Libraries rely heavily on student workers for the day-to-day running of the library. Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas is no different. We report on Steen Library's training efforts to staff several public service points as well as keep materials on the shelves by cross-training student employees.

Librarians often cringe when they hear the word copyright, when it is combined with electronic reserves the immediate impulse is to run away as far and as fast as possible. This paper presents the process used by the Armacost Library staff at the University of Redlands to develop and implement a copyright policy for the electronic reserve…

Sooner Xpress service arose out of a need to improve and expand services for library users at the University of Oklahoma. After several years of service for our distance education students, a decision was made to expand those services to include all campus and local users in an effort to streamline retrieval services in the library. Both…

In 2004, Sampson-Livermore Library at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke, began circulating laptops to its patrons. After a small pilot project, full-scale implementation occurred and the service proved to be very popular. Policies and procedures were adjusted at several steps along the way to accommodate lessons learned from the…

This article uses Wellington City Libraries as the basis for a case study of a future-focused, reorganized staffing structure in a public library network. It covers the change from why, how, departure from a building-based hierarchical structure, new staff and line responsibilities, union involvement, implications for staff training to culture and…

The University of Maryland University College (UMUC) serves a dispersed patron base, and its library has developed, over time, a circulation system for distributing physical research materials to its patrons throughout the United States. This article discusses the development of this system and its associated interface/database management system…

Jacksonville State University's (JSU) Houston Cole (HCL) Library has always provided access to required course readings through a reserve circulation system. Prior to 2002, this services was "print based," requiring students to photocopy materials held physically at the reserve desk in the library. In 2002, the library integrated the…

The University of Chicago's Joseph Regenstein Library Bookstacks Department has used process mapping and continuous improvement to successfully improve its overall operations. The most recent efforts focus on Lean manufacturing, an initiative centered on eliminating waste in manufacturing processes. The conversion of the Bookstacks Department from…

The following article describes a literature review on factors that went into the planning for a new circulation/reserves desk at the Livingston Lord Library at Minnesota State University, Moorhead. Many issues have been reported in the literature and must be considered when designing a functional, convenient, and ADA-compliant…

Implementing any new service or technology can require a process of trial and error. Often, it is useful to introduce the service as a pilot project, so that the staffing issues and technical details can be worked out prior to fullscale implementation. This is especially important at times when staffing and/or budgetary circumstances are…

As student fees, print vs. electronic access, service quality expectations, and basic economics have an increasing impact on library operations, some academic libraries are taking a second look at the process of charging overdue fines. This article explores the contemporary environment on this issue. It offers as an example a compromise solution…

The renovated Cerritos Public Library is a unique blending of traditional and hightech features. One of the key principles in its planning and design was to enable a range of convenient access services. This article summarizes the process of building this library and how it has been received by users. (Contains 5 figures.)

Academic libraries are at a crossroads, facing increasing competition from other student services within their institutions and from commercial entities that duplicate their services. Examining some broader trends in education leads to suggestions as to how libraries might re-examine legacy services and assumptions and consider new directions.…

The George A. Smathers Libraries of the University of Florida is currently undergoing a major renovation. Library West, the building that houses the humanities and social sciences collection, will be gutted and expanded. The collection will be moved to off-site storage and the staff will be relocated for a two-year period. The reality of these…

This article presents the experience of Circulation Services at Booth Library, Eastern Illinois University, during a 31-month relocation to temporary facilities while the building was undergoing renovation. The move to temporary locations presented new challenges and required unique solutions. Issues such as the rationale for the move to the…