This document consists of seven issues of the ARL (Association of Research Libraries) Newsletter, covering February 2002 through December 2002. Most issues include some or all of the following sections: "Current Issues"; "Leadership and Management"; "New Measures Initiative"; "Statistics and Measurement";…

Discusses the future of libraries and the necessary steps that need to be taken to be successful. Topics discussed include the process of change, the need to emphasize delivery systems rather than storage facilities, library services, the need for strategic planning, the role of technology, and library leadership. (11 references) (LRW)

Reviews articles related to school library media programs that were published in journals intended for other members of the profession and involved research. Subject areas include administration, roles of the school library media specialist, and reading. (LRW)

Users Council has proven itself to be a critically important element in the Online Computer Library Center's (OCLC) organizational structure. In fulfilling its combined roles, Users Council has provided a national forum for articulating member library interests to OCLC as well as a training ground for preparing individuals with library expertise…

Offers a perspective on changes that have occurred in academic reference librarianship since 1980. Topics include librarians' responsibilities; the changing uses of reference services by students and faculty; technological advancements; the organization of libraries, including management styles and theories; roles of libraries and librarians; and…

School library media specialists (SLMSs) in the Rochester (Michigan) Community Schools decided it was crucial to come to a consensus about key roles of SLMSs in successful school library media programs. They identified the following roles: information specialist, instructional partner, and program administrator. To educate administrators, staff…

Living in the vast shadow cast by the spires of the Magic Kingdom presents special challenges for Orlando's Orange County Library System (OCLS), the most formidable of which is increasing its relatively small user base. The library additionally faces tension between the administration and staff, political strife on the board, and looming contract…

Innovations from Google[TM] and Amazon[R] are clear wake-up calls that as a profession and an industry things need to be done differently. Automation vendors and librarians must work together to ensure that the profession is positioned to take advantage of changing culture and technology to assume a rightful place at the table where rich and…

Shifts in networked technologies have removed the need to store information geographically close to students, staff, and faculty on college campuses. This shift has put libraries on the offense to remain vital to the campuses they serve. As the library of the future emerges, new models for decision making that place an emphasis on the teaching and…

This paper describes the status of library services in Natal, South Africa. Fragmented services dominate the area, with public, urban, and school libraries existing in complete autonomy from each other and ambivalent about each other's existence. Within school libraries, provision of services varies widely and reflects the wider apartheid…

This handbook for library trustees identifies the duties and responsibilities of library boards and librarians, the qualifications of an effective library and of a library board, and library policy requirements. The concept of intellectual freedom, the Library Bill of Rights, and the Freedom to Read Statement are discussed, and the role of the…

A list of standards was adopted by the Association of College and Research Libraries. It was intended to apply to college libraries serving academic programs at the bachelors and masters degree levels. Standards are presented for the major library functions, as follows: (1) objectives; (2) collections; (3) organization of materials; (4) staff; (5)…

Argues that the traditional division of public and technical services in academic libraries and the corresponding designation of librarians according to function are being challenged by technological change and budget restraints. It is suggested that new systems of collegial management and subject specialization may be the wave of the future.…

Colleges and universities have much to gain from developing a teaching library, whose core component is a comprehensive bibliographic instruction program. The library's active involvement in academic programs leads to improved student skills and faculty productivity, and thus to the institution's educational quality and faculty and student…

Discussion of a statement of goals and objectives for reference department staff is based on an informal survey of reference managers in academic and public libraries and professional literature of planning. Strategies for developing statements (role of manager, arriving at goals, setting priorities, developing objectives) are described. Fifteen…