In many locales--in many states--early conceptions of the school librarian's job have not evolved over the years even as the duties have expanded exponentially. The fact that in some districts outdated evaluation tools, such as Georgia's 1990 system, are still used to rate 21st-century school librarians is an obvious sign of the misconceptions…

Children and youth learn in countless ways, anywhere, anytime. And one of the most powerful levers of children's learning--from the early childhood years through adolescence--is families. For families, libraries provide the books, media, and activities that help them open doors for children's literacy and lifelong learning. Libraries are poised to…

Recent surveys indicate that many colleges and universities have reached a pivotal moment in assessing the function and future development of their institutional repositories. Other surveys convey that archivists are participating in the development and implementation of institutional repositories at a variety of levels and have contributed to the…

The paper describes the introduction of Web 2.0 techniques and tools at the Yarra Plenty public library in Victoria, beginning with library staff. The author argues that as libraries move from Web 1.0 type delivery systems to the social networking world of Library 2.0 librarians need to deploy and make accessible these radically different systems,…

Summarizes the responses of research library directors to the Library of Congress' Network Advisory Committee statement, which stresses an egalitarian network environment. The special role of research libraries and the effect on their participation in local area and multitype networks are discussed. (6 references) (CLB)

Describes four library retreats held by the Bowling Green State University library staff from 1995 to 1998. The retreats reflect changes in library work and management theory that have occurred. The importance of technology to library work is recognized, but there is also a growing realization of the importance of developing a flexible staff…

The first section of this paper on library services for distance education discusses the status of distance learning in higher education. What distance learning means for libraries is addressed in the second section, including considerations related to diverse locations, agreements with participating institutions, delivery limitations, librarian…

This two-page digest briefly outlines some of the technological trends in updating a library, and briefly discusses the administrative issues and strategies involved. It begins by describing the wholly integrated information environment, which would include: (1) public-access personal and professional communications networks; (2) information…

In this interview, a leading expert in school librarianship discusses the school librarian's role in creating students who are effective users of information. The importance of information technology to information management is described, as are strategies librarians can use to collaborate with teachers and administrators. He describes how…

This proceedings of the 1986 conference of the Association of College and Research Libraries contains 60 papers--44 position papers, 7 research reports, and 9 idea briefs--dealing with the issue of transitions facing librarians and ways to respond to these transitions through both formal and informal means. Papers are organized under eight broad…

This paper highlights some of the issues that arose during the drafting of a revised version of the IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions) Guidelines for Public Libraries. The sections of the new document are outlined as follows: (1) The Role and Purpose of the Public Library; (2) The Legal and Financial…

Research has shown links between good libraries and good student performance. A good library is adequately staffed, stocked, and funded. Its staff is involved in the school's teaching and learning; provides access to materials; has collegial, collaborative relationships with teachers; and embraces information technology. A dynamic librarian and a…

Contains reprints of four articles showing that librarians foresaw the impact of technology on libraries: (1) "Copyright and the Future of Authorship" (Barbara Ringer); (2) "Inventions and Books--What of the Future?" (Ethel M. Fair); (3) "The Changes Ahead" (Lowell A. Martin); (4) "Trial by Computer" (Basil…

School libraries are changing due to developments in information technology, teaching and learning methods, and society. A meeting of 28 experts from 16 countries was convened to better understand current trends in tertiary libraries and the effect of these trends on the demand, organization, and design of libraries. Participants agreed that the…

This paper describes the increasingly dynamic involvement of information professionals in the learning and teaching process in higher education. The converged service model at the University of Birmingham (United Kingdom) is described. Established in 1995, the converged service brought the university library, computing service, television service,…