Academic library managers need a multimethod, objective, valid tool for measuring service quality. Examines three research studies in the measurement of service quality in Australian and New Zealand academic libraries: the Hernon and Altman Study; Hernon and Calvert Study; and the University of Waikato (Hamilton, New Zealand) Survey, a two-stage…

The application of business skills and practices to the operation of academic libraries is becoming popular. Management skills will be useful as increased information production and technological complexity are being offset by shortages in resources and labor. To avoid conflict, managers must focus on teamwork, quality, customer service,…

Relates the Seminole Community College (Florida) library's experience barcoding a collection of materials and provides practical suggestions on how to implement barcoding in other libraries. Highlights include a barcode plan (smart barcodes and dumb barcodes), worker guidelines, problems encountered, and costs. An annotated bibliography and seven…

Discusses the unionization of support staff in academic and public libraries based on experiences in Ohio. Highlights include the legal framework for labor relations; reasons that library support staff are attracted to unions; negotiating the contract with union and library management; and administering the collective bargaining agreement. (10…

A workshop held at the University of California at San Diego's research library focused on improving the quality of goal-based self-reviews as a training approach for performance management. Participants benefited from the mixed groupings of librarians and paraprofessionals and from the detailed look at individual goals and objectives. (three…

Discussion of the merger of separate library units focuses on examples from Indiana State University Libraries' recent merging of the interlibrary loan unit of the reference department with the circulation department to form a new lending services department. Factors to consider in the merging process are discussed, emphasizing staff needs. (seven…

Describes job responsibilities of assistant/associate library directors. Changes affecting libraries as a result of automation and their impact on management are discussed, and two studies of public and academic libraries that examined ratings of managerial skills and competencies by directors and assistant directors are reviewed. (nine…

Applies the ideas of Peter Senge's "The Fifth Discipline; The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization" to leadership in academic libraries in transformation. Systems thinking, personal mastery, mental models, building shared vision, and team learning are discussed; and current limitations of organizations are identified. (EAM)

Reviews the first year of operation of the Researchers' Center of the Queensland University of Technology Library; the Center provides research-level students and academic staff with access to electronic products, on-hand expert advice, and state-of-the-art study space. Discusses the impetus for the Center, issues relating to its establishment,…

Discusses why digitization is not the solution to libraries' storage problems. Describes Harvard University's first off-site storage model and the creation of book storage facilities by several other universities, also noting collaborative storage arrangements. (AEF)

Reviews advantages and disadvantages of off-campus library materials shelving in the context of Yale University Library's planning for its new Off-Campus High Efficiency Shelving Facility. Discusses issues raised by the task of deciding what materials go in, who makes the decisions, how to identify what goes on, and how faculty are consulted in…

Offers a perspective on changes that have occurred in academic reference librarianship since 1980. Topics include librarians' responsibilities; the changing uses of reference services by students and faculty; technological advancements; the organization of libraries, including management styles and theories; roles of libraries and librarians; and…

Examines the role of the collection development leader in today's academic library and provides a framework for leadership utilizing the concepts of shared vision and mission, teaching and learning, and stewardship. Content management leadership requires that leaders be exceptional listeners and subject to the same need to continually learn.…

Purpose: This article aims to look into a review of library provision in higher education, which was originally set up in 1992 by The Funding Councils of England, Scotland and Wales, and the Department of Education for Northern Ireland. Design/methodology/approach: The review group was structured into three sub-committees, under the umbrella of…

The changing environment of academic libraries in Pakistan demands new competencies for future academic librarians. This study defines and validates competencies for entry-level professionals keeping in view the needs of the next five years. Top-level library managers of selected universities and post-graduate level colleges participated in the…