Today's library is still at the heart of all university activities, helping students and faculty become better learners, teachers, and researchers. In recent years there has emerged the formalizing of one or more of these activities into an Academic Commons. These centers of information have been labeled variously but they all share a commonality:…

Students at U.S. colleges and universities are concerned about the high cost of textbooks. Expansion of library course reserves has been suggested as one solution to this problem. The authors surveyed libraries at public universities to explore the status and management of physical course reserves and the role they play vis-a-vis textbook…

Formed in 1996, Internet2 is a not-for-profit advanced network consortium led by the U.S. research and higher education community. Its goals are to provide leading-edge network capabilities and to facilitate the development, deployment, and use of revolutionary Internet technologies. Starting with 34 universities, Internet2 has grown to more than…

Discussion of consequences of library automation argues that technology should be used to augment access to information. Online public access catalogs are considered in this context, along with several related issues such as system incompatibility, invasion of privacy, barriers to database access and manipulation, and user fees, which contribute…

Argues that the full cost and complexity of providing library services to support open and distance education tend to be underestimated. Three fundamental questions are addressed: Why is it necessary to determine the role of libraries in supporting learning? Who meets these costs? and How institutionally independent should access to library and…

The library of the next decade will answer the demands of its changing community rather than implement new technology simply to facilitate traditional operations. Library users are becoming increasingly sophisticated in the use of technology and diverse resources, and will demand a high level of service and accessibility. (MSE)

The role of the research library and issues in access to increasing quantities of information are discussed, including the problems of cataloging and classifying information and the barriers to access often created by librarians. (MSE)

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…

In the face of emergencies, emergency managers should turn to academic libraries. These libraries can serve as gateways through which information from their collection, the faculty of their institutions, and ultimately the whole of the academic community may be tapped to manage emergencies successfully. (Author/EM)

This document consists of seven issues of the ARL (Association of Research Libraries) Newsletter, covering February 2002 through December 2002. Most issues include some or all of the following sections: "Current Issues"; "Leadership and Management"; "New Measures Initiative"; "Statistics and Measurement";…

Argues that collection development systems need to exert greater control over scholarly and educational information if the systems are to adapt to changing technical and economic conditions. Steps toward increased control should include categorization of sources and access by function, ongoing definition of a title-specific core, and the…

Provides an overview of technological change and the capabilities of technology in libraries. Three trends that drive changes in library technology are discussed: (1) integration of technologies; (2) idiosyncratic use of information; and (3) disembodiment of the library through electronic information. Areas of concern, including access,…

Describes the development of satellite television and information access in Australia, principally within Australian higher education institutions. Client groups and basic technologies are overviewed as well as the role of the library in the provision of satellite services. (Six references) (Author/CLB)

Discusses issues facing research libraries relating to information technology and access to information. Considers the proliferation of digital information; the reliability of digital information; traditional library roles in the support of scholarship and research; future issues; and current projects relating to digital information. (LRW)

Discussion among teams of administrators from eight major universities concluded that new opportunities exist for the publication, acquisition, and distribution of knowledge; libraries can add to their traditional resources and services by utilizing new technology; and librarians will need to add new skills to ensure important roles in the future.…