The COVID-19 pandemic has had limited effects on access to and use of information. In the last few decades, much information has been digitised, if not created and produced, online. Confined in physical space and sitting at a desk (or kitchen table), people are able to connect to the outside world through various applications on a laptop and other…

It has been only a few years since the state of Montana adopted revised standards for Information Literacy/Library Media. In the years since their adoption, the district's curriculum review team, made up of K-12 school librarians, defined the local curriculum directly from these standards. As Montana's school librarians reflect on their past…

With faculty balking at the price of academic journals, can other digital publishing options get traction? University libraries are no strangers to one of the most popular online alternatives, the open-access archive. These archives enable scholars to upload work--including drafts of articles that are published later in subscription journals--so…

Campus librarians play a central role in conversations revolving around copyright compliance. The sheer volume of information provided within library physical and virtual spaces affirms the role libraries play in current copyright debates. Regardless of the function of librarians on any particular campus, it is important to confront the myriad of…

Everyone is living through a period of considerable demographic change, which is predicted to continue and escalate. People are living longer and, generally, healthier lives, and the lifelong learning system in the UK needs to catch-up with this new reality. There is a need for a much more flexible approach that offers choice and opportunities to…

College and university archivists face changes in their responsibilities that place at risk their ability to document the history of their institutions. Educational institutions that preserve, make known, and promote their history create a strong and lively institutional identity. This identity can be shaped and boosted through documenting…

Federal legislation now requires the deposit of some taxpayer-funded research in "open-access" repositories--that is, sites where scholarship and research are made freely available over the Internet. The institutions whose faculty produce the research have begun to see the benefit of open-access publication as well. From the perspective of faculty…

Libraries are constantly evolving and changing expectations for the user and the information environment. More than just being an authoritative source for research, expertise, and quality content in the form of books and journals, the information center is evolving into a more expansive role. With the growth of information technology awareness and…

Public libraries were indispensable resources for newcomers during the height of European immigration to the United States. They were havens for the poor and jobless during the Great Depression and bridges between rural and urban communities during times of major demographic change. An increase in the Spanish-speaking population has inspired…

Three articles address issues that relate to libraries and the environment. Highlights include recycling projects; buying recycled paper products and other ecology-minded purchasing ideas; energy-efficient libraries; indoor pollution problems; a list of environmental information sources; designing library buildings; and activities that libraries…

Sophistication and accessibility can be dangerous bedfellows, especially when it comes to information sources. One of the real challenges in undergraduate academic libraries can be connecting students in a meaningful way to the resources that will be most helpful and understandable for them. This article discusses how techniques borrowed from the…

Describes the creation of subject-oriented Internet resource guides and a clearinghouse for such guides, two examples of how librarians can add value to Internet information by repackaging its resources. Problems users face in finding information on the Internet, current solutions and their shortcomings, and the concept of value-added repackaging…

Examines three major components of the role of the university library in China: (1) the university as a participant in the educational work of the university; (2) the library as a provider of information that enables researchers in the university to carry out investigations; and (3) the responsibility of the library to society as a whole. (25…

Virtual Reference Canada (VRC) is a digital reference service using World Wide Web technology. It was initiated by the National Library of Canada (NLC) in spring 2001 and went into test mode at the start of 2002. It draws on the contribution of a wide range of Canadian libraries and allied institutions. The development of VRC owes a great deal to…

Includes six special reports: "Libraries and the National Information Infrastructure" (Peter R. Young and Jane Williams); "Library Cooperation and Networking" (JoAn Segal); "Mexican Information Resources in Electronic Format" (Shirley Ainsworth); "The International Role of U.S. Librarians" (Hannelore B.…