Discusses the new emphasis in special collections, especially in academic libraries, on the promotion of materials. Highlights include the economic basis of promotion; exhibitions; classroom ventures; the Web; seminars and other discussion groups; creative writing courses; one-time events; friends, tourists, and the public; and reference services.…

Discusses service standards (level of excellence or adequacy in performance of library service) and their incorporation in the accreditation process for hospital library service and academic health sciences libraries. The certification program developed for health sciences librarians by the Medical Library Association is reviewed. Fifty-nine…

Identifies leading issues in academic reference service based on survey of literature with emphasis on 1970s and 1980s--bibliographic instruction, computer-based reference and biliographic services, personnel-related topics (specialists, generalists, professional development, nonprofessionals in reference service), measurement and evaluation, and…

Introduces four models of data library development for meeting information needs for machine-readable data files--University of Florida facility, University of British Columbia Data Library, Data and Program Library Service at University of Wisconsin, and online numeric Kentucky Economic Information System at University of Kentucky. Four…

Presents results of a survey which polled 37 university libraries to determine the attitudes, opinions, and perceptions of map librarians regarding unique security problems, addressing such factors as commercially designed security systems, written circulation policies, and access limitations. Twenty-six references are listed, and appendices…

Examines academic library service to labor groups, particularly in the area of Internet training. Results of an informal survey of 53 academic libraries in schools with labor study programs in the United States and Canada indicate that few provide direct services to labor unions, and provides an example of one that does at Cornell University.…

Twelve articles discuss personnel management in libraries. Topics covered include building job commitment among employers, collective bargaining, entry-level recruitment, employee turnover, performance evaluation, managing resistance to change, training problems, productivity, employee stress, compensation systems, and the Allerton Park Institute.…

Discussion of the reassessment of undergraduate education focuses on the element of critical thinking. Topics include language and reasoning, the power of stories and narrative structure, critical thinking and bibliographic instruction, enrichment reading and academic libraries, reasoning in an image and electronic culture, and the role of the…

This naturalistic study examined the role of nonverbal communication in the academic library. The decision to approach or not approach a reference librarian was studied through the use of Mehrabian's immediacy metaphor, and it was hypothesized that the nonverbal behavior of the librarian is related to the user's decision. Contains 53 references.…

Examines indicators of quality in academic and research libraries, especially community college libraries. Topics include standards of the Association of College and Research Libraries; standards of the business community, including Total Quality Management; quality management as systemic change; impediments to quality; and information literacy.…

Discusses remote library users in an academic environment. Highlights include user needs and expectations; user satisfaction; service to remote customers in nonlibrary environments, such as industry; the distance-learning context; student demographics; distance learning and library services; course design; and a case study at De Paul University.…

Discussion of customer expectations of library service quality and SERVQUAL as a measurement tool focuses on two studies: one that compared a survey of Chinese university students' expectations of service quality to New Zealand students; and one that investigated national culture as a source of attitudes to customer service. (Author/LRW)

Discusses mandates that regional accreditation agencies have established for higher education institutions to implement information literacy programs and to assess resultant learning outcomes, calling for a shift in library instruction paradigms at many institutions. Focuses on cooperation between faculty and librarians to include information…

Discusses academic library instruction and librarians' collaboration with faculty to promote information literacy. Highlights include the education reform movement; strategic alliances; partnerships within a multicampus higher education system to promote information literacy; and assessment of the library's role as a key component of…

Considers the future of library instruction and addresses four main areas: (1) the reference/instruction relationship; (2) the vision of creating the self-sufficient user; (3) organizing library instruction as a curriculum; and (4) the need for significant outcomes. Examples from Association of Research Libraries members are included. (Author/LRW)