CNI REPORT: Sharing the Challenge of Networked Information

Copyright 1995 CAUSE. From _CAUSE/EFFECT_ magazine, 
Volume 18, Number 4, Winter 1995, p. 3. Permission 
to copy or disseminate all or part of this material 
is granted provided that the copies are not made or 
distributed for commercial advantage, the CAUSE 
copyright and its date appear, and notice is given 
that copying is by permission of CAUSE, the 
association for managing and using information 
technology in higher education. To disseminate 
otherwise, or to republish, requires written 
permission. For further information, contact Julia 
Rudy at CAUSE, 4840 Pearl East Circle, Suite 302E, 
Boulder, CO 80301 USA; 303-939-0308; e-mail: 
jrudy@CAUSE.colorado.edu


            SHARING THE CHALLENGE OF 
             NETWORKED INFORMATION
              by Richard P. West


A major program element for the Coalition for 
Networked Information is to present regional 
conferences regarding networked information issues. 
This programmatic theme is developed and delivered 
in conjunction with CAUSE and is targeted for 
constituents of CAUSE, Educom, and ARL who may not 
have had the opportunity or the time to attend 
national meetings on networked information and 
associated technologies.

There have been four regional conferences held 
since June 1994, with over 900 individuals in 
attendance. In addition to people from the CAUSE, 
Educom, and ARL constituencies, these conferences 
have drawn a fair number of faculty and 
administrators (for example, from the budget and 
purchasing offices). 

The topics of the regional conferences reflect many 
of the topics discussed at the CNI Task Force 
Meetings. Networked information development and 
technologies with a particular emphasis on 
collaboration of higher education technologists and 
librarians are the overarching themes.

Although CNI is sponsored by CAUSE, ARL, and 
Educom, the entire funding for CNI and its programs 
comes from the 212 institutions that pay annual 
membership fees to be part of the CNI Task Force. 
The semi-annual meetings of Task Force 
representatives always have a programmatic theme of 
current interest to the entire networked 
information community. For instance, one recent 
program topic was research activities on emerging 
concepts regarding new ways to search networked 
information.

This particular topic demonstrates the rapidity of 
change in networking technologies and the 
availability of information on the national and 
global networks. When CNI was formed in 1990, a 
major concern was that there was not very much 
information available via the networks. Many of 
CNI's earlier efforts focused on ways to create and 
promote network information resources. Now, much of 
the work in this area proceeds from the hypothesis 
that there is too much information available on the 
electronic network. Accordingly, different methods 
of sifting and finding the information "needle" in 
this data "haystack" on the network are required.

While new search techniques are being developed, 
examination of the costs of distributing electronic 
information is a second major activity now under 
way at CNI. Where might there be savings in an 
environment where information is electronically 
available, and where will new costs have to be 
incurred?

A final example, from among CNI's current topics 
that have been covered at national meetings, is the 
ongoing debate of how existing print-based 
copyright law and practice needs to be adapted to 
the networked information environment. CNI has been 
an informed participant in this national debate on 
reasonable property rights and reasonable use of 
information when such information is readily 
available on the network.

These topics and many more regarding CNI's and 
higher education's broad agenda in networked 
information form the menu for CNI/CAUSE regional 
conferences. The evaluations and comments of 
participants in these conferences confirm the 
usefulness and importance of these issues to higher 
education professionals in their work at their 
institutions. 

CNI is pleased that the cooperative open-
registration regional conferences held in 
conjunction with CAUSE have been so well received. 
More of these types of local programs are in the 
planning stages. Information about these activities 
is available on the CAUSE Web server under 
Professional Development. If you have suggestions 
for conference themes or sessions, please contact 
Joan Lippincott at CNI (joan@cni.org).

***************************************************


CNI offers a wealth of information on topics 
related to the challenges of the networked 
information environment. The CNI World Wide Web 
server, in particular, now offers an alphabetical 
index to the Coalition's archives, including most 
of the reports and white papers generated by CNI 
Working Groups, as well as summaries of the 
Coalition's Spring and Fall Task Force Meetings for 
the past several years. Take advantage of this 
excellent set of resources by visiting the CNI 
homepage (http://www.cni.org/CNI.homepage.html).


***************************************************


CNI Report is a regular CAUSE/EFFECT department 
that provides reports about the activities of the 
Coalition for Networked Information (CNI), formed 
by the Association of Research Libraries, CAUSE, 
and Educom in 1990 to promote the creation of and 
access to information resources in networked 
environments. 


***************************************************


Richard P. West is Vice Chancellor for Business and 
Finance for The California State University System. 
He has chaired the steering committee of the 
Coalition for Networked Information since its 
establishment in 1990. 
richard_west@qmbridge.calstate.edu


***************************************************