To meet the challenges of societal change, technological development, and economic retrenchment, libraries must develop problem-solving strategies such as marketing which can help libraries serve their clients more effectively. Marketing components are presented in the context of a customer orientation. (AEF)

A survey of 92 corporate and government libraries in Victoria, Australia, reveals that 64.8% were restructured over the last 5 years. Reasons for outsourcing; services being outsourced; the impact of budgets; and the use of service fees are examined. (AEF)

Compares Florida State University (FSU) and University of West Florida (UWF) library reference departments using a five-task model for strategic management in organizations. The libraries serve different kinds of users; one supports programs through the doctoral level and the other serves only bachelors' and masters' programs. They have similar…

Discusses concerns for academic libraries identified by a survey of editors and manuscript readers of this journal. Highlights include technology; leadership; library users; management issues, including recruitment, communication, and new services; access versus ownership; funding; copyright; licensing; teaching and research; electronic…

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,…

Examines factors relating to selecting machine-readable information sources from the perspective of the library manager concerned with serving user needs. Professional and novice searchers are considered; remote time sharing, CD-ROM workstations, and local tapes are described and compared; network choices are discussed; and impacts on the…

This article is a condensed version of a presentation from the 1991 Public Library Association (PLA) conference that addressed the need for appropriate responses by libraries to changing ethnic and racial populations. Topics discussed include racism, cultural competence in the library profession, adjusting library services, effective leadership,…

Reviews the Senior Library Assistants course at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Library (Nigeria). The following six subject areas included in the curriculum are discussed: (1) libraries, information, and society; (2) collection development; (3) organization of library materials; (4) reader's services; (5) preservation; and (6) library…

Twelve articles describe the impact of library technologies on reference services. Staff training, the academic librarian as teacher and information provider, decision-making models for planning reference services, patron database access options, management of reference services, systemwide electronic access, and the electronic library are among…

Provides a description and assessment of the merger of the government publications division and the maps division at the San Diego State University (California) library that was necessitated by budgetary constraints. The impact on patrons is discussed, including reference assistance, arrangement of materials, reference and circulation policies,…

Discusses the results of four statewide studies on the impact of school library media programs on the academic achievement of public school students. Topics include roles of media specialists; teaching; information access and delivery; program administration; staff activities; media center use; and the availability of technology. (LRW)

Findings from informetric research represent an important background resource to add to the mix of information useful for resolving difficult and ongoing problems in specific library environments or information service settings. This paper provides examples of informetric research that can be useful input to decision-making in the field of library…

The impacts of technology upon traditional library resources are sometimes unexpected. The library at California's University of the Pacific discovered that usage of print materials was dwindling, even though the addition of a 50-station "Information Commons" had bolstered overall library use. At first it was anticipated that the…

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) Library participated in the statewide conversion to a new integrated library system in the summer of 2002. Prior to the system's implementation, various local and statewide committees coordinated efforts to train their staffs so as to ensure a seamless transition. This case study analyzes, in…

Developing a library collection to support the curriculum of Canada's largest computer studies school has debunked many myths about collecting computer science and technology information resources. Computer science students are among the heaviest print book and e-book users in the library. Circulation statistics indicate that the demand for print…