Prior to 1997, the University of Oxford in Great Britain had approximately one hundred autonomous libraries with little coordination of services, collection development, or management among them. In that year a new director was hired with the mandate to integrate many of these libraries into one centralized system. Over the past seven years…

Most academic libraries undertake the collection and reporting of statistical information on activity levels for many aspects of both technical and public services. Data on reference activity are used for a variety of purposes within the library, primarily to facilitate planning and improve delivery of reference services, and also externally,…

Support staff of circulation, reference, interlibrary loan, media services, special collections, information, and reserves make up a large portion of library work forces, and each year are asked to take on more tasks, many requiring advanced skills. This study determined: (1) if there is an actual need for continuing education for support staff;…

This Systems and Procedures Exchange Center (SPEC) kit reports results of a survey of 64 Association of Research Libraries (ARL) institutions conducted in the fall of 1990 to gather information on the performance appraisal of collection development librarians. Data are reported on the frequency of the performance review cycle, reporting…

This publication reports on the results of a 1992 survey of 80 Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member libraries on their use of printers for recording references found in online public access catalog (OPAC) and CD-ROM searches. As was found in a 1990 survey on the same topic, only a small proportion of libraries reported that they charged…

Current and possible future roles of feminist librarians in the academic community are explored in this paper. The discussion opens with a recounting of past accomplishments of feminist librarians in general--e.g., reversing the Library of Congress use of "women as exceptions" subject headings--and follows with descriptions of recent…

These proceedings contain 21 research reports and 56 position papers as well as capsule descriptions of 32 workshop forums, panel presentations, and group discussions that took place at the conference. The papers are organized into nine broad subject areas: (1) academic and research librarianship (recruitment, technology and change, faculty…

Based on information from the 1988-89 IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) Academic Libraries Survey, this report presents data from the higher education institutions in IPEDS, i.e., all colleges and universities with accreditation at the higher education level in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Analyses of these data…

The 15 articles in this theme issue celebrate the one-hundredth anniversary of the New York Library Association (NYLA), which was founded by Melvil Dewey. These articles provide an overview of the past, present, and future of NYLA and its constituent interest groups, are: (1) "The New York State Library Centennial" (James Corsaro); (2)…

This preliminary report describes a project designed to formulate a competency model for research library managers as suggested input for job descriptions, recruitment and interviewing techniques, training, and curriculum review in the graduate professional programs. The objectives of the project are to identify the requisite managerial…

Based on responses solicited from 26 Association of Research Library (ARL) members reflecting a variety of systems office configurations, this report describes the configurations at several ARL institutions and presents some major organizational patterns for systems offices and their relationship to the larger library organization. Original…

This final report is a product of a Preservation Planning Program (PPP) self-study conducted by the Colorado State University Library (CSUL) working with the Association of Research Libraries' (ARL) Office of Management Studies (OMS). Designed to put self-help tools into the hands of library staff responsible for developing plans and procedures…

This final report is a product of a Preservation Planning Program (PPP) self-study conducted by the State University of New York (SUNY), Stony Brook, working with the Association of Research Libraries' (ARL) Office of Management Studies (OMS). The PPP is designed to put self-help tools into the hands of library staff responsible for developing…

Highlights of the Council on Library Resources' (CLR) 28th year and descriptions of active projects are included in the body of this report. Preliminary materials include lists of members of the council and of the board of directors, council committees and officers, and council staff and consultants, as well as a memorial to Louis Booker Wright,…

This paper begins by discussing the need for strong leadership in libraries to create adaptable organizations and to involve employees in the management process. The attributes of the new library leaders who can reach these goals are then discussed. It is suggested that they must: (1) be excellent communicators of values, goals, and new…