The impact of the cut off of Federal funds for library programs which was announced during the ALA Midwinter Meeting is discussed. (NH)

Combing the virtues of approval plans with those of the FASTCAT, new books in the Macalester College Library reach the borrower, on an average, one year sooner than they do at a neighboring college of the same size. (2 references) (Author/NH)

The High John Library experience is reviewed including its areas of success and failure as well as some suggestions about what should be done differently should such a project be again undertaken. (NH)

The threat from school libraries coupled with misdirected publicity efforts has created the need for a massive nationwide public relations and advertising campaign whose main appeal should be to nonusers. (Author/NH)

It does not appear that there will be significant improvements in library funding for the foreseeable future. Public libraries will have to adjust their services and programs to the reality imposed by fiscal constraints. (10 references) (Author)

The Consumer's Union's Staff Information Center is a library operation vitally integrated with its users, and comes on with a sense of poised energy that makes you feel a lot of things are possible after all in this world. (Author)

Discusses the role of the prison library and the appropriateness of applying the public library model in prisons. Problems with staffing in prison libraries and deficiencies caused by a lack of statewide coordination are cited. Financial support, security, literacy programs, innovative services, and social responsibility are also considered. (25…

Most librarians achieve the exalted ranks of management by knowing a good deal about how to deliver library services, manage library workers, and get along with library boards. Many often don't know the arcane details of managing money. Librarians can make budgets and complete the fiscal year without overspending, but as to the details of…

If someone has something to say, they have never had it so good. People can get their word out by posting to a blog, by editing a wiki or a web site, or even by using cost-effective print-on-demand book production services. In other words, collection development librarians now live in a world of hurt. All these methods, as well as a number of…

This article examines how collaborative collection development affects libraries. For many public libraries, adopting the collaborative collection development model would require a new way of thinking. In this model, libraries are equal partners "in which each library recognizes that it is a node in the network and that if it does not do its work,…

Librarians face two very pressing charges: make voluminous numbers of electronic resources as visible as possible in a landscape with multiple access points, and simultaneously manage all the technology, tasks, and data necessary to facilitate such ubiquitous access. In the past ten years, solutions have emerged and become commonplace in many…

Readers' advisory (RA) librarians use appeal to translate between readers and books, to make connections between readers and myriad other title possibilities based on the effects of the story. Appeal addresses the elements of books that readers respond to, the features that "draw a reader into a book" and help shape a particular reading…

With the pileup of responsibilities that range from programming to outreach to web management, more and more librarians are finding vendor-based book selection enticing. Most librarians see vendor-based selection as an option to relieve the pressure and still provide good collections to their patrons. However, using vendors to help facilitate…

In the summer of 2006, the New York City-based Spanish-language newspaper "La Prensa" ran a series of articles on the surprisingly stressful life of the young Latina in America. The series brought to light grim statistics uncovered in the academic community that had largely escaped the mainstream. Namely, young Latinas--ages 12-17--are more likely…

A telephone reference service operated by the Library of Congress provides immediate service to congressmen with the help of automated information files. (PF)