Over the past 10 years, many changes have affected the roles of librarians and other professionals in research libraries. The changes have been caused, in part, by technological advances, reorganizations, more focus on libraries as learning organizations, the use of teams and team-based approaches to tasks, and a recognition of diversity's…

This SPEC Kit and Flyer focus on the gifts and exchange function in Association of Research (ARL) libraries. The survey was sent to 119 ARL institutions via e-mail; 62 usable replies were received. Results, discussed in the SPEC Flyer, highlight trends and effects of changes in library automation, staffing decreases, administrative reorganization,…

Presents results of a survey designed to provide an overview of the academic media center past, present, and immediate future. The survey included sections on the history of the academic media center and/or collection, current policies and functions of the academic media center, and the way in which Internet technologies have changed academic…

The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of the research library in scholarly communication. Two main issues are addressed: (1) the explosion of printed materials coupled with a rapid increase in the price of these materials that jeopardizes the library's ability to create and maintain collections for users; and (2) the emergence of…

This survey examined whether recent changes in the accessibility of bibliographic records and electronic access has led to an emerging pattern in the way that documents are organized into four areas: (1) general questions; (2) technical services; (3) collections and public services; and (4) changes in the organization of documents service.…