OA is to become the future of academic library exchanges in China. With the government's support and promotion of OA, more and more Chinese academic libraries have been committed to participating in OA. The rapid development of OA not only has changed the model of traditional scholarly communication and brought a free communication environment of…

Provides an overview of information policy, including its importance, its key instruments, and its complexity. Information policy issues that may create new roles for libraries include the ramifications of the public's right to information, the organization and retrieval of electronically networked information, information literacy training,…

Discusses the significance for libraries of privacy concerns involved with geographic information system (GIS) technology. Argues that librarians need to be aware of federal and state efforts to address privacy issues and monitor developments in government information policy. (AEF)

Examines the literature on unaffiliated users' access to academic libraries since the 1950s, when post-war population shifts, emphasis on college-preparatory work at the high school level, and an increase in the college-educated population brought greater numbers of unaffiliated users into the library. (Contains 107 references.) (AEF)

In the first of two articles, William Potter discusses the drawbacks and opportunities presented by advances in technology, including budgeting for online access, dealing with publishers and producers, and relating to computing centers. In the second, Paul Metz discusses collection development in academic libraries with emphasis on new electronic…

Argues that the fee-or-free issue is far from resolved and discusses factors contributing to the debate. These include the impact of technology on social values, arguments for and against user fees, and the impact of technology on library services. A reconceptualization of information as a gift, rather than a commodity, is presented. (25…

Describes complementary characteristics of computing centers and libraries that could be combined to form the core of information support centers and discusses the possible impact on library processes and services. The use of telecommunications networks to reduce costs and increase efficiency in academic libraries is also examined. (CLB)