The University of Maryland University College (UMUC) serves a dispersed patron base, and its library has developed, over time, a circulation system for distributing physical research materials to its patrons throughout the United States. This article discusses the development of this system and its associated interface/database management system…

The prospect of resolving a library's space and utilization problems through expansion and renovation carries with it the question of how to maintain operations during construction. Few libraries, especially those in the academic world, can afford to close their doors for very long, even though the prospect of maintaining ongoing operations amid…

This PIALA 1997 Proceedings follows the tradition of publishing papers from each annual conference of the Pacific Islands Association of Libraries and Archives (PIALA). After welcoming remarks from Sue Moses, Kapily Capelle, and Isabel Rungrad, the following papers are included: "Places of Enlightenment, Places of Dreams" (Maradel Gale);…

The Kent Free Library (Ohio) evolved from the Great Atlantic and Western Railroad Reading Room of 1875, into a municipal Carnegie library, and then grew to be a medium-sized public school district library, in the city of Kent, Ohio. Its original building has been enlarged through three separate expansion campaigns, in order to have space to house…

Throughout the history of public libraries in the United States, great accomplishments have been achieved through the active participation of local community members. This handbook from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission is addressed to those citizens who attain appointments to their city or county library advisory boards. Its…

This paper illustrates how both marketing and advocacy are crucial skills to keeping the public aware of the library's impact. If marketing is promoting an individual library to increase public use, advocacy is broadcasting the purpose of libraries and the role of the librarian to garner public support. The issue of image of must be confronted, a…

This book is a practical guide to librarians and their administrators who are thinking about or in the early stages of providing virtual reference service. Part 1, "The Decision to Go Virtual," provides a context for thinking about virtual reference, including the benefits and problems, getting in the virtual frame of mind, and shopping…

This publication, which replaces "Standards for Library Functions at the State Level" (third edition) published in 1985) acknowledges and celebrates the richness and diversity of state library agencies while documenting the reality of what they currently do. The publication is divided into two sections. The first section of these standards…

Globalization provides the contextual framework for cultural changes in the library user group. In order to be more effective, and realistically, more client-focused, the reference librarian is challenged to ask again "Who is my client?" in this changing context. This paper presents a positive and practical response to cultural change…

The Andy Holt Virtual Library, with a focus on the Humanities and Fine Arts, is free and open to the public, though designed to serve the learning communities within the College of Humanities and Fine Arts at the University of Tennessee-Martin (UT). It also plays a resource role in UT's New College and the Tennessee Governors School for the…

This paper discusses research areas and methods related to library history. The first section outlines research areas, including activities such as services to children in public libraries, mobile libraries, cataloging rules and practice, classification rules and practices, development of bibliographies, organization models, literature offered to…

In the province of Quebec, the role of language and religion has been a significant feature in defining nationality, educating the young, and building infrastructures such as libraries. In contrast to English-Canadian provinces, only after 1960 did the government of Quebec authorize public support for public libraries to serve its francophone…

Presents two speeches from a library service preconference program. An author discusses her historical fiction for young adults and a Public Service Coordinator at Pekin (Illinois) Public Library focuses on interagency cooperation and her library's first intergenerational program. (AEF)

Information specialists at the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) Manufacturing Information Resource Center (MIRC) contribute expertise, information, and skills to their customer teams. This article describes three librarian customer partnerships, shares recommendations from experienced teams for fostering librarian customer…

Describes the Tall Tree Initiative for Library Services, sponsored by the Reader's Digest Foundation and administered by the public and school library systems of Westchester County, New York. The initiative focuses on improving services offered children in the 21st century, and demands a new level of school-public library cooperation. (AEF)