The purpose of this paper is to describe and demonstrate how social networks such as "Facebook" and "Goodreads", and information and communication technologies (ICTs) tools like laptops and iPods can support and enhance literature circles. The innovation described is implemented by the library and aims to promote reading for…

This paper outlines the challenges and opportunities for the services of the Japanese National Diet Library (NDL), especially the Research and Legislative Reference Bureau by using a SWOT (Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis. The introduction lists the major goals of the NDL's reform. The second section discusses the NDL's…

This paper concentrates on the identification of the main trends that are visible from a librarian's perspective in the area of copyright management in the digital environment. The first section discusses the expansion of licensing, including reasons for this trend, standards for licenses, and collecting societies (i.e., societies that act on…

This paper starts by exploring the definition of knowledge and knowledge management; examples of acquisition, creation, packaging, application, and reuse of knowledge are provided. It then considers the partnership for knowledge management and especially how librarians as knowledge professionals, users, and technology experts can contribute to…

This paper discusses library development in the changing environment arising within the forthcoming Information/Knowledge Society. The role of the library as a social institution is examined in the context of the evolution of the whole literary and knowledge system. Ideas about conceptual changes to be introduced by the library in order to respond…

This paper on public libraries in Thailand begins with a section that provides background on public libraries in the past, lists the functions of the public library, and describes three size classifications of public libraries. The second section outlines the tasks of the current public library in three areas: informal education; nonformal…

This paper discusses the construction of the infrastructure for libraries' digital document telecommunications. The first section describes the topologies of the library LAN (Local Area Network) cabling system, including the main characteristics of the LAN and three classical topologies typically used with LANs, i.e., the bus, star, and ring…

This paper looks at some of the potential roles that librarians could adopt in the age of the Internet; e.g., resource discovery, cataloging the Internet, and user education. It outlines the effect that networked information is having on the library profession. It identifies the new roles that information professionals are performing and shows…

The questions of how and to what extent the changing information environment has influenced the concept of the national bibliography were addressed at the conference, "The National Bibliography in a Changing Information Environment," held in Estonia in October, 2000. The National Library of Estonia, organizer of the conference, invited…

This paper supplements a previous paper that reported on a tour of leading U.S. research libraries that are investing significantly in and have significant experience with innovative online collections and services. The previous paper reported the following five key challenges: architectural and technical; standards and best practices; strategies…

This paper discusses the preservation of digital resources in research libraries. The first section addresses the preservation imperative, including the challenges of quantity, stability of media, economics, and the contingent value of artifacts. The second section describes the artifact in question (i.e., an information resource in which the…

Coauthor of two widely cited manuals on public library planning and evaluation says continued reliance on the works may be detrimental and suggests five additional areas to include in a revised planning manual: future visioning; locally developed service roles; planning for technology; managing evaluation data; and community needs assessment.…

This paper first argues that the World Wide Web at its best, has been able only to imitate the resources and services of an exemplary research library. It then goes on to examine how academic research libraries can take advantage of their brand identity as market leaders in the information business. The basic concept of brands and branding…

This paper outlines the challenges that CEE (Central and Eastern European) librarians have met and some of their solutions. The introduction presents two examples of guidelines for the licensing of electronic information: the IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations and Instructions) licensing principles and the TECUP (Testbed…

This paper on the relevancy of training in bibliographic control begins with a section that discusses the reasons for teaching bibliographic control, including national and universal bibliographic control, cooperation between libraries and information services, quality service to the users, and development of systems and databases. The second…