Library book vendors are facing new realities in the 21st century. Changes in continuations, firm order placement, value-added services, approval plans, retrospective collection development, and database creation and maintenance are being effected in an effort to keep current customers and attract new ones. Those changes and the subsequent shift…

This book is a collection of the author's following publications and speeches, primarily from 1995-2000: "Look at All Those Beautiful Birds Overhead!""Priorities for the Research Library Budget,""What Do We Give 'Em?""The Legacy of John Swan,""Small Public Libraries-Challenges, Opportunities, and Irrelevancies,""Lead Me Not into Temptation To Do…

Discusses the growth, survival and future of library classification schemes. Concludes that to survive, a scheme must constantly update its policies, and readily adapt itself to accommodate growing disciplines and changing terminology. (AEF)

The conclusions reached at the conference "Rare Book and Manuscript Libraries in the Twenty-first Century," (Houghton Library, Harvard University, 1992), summarized in this essay, provide a context for the "Flair" Symposium. Some issues have changed; others have not. Newer technologies have produced aids and challenges for…

Introduces the nine papers in a special issue focusing on progress toward digital libraries. Articles fall into three categories: history and activities about digital libraries (DL); understanding digital library users; and extending and integrating through digital libraries. (AEF)

The purpose of this book is to identify some of the trends being confronted as information technology becomes more pervasive in university libraries and campus agencies. The seven papers in this volume address issues and concerns that the transformation will raise while campus administrators, faculty members, and others work to find ways to move…

Examines issues and trends surrounding the changing library environment, and how changes have influenced the role of librarians. Analysis of the library environment in the past, present, and future included four elements: (1) role of the librarian; (2) library collections; (3) technologies; and (4) users' needs. (AEF)

Examines the purpose of catalogs, how card catalogs first fulfilled that purpose, and how computers represented a superior and inevitable replacement for it. Describes some recent developments in cataloging and their implications for the future. (AEF)

Explores the future of reference librarianship within the context of the enabling technologies that will chart library development in the 21st century. The article types libraries into categories of "traditional,""automated,""hybrid," and "digital." The typology delineates shifts in human/machine…

Argues that without reform and adaptation to contemporary technology, paper libraries will become little more than book museums. Outlines four major problems with contemporary library practice. Discusses benefits of database-management systems for organization of libraries' paper resources. Lists requirements libraries should demand of any new…

With comments from a variety of sources, this book presents fictional scenarios intended to get librarians thinking about possibilities. The book offers eight new future scenarios that explore such developments as virtual reality, robots, time travel, biotechnology, computer viruses, security, and more--all within the context of the public…

The 129th meeting of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) focused on anticipating the future of higher education in North America and identifying responses from research libraries that will contribute to emerging agendas for change. An opening session (convened by Nancy Cline, ARL Presiding President) began the meeting. The first session,…

This book, in French and English, addresses how the school library of the future will be designed and what role it will play as a school facility within the educational system and in society as a whole. The following papers are included: (1) "Issues" (John Mayfield); (2) "Designing Schools for the Information Society: Libraries and…

This Strategic Plan for library development in Colorado includes a specific set of strategic directions for the next four years with suggested key activities to implement them, as well as a set of timeless principles upon which library development and service are based. The Long Range Planning Strategic Directions, 2001-2004, are outlined with key…

This paper discusses the role information can play in the development of African countries in the 21st century. It stresses that development information can only be guaranteed when libraries in Africa computerize their systems, form networks for resource sharing, and take advantage of the benefits of information technology (IT), especially CD-ROM…