Computing hardware, digital memory systems, and high speed computer networks have progressed to the point where building very large digital document collections and providing facile distributed access to these collections is practical and economical. However, many difficult problems still stand in the way of implementing such systems. The time is ripe to begin building a broad science base to support this activity and to begin academic programs at universities to produce the PhD's needed to advance progress in this area. This award funds a three day workshop to bring together about 30 key researchers in the area of information capture and access. Participants represent broad coverage of the research area and a balance between industrial and academic and between project implementors and more science base oriented individuals. The workshop will be held November 12-14, 1991 in Ithaca, New York. The coordinators are John Hopcroft, chair Computer Science Department, Cornell University and Gregory Zack, manager Xerox Design Research Area. The primary objectives of the workshop are to determine the state of the art in information capture and access, to identify key research efforts and projects, and to highlight research direction where progress is likely. In addition the workshop will identify common infrastructure that would foster cooperative research efforts. The Xerox Corporation is a co-sponsor of the workshop. //
