More than eight in ten Americans between the ages of 16 and 29 read a book in the past year, and six in ten used their local public library. At the youngest end of the spectrum, high schoolers in their late teens (ages 16-17) and college-aged young adults (ages 18-24) are especially likely to have read a book or used the library in the past 12…

During at least one afternoon each month, Wilmette (Illinois) Public Library (WPL) hosts a local group of computer programmers, designers, and artists, who meet to discuss digital projects and resources, technical challenges, and successful design or programming strategies. WPL's Game Design Club, now in its third year, owes its existence to a…

As published critics of Hennen's American Public Library Ratings (HAPLR), the authors propose a new ranking system that focuses more transparently on ranking libraries based on their performance. These annual rankings are intended to contribute to self-evaluation and peer comparison, prompt questions about the statistics and how to improve them,…

In 2007, "Library Journal" and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation named Hanover's Howe Library one of four "Best Small Libraries in America." Hanover is an affluent community with a long history of support for the public library. In fact, the town's taxpayers support two: Howe and Etna Library, a small, independent institution in the village of…

Issues 256 through 265 of "Fast Facts" from the Library Research Service present data collected from libraries in Colorado and throughout the nation. Topics addressed in these "Fast Facts" from 2008 include computer usage by public library patrons, Colorado summer reading programs, children's' use of public libraries, and the…

Retrieval terminals have been placed in four public libraries in Northern California to provide access to sixteen different data bases. The first year of this two-year experiment is described, and some of the technical, organizational, and economic aspects of the study are reviewed. (Author)

Discusses the introduction of computers and appropriate software (computer-assisted instruction, computer games, open-ended programs) into the public library children's room. Computer literacy as a public library goal, specific objectives of a program at Oakville Public Library (Ontario), and library role in the information age are highlighted.…

Examines the key differences between the information industry and public libraries and describes the computerized Community Information Project of San Mateo County, California. (PF)

Costs and cost-related factors connected with providing on-line search services through the public library are examined. The examination was based on preliminary results from an on-going evaluation of an experimental program (DIALIB). In the DIALIB experiment Lockheed's DIALOG search service was available to the public through four public…

A cost analysis was made of on-line bibliographic searching in four public libraries in the San Francisco Bay Area using the Lockheed DIALOG system. The study involved monitoring the time that 35 individuals in the libraries spent processing some 411 search requests. The study identified a set of seven tasks that are performed for each request and…

The introduction to this addendum (the Action Plan is LI 004 521) discusses the present use by libraries of information-handling technology and identifies some of the trends taking place in performing essential library services. While some limited inroads have been made in automating certain public library functions, the bulk of services is still…

Papers on public libraries, which were presented at the 1983 International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) conference, include: (1) "The Role of Public Libraries in Developing Countries with Particular Reference to the Gambia" by Sally P. C. N'Jie (The Gambia); (2) "Public Libraries in the Federal Republic of Germany…

Explains the criteria by which 50 public libraries were chosen as outstanding, and reports the results of a survey of the directors which focused on major problems in libraries; desired goals in administration and technical and public services; predicted trends; stage of computerization; and sources of information and new ideas. (CLB)

Lockheed has undertaken Project DIALIB to determine whether online retrieval services could be useful to the general public, and if the public library could serve as the linking agent for these services. As part of the study, DIALOG, Lockheed's online reference retrieval system, has been made available to the public through four public libraries…

Use of computer techniques is being more generally applied within public libraries but details of purpose, development and operation are of interest to those on the brink of change. A recent application of computer techniques to a bilingual library book-stock is briefly outlined. The catalog records were computerized by section, and a bilingual…