The social impacts of new information technology have attracted much attention in recent years. This study looked at the personal computer's impact on the public library's services and functions. Particular attention was paid to the public access personal computer. The method involved a Baseline survey to establish the availability and use of public access personal computers in Australian public libraries and a Delphi survey to consider possible futures. The researcher's framework was drawn from reviews of the literatures on futures research; new information technology and its social impacts; the development and current situation of the public library; and innovation research. The Baseline survey revealed that public access personal computers were becoming increasingly common in public libraries, though their provision was not yet widespread. Existing and planned uses included games, literacy and various other educational activities. Overall the public access personal computer was viewed as a favourable innovation with the part it could play in developing community computer literacy receiving particular attention. The Delphi panel was comprised of 25 public librarians selected on the basis of their knowledge about computers in public libraries. The 41 Event Statements postulated a wide range of changes in - (1) the nature and method of service provision; (2) the patterns of client demand and use; and, (3) financial allocations. The results revealed greater variability of opinion about the likely time of occurrence of the Events than about their desirability. A high level of opinion change between the two Rounds did not produce much movement toward consensus - indicating that the panel had varied views of the future. Comment on both surveys indicated that the librarians were keen to develop services relevant to their communities and if public access personal computers were such a service they would strive to provide them. The Delphi survey proved a good vehicle for encouraging consideration of the future and further research using the method seems warranted.

The social impacts of new information technology have attracted much attention in recent years. This study looked at the personal computer's impact on the public library's services and functions. Particular attention was paid to the public access personal computer. The method involved a Baseline survey to establish the availability and use of public access personal computers in Australian public libraries and a Delphi survey to consider possible futures. The researcher's framework was drawn from reviews of the literatures on futures research; new information technology and its social impacts; the development and current situation of the public library; and innovation research. The Baseline survey revealed that public access personal computers were becoming increasingly common in public libraries, though their provision was not yet widespread. Existing and planned uses included games, literacy and various other educational activities. Overall the public access personal computer was viewed as a favourable innovation with the part it could play in developing community computer literacy receiving particular attention. The Delphi panel was comprised of 25 public librarians selected on the basis of their knowledge about computers in public libraries. The 41 Event Statements postulated a wide range of changes in - (1) the nature and method of service provision; (2) the patterns of client demand and use; and, (3) financial allocations. The results revealed greater variability of opinion about the likely time of occurrence of the Events than about their desirability. A high level of opinion change between the two Rounds did not produce much movement toward consensus - indicating that the panel had varied views of the future. Comment on both surveys indicated that the librarians were keen to develop services relevant to their communities and if public access personal computers were such a service they would strive to provide them. The Delphi survey proved a good vehicle for encouraging consideration of the future and further research using the method seems warranted.

As we move into the new millennium, computers will increasingly become part of the human culture. As such, computers will continue to effect families, and there will undoubtedly be a proliferation of computer usage across family types. Because computers will be an integral part of change in the next millennium, it is important to examine their potential impact on the basic unit of society- the family. This study, descriptive in nature, provides insight on families and their interactions as related to computer use in their homes. Better understanding of computers and family life can help provide the basis for a smoother transition for families into the expanding world of information technology. As the expansion of the digital age proceeds, its impact on family life would seem to warrant investigation. Information on who is using computers in the home, how those computers are being used, and how time is spent on computers can add to our appreciation of the impact of computer technology. In addition, the perceived impact of computers needs to be assessed in relation to outcomes for family life- interaction, relationships, and familial organization. / Master of Science

This research study had three aims. The first aim was to identify if any changes in job characteristics and the motivating potential of jobs occurred when workers were provided with their own personal desktop computers for accessing automated integrated information management systems, wordprocessing and spreadsheeting facilities. The second aim of the study was to determine if any changes in job satisfaction occurred as a result of such changes in job characteristics and the motivating potential of jobs. The third aim of the study was to determine whether changes in job satisfaction that resulted from changes in job characteristics and changes in the motivating potential of jobs were moderated by the following factors: workers' perceptions of the impact of the new technology on their work practices, workers' prior knowledge of computing, and workers' age, gender and job category. A survey questionnaire was used to collect information for this research study. The complete version of the Job Diagnostic Survey formed the major portion of this questionnaire. The additional portions of the questionnaire were designed to collect information relating to workers' perceptions of the impact of the new technology, their prior computing knowledge and their age, gender and job category. A quasi-experimental multiple time-series research design was used to fulfill the aims of this study. The experimental group comprised 19 workers who had been using the new technology for no longer than five months. In order to maximise discrimination between effects that resulted from the introduction of the new technology and effects that resulted from other organisational factors, two control groups were used in this research study. The "established users" group comprised 10 workers who had been using the new technology in their jobs for at least six months, and the "non-users" group comprised 22 workers who had not used the new techno�logy in their jobs and would not do so for the duration of the study. A period of 18 months elapsed between the pretest and the posttest. In total, 51 respondents completed both the pretest and posttest questionnaires. These respondents' results were analysed using Statview 512+ and JMP (version 2). The participants of this research study were all employees of the National Library of Australia (NLA). Although computer technology has been in use at the NLA since the 1980s, the new technology that has been the focus of this research study differs from previous technology because it provides staff of the NLA with instant access to an information system that is both fully automated and fully integrated. This has been achieved in two ways. Firstly, the development of a local area network, the installation of a Dynix Integrated Library Management System, and the provision of Epsom personal computers equipped with Word for Windows and Excel for Windows have collectively made it possible for staff of the NLA now to access all the NLA's existing and new automated systems from a single personal computer instead of having to use different equipment for different automated tasks as has previously been the case. Secondly, rather than having to share equipment with other staff, each staff member has been supplied with their own PC. The study found that the introduction of the new technology did not have any significant effects on job characteristics and the motivating potential of jobs. However, there was a significant decrease in job satisfaction after the introduction of the new technology. It was found that workers had very positive perceptions of the effects of the technology on their jobs, and very high levels of prior computing knowledge, and therefore it was concluded that these factors did not have any moderating effects on the relationship between the introduction of the new technology and job satisfaction. No relationships were found between the decrease in job satisfaction and workers' age, gender and job category. Results of further analysis, however, reveal that there was a relationship between the decrease in job satisfaction after the introduction of the new technology and two other factors. These were a reduction in workers' perceptions of the value of the skills required to complete their work tasks and a decrease in their social satisfaction. Further research is suggested in order to determine the general applicability of these results to other organisations and other occupational groups.

Differences between females and males in computer use have long been a concern. Over the past twenty years, the accessibility gap has closed and women’s use of the technology has equaled and in some cases surpassed men’s computer use. However, differences in patterns of use still remain. This study looked at underlying factors that may be involved in maintaining differences in use. Specifically, this study focused on differences in gender and gender role personality traits as they relate to microcomputer playfulness. Gender role personality traits are defined as the acceptance of stereotypic gender descriptors as applying to oneself according to the Personal Attributes Questionnaire (PAQ). The PAQ provides participants with ratings on the expressive (feminine) and instrumental (masculine) scales. The relationship between the scales yields the gender role personality traits expressive (high expressive, low instrumental), instrumental (low expressive, high instrumental), androgynous (high on both), or undifferentiated (low on both). Microcomputer playfulness or computer playfulness is defined as the tendency to be “spontaneous, inventive and imaginative when interacting with a personal computer.” It is measured by responses on the Computer Playfulness Scale. This study found that computer playfulness varied depending upon setting with participants being most playful when using a computer at home and least playful when using a computer at work. Those who score in the androgynous range of the PAQ also scored higher on the CPS than those who scored in the undifferentiated range. Finally, this study found that males tended to score higher in computer playfulness than females. Participants were also interviewed about their experiences of gender role personality traits and computer playfulness. Discussion of these results and suggestions for further research are included. / text

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International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 26-29, 1998 / Town & Country Resort Hotel and Convention Center, San Diego, California / Universal acceptance of the Windows NT operating system has made utilization of the personal computer (PC) platform for critical space operations a reality. The software attributes of the operating system allow PC products to attain the reliability necessary for secure control of on-orbit assets. Not only is the software more reliable, it supports better networking interfaces at higher speeds. The software upgrades that the Microsoft Corporation generates on a regular basis allow PCs to offer capabilities previously available only with UNIX-based solutions. As technology matures, PCs will operate faster, offer more graphical user interfaces, and give customers a lower cost versus performance choice. These reasons, and others to be discussed further, clearly demonstrate that PCs will soon take their place at the forefront of mission-critical ground station applications.