The document entitled "A Commitment to Information Services," prepared over a period of two years by the Standards Committee of the Reference and Adult Services Division (RASD) of the American Library Association, and now formally adopted by the Division Executive Board, is a better disappointment. (Author)

Reports on efforts in the 1970's by the Public Library Association, a division of the American Library Association, to develop new standards for public libraries. (Author/PF)

Contains the text of the American Library Association Reference and Adult Services Division's guidelines entitled "A Commitment to Information Services." (PF)

An argument is presented in favor of finding new methods of measuring-evaluating-library performance. (3 references) (SM)

The imperatives of the opening age of computer assisted library service requires the adoption of this standard. Much of the international bibliographical and cataloging world has already seen the light. Shall we lag far behind? (Author/NH)

The author, a working librarian-programmer, wonders how such a far-reaching recommended standard could have reached this advanced stage of development with so little public notice. (38 references) (Author/NH)

Discusses the current widespread acceptance of the public library model for prison libraries, in which preferences of the inmates are the chief consideration in programing and collection development. It is argued that this model results in recreational programs and collections that fail to fulfill the prison library's role in education and…

Discusses the role of libraries in distance education for higher education institutions. Highlights include new standards from the Association of College and Research Libraries; the need for planning; promoting the library's role; librarians as instructors; proactive service; and a list of distance-education resources available on the Web. (LRW)

States rationale for provision of library service to jail residents and discusses services in United States institutions noting administration, staffing, funding, delivery of service, materials, programs and services, security barrier, professionalism and standards, and contracts for service. Twenty-two references and a 24-item bibliography are…

Discusses the use of CD-ROMs in library processing and public services units. Topics discussed include local area networks, workstations, network security, search software, disk operating systems (DOS), computer viruses, CD-ROM selection and acquisition, licensing, and standards. A sidebar lists current CD-ROM products appropriate for reference…

Social and economic issues affecting the vitality of public libraries in California are discussed. A 1993 study by the California State Library identified diminishing reference skills and reference collections, reduced funding which impacted staffing, increased demand, technology change, and language/culture issues as contributing factors to…