School boards are woefully unprepared to deal with "make or buy" issues, due to massive union efforts to eliminate or restrict board freedom to contract for services. Teachers neither understand nor support a market economy. School boards' contracting out ability will not be secure until favorable legislative options are considered and…

Due to shrinking financial resources accompanied by increased nutritional responsibilities, school food service professionals are employing economies of scale (central kitchens, cooperative purchasing, computerization, and high-tech food preparation equipment) and revenue-expansion opportunities (catering, vending machines, and "a la…

School administrators must make yearly technology decisions, hoping they are spending the public's money wisely and that the new computer systems will benefit their students. This article presents some general (tongue-in-cheek) rules about choosing computer systems, using and modifying software, training staff, and purchasing and upgrading…

Special section includes two articles on academic library collection management: "Current Awareness: Acquisitions to Endusers" (Michael Lonardo and Dianne Taylor-Harding) describes methods for announcing recent library acquisitions to faculty; and "Book Acquisitions: A Purchasing System" (Ting Zheng and Joyce Huang) explains a…

Discusses ways in which media specialists and media center administrators structure their tasks and responsibilities in the areas of equipment purchasing; collection building, especially content-relevant videotapes and videodiscs; copyright considerations; and the repair of equipment. (LRW)

A good technology plan for a school district recognizes that implementing technology is an ongoing process, not a one-time matter. A number of experts answer questions concerning technology planning and purchasing. Technology in a solid long-term plan is described as adaptable, compatible, reliable, flexible, upgradable, nonproprietary, open, and…

Presents guidelines for buying classroom toys/equipment for child care settings. Lists examples of appropriate toys and equipment for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-aged children in the following areas: action toys, art materials, audiovisual materials, balls, blocks and construction materials, books, discovery materials, dolls and…

Technological advancements are helping school business officials at the Fountain Valley (California) School District effectively manage district assets, thanks to developments in budget and finance software, videoconferencing, online purchasing and fund raising, inventory bar codes and portable scanners, paperless forms and applications, writable…

This book discusses issues to consider when purchasing an encyclopedia and provides reviews of eight print encyclopedias, six CD-ROM encyclopedias, and one online encyclopedia. Each review provides an address and discusses the history, scope and treatment, and quality and currency of the encyclopedia; for CD-ROM encyclopedias, the database…

This paper examines the use of subsidy programs as a payment strategy for assistive devices for individuals with disabilities. The paper defines subsidies, classifies and describes these programs, and identifies commonalities and differences among varied models. Program models include: (1) competitive subsidies offered by private, nonprofit…

The Illinois State Board of Education in cooperation with the Illinois Consumer Education Association produced this lesson plan book as a resource for teachers as they implement the consumer education mandate in secondary schools. Classroom instruction ideas, techniques, and lessons were provided by teachers from Illinois. A committee of consumer…

The guide and the project record book included in this document are designed for 4-H members who would like to start a salt-water aquarium project. The guide includes the following topics: (1) general requirements for salt-water aquariums; (2) directions for making an aquarium; (3) suggestions for where to locate it; (4) pros and cons of using…

The economic impact of Georgia State University on Atlanta was assessed. The survey methodology of Salley (1976) was employed, and the differential expenditure multiplier was recomputed using local value added data. Attention was directed to: university enrollment, payroll, and spending; estimated student and staff spending; calculation of the…

This English-language-only bibliography cites 346 items concerning agricultural and farmer cooperatives. Some citations are annotated, and all contain full title, author, publisher, and reference numbers to the AGRICOLA database. Works were entered in the AGRICOLA database between January 1979 and March 1989. Materials are available through…

The current status and apparent trends of local area networks (LANs) in school districts are explored in this short report. Results of a 1987-88 Quality Education Data survey are cited, indicating that 64% of 173 of the largest school districts in the country were already networking and 36% intended to be networking by 1990. The advantages of…