An ongoing project at Mercer University's Regional Academic Center Libraries illustrates how utilizing established assessment guidelines, stakeholder input, and a clear understanding of audience and curriculum needs may all be used to optimize a collection. Academic branch libraries often have clear collection development limitations in terms of…

This article summarizes discussions on listservs. Topic covered are circulation policies regarding patrons from other colleges, the shelving of sacred books, laptop circulation, Ariel vs email attachment for interlibrary loan, best software for remote instruction, paper copies of ereserves, interlibrary loan privileges for alumni and policies…

This volume of the "Advances in Library Administration and Organization" offers 11 perspectives to practitioners trying to make sense of the issues that must daily be confronted by library administrators in an environment of ongoing change. This 20th volume includes: "Choice, Responsibility and Work: Rhetoric in a University Library…

In the face of decreasing enrollment and increasing information technology, future expansion of off-campus education programs is possible. A survey of 106 members of the North Central Association (NCA) of Colleges and Schools examined the library services considered essential to quality distance education and questioned the issue of accreditation…

This discussion of information policy focuses on library services for distance education. Topics include the logistics and management of providing library services off-site and/or responding to student requests; and meeting the needs of distance education students for information and library instruction, both students from the member institution…

Discusses the evolving role of academic libraries in providing products and services to distance learners. Guided by accreditation standards, libraries are examining how well their services satisfy the unique needs of these students. Gives examples of library policies and procedures, highlights Internet significance, and discusses future trends in…

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…

Presents the text of a question-and-answer session that addressed the Copyright Clearance Center, library compliance with copyright law, copyrights and electronic information, fair use and the World Wide Web, copyrighted images and the Web, permission procedures, scanning historical images, distance education and scanned documents, future…

This survey was conducted to determine how ARL (Association of Research Libraries) libraries are participating in extension/outreach through three objectives: identify the level of involvement; determine the types of outreach service, as well as user populations; and ascertain the impact on the library, including its financial donor programs. A…

This guide provides samples of college libraries' copyright policies and materials as a reference for library and learning resources personnel who need to create formal copyright policies, procedures, and publications and for those who are reviewing and updating their existing copyright materials. A survey of 310 members of the Community and…

This report explores the diverse ways that libraries are currently supporting distance learning, both in its traditional and newer Internet-based forms. Based on interviews with administrators and staff, the following "Reports from the Field" reflect developments in public institutions: "UNET (University of Maine System Network)…