Driven by new digital technologies, the future of learning is increasingly interactive, individualized, and full of real-world experiences and information. Unfortunately, the average school has about the same connectivity as the average American home, but serves 200 times as many users, and fewer than 20 percent of educators say their school's…

This paper presents the activities of the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) for 2009. The past year was one of accomplishment for USAC. USAC implemented a host of advances in operations, infrastructure, and outreach in an effort to continue to improve collection and disbursement of the Universal Service Fund (USF) support and to…

Books were scarce in nineteenth-century South Dakota. Limited resources and a lack of widespread interest worked to hinder the growth of libraries in rural schools. Library advocates persisted in their cause, voicing their support, engaging in fund-raising activities, and proposing library legislation. Their efforts eventually led to the passage…

This document provides information on applying for LSTA grants. LSTA is administered at the federal level by an independent Institute of Museum and Library Services, and at the state level by the California State Library. This guide includes a brief introduction followed by general information on: administration; eligibility; procedure; duration;…

Discusses the development and current decline of public libraries in Egypt based on a study of international influences which helped shape national discourses about development and provided the context for policymaking and resource allocation in Egypt. The role of UNESCO is examined, and further research is suggested. (LRW)

Highlights some of the excuses library trustees give for not doing advocacy. Presents points to keep in mind when planning and conducting advocacy programs, including: long-term goals, short-term goals, and follow-up activities. Sidebars include a "Trustee Association Health Quiz" and quotes from the field about advocacy. (AEF)

The University of Washington (Seattle) developed an administrative process that integrates user needs assessment. The user-centered library is defined and assessment initiatives including policies, surveys, analysis of resource allocation, and professional development are discussed. (AEF)

This paper provides background on The National Library of Estonia (NLE), discusses a fellowship project for developing the National Library, and presents the impressions of the author, an Estonian American, who traveled to Estonia. The NLE looks to the West for automation, information, and institutional modeling. The NLE is Estonia's equivalent of…

The Library Policy Committee appointed by the Finland Ministry of Education in 1999 worked for 2 years to identify the challenges arising in the civil information society and the concrete solutions to them. This document is a summary of the salient points of the Committee's report. First, the vision for the Finnish public library is outlined,…

The Idaho allocation plan for funds from the Library Service and Construction Act continues the emphasis on priorities listed in fiscal year 1994 and those that were described in the statewide plan for the years 1994 through 1998. These priorities are: (1) advocate for the creation of library districts with adequate tax support to serve the…

Two strategies used by the Stevens Institute of Technology (New Jersey) library to manage acquisition of periodicals are described. The first involved a study of circulation of existing titles to pare unused subscriptions, and a concurrent monitoring of faculty research productivity. The second was a shift in resources to electronic media and…

This report provides an annotated listing of 30 institutions receiving grants from the U.S. Department of Education under the College Library Technology and Cooperation Grants Program during 1992 in the following four categories: (1) networking grants; (2) combinations grants; (3) services to institutions; and (4) research and demonstration. These…

Provides an overview of the library infrastructure of Bangladesh; the current state of special, academic, public, and school library collections; and an overview of librarianship and library education. Topics include the national library and archives, the unequal distribution of limited library resources, and support from developed countries.…

The long range plan provides for the orderly establishment and expansion of programs needed to carry out the objectives of the Texas State Library. The following five major development goals were identified for the 1994-1997 period: (1) improve library services and increase library resources through financial support; (2) make materials and…

Considers 10 areas of internal operations in which the Research Libraries Group/North American Collection Inventory Project (RLF/NCIP) Conspectus can be used as a management aid: collection priorities, collection management, space utilization, preservation programs, staffing allocations, material fund requests, accreditation, materials selection,…