Information Retrieval List Digest 388 (January 12, 1998) URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/irld/irld-388.txt IRLIST Digest ISSN 1064-6965 January 12, 1998 Volume XV, Number 2 Issue 388 ****************************************************************** II. JOBS 1. LANL: Research Library: Information Specialist III. NOTICES A. Publications 1. FARNET's Washington Update, January 5, 1998 2. Computers and the Humanities 30:6 B. Meetings 1. NFAIS 40th Anniversary Conference 2. Workshop on Lexical Semantics in Context: Corpus, Inference, and Discourse -- 2nd Call for Papers 3. Wholes and Their Parts IV. PROJECTS C. Awards, Fellowships, Grants, & Scholarships 1. 1998 TIIAP Program E. Miscellaneous 1. Performing Arts Data Service Survey Results ****************************************************************** II. JOBS II.1. =46r: Jackie Stack Re: LANL: Research Library: Information Specialist Technical Information Specialist Los Alamos National Laboratory Research Library LANL Job Posting # 983058 To see an HTML version of this job ad and to access more information about Los Alamos and surrounding areas go to http://lib-www.lanl.gov/libinfo/job.htm Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is a world renowned organization dedicated to world-class science and technologies and applying them to the nation's security and well-being. LANL has a firmly established reputation as one of the premier research and development institutions in the world. The LANL Research Library (http://lib-www.lanl.gov) has a career opportunity for a librarian. We offer a creative setting in which information technologies are applied to scientific productivity. We aggressively pursue new ideas, services, products, and approaches to satisfy our customer research needs. The successful candidate will actively partner with Laboratory researchers in support of our mission to facilitate access to and enhance the usability of information. We are seeking an individual who is prepared to make significant contributions in an exciting, fast-changing environment. This position requires a person with a strong interest in taking initiatives and risks, who adapts well to change, works cooperatively on a team, and has a strong interest in fostering customer relationships. Leading innovative projects in close collaboration with customers is an essential part of the job. SPECIFIC JOB SUMMARY: The Research Library is looking for candidates to actively develop and provide services and improve Library products for our customers. Research Library products and services include electronic library databases, books, journals, technical reports, literature searches, library database training, and customer assistance. The Technical Information Specialist will work in a learning environment to accomplish the following: =B7 Actively understand, assess, and provide for customer needs using current Research Library services and products. =B7 Staff a service desk to respond to customer information requests. =B7 Perform literature searches to access information to meet customer needs. =B7 Collaborate with Library staff to develop or evaluate electronic interfaces for Library databases. =B7 Participate in customer training and marketing of Research Library products. =B7 Define, measure, and continuously improve key library processes. =B7 Maintain professional standards and stay abreast of developments in this fast-changing field. REQUIRED SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, ABILITIES: =B7 Demonstrated experience providing customer service in a scientific/technical library or information center with direct, in-depth knowledge of physical sciences and/or engineering resources. =B7 Demonstrated experience training library customers using library automated systems and databases. =B7 Demonstrated experience using electronic resources to fill customer needs in the physical sciences and/or engineering subject areas. =B7 Demonstrated experience developing and/or evaluating interfaces for library electronic databases. =B7 Demonstrated experience implementing process improvement. =B7 Excellent written communication skills. =B7 Excellent oral communication skills DESIRED SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, ABILITIES: =B7 Demonstrated experience leading electronic database projects. =B7 Demonstrated experience documenting processes and/or projects. =B7 Demonstrated experience effectively working in a learning environment. =B7 Demonstrated experience prioritizing and managing multiple tasks while meeting deadlines. =B7 Q clearance or ability to obtain a Q clearance. EDUCATION, TRAINING, OR LICENSING: American Library Association (ALA) accredited MLS or equivalent experience. Salary range: $33,204 - $55,716. Applications will be accepted through =46ebruary 2, 1998. Submit resume or application materials for LANL Job Posting #983058 to Staffing Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, MS P286, Los Alamos, NM 87545. ****************************************************************** III. NOTICES III.A.1. =46r: Garret Sern Re: FARNET's Washington Update, January 5, 1998 =46ARNET (http://www.farnet.org) is a non-profit public interes Internetworking organization with a primary focus on the education, research, and related communities. IN THIS ISSUE: Recap of telecom issues facing Congress in second session (second in a series): Telecommunications Act of 1996 Universal Service Update: FCC releases fourth order >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Written from FARNET's Washington office, "FARNET's Washington Update" is a service to FARNET members and other interested subscribers. We gratefully acknowledge EDUCOM's NTTF and the Coalition for Networked Information (CNI) for additional support. If you would like more information about the Update or would like to offer comments or suggestions, please contact Garret Sern at garret@farnet.org. ********** III.A.2. =46r: Nancy Ide Re: Computers and the Humanities 30:6 COMPUTERS AND THE HUMANITIES Volume 30 No. 6 The sixth number of Volume 30 (1996) of Computers and the Humanities (CHum) has just been published by Kluwer Academic Press. Of particular interest to readers of this list is an extensive survey article on the treatment of punctuation in computational linguistics, covering past and current approaches to the problem: Current Approaches to Punctuation in Computational Linguistics, B. Say, V. Akman Other articles in this issue: Machine Learning Applications in Anthropology: Automated Discovery over Kinship Structures, Sally Jo Cunningham The Charrette Project: Manipulating Text and Image in an Electronic Archive of a Medieval Manuscript Tradition, Gina L. Greco, Toby Paff, Peter W. Shoemaker Invalidation Reappraised, Thomas Merriam The Enemy Within: Autocorrelation Bias in Content Analysis of Narratives, Robert Hogenraad, Dean P. McKenzie, Colin Martindale Ten Desiderata for Computer-Assisted Language Learning Programs: The Example of ELSE, John Robin Allen INFORMATION ABOUT COMPUTERS AND THE HUMANITIES Computers and the Humanities -- The Official Journal of The Association for Computers and the Humanities Editors-in-Chief: Nancy Ide, Dept. of Computer Science, Vassar College, USA Daniel Greenstein, Executive, Arts and Humanities Data Services, King's College, UK =46or subscriptions or information, please contact: Dieke van Wijnen Kluwer Academic Publishers Spuiboulevard 50 P.O. Box 17 3300 AA Dordrecht The Netherlands Phone: (+31) 78 639 22 64 Fax: (+31) 78 639 22 54 E-mail: Dieke.vanWijnen@wkap.nl Members of the Association for Computers and the Humanities (ACH) receive a subscription to CHum at less than half the price of an individual membership. For information about ACH and a membership application, consult http://www.ach.org/. Or send email to chuck_bush@byu.edu. ********** III.B.1. =46r: Mgloninger Re: NFAIS 40th Anniversary Conference NFAIS Announces 40th Anniversary Conference WELCOME TO THE NEW PARADIGM =46ebruary 22-25, 1998 Philadelphia, PA A full copy of the preliminary conference program is available at =46or further information contact NFAIS at 215 893-1561. Kent Smith, Dan Wagner, Steven Schneider, and Jeff Silverstein Featured The National Federation of Abstracting & Information Services (NFAIS), an association of metadata experts, will hold its 40th anniversary conference at the Four Seasons Hotel in Philadelphia, PA, Feb. 22-25, 1998. Plenary sessions, which begin Feb. 23, include: * An authors' round table, featuring Joseph Moxley, author of Publish, Don't Perish, Teresa Harrison, Timothy Stephen, and Robin Peek, who will discuss changes in scholarly communication, based on the research they have done for their books on the subject. * A secondary publishers' panel, featuring a presentation by BIOSIS Executive Maureen Kelly, called "Providing Access to the e-Archive of Science," will consider the effects of electronic networking on database producers. * A practical session on document linking, including case studies and expert opinions, will focus on how publishers can establish the seamless links users desire. * A debate between the Digital Future Coalition and the Coalition Against Database Piracy on how to resolve content ownership and access issues will take place on Feb. 24. * Updates will be offered on: Internet technology, by Cliff Lynch (Coalition for Networked Information); database licensing, by Mary Case (Association of Research Libraries); and Digital Libraries, by Ed Fox (Virginia Tech). * A session about the new roles that subscription agents are playing, featuring the CEOs of Swets, Faxon, and EBSCO, will take place on Feb. 25. Special events in honor of the 40th anniversary of NFAIS will include a =46ounders' Reception at Philadelphia's Rodin Museum, a gala reception in honor of past NFAIS Presidents at the Philadelphia Academy's Museum of American Art, a luncheon at the Four Seasons in honor of Miles Conrad Lecturers, and a high tea in honor of NFAIS Honorary Fellows. Special early bird registration rates apply until Jan. 22: $895 non-Members; $695 Members; $410 Librarians. Daily rates are also available. A preconference "Members Only" session, chaired by Dr. Lohr, will be held =46eb. 22, on the subject of primary publishing models, with featured speakers and panelists from Academic Press, Elsevier Science, MIT Press, Bryn Mawr Classical Review, OhioLink, and SUNY. Non- members may attend for an additional $200, Librarians, for an additional $50. Joe Moxley will also conduct a preconference workshop Feb. 22 on "Writing Better Documents for the Internet" for an additional $250 ($200 members). NFAIS was founded in 1958 by the publishers of the following secondary services: Aeronautical Reviews, Applied Mechanics Reviews, Bibliography of Agriculture, Biological Abstracts, Chemical Abstracts, Current List of Medical Literature, Engineering Index, Mathematical Reviews, Meteorological Abstracts, Nuclear Science Abstracts, Psychological Abstracts, Review of Metal Literature, Technical Abstracts Bulletin, and U.S. Government Research Reports. Other organizations who supported the Federation's founding were: American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Geological Institute, American Geophysical Union, The National Academy of Sciences, the National Science Foundation, UNESCO, and the U.S. Joint Publications Service. Today approximately 60 organizations support the ongoing efforts of the =46ederation in the area of metadata research and education. ********** III.B.2. =46r: Paul Buitelaar Re: Workshop on Lexical Semantics in Context: Corpus, Inference, and Discourse -- 2nd Call for Papers ESSLLI-98 Workshop on Lexical Semantics in Context: Corpus, Inference, and Discourse August 17 - 21, 1998 A workshop held as part of the 0th European Summer School in Logic, Language and Information (ESSLLI-98) August 17 - 28, 1998, Saarbruecken, Germany ** SECOND CALL FOR PAPERS ** http://www.cs.brandeis.edu/~paulb/esslli98.html ORGANIZERS: Johan Bos (Saarbruecken) and Paul Buitelaar (Brandeis University= ) The workshop aims at bringing together research in two complementary fields of semantic analysis that are still too far apart. In order to achieve both a broad and a deep understanding of any given text document, a system needs both advanced acquisition of corpus specific lexical semantic knowledge and powerful inference mechanisms that utilize that knowledge in discourse analysis. Given the still relatively limited results within both areas there has been little impetus to combine them. Corpus-based extraction of lexical semantic knowledge has only recently become a more feasible task, because of the growing availibility of on-line text documents; robust corpus processing technologies, such as broad coverage part-of-speech tagging and shallow parsing; and readily available statistical methods. The various approaches to discourse analysis, originating in such diverse fields as formal semantics, psychology and AI, are in the process of converging into a unified approach to the analysis and representation of the cohesive structure of natural language documents. The intersection between these two fields lies in the application of lexical semantic knowledge to such problems in discourse analysis as anaphora resolution and discourse segmentation. In fact, the benefit will be mutual, because knowledge of discourse structure is helpful to lexical knowledge extraction as well. In summary, large scale domain specific lexical semantic knowledge acquisition can assist in analyzing discourse structures, which in turn can assist in acquiring even more accurate lexical semantic representations for the relevant terms in the domain. ********** III.B.3. =46r: Roberto Poli Re: Wholes and Their Parts Wholes and Their Parts (W/P) Bolzano, Maretsch Castle, 17-19 June 1998 http://www.gelso.unitn.it/~poli/ PRESENTATION: Science is connected to the complementarity of analysis and synthesis. It may be said that classical physics is characterized by an in-built analysis of the world into constituent parts (such as atoms or elementary particles). These are then recomposed together to provide, by means of synthesis, any system; interactions are linearly and locally described; the resulting hierarchy of structures is grounded on such constituent parts. In contemporary science, the age of "pure" analysis seems to have ended. There are deep mathematical reasons for this. Non-linear systems have properties that, in general, cannot be expressed in terms of decomposition into ultimate, unstructured, pointlike parts plus a suitable sets of relations among them. Moreover, the "dialectic" of quantity and quality is subtler than was previously thought and this dialectic is needed in the explanation of all sorts of phenomena. It arises not only in physics, but also in the study of cognitive systems and natural and programming languages. Within psychology, it is said that "Gestalten" are cohesive wholes and that "the whole is more than the sum of its parts". But what does this mean exactly? Similar questions emerge in other contexts as well. What is relevant for the foundations of science, the need for a clear understanding of the part/whole relationships, emerges even in logic and mathematics, since these provide the tools for organizing our rational image of the world, in its multi-stratified complexity. Thus, we are faced with the problem of relating in a possibly coherent way the various forms of part/whole relationships arising in different branches of science. We have not only to classify the different kinds of wholes and their inherent "grammars", but also to take into account the process of formation for wholes, in order to describe precisely in which sense the whole emerges out of its parts and is irreducible to an aggregate of autonomous, more or less pointlike, entities. What makes (in part, at least) the difference between mere aggregates and cohesive wholes? The members of the whole do not simply hang together: they hang together in the whole, and the structure of the whole influences the description of the parts and their local interactions. In view of the growing interest in this sort of pattern, of so deep relevance for theoretical and applied sciences, it is therefore suitable to clarify the whole/part issues in crucial fields of research, to compare different approaches and to develop a foundational discussion. PROGRAM: June 17 Bill Lawvere, Opening Lecture John Bell, W/P in algebraic and logical structures Ieke Moerdjik, W/P in geometry, topology and topos theory Colin McLarty, W/P in foundations of mathematics Carlo Cellucci, W/P in logical analysis June 18 Steve Vickers, W/P in semantics for programming languages Gonzalo Reyes, W/P in categorical analysis of language John Mayberry, W/P in set theory Niles Eldredge, W/P in biology Alberto Peruzzi, W/P in epistemology and semantics Roberto Poli, W/P in ontology June 19 Ettore Casari, W/P in phenomenology Alf Zimmer, W/P in Gestalt psychology Ron Langacker, W/P in linguistics George Lakoff, W/P in cognitive sciences (to be confirmed) Chris Isham, W/P in quantum topology Basil Hiley, W/P in mechanics and cosmology Roberto Poli Department of Sociology and Social Research 26, Verdi street 38100 Trento -- Italy Tel. ++39-461-881-403 =46ax: ++39-461-881-348 e-mail: poli@risc1.gelso.unitn.it Axiomathes: http://www.soc.unitn.it/dsrs/axiomathes.htm IMC: http://www.soc.unitn.it/dsrs/IMC.htm ****************************************************************** IV. PROJECTS IV.C.1 =46r: Joan K Lippincott Re: 1998 TIIAP Program =46OR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT: Paige Darden January 5, 1998 (202) 482-7002 NTIA announces schedule for 1998 application process for information infrastructure grants: Washington, DC briefing and outreach workshops scheduled. WASHINGTON, DC -- The Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced today that it will accept applications for the 1998 round of the Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure Assistance Program (TIIAP). For fiscal year 1998, approximately 17 million dollars in grant funds will be awarded. The deadline for submitting applications is 9:00 p.m., EST, March 12, 1998. TIIAP, a highly competitive, merit-based grant program, provides seed money for innovative, practical projects that extend the benefits of advanced telecommunications and information technology to rural and urban underserved Americans. Since its inception in 1994, the information infrastructure grant program has funded 332 projects in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. TIIAP has awarded more than $100 million in matching grant funds, while leveraging $150 million in local matching funds, to non-profit organizations, such as schools, libraries, hospitals, public safety entities, and state and local governments. Priorities in the 1998 grant round include funding projects which will serve as nationally significant demonstrations of how telecommunications and information technologies can be used to extend valuable services and opportunities to all Americans, especially the underserved. TIIAP is looking for innovative projects that use the new tools of the information age to strengthen communities, improve the delivery of public services, promote public safety, and enhance health, education, culture, and lifelong learning. TIIAP seeks projects that can serve as models for other communities to emulate, thereby ensuring that the benefits of an advanced information infrastructure is realized by all Americans, regardless of economic status or whether they live in urban or rural areas. On January 15, NTIA will hold a short public briefing to introduce the 1998 TIIAP competition. The briefing will be held at the Department of Commerce, Room 4830, at 10 a.m. NTIA will also hold a series of regional Outreach Workshops and Partnering Events to discuss the TIIAP program, introduce the 1998 TIIAP grant round, and discuss program funding priorities and application requirements. The workshops are a key opportunity for interested parties to understand the TIIAP goals and application process and meet representatives of other organizations interested in the TIIAP program. The Outreach Workshops and Partnering Events will be held on January 26, in Seattle, Washington; January 30, in Minneapolis, Minnesota; =46ebruary 4, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; February 6, in Atlanta, Georgia; and February 9, in Dallas, Texas. Information about the application process and requirements can be found in the Notice of Availability of Funds, published in the Federal Register on January 5, 1998. For more information about TIIAP and the Outreach Workshops and Partnering Events, visit the NTIA web site at , or call (202) 482-2048, or e-mail to . TIIAP is administered by the U.S. Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). NTIA serves as the principal adviser to the President, Vice President and Secretary of Commerce on domestic and international communications and information issues and represents the Executive Branch before the Congress, other =46ederal agencies, foreign governments and international organizations. **********=0BIV.E.1. =46r: Catherine Owen Re: Performing Arts Data Service Survey Results The Performing Arts Data Service (PADS) is a newly created national organisation which aims to collect and promote the use of digital data resources to support research and teaching in the performing arts: * music * film * video * broadcast arts * theatre * dance The Performing Arts Data Service is based in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK and centred upon a unique collaboration between the Department of Theatre, Film & Television Studies and the Department of Music. It is one of a syndicate of five Service Providers appointed by the Arts and Humanities Data Service (AHDS) funded by the Joint Information Systems Information Committee (JISC) of the UK's Higher Education Funding Councils. We are pleased to announce that the results of the first stage of our user survey are now available on the PADS web site at: http://pads.ahds.ac.uk/survey/Results.html Executive Summary: Starting in September 1997 the Performing Arts Data Service (PADS) carried out a wide-ranging survey of UK HE departments in performing arts disciplines, aiming to investigate current usage of digital data, identify holdings of data resources, and target services. The high response rate (over 35%) indicates significant interest in this area from the PADS constituency. Respondents report only very limited use of primary networked resources such as time-based media (moving images and sound recordings) in teaching and research. Reasons given include inadequate hardware or network connections, lack of knowledge about available resources, difficulty in searching for useful resources and lack of user experience among the student body. However, secondary resources accessed over the WWW, via CD-ROM or Telnet (e.g. library catalogues and databases) have become relatively familiar reference tools. Some institutions are already administering their own collections of digital data and the PADS is encouraged by the high percentage of respondents willing to make those resources available to the scholarly community through the AHDS. One of the clear outcomes of the survey was the need for a better level of information and user education on the potential of electronic resources. PADS has an important role to play here and would also like to collaborate with other agencies to address this need. We would be very grateful for your comments at this stage, please feel free to e-mail or phone me (details below). With regards, Catherine Owen Collection Co-Ordinator Performing Arts Data Service Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies University of Glasgow G12 8QQ 0141 330 3810 cath@pads.ahds.ac.uk http://pads.ahds.ac.uk ****************************************************************** IRLIST Digest is distributed from the University of California, Division of Library Automation, 300 Lakeside Drive, Oakland, CA. 94612-3550. Send subscription requests and submissions to: nancy.gusack@ucop.edu Editorial Staff: Nancy Gusack nancy.gusack@ucop.edu Cliff Lynch (emeritus) cliff@cni.org The IRLIST Archives is set up for anonymous FTP. Using anonymous =46TP via the host ftp.dla.ucop.edu, the files will be found in the directory /data/ftp/pub/irl, stored in subdirectories by year (e.g., data/ftp/pub/irl/1993). Search or browse archived IR-L Digest issues on the Web at: http://www.dcs.gla.ac.uk/idom/irlist/ These files are not to be sold or used for commercial purposes. Contact Nancy Gusack for more information on IRLIST. THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN IRLIST DO NOT REPRESENT THOSE OF THE EDITORS OR THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. AUTHORS ASSUME FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR MATERIAL.