Describes the Special Collections Database (SCDB), which is being developed by Ohio State University to provide better access to its special collections through item level bibliographic records for nonbook items. It is noted that these collections include fiction, the theater arts, music, photography, and the graphic arts. Copies of draft…

A review of the debate within the library profession concerning the changing role of libraries and fee based library services is followed by the presentation and discussion of an economic analysis of library services based on an indifference curve model. This model may be used to justify selected user fees. (CLB)

Describes analog preservation (microfilm); digital preservation; Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) and Preservation Resources, formerly Mid-Atlantic Preservation Services (MAPS) and projects in culture, sports, and history; and Preservation Resources imaging projects with the Library of Congress, Columbia University, and the Association of…

Examines changing relationships between subscription agents, librarians, and publishers as a result of electronic journals. Discusses customer expectations, pricing models, and the subscription agent's new role as aggregator, acting as an intermediary who offers the end user access to the library's electronic journals via the Internet. (LRW)

Provides a framework for examining the complex infrastructure needed to successfully implement a digital library. Highlights include database development, online public-access catalogs, interactive technical services, full-text documents, hardware and wiring, licensing, access, and security issues. (Author/LRW)

Discussion of library networking issues that may be relevant to Japanese and U.S. libraries as they increase their use of central databases and local systems includes the role of the traditional library, distributed systems, linked systems, and the emergence of commercial systems. (Author/CLB)

Reviews the ways in which technical processing personnel enable libraries to provide fast and accurate access to information, and discusses the impact of technological change on the role and duties of technical processing personnel, the nature of library service, and existing organizational structures. (CLB)

Examines the rising costs of library materials and the impact on access to information. Four types of cooperative library programs are described: (1) programs to extend scholarly resources; (2) programs to reduce materials costs by dividing collecting responsibility; (3) programs to improve clients' access to information; and (4) programs to…

Describes a study of State University of New York libraries that determined the cost effectiveness of journal ownership versus access by calculating financial costs of interlibrary loan versus subscriptions. Journal subscriptions in the fields of mathematics and sciences that historically have high prices and low levels of use were studied. (LRW)

Reviews the role of library networks in improved access to resources, increased productivity, and cost effectiveness. The impact of electronic information on these functions is discussed, and strategies for effectively networking electronic information are presented. (1 reference) (CLB)

The need for library science education to facilitate the adaptation of libraries to the new work environments engendered by the information revolution is discussed in the first of two articles. The second describes library students at Brigham Young University, their mission, their curriculum, and the expectations of employers of their graduates.…

The availability of electronic information sources in libraries has revived the debate over user fees. As increasing amounts of information are available only electronically, the cost of providing access becomes higher and harder to predict. User fees help to defray the increased costs of electronic information while allowing libraries to continue…

Discusses the rising costs of library materials from a vendor's perspective. Effects of corporate takeovers of publishers are examined, resource sharing among libraries is discussed, the role of the library as a supplier of information resources and services is considered, and libraries' need for product development and marketing strategies is…

Examines the increasing information value of government documents as resource materials, the effects of information technology on access to government documents, and the resulting need for cooperation among archivists and librarians in selection and administration of these materials. (CLB)

Discusses electronic resources and collection development. Topics include how electronic resources are changing the world of access to information; how and why scholars and research libraries use electronic resources; digitization initiatives; knowledge and learning via the Web; archiving electronic resources; and building collections versus…