Providing free access to relevant resources is crucial for prisoners' personal development, well-being and, ultimately, rehabilitation. By offering a variety of reading and learning materials, from easy to expert levels and in various languages, prison libraries provide lifelong learning opportunities, thereby improving inmates' chances of…

Children and youth learn in countless ways, anywhere, anytime. And one of the most powerful levers of children's learning--from the early childhood years through adolescence--is families. For families, libraries provide the books, media, and activities that help them open doors for children's literacy and lifelong learning. Libraries are poised to…

Discussion of the right of the U.S. public to know highlights the importance of libraries and librarians in a democracy; the role of libraries in disseminating and providing open and equitable access to information; and obstacles they currently face that are putting both libraries and public's right to know at risk. (MAB)

In preparation for its Five-Year Plan for the years 2008 through 2012, the Rhode Island Office of Library and Information Services has reviewed a variety of information resources, including studies, publications, surveys and stakeholder meetings, to assist in understanding the state, its people, its future and the potential role of libraries. This…

This collection of addresses, remarks, and papers presented at the second White House Conference on Library and Information Services (WHCLIS2) includes excerpts from remarks made by First Lady Barbara Bush, President George Bush, Marilyn Quayle, and William T. Esrey of United Telecommunications, Inc., and keynote addresses by Mary Futrell from the…

This report focuses on the three themes of the 1991 White House Conference on Library and Information Services, i.e., Democracy, Literacy, and Productivity. The report begins with an introduction by State Librarian Ray Ewick and a summary of the conference activities. Executive summaries of remarks made by speakers during three general conference…

The Texas Conference on Libraries and Information Services was one of a series of meetings held throughout the nation to allow the public to identify critical issues for consideration at the second White House Conference on Library and Information Services (WHCLIS II; Washington, DC, July 9-13, 1991). The 28 resolutions that were produced as a…

This paper discusses the roles and responsibilities of the delegates to the 1991 White House Conference on Library and Information Services (WHCLIS2), which revolve around the three conference themes: Literacy, Democracy, and Productivity. These themes form the three major sections of this paper. The first section discusses how library and…

Summarizes the results of a study that identified researchable issues related to the role of libraries in the information society. Specific research questions are presented within the categories of access to information; information needs and users; libraries and education; library models; the role of public services librarians; and education and…

Discussion of the rapid growth of information and information sources focuses on the role of librarians in promoting and providing literacy programs. Topics addressed include global views; effects of illiteracy; electronic computer networks; and the need for librarians to become more active, visible, and politically aware. (LRW)

This report is the official record of an open forum on recommendations from the 1991 White House Conference on Library and Information Services sponsored by the U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS), a federal agency charged with advising the President and the Congress on library and information policies and plans.…

The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) Social Responsibilities Discussion Group was officially established in December 1997 to address the role of libraries in society. The group is initially concentrating on the following themes: equality of access to library collections and facilities; the growing gap…

This summary report addresses the information needs of American citizens, institutions, schools, industry, and government within the context of three themes: literacy, democracy, and productivity. The report includes a preamble, which provides background information on the conference; discussions of the challenges posed by the Information Age in…

The most ambitious connection that libraries can make in our time is the link between an individual and the rest of the world. Libraries are the places where books and other records of human memory and imagination are transmitted from one group of people to another, and librarians are the impresarios of the process. Personal experience and long…

This paper examines the purpose and history of the school library in the United States, and specifically in California, and discusses concerns and issues that need to be addressed to ensure that school libraries have a place in the future. The paper concludes that excellent school librarians are essential in ensuring that all young people have…