University of Oregon Cover photo: Willamette Hall is the newest addition to the University of Oregon's integrated science complex, which houses both departments and interdisciplinary institutes. Shown above is Johnson Hall, one of fifty major campus buildings, and site of the President's office and other administrative activities. Founded in 1876, and a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities since 1969, the UO has an enrollment of 17,000 students. Appropriate to the climate of the rainy Pacific Northwest, the school's beloved mascot is a duck.

Current Issues for Higher Education Information Resources Management a summary of issues identified by the 1997 CAUSE Current Issues Committee Institution-Wide Information Strategies by Gerald Bernbom, Indiana University Defamation Charges in a Networked Environment by Susan K. Ferencz, Indiana University Diversity and Leadership: Mentoring Builds Leaders of the Future by Patricia Battin, Consultant Higher Education and the Forces of Self-Organization: An Interview with Margaret Wheatley by Richard Katz, CAUSE The Changing Role of the Information Resources Professional: A Dialogue by Brian L. Hawkins, Brown University, and Patricia Battin, Consultant Using Regional Cooperation and Technology to Achieve Cost Savings: The Midwestern Higher Education Commission by David Murphy, Midwestern Higher Education Commission, and Jeff Williams, Public Sector Consultants Preparing for Virtual Commerce in Higher Learning by Donald M. Norris, Strategic Initiatives, Inc., and Mark A. Olson, Sallie Mae The Electronic Library: New Roles for Librarians by Brendan A. Rapple, Boston College, with commentaries by Joanne R. Euster, University of California, Irvine; Susan Perry, Mount Holyoke College; and C. James Schmidt, San Jose State University Student Telephone Self-Activation at Boston College by David McCormack, Boston College The Center for Innovation in Instruction at Valley City State University: Improving Teaching with Technology by Ray Brown, Valley City State University A Service Approach to Providing Off-Campus Internet Access by Austin Shelton, University of California, Berkeley

From the Editor CNI Report Leadership Challenges by Richard P. West Recommended Reading Readers Respond Retaining Skilled Staff