As student fees, print vs. electronic access, service quality expectations, and basic economics have an increasing impact on library operations, some academic libraries are taking a second look at the process of charging overdue fines. This article explores the contemporary environment on this issue. It offers as an example a compromise solution…

Written from the perspective of a working director, this book is a guide to setting fair and appropriate behavior rules and training staff in how to implement them. Policies for exhibit and meeting room use; issues surrounding street people, the mentally ill, and substance abusers; sexual deviancy and parental child abuse in the library;…

There are many different approaches to the concept of "quality," which focus on both "what" defines the quality of a service and "who" defines quality. A study funded by the British Library (England) sought to define an approach to quality appropriate for the delivery and effective management of public library…

Being "good enough" is no longer adequate for today's library and staff. Total Quality Management (TQM) is a system and philosophy which guides a unified effort towards delivering excellent goods and services. In this video, not available at ERIC, Connie Merritt shows how TQM helps all of a library's departments work together to satisfy…

Comprehensive guidance is offered on the organization, procedures, and responsibilities of public library boards. Individual chapters address the following topics: the legal context for public libraries, organizing the library board, the board and the library staff, the public library and its communities, budgeting for service, public relations,…

This comprehensive handbook offers detailed instructions for accessing the current performance of--and setting objectives for--school library media programs. Useful for both practicing school library media teachers and those in training, this manual shows how to identify problems and potentials, set goals and objectives, structure evaluation…

Reports on a panel presentation given at the 1991 American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference that discussed emerging technologies in resource sharing and document delivery. Highlights include issues to consider before implementing new technologies; managerial and policy issues; impacts on public library service; and public school library…

Discusses changes taking place in the library systems of Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. Topics reviewed include the influence of Soviet Russian library theory and practices; decentralization of library administration; library finances; library education; library employment; library technology; and censorship and collection policies.…

Presents steps for creating copyright policies: appoint an officer; arrange access to a lawyer; understand copyright principles; know how copyright applies to Internet and CD-ROMs; understand permissions procedures; collect reference materials; use Internet information; understand international law; stay updated; attend seminars; educate others;…

The relationship between the library and its patrons is damaged and the library's reputation suffers when returned items are not checked in. An informal survey reveals librarians' concern for this problem and their efforts to combat it, although few libraries collect objective measurements of errors or the effects of improvement efforts. Brigham…

Following a library-wide brainstorming session and retreat, the Dean of the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library tasked an ad-hoc committee to discuss implications for the library and its users if certain processes were implemented or eliminated in order to streamline the processing of serials. As the library's collection continues to shift from…

This article documents the process used by the Hofstra University's Library and Faculty Senate to evaluate current serials title lists for different academic departments. The library has found that initiating this effort through the auspices of the Faculty Senate Library Subcommittee (FSLS) allows it to create an environment of legitimate concern…

This article describes the current distance education environment for university libraries and the distance education library services for faculty and students. The authors surveyed selected Association of Research Libraries (ARL) members to determine current services and the changes in distance education library services since the 1996 ARL SPEC…

Since no local library can meet the information needs of the community on its own, librarians and local policymakers must look to other existing agencies and channels for support. In every locale are agencies, organizations, and governmental and social service units that daily gather, compile, and disseminate information as one of their missions.…

A survey was conducted in January 1997 to determine security issues of Ohio public libraries. The survey was distributed to 100 libraries of differing sizes with a 70% completion rate. The following questions were asked: (1) Do you believe that security is a problem at your library? (2) Do you believe that mutilation of periodicals is a problem at…