As congressional library supporters retire, establishing new commitments for library services and funding is a priority for advocates. Highlights retiring library champions in Congress, their contributions, and current congressional librarian, Representative Major Owens. Suggests ways to secure more support--educating legislators about libraries,…

Discusses the concept of outsourcing in libraries and suggests that it is done for the cosmetic appearance of fiscal economies. Highlights include the possibility of achieving better service quality, but at a higher cost; and the importance of keeping management informed about and aware of the value of library services. (LRW)

In ComputerTown, USA!, a corner of the children's section at the Menlo Park Public Library, children and adults are trained to use microcomputers. This is one of the top five winners in American Libraries' competition to identify innovative library programs. (LLS)

Discusses the New York Public Library's experience with the Kurzweil Reading Machine (KRM) which transforms printed words into speech for visually handicapped people. The introduction of this new technology has created a need for new library services which are unique and demanding. (LLS)

Describes the MyLibrary concept of personalization or customization of library user Web pages. Discusses benefits for libraries and patrons, as well as technical issues to consider. Highlights personalization projects at Cornell and UCLA. A sidebar gives a list of online sources. (AEF)

Describes customer call centers that provide customer service and support in business and considers how their routines could be adapted to library operations. Topics include centralized staff; interactive voice response; automated call distribution; question analysis; sophisticated software; training and monitoring; telephone reference; and…

Discusses the provision of subscription-based information services to business and industry by the Lehigh University Library. The types of services available, the rates charged for specific services, the importance of speed and confidentiality, and the relationship between the academic library and the business world are reviewed. (JL)

Describes a set of special programs for adolescents which have been sponsored by the Smithtown, New York, Public Library. The 12 programs outlined (one for each month of the year) include a summer jobs seminar, a swap shop, a music festival, a game tournament, and a summer sailing presentation. (JL)

Describes a federally funded project to establish neighborhood resource centers in the branches of the Seattle Public Library system to disseminate university research materials and technical assistance of a local nature to neighborhood patrons. (LLS)

Describes the growth of service through program improvement and technical development at the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) of the Library of Congress. (MBR)

Preschool programs in public libraries in Columbus, Ohio; New York City; and Greenvile, South Carolina, are described. They are meant to stimulate preschoolers and educate adults. (MBR)

Chronicles the evolution of the position of consultant in poetry (in 1989, officially titled Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry) at the Library of Congress from the 1930s to the present. Poets highlighted include Howard Nemerov, Alan Tate, Robert Penn Warren, Robert Hayden, Joseph Brodsky, Rita Dove, and Stanley Kunitz. A sidebar discusses…

Discusses the history of the reference reform movement that began with an article that described what was wrong with reference. Highlights include the use of technology; remote access; tiered service; appointment-based reference service; alternative staffing patterns; and providing adequate resources to enhance reference service. (LRW)

Considers the use of the phrase "customer service" with reference to libraries and their users' needs, expectations, and satisfaction. Librarians' perceptions of those being served, and the public's view of library workers, are discussed, and a sidebar examines the history of fee-based subscription libraries. (LRW)

Presents responses to 10 common arguments against the use of Internet filters in libraries. Highlights include keyword blocking; selection of materials; liability of libraries using filters; users' judgments; Constitutional issues, including First Amendment rights; and censorship. (LRW)