be divided into theoretical and practical. The theoretical papers explore such issues as technology in society, legal implications, establishing technology support and services, the changing role of the information professional and training endusers. The practical papers focus on such issues as technology in education, electronic publishing, supporting learners through the World Wide Web, using the technology for tourism and creating multimedia support for users. Each paper addresses a very different aspect of the whole issue of technology‐based services and their implications.

Case studies are used throughout the papers, providing practical examples of the ways in which information services are adopting new technological initiatives. Some organisations whose work is described include the Parliamentary Library, the National Library of Australia, the Australian Government Publishing Service and the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

This publication is a smorgasbord of offerings. The papers are short, practical and focussed, offering an effective means of gaining a better understanding of both theoretical and practical issues. The writers are those working in the field, and, therefore, their appreciation of the issues is clearly evident. In particular the writers offer both a current perspective and exploration of future possibilities. While these may not be accurate in the long run, they do help us to identify aspects to monitor. This is a valuable work for any professional and promises to provide many hours of interest. It is sure to contribute to any reader’s awareness of current concerns and developments.