Discussion of the scope of electronic information resources available to libraries includes examples of several new sources. Solutions to increasing patron demand for materials are considered, including interlibrary loan, for-profit companies and agencies, and services that allow patrons to request materials directly. Issues of staff training,…

Discusses the development of reference services in developing countries and describes some of the functions of libraries and information services. Topics discussed include meeting users' needs; criteria for the planning and organization of services; and technology, including electronic dictionaries, computerized community information files,…

Provides an empirical review of problems facing library users with visual impairments using computers, and reviews some of the technology that can help alleviate these problems. Highlights include software; GUI (Graphical User Interfaces); advising and training; library automation; and appendices that list further sources of relevant information.…

Describes Infoquest, a game of research questions that can be answered in a school library media center that was developed to increase student use of the media center. Discusses increased use by teachers, parent participation, and includes a master list of questions and answers as well as print and Internet sources. (LRW)

Presents suggestions and examples which show teachers how using the library media center for block scheduling can enhance their work in the classroom and give library media specialists ideas for expanding services. Discusses individual research, activities in the classroom, learning stations, media skills-based activities, team teaching, state…

Internet and communications technologies have changed the way academic research is performed. Although at first reluctant to have their students use subscription online database articles as resources for papers, faculty in community and junior colleges have embraced the new research methods. However, their need to have students use solid…

In 1991-1992, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Libraries conducted an Information Services Study with support from the Office of the Provost. Its purpose was to study how faculty, research staff, and students in three disciplines on campus gather information for their work. Members of the departments of Brain and Cognitive Sciences,…

The Pilot Project on School Library Development has designed two course to train primary and secondary teachers and teacher librarians in the South Pacific Region. Oriented to the needs of the teacher as a library user, the first course seeks to stimulate teachers to encourage students to use library resources for seeking information and for…

The ERIC Clearinghouse on Information Resources at Stanford University presents a compilation of bibliographies, articles, and information about the Educational Resources Information Center in a bicentennial salute to United States libraries. Bibliographies include a list of subject guides to information in a variety of formats, a bicentennial…

Eight papers from a two-day workshop to help librarians answer patrons' questions about China are summarized. Topics include women and child care in China, trends in the arts, China as seen in United States government documents, book publishing in China, building a Chinese resource collection, and teaching about China. The attached kit of…

For the past two decades the central Information Retrieval Services of the Max Planck Society has been providing database searches for scientists in Max Planck Institutes and Research Groups throughout Germany. As a supplement to traditional search services offered by professional intermediaries, they have recently fostered the introduction of a…

The participant evaluation of an intensive, research-based institute about emergent literacy and public library service for young children demonstrates current "best practice" strengths and weaknesses. Children's librarians indicate which services, attitudes and skills, organizational structures, and resources are being implemented in…

Describes considerations involved in implementing an electronic current awareness service in academic and research organizations, including user needs; personal bibliographic software; data sources, including floppy disk databases, CD-ROM, online databases, and library catalogs; staffing; fees; promotion; search profiles; and recordkeeping.…

Four articles address traditional mediation in library services, including the librarian as mediator, the reference librarian as information intermediary, recommitment to patrons' information needs, and mediation in reference service to extend patron success. (87 references) (LRW)

Describes the automated access and Internet resources menu used by the reference department at Saginaw Valley State University (Michigan) library. Resources selected for the menu, including online catalogs, online databases, Internet access, and miscellaneous resources, are described. The access process, based on PROCOMM Plus software, is…