Presents findings of a study that examined the impact of a model urban library system in Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) on children's literacy development, particularly for poor, minority families, and its relation to reading achievement. It is concluded that libraries are vital for children's achievement and developing informational needs. (MES)

Presents the findings and recommendations of a consultant supported by UNESCO who prepared a public library development plan for Papua New Guinea. Highlights include extending existing urban library services to rural areas; literacy programs; libraries' roles in national development; financial support; policy and legislation; and education and…

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)

Public and employer perceptions of staff abilities and qualifications deployed in local studies collections may affect their status and influence and not least the funding the local studies facility may receive. The need to promote the service is also prompted by the growing use of local studies collections and the increasing importance of such…

The documentation required under the Federal Library Services and Construction Act for the 1993 annual program of the Texas State Library is assembled. Under Title I, Public Library Services to Areas Without Services, the state plans total expenditures of $12,066,877, including $5,019,151 in federal funds and $7,047,726 in state funds for services…

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…

Part of the Striving for Excellence program of the Utah State Library requires participating public libraries to conduct community needs assessments. This is a way for library directors and trustees to find out if the mission they have chosen and the policies they have written are still appropriate as they identify the strengths and weaknesses of…

This orientation manual serves as a general guide to the role of the public library trustee in the state of Nevada. It is designed to provide the trustee with basic information and to be used as a quick reference tool for helping the trustee do the job in an efficient and effective manner. The guide endeavors to provide a map by which the…

This statistical report on Michigan's libraries presents data provided by academic libraries, public libraries, public library cooperatives, and those public libraries that that serve as regional or subregional outlets to provide services for blind and physically handicapped patrons. For academic libraries, data are compiled from the 1998 academic…

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…

Three papers on library budget priorities for the 1990s discuss (1) reallocating the budget to spend less on staff and more on collections and access; (2) budget concerns of public libraries, emphasizing the future role of libraries; and (3) the academic library perspective, including assumptions, evaluation, and new paradigms related to library…

Discusses how the resources of public libraries are now available to distant learners through telecommunication services. Highlights increases in library Web access, revitalizations of libraries, and increases in library use. Summaries key items in one university-public library cooperative agreement. (AEF)

Discusses the development of children's reading rooms in public libraries throughout the United States. Early efforts to isolate juveniles from adult patrons are described, the gradual acknowledgement of the value and necessity of separate children's collections is explained, and efforts to encourage teachers to use these collections are…

This summative evaluation of the Public Library Services to Disadvantaged Populations Grant program describes how the grant program is meeting its stated objectives, how it is contributing to library development in Texas, and how Texas State Library activities and policy impact the program. The Texas State Library initiated this grant program with…

The Intermountain Community Learning and Information Services (ICLIS) project was begun in 1985 to provide rural communities in Colorado, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming with greater access to information and educational programming. Computer centers were housed in nine rural public libraries to provide services related to literacy, career guidance,…