In April 2010, the New York State Board of Regents challenged the library community to rethink the State's vast array of library services to ensure that they are aligned with modern expectations and the expanded functions needed in today's society, operate with improved efficiency, and are prepared for the future as an essential and vibrant part…

Customer service is at the core of everything librarians do in libraries. They strive to create positive customer relationships and to provide added value to the library services offered to their patrons. Emerging technologies offer opportunities for creative integration with library services. Staff should be encouraged to explore, learn, and…

Eighteen scholarly papers and twelve abstracts comprise the content of the fourteenth annual Brick and Click Libraries Symposium, held annually at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri. The proceedings, authored by academic librarians and presented at the symposium, portray the contemporary and future face of librarianship.…

Discussion of format changes in libraries focuses on managing change and phasing out older formats. Standardization is addressed, and five considerations regarding format shifts are examined: aesthetics, audience, compatibility, costs, and copyright. (MES)

This two-page digest briefly outlines some of the technological trends in updating a library, and briefly discusses the administrative issues and strategies involved. It begins by describing the wholly integrated information environment, which would include: (1) public-access personal and professional communications networks; (2) information…

Proposes a new transitional budget model to help make libraries adept at and comfortable with change during the transition to an increasingly electronic knowledge environment, emphasizing staff education and training, new service opportunities, user responsiveness, teamwork, fiscal empowerment, and more effective management systems. (Contains nine…

Contains reprints of four articles showing that librarians foresaw the impact of technology on libraries: (1) "Copyright and the Future of Authorship" (Barbara Ringer); (2) "Inventions and Books--What of the Future?" (Ethel M. Fair); (3) "The Changes Ahead" (Lowell A. Martin); (4) "Trial by Computer" (Basil…

Libraries are in a process of fundamental change brought about by radical changes in technology. This paper charts the changes that have taken place over the years and makes some assumptions as to how the future will look. Barriers to increased use of technology are analyzed and detailed, including: lack of uniformity in search systems; the…

Based on experiences at Brandeis University libraries, and findings from management literature, a discussion (with figures) is presented on the challenges faced by libraries in integrating technology and information services. Reviews reasons why change is needed, examines information services as a team-based approach, and presents management…

The conference that generated these papers focused on the range of issues presently facing university libraries. Because there is no general consensus on the nature or importance of the most substantive problems or the solutions to those problems, the conference was designed to encourage discussion of the issues. An analysis of a series of recent…

Discusses advancements in information technology and their impact on library services and library management. Highlights include the relationship of libraries and computer centers; online catalogs; organizational changes; planning strategies; document delivery services; the use of CD-ROM; problems with adopting new technologies; and possible…

Describes library reorganization at the University of Arizona resulting from fiscal challenges and the need for current technology. Highlights include: the restructuring process and customer focus; team functioning and the learning organization, including training issues, communication, empowerment, and evaluation/assessment; current challenges,…

Minnesota's libraries provide public access to information technologies and teach the skills necessary to use them. The challenge is to leverage these organizations, largely funded and nurtured at the local level, so that they will be an effective and efficient part of a statewide information infrastructure. In this report, the Minnesota Library…