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Explores the adoption of wireless networking by libraries across the U.S. Security concerns; Issues of wireless standards; Selection of academic libraries that have wireless access.

Discusses the idea to combine database services to make research easier for users. Benefits of individual databases; Idea for cross-database search services; Discussion of California Digital Library's Searchlight system, the National Library of Medicine's Gateway system and others.

Discusses the importance of interoperability among digital library projects and materials. Model for creating a union catalog established by the Library of Congress and Ameritech, which controlled funding; Details of the Picture Australia project and its challenges.

Presents an overview of copyright and intellectual property rights for electronic publishing. Details of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, passed in October 1998, in the United States; Efforts of authors and journalists to copyright material published over the Internet; Ways to determine copyright status.

Reports on the efforts to create digital libraries that are more user friendly. Involvement of the Library of Congress and the American Library Association; Use of E-mail in helping researchers find information; Details of the Internet Public Library (IPL) a project of the University of Michigan School of Information; Use of videoconferencing.

Presents resources for digital imaging projects. Variables involved depending on the project; Questions needing to be answered for a given project; Resources from the United States Library of Congress (LC) and the US National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Understanding underlying technical issues; Use of Kodak materials; List of published and Internet resources.

Discusses the infrastructure of digital libraries. Problems experienced with using a computer network for information, news, and communication; The server computers used in a system; Selection of software; Importance of the expandability of hardware; Who your system is designed to serve; Efforts to maximize speed over the network What to look for when designing a system; Information contact point.

Discusses the nature of digital libraries as an introduction to this column as a regular feature of the magazine. Assertion that digital library collections will enhance rather than replace regular library collections; Qualities of a digital library; Examples of digital library projects.

After decades of costly and time-consuming effort, nearly all libraries have completed the retrospective conversion of their card catalogs to electronic form. However, our bibliographic systems still are really not much more than card catalogs on wheels.Enriched content that Amazon.com takes for granted--such as digitized tables of contents, cover art, reviews, summaries, and excerpts--are still rare in library catalogs. Thankfully, that is about to change. Commercial companies such as Baker& Taylor and Syndetic Solutions offer enriched content for recent materials, but it is usually not available for older books. In January 2004 a group of about 20 led by Robert Kieft of Haverford College, Susan Perry of the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR), and the Mellon Foundation--met at the American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Meeting in San Diego. The group considered what it would take to develop an organizational and technical infrastructure for creating and sharing enriched information about library holdings. They were enthusiastic about the prospects, perhaps because many of them had already been thinking about--or actively working on--this problem.

Addresses issues surrounding standards development in digital libraries in the U.S. Workshop hosted by the National Information Standards Organization in October 2003; Information on Dublin Core, an emerging metadata standard in development since 1995; Introduction to the Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting; Standards development efforts of professional institutions.

Explores the impact of the USA Patriot Act or the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required To Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism, on libraries in the U.S. Effect on privacy of library users; Concerns of the American library Association on the law; Potential of digital libraries as tools for spying.

Reports on digital library development and ways of avoiding little problems that can have big consequences. Illusions of inadequacy; Organizational obstacles; Lack of commitment: Lack of vision; Librarians' need to find other ways of solving Internet use challenges; Contact points.