Public library service is a critical service that must be preserved. Despite a current (FY08) budget cut of $5 million and the threat of reductions of nearly $20 million more in the next budget, the Queens Library has maintained massive and excellent programs of service and incredibly high levels of use by a public that lines up at every one of…

Georgia Tech Library has undergone two learning space renovations in the past six years, with a third in 2009. This work is grounded in techniques that elicit user input. Library staff hope one day to completely renovate the entire 220,000-square-foot main library facility. Until that day arrives, library staff are making incremental improvements…

Explains the revamping of library services in London's East End that will begin with the library buildings being sold and replaced with Idea Stores, positioned in high-density shopping areas. Discusses combining traditional library services with adult education, performance space, daycare, and retail style. (LRW)

Branches in shopping malls help build community by attracting new patrons to the library. They help libraries offer exciting new venues with a retail-like approach and raise awareness of the work libraries are doing. In some cases, though not at Glendale, the library is more cost-effective owing to the smaller space used to serve patrons. These…

Presents planning strategies for academic libraries that integrate digital products and print collections based on patron needs. Highlights include paperless libraries; space planning; two models for design, one with electronic access and low reliance on print collections and the second with electronic access and high collection reliance; and…

Discussion about planning for school libraries focuses on the first phase, called preplanning or programming, which involves determining the motivation for building or renovating; needs assessments; considering the role of the library; giving users questionnaires to solicit their opinions; workflow patterns; and cost estimates that include…

Describes the planning, design, and service issues involved in the successful transition from a closed reserve collection to an open, self-serve reserve room. A questionnaire answered by 200 patrons revealed a high level of satisfaction with the new system, indicated a need for more photocopiers, identified reserve materials used most frequently,…

This report provides information on South Carolina's Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA) projects for fiscal year 1995. It includes: copies of applications for federal assistance and grant award notifications; a list of LSCA staff and responsibilities; a fiscal breakdown for Titles I and III that itemizes spending on activities within…

This report provides information on South Carolina's Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA) projects for fiscal year 1996. It includes: copies of applications for federal assistance and grant award notifications; a list of LSCA staff and responsibilities; a fiscal breakdown for Titles I and III that itemizes spending on activities within…

This report provides information on South Carolina's Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA) projects for fiscal year 1994. It includes: copies of applications for federal assistance and grant award notifications; a list of LSCA staff and responsibilities; a fiscal breakdown for Titles I and III that itemizes spending on activities within…

Drawing on recent experience and observation in New South Wales, this paper describes issues facing authorities, planners and librarians who are working on public library building projects. The author emphasises the need for all involved to focus not just on traditional good design principles, but also on user needs, consulting the community,…

Explains the role shift from an elementary school library into a public library after school hours are over. Topics include family literacy; role setting; circulation; facilities; security; patrons, including teachers and the general public; maintenance; bibliographic record quality; and public relations. (LRW)

This paper suggests that by 2004, the traditional public libraries will have ceased to exist and new, attractive future libraries will have taken their place. The Libraries 2040 project of the Netherlands is initiating seven different libraries of the future. The Brabant library is the "ultimate library of the future" for the Dutch…

Analyzes sociological research conducted by Kazakhstan libraries between 1991 and 1994. Highlights include discussions on the sociology of reading, research results, and library facilities. It was found that reading is characterized by frequent changes in demands of readers caused by dramatic shifts in ideology, politics, and economics in the…

Discusses the results of focus groups and surveys that asked teenagers their opinions of libraries and library services. Highlights include access to technology; customer service for students; library space for teens; books and materials; rules, regulations, and hours; jobs and service opportunities; and marketing toward teens. (LRW)