Discusses four competing public images of the public library and its relation to information technology, as identified in recent research: the traditional library, the resisting library, the adapting library, and the co-opted library. Suggests that the public perceives the management of public information as a complex problem requiring a variety…

Provides an overview of public sector reform in Australia, focusing on the Commonwealth Government and Australian Public Service. Describes management reform packages, human resources management reforms, and industrial relations reforms. Discusses the impact of these changes on public libraries. (AEF)

Includes eight articles that address issues related to library design and function in Australia. Highlights include renovations and redevelopments; public libraries' expansions for changing needs, including a youthspace; a joint-use university and public library; the new Australian War Memorial research center; and a new university library. (LRW)

Examines whether the established and traditional norms and standards of public librarianship structure the way challenges such as market orientation and privatization are met and coped with, or whether these standards are losing their structuring power. Compares three metropolitan library systems representing three different levels of…

Public libraries must operate in a time of increasing change, both within the library community and throughout the larger social and economic environments in which the library must function. This book is a guide to the strategic management of change in community libraries. It addresses the unique circumstances and needs of public libraries and…

The appearance of revolutionary information technologies must elicit equivalent responses from the library profession. Creating local online databases--information dropshipping--is an activity that public and academic libraries can implement. Through technology, libraries can create a new domain on the production side of knowledge and information.…

Controversy is the current state of opinion among librarians and others about the future of libraries. The proponents of the electronic library say that now that information is readily available from sources other than the library, the role of the library must be rethought. Some of the advocates of the electronic library see the elimination of the…

Addresses the new roles and responsibilities for public library support staff in the constantly changing environment of the digital age. Flexibility, initiative, ability to adapt to a changing environment, along with the technical knowledge and expertise are all important attributes of successful candidates for positions. (AEF)

Examines how rural librarians view librarianship and libraries, and the future of both. A total of 441 surveys were sent out; 232 were analyzed. Findings indicate rural librarians are overwhelmingly positive about the profession and its future. The major obstacle facing rural libraries is a lack of education to cope with changes the information…

The role of the public library has changed with the advent of the Internet and digital technology. In addition to its traditional role as a storehouse of information, the role of the public library now encompasses a range of duties such as a resource learning center, a community center, and a business liaison. The opportunities for service have…

Investigates what has changed in librarianship in the last decade, challenges the profession has faced, and positions library professionals should take in the rapidly evolving technological environment. Provides information on the demands of the profession, changes library schools have made, and the future outlook. (AEF)

The need for a reconsideration of policy in the Utah library community is driven by three factors: (1) the success of the Upgrade Process and state development grants in developing local library service; (2) the rapid expansion of revolutionary network technology; and (3) changing patterns of federal funding. This paper focuses on specific…

The National Library in Slovenia was fully authorized to develop on the national level the library network made up of all types of libraries. To fulfill the tasks, a special advisory center/service was founded to perform advising and developing tasks, as well as supervisory tasks. In the last decade, a significant change of its role has come…

Argues that obstacles exist in the Public Library Association (PLA) planning process that can be resolved by developing relationships between materials in the collection and PLA roles. Proposes changes to help reduce conflict in the PLA planning process and discusses process obstacles, relationships as the key providing better service, and…

These articles address the core values of librarianship, focusing on democracy and public libraries; equity of access to information, including building collections, circulation policies, interlibrary loan, and intellectual property and licensing; intellectual freedom, including rating systems for various media; and library service in the light of…