Presents tips from a project that made modest but significant improvements to the young adult areas and services of 11 rural libraries in the Pioneer Library System in upstate New York. Discusses floor plans, layout and location; furniture and fixtures; collections and displays; technology; and staff. Illustrates changes with before-and-after…

The final report of the Illinois General Assembly Task Force on Library Finance is presented. An initiative was recommended to provide enhanced opportunities for public access to electronic information by improving technology in libraries. The task force recommended an increase in fees to provide the necessary funding for this initiative. (AEF)

Describes the Tall Tree Initiative for Library Services, sponsored by the Reader's Digest Foundation and administered by the public and school library systems of Westchester County, New York. The initiative focuses on improving services offered children in the 21st century, and demands a new level of school-public library cooperation. (AEF)

Discusses basic assumptions behind the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and suggests that often Web pages are not accessible to the visually impaired. Highlights several resources that deal with the issues surrounding adaptive technology and disabilities, as well as tools and utilities for checking Web services. (AEF)

Summarizes the Richmond Public Library's (RPL's) experiences in development and provision of technology-based services. Describes RPL's approaches to technology-based services, including training, communicating benefits to the community, creating a community-based Web site and marketing. Explains benefits of Internet-based services to patrons,…

Describes three projects implemented by the Southern Illinois University at Carbondale's library that are designed to empower the patron: (1) patron-initiated borrowing; (2) Interlibrary Loan Link on FirstSearch databases; and (3) implementation of Web-based interlibrary loan request forms. Explains the role of institutional support and…

Presents a study by Texas A&M University to find steps to improve access to engineering society technical papers. Steps include: consolidating indexes, creating finding guides, changing shelving procedures, and utilizing gopher-client servers. A table displays indexing results via an online system and appendixes offer an example of a gopher…

This publication establishes goals and specifies priorities for the State of Louisiana consistent with the purposes of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). Four goals are listed, with accompanying activities, procedures, and evaluation for their implementation; the fourth goal specifies four priorities. The goals are: (1) To administer…

Libraries need to take a new approach to community relations and marketing to respond to demographic changes and users who need new competencies to compete in the job market. Highlights include improving access; collection development; programs and services; staff development and recruitment; funding; and evaluation of effectiveness of services.…