CHIEF CONFERENCE ORGANIZER

Dr. Ching-chih CHEN Dr. Chen is Professor of the Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS), Simmons College, Boston. Prior to September 1996, she also served as Associate Dean of GSLIS for over 20 years. She is an international consultant to more than two dozen countries and sought-after international speaker on cutting-edge technology applications in information-related fields to over 30 countries. The author/editor of more than 27 books and over 150 journal articles in areas of new information technologies -- multimedia technology, digital imaging, inter-active videodisc technology, etc... --, informa-tion management, and information resources,
she was the founding Editor-in-Chief of Microcomputers for Information Management from 1984 to December 1996. For her expertise in the cutting-edge multimedia and optical technologies, she has served as consultant to many international organizations, including Unesco, World Health Organization, World Bank, USIA, Soros Foundation, etc...

A Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) (1985), President Clinton appointed her, in February 1997, to his Presidential Advisory Committee on High Performance Computing and Communications, Information Technology and Next Generation Internet established by a new Presidential Executive Order.

Dr. Chen has directed many R&D projects, including the international renown PROJECT EMPEROR-I under the sponsorship of the National Endowment of Humanities. She is the creator of the Interactive videodisc product, The First Emperor of China, which won the coveted Cindy Award of the Association for the Visual Communicators; and the multimedia CD-ROM version for the same title was selected by MacUser (October 1994) as one of the "Best 50 CD-ROMs" available. Both titles were published by The Voyager Company.

Since 1987, Dr. Chen has been the Chief Organizer of a series of ten non-profit New Information Technology (NIT) conferences in many parts of the world -- Bangkok ('87), Singapore ('89), Guadalajara, Mexico ('90), Budapest ('91), Hong Kong ('92), Puerto Rico ('93), Alexandria, Virginia ('94), Riga, Latvia (1995), Pretoria, South Africa ('96), and now Hanoi, Vietnam ('98) -- providing a forum for exchange among library and information professionals from both developing and developed countries. The outcome of NIT '94 is her groundbreaking book, Planning Global Information Infrastructure, published by Ablex and NIT.

Active in professional associations, she has been a three-term Council-at-Large and Presidential Candidate (1995-6) of the 58,000-member American Library Association (ALA), the Director of the Board for American Society for Information Science (ASIS), and Library Information Technology Association (LITA).

A Barbour Scholar, Rotary Scholar, and Fellow of AAAS, she is a recipient of numerous awards, including the ASIS' Outstanding Information Science Teacher Award (1983), the Distinguished Alumnus Awards from University of Michigan (1983) and National Taiwan University (1984), the LITA/Gaylord Award for Achievement in Library and Information Technology (1990), LITA/Library Hi Tech Award (1994), the Humphry Award (1996), and the first ALISE Pratt-Severn National Faculty Award in Library and Information Studies (1997).

PAPER PRESENTERS

CAO Minh Kiem has recently completed a Master of Applied Science at Queensland University of Technology. He has been the Head of the Division of Research and Development, Information Management and Services at the National Centre for Scientific and Technological Information and Documentation (NACESTID), Hanoi, Vietnam since March.

Nerieda CROSS is a research assistant at the School of Information, Library and Archive Studies at the University of New South Wales. She has worked with Helen Jarvis in developing the international Vietnamese Union Catalogue database, and is currently involved in documentation to the Cambodian Genocide Program (CGP).

Sally Jo CUNNINGHAM is currently a Senior Lecturer in the Computer Science department at the University of Waikato (Hamilton, New Zealand). Her research interests include digital libraries, machine learning, and computer science education. She is a member of the New Zealand digital libraries research group, a government-funded project dedicated to exploring architectures for the effective dissemination of information over the Internet.

Caroline DE WET has been employed at Rand Merchant Bank since 1987. She started as an assistant to the Chief Economist and has now been WebMaster for 2 years. She was the leader of the team that designed RMB's Internet site 2 years ago and has since been responsible for the maintenance of this site. Ms. de Wet is also currently the WebMaster/designer of the RMB Intranet.

DIEP Kim Chi received her B.A. in French from Can Tho University (CTU) in 1988. She then worked as a cataloguer at the CTU Library. In 1994, with a scholarship from the Harvard-Yenching Institute, she pursued her M.A. in library and information science at Simmons College in Boston, MA, USA. After graduation, she returned to CTU Library. In 1996, Ms. Chi was appointed Vice Director of the Central Library and recently Director of the Central Library. In 1997, she became a member of the American Library Association.

Barbara J. FORD is the executive director of the Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries and the 1997-98 president of the American Library Association. Ford, a librarian for more than 20 years, previously worked at academic and special libraries in Texas and Illinois. She served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Panama and Nicaragua. Ford has traveled around the world to address such topics as information literacy, the future of academic libraries, government information, and international cooperation.

William FOSTER is MA/MSc Course Tutor in the School of Information Studies at the University of Central England. He was Academic Advisor to TAPin and are conducting the LIS impact study.

Gary GONG holds a BS in Statistics from National Cheng-Kung University, Taiwan, and a M.S. in Management Science from Steven's Institute of Technology, USA. With more than fifteen years working experience in Information technology, Mr. Gong is Director of the Information Technology Promotion Division of the Institute for Information Industry in Taipei, Taiwan. He is also the project leader of Taiwan's NII Promotion and Application Plan (NII-PAP), sponsored by the Ministry of Economics Affairs.

Robert M. HAYES is Professor Emeritus at UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles), having retired in 1991 after 25 years in the School of Library and Information Science. From 1974 through 1989, he was Dean of that School. He continues to work at UCLA as Principal Investigator for CELCEE (ERIC Adjunct Clearinghouse for Entrepreneurship Education). His professional focus is library automation and information science, in which he continues to publish and to serve as consultant to libraries and governments throughout the world.

Maureen HENNINGER is the Coordinator of Continuing Education and part-time lecturer at the School of Information, Library and Archive Studies at the University of New South Wales. She designs, implements, and teaches in a wide variety of short courses -- such as information storage and retrieval and Internet skills -- for information professionals, both in Australia and overseas, particularly in Southeast Asia. In 1997, her book, Don't Just Surf: Research Strategies for the Net, was published (UNSW Press). Recently she has been involved in the design and implementation of 'fully-webbed' distance education courses.

Michael HUFF is the Computer Services Librarian for the Central Rappahannock Regional Library, Fredericksburg, Virginia, USA. Currently on sabbatical, he is working as the American Library Association Fellow at Can Tho University, Can Tho, Viet Nam, from October, 1997, until June, 1998. Huff holds a master's degree in library and information science from the Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. In addition to his work in Can Tho, he has also consulted with libraries on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines.

HUYUH Thi Trang has been a professional in language teaching for four years. In 1988, she obtained a B.A. in English at Can Tho University. She received her M.S. degree in library and information science at Simmons College, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. She is currently the head of reference and circulation services at the Central Library, Can Tho University, Can Tho, Viet Nam.

Helen JARVIS is the Head of the School of Information, Library and Archive Studies at the University of New South Wales. She has a long connection with Vietnam, especially in developing the international Vietnamese Union Catalogue database. Helen visited Vietnam in 1984, 1986 and 1987 assisting in the introduction of information technology at the National Library of Vietnam. Since 1987, Helen has been involved both as a researcher and an adviser in the reconstruction of the information infrastructure of Cambodia. In 1995 she became the Consultant on Documentation to the Cambodian Genocide Program (CGP).

KIEU Van Hot is Head of the Computer Section at the National Library of Vietnam, Hanoi. Mr. Hot graduated from the University of Culture in Librarianship in 1972. He also attended a course given by the University of New South Wales, Australia on stand-alone automated library systems. He has been Head of the Periodical Section and Head of the Research and Development Section at the National Library of Vietnam. In 1996 he earned a Master's Degree in Library and Information Science at Simmons Colleg, Boston, MA, USA.

Em Claire KNOWLES holds B.A. (International relations), University of California, Davis; M.L.S., University of California, Berkeley; M.P.A., California State University at Sacramento; and D.A., Simmons College. She worked as a reference librarian, a social science bibliographer, and the coordinator of bibliographic instruction at the Shields Library, Univeristy of California in Davis during 1975-1988. Since 1988, she has been Assistant Dean and the International Student Advisor at the Simmons College Graduate School of Library and Information Science.

Wally KOEHLER received his PhD in political science from Cornell University in 1977. He has subsequently turned to Internet research and communications issues. To further that expertise, he completed an MS in Information Sciences from the University of Tennessee in 1997. His research includes Web site and page change and persistence dynamics as well as search and retrievel strategies for the WWW. Dr. Koehler is self-employed as an Internet consultant.

Dianne KRUGER received her BA in Psychology, Industrial Sociology and Economic History from Rhodes University. After completing a H.Dip.Lib in 1981 she worked at the South African Library for the Blind (1 year) as a cataloguer, and then as a Library Assistant at Rondebosch Public Library, Cape Town Public Libraries for 2 years. In 1984, Dianne was appointed Librarian of the Library of Management, University of the Witwatersrand. She moved to Rand Merchant Bank in March 1996 to start up a new Library.

Karl Min KU is head of the Secretariat of the Legislative Yuan of the Republic of China. He is also President of the Association of Parliamentary Librarians of Asia & the Pacific (APLAP). Mr. Ku received his Master in Library and Information Science from Rosary College. He has extensive library experience in various libraries including the National Central Library, and was head of the Library and Information Service of the Legislative Yuan. Active in professional associations, he has been in various leadership roles of the Chinese Library Association, and has been active at the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA).

Jacques LAJOIE is Professor of Psychology at the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM), Quebec, Canada. He received Ph.D. in Psychology from McGill University in 1975. During 1992-1997, he served as the Director of the undergraduate program in psychology at UQAM. His research interests include visual perception, stereoscopic vision, psychological aspects of the internet revolution, computer graphic simulation and learning, internet exploration of knowledge and learning, and computer mediated communication and learning.

Vinh-The LAM received his MLS from Syracuse University in 1973. He was Head of Library Science Department, Van Hanh University in Saigon (1974-75), and Head of Ho Chi Minh City Teachers' College Library (1975-80). Emigrated to Canada in 1981, he has held various positions within federal and provincial government libraries and information centres. He is currently Head, Cataloguing Department, University of Saskatchewan Libraries, Saskatoon, Sask., Canada. His recent publications include the first Vietnamese translation of the ALA Glossary of Library and Information Science (1983 edition), published by Galen Press.

Hwa-Wei LEE has been the Dean of University Libraries and Professor of Education at Ohio University since 1978. Throughout his 38 years of library career, Dr. Lee has been very active in international librarianship, especially in East and Southeast Asia, serving frequently as a library consultant and lecturer. His publications include three books and more than sixty articles. He has also organized several conferences in China.

Patrick McGLAMERY is the map librarian at the University of Connecticut Libraries' Map and Geographic Information Center. Coming to the university in 1980 from the Library of Congress, Mr. McGlamery has developed MAGIC as a spatial data library, extending the metaphor information to include digital spatial data in vector, raster and tabular formats. The MAGIC web site (http://magic.lib.uconn.edu/) is a rich collection of data for the State of Connecticut, including transportation, demographic, hydrographic and soils data. Mr. McGlamery is active in ALA's LITA and Map and Geography Roundtable, and in IFLA. He is a frequent speaker about geodata, Geographic Information System and libraries at national, regional, and international forums.

Michael MIDDLETON is a senior lecturer in the School of Information Systems at the Queensland University of Technology. He has previously worked as an academic at the University of New South Wales and in libraries at the National Library of Australia, Edith Cowan University and the former Australian Atomic Energy Commission. He coordinates information management courses at QUT and his research interests are in information retrieval, information resource management and information policy. Further information can be found at http://www.fit.qut.edu.au/InfoSys/middle.

Eisuke NAITO is currently a Director for Science Information Research and Professor at NACSIS, and Adjunct Professor at the Graduate School of Education, the University of Tokyo in charge of research on Information Management. Since 1987, he has served as a founding member of the Asian Forum of Standardization for Information Technology (AFSIT) supported by the CICC, INSTAC/Japan Standards Association, as well as the Chairman of the AFSIT-SIG on Internationalization.

Linda NEWALL is coordintor for web developments in the Faculty of Computing and Information Studies at the University of Central England. Following research for an MSc at Loughborough University, she set up and is Director of The Hysterectomy Association in the UK.

NGUYEN Huy Chuong is Director of the Library and Information Center, and the Vice Director of the Information Studies Department, Vietnam National University, Hanoi. Mr. Chuong received his B.A. in Library Science from Hanoi University in 1980. He also holds certificates in French, Informatics and English from Hanoi University. In 1995 he received his M.A. in Library and Information Science from Simmons College. Since 1978, he has worked in various capacities at Hanoi University until 1988 he was named Vice Director of the Centre of Library and Information at Hanoi University.

NGUYEN Minh Hiep is the Graduate Library Librarian of the Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (VNU-HCM). He earned a B.A. in Physics and Chemistry from Hue University in 1973, and served as a librarian there from 1973 to 1980. From 1980 to 1993 he was a librarian for the Ho Chi Minh City University. In 1994 he earned a Masters Degree of Library and Information Science from Simmons College. In 1996 he was awarded a grant to attend the Mortenson Center at the University of Illinois. Mr. Hiep has been very active in developing library automation plans for the (VNU-HCM).

NGUYEN Thi Bac is Vice Director of the General Sciences Library (GSL) of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Ms. Bac graduated from the National Institute of Culture, Kharcop, USSR in 1979 with a Diploma in Bibliography and Library Science. She was a teacher of library science during 1979-81. She became librarian of the Acquisitions and Processing Department of the GSL in 1981, and was named Chief of the Acquisitions and Processing Department in 1987. She received her Masters degree in Library and Information Science from the Simmons College (Boston, MA, USA) in 1995.

NGUYEN Thien Can is Head of the English Section of the Department of Foreign Languages at the Van Lang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Prior to that Ms. Can worked in the Saigon Times Document Center, and was a staff of the General Sciences Library of Ho Chi Minh City from 1979 to 1995. In 1974, she earned a B.A. in chemistry from the Saigon University and then graduated from the University of Ho Chi Minh City in English in 1991. In 1994 she earned a Masters Degree in Library and Information Science from the Simmons College.

Kenneth K. ODERO is a development consultant for ProPerArt Associates (Private) Limited. A planner by profession, Dr. Odero holds a Ph.D. in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Nairobi. In 1988-90, he worked as a Physical Planner for the Government of Kenya. In 1991-97, he was a Research Fellow of the Institute for Development Studies, University of Nairobi. He has researched and published widely on the agrarian question, urban management, sustainable development and rural transportation.

Patricia G. OYLER is a professor of library science at Simmons College Graduate School of Library and Information Science where she teaches in the areas of International and Comparative Librarianship, Automated Systems and Services, Technical Services, Management and the Organization of Knowledge. She is active in the International Federation of Library Associations and serves on the Council of the American Library Association. She was the director of the Harvard Yenching/Simmons College Scholar Librarian project and has taught these librarians in Vietnam each summer from 1994-1997. She received her Ph.D. and MLS from the University of Pittsburgh and her MBA from Simmons College.

Daniel ORTIZ received his BA in Liberal Arts in 1975 and MLS in 1982 from University of Puerto Rico, and Doctor of Arts in library and information science in 1994 from Simmons College. He worked in many capacities at the University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras Campus. From 1992-95 he worked as a science reference librarian at University of Massachusetts in Boston, and since October 1995, he became the Associate Director of libraries at UMass - Boston. Daniel has participated in NIT since 1991.

QUAN Mai Binh is Supervisory Librarian of the United States Information Service's Information Resource Center in Hanoi, Vietnam. Prior to that she was a librarian for the College of Social Sciences and Humanities at the Vietnam National University, Hanoi, and for the Foreign Language Department at Hanoi University. Ms. Binh received a B.A. in English from the Hanoi Foreign Language Teachers' Training College in 1977 and a Certificate of Higher Education specializing in Informatics-Information-Library from Hanoi University in 1990. In 1994 she received a Master's Degree in Library and Information Science from Simmons College in Boston, MA, USA.

Bruce REID is Research Entry Tutor in the School of Information Studies at the University of Central England. He was Academic Advisor to TAPin and are conducting the LIS impact study.

Helena RODRIGUES is Dean of University Libraries at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, with four branches in the United States and one in Gottenburg, Sweden. She has a Doctor of Arts degree in library and information science from Simmons College. In her career she has held positions in cataloging at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.; the John Carter Brown Library at Brown University, and the State Library of Rhode Island. Currently, she is president-elect of the Rhode Island Library Association.

Diane TEBBETTS is Professor and Associate University Librarian at the University of New Hampshire Library. She earned MS and DA degrees from the Simmons College Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS) as well as a Master's from Boston University. She has published numerous articles and presented papers at several NIT Conferences. She teaches part-time at the Simmons College GSLIS and has also taught at the University of Rhode Island.