This timely special report from ALA Editions provides a succinct but comprehensive overview of the "privatization" of public libraries. It provides a history of the trend of local and state governments privatizing public services and assets, and then examines the history of public library privatization right up to the California…

This paper takes a theoretical and practical approach in defining the "problem" of homelessness in libraries. The author examines three fundamental problems on homelessness. The three fundamental questions are: (a) Who are the homeless? (b) Why are they homeless? (c) What are their information needs in libraries? These questions are important in…

Discusses principles of law library management and presents three problem solving exercises for law librarianship training. American Bar Association standards for law school libraries are presented, with interpretations, and appendices provide a job description for an assistant law librarian and bylaws of the American Law Schools concerning…

Focuses on failure of libraries to study or publish comparative costs of cataloging before and after automation. Discussion covers current situation; coping with change; MARC and Anglo-American Cataloging Rules Revised solutions (Library of Congress (LC) revisionary practices, Dewey classification changes, LC subject headings); and question of…

Suggests that as automated information services become more prevalent, it is essential that libraries find permanent funding to support this activity. Funding of information provided by an online search that satisfies legitimate educational and research needs with monies from print materials budget is considered. Three reactions to essay are…

This videotape is designed to help library staff develop and implement a security program in the library, using library personnel or outside security personnel. Eight sections cover: (1) how to design an effective security policy; (2) how to approach disruptive patrons; (3) personal safety--with disruptive patrons, during a robbery, and when…

This article reports the results of a survey of cell phone policies in university libraries conducted over a three-month period in 2005. The authors sought information about the libraries' problems regarding cell phone use and attendant noise by students and other library users. The authors began with an 18-question survey of one hundred…

This is a handbook of advice for handling the everyday problems encountered in all types and sizes of libraries. It is designed to assist managers before, during, and after crises develop. Organized in an question-and-answer format, it tackles many dilemmas that can occur in the library, then offers solutions drawn from actual experience. The…

Briefly reviews the theoretical principles of decision making and communication for effective management, and describes management practices in Canadian academic libraries facing retrenchment that deviate from this theoretical model. Suggestions for achieving greater congruency between scholarly theory and management practice, thereby facilitating…

Written from the perspective of a working director, this book is a guide to setting fair and appropriate behavior rules and training staff in how to implement them. Policies for exhibit and meeting room use; issues surrounding street people, the mentally ill, and substance abusers; sexual deviancy and parental child abuse in the library;…

This Systems and Procedures Exchange Center (SPEC) flyer/kit addresses some of the needs of Association of Research Libraries (ARL) members regarding library building use and the aesthetics and well-being of the materials and people in the building. The kit draws upon documents gathered as part of a 1986 Quick-SPEC survey that dealt with food and…

This handbook offers "how to" guidance on library management and provides a single source for laws, regulations, executive orders, guidelines, and court decisions on employee and employer rights and responsibilities. Detailed information is provided on: recruiting and selecting personnel; the employment relationship; wages and hours;…

Intellectual freedom is a concept fundamental to all libraries. It enables library customers to access a wide variety of materials in numerous formats, and is a concept dear to the hearts and minds of a democratic society. Libraries are often challenged by individuals and groups concerned about the availability of certain materials. The first part…