The article reports the results of a survey conducted among the Polish and Lithuanian academics concerning their information needs and expectations regarding academic library websites. The survey was realized using the technique of Computer-Assisted Web Interviewing (CAWI) on a group of scholars representing sciences and humanities or social…

School librarians and other specialists should take note of the new wave of computer-based assessments required by the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), testing that is only now beginning to get off the ground. The new testing necessitates that districts possess the right hardware, install the requisite software, and, in some cases, create…

This paper will look at the services presently offered to distance students by libraries within the categories of professional staff, access to resources, reference assistance, and library user instruction. It will then offer the argument that these services could be improved by developing embedded librarians within online academic courses as a…

Electronic communication technologies continue to change the landscape of reference services. For many users, virtual communication is the preferred means of conversing. Synchronous virtual reference, similar to other synchronous means of communication, is an important method for reaching students and for providing teaching and learning…

This review of the world of telecommunications and its effect on special libraries includes discussions on the use of satellites to facilitate document teledistribution, online bibliographic searches, remote access to databases, and teletex systems. It is contended that the growing network of domestic satellites and the decreasing cost of services…

Reviews the evolution of libraries from their 19th century foundations in bibliography into institutions providing information per se. A major advance in direct information provision, the Electronic Information Delivery Online System (EIDOS), which is under development by OCLC, is described and future prospects for librarianship are suggested. (10…

Discusses problems of increasing numbers of databases (standardization, vendor contracts, training, restricted access, duplicate citations), noting implications for change in librarian's role as supplier of decision making data (education, users groups, search aids, information brokers, collection evaluation, reference and source databases,…

Provides an overview of videotex and teletext systems under development or being marketed in the United States and Europe. Current trends indicate a diminishing participation by librarians and information scientists in information display technology. Seven references are listed. (RAA)

The development of automated information services in academic libraries and the growth of AUSINET (Australian Information Network) are described. The current organization of online services and their integration into the pattern of user assistance are noted, and the effects on the user/librarian relationship, on the use of primary and secondary…

Explains virtual reality, including proper and improper uses of the term, and suggests ways that libraries might be affected by it. Highlights include elements of virtual reality systems; possible virtual reality applications, including architecture, the chemical industry, transport planning, armed forces, and entertainment; and the virtual…

Discussion of the impact of the Internet on libraries focuses on librarians as creators and marketers of new online services. Describes two fee-based online services at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and concludes that academic libraries have the ability to create new online services, especially reference services. (Author/LRW)

Describes current efforts to expand the scope and availability of personal computer services, with special reference to the British Post Office PRESTEL experiment in England. Author argues that the library profession should support similar efforts in the United States and study ways personal computers can serve the library community. (Author)

This collection of 15 essays, reports, and notes written by staff members of the Royal Institute of Technology Library (RITL) addresses various aspects of modern librarianship, and outlines some of the RITL contributions to the field. Designed to present a composite picture of the various activities of RITL since about mid-1973, these essays…

Representatives of six vendors of online library systems address key issues related to system performance: designing, configuring and sizing systems; establishing performance criteria; using benchmark and acceptance tests; the risks of miscalculations; vendor, consultant, and library roles; and related topics. (Author/EM)

Five library consultants address issues that affect online system performance: options in system design that relate to diverse library requirements; criteria that most affect performance; benchmark tests and sizing criteria; minimalizing the risks of miscalculation; and the roles and responsibilities of vendors, libraries, and consultants.…