This article describes the Project Lefty, a search system that, at a minimum, adds a layer on top of traditional federated search tools that will make the wait for results more worthwhile for researchers. At best, Project Lefty improves search queries and relevance rankings for web-scale discovery tools to make the results themselves more relevant…

Public library service is a critical service that must be preserved. Despite a current (FY08) budget cut of $5 million and the threat of reductions of nearly $20 million more in the next budget, the Queens Library has maintained massive and excellent programs of service and incredibly high levels of use by a public that lines up at every one of…

Beyond collecting traditional circulation statistics, tracking in-house use of library materials is a significant measure of how patrons use our resources. In our pilot project, Lending Services staff members conducted nightly pick-ups of library materials left on tables, in carrels, in study rooms, as well as books cast aside in the stacks areas…

Student athletes at Penn State have been identified and targeted as an underserved population, and over the past year a new outreach program has been created and piloted to meet their needs. The student athletes share the characteristics of distance learners much of the time and present a number of challenges to the librarians who serve as mentors…

The goal of the new Stiern Library at California State University at Bakersfield, as outlined in the introductory comments to these building and design specifications, is to bring together under one roof the various sources of the university's information and knowledge--i.e., library, computing, and media services--and to deliver information…

The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), an arm of the Library of Congress, leads a highly successful national program to produce and distribute books and magazines for blind, visually impaired, and physically handicapped individuals. A fostering relationship exists between NLS and a network of 143 regional and…

This report examines the process of planning library services for off-campus students that was undertaken by the Vermont State Colleges (VSC) in 1982, and considers the implications of the plans for the system as a whole as well as for the Community College of Vermont (CCV), a non-campus, non-traditional college without a library. Following a…

A workshop was held by the Office of Library staff at the University of Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) for international college students, to assist them in making the transition to the American educational setting. The workshop also served to heighten the awareness of the library public service staff to the needs of the international students at the…

Based largely on recommendations from a 1986 strategy study, this long range plan for the improvement of library services in Idaho addresses goals and activities for the years 1989-1991. It is intended to support the direction of library development begun in 1984 to improve services to the user and to meet Library Services and Construction Act…

This investigative study, through a questionnaire survey, was conducted to determine if public libraries in Ohio saw a need for library programs/outreach to the homeless, and if, indeed, any libraries had a structured program to serve the special needs of the homeless population. One library from each Ohio county was selected through systematic…

Of potential interest to small towns in rural areas, this report describes England's first attempt at applying to a rural area the concept of a multi-agency information and advice center based on a library. The comprehensive review covers all phases of the project: (1) identification of a community's information and advice needs; (2) consultation…

The Idaho allocation plan for funds from the Library Service and Construction Act (LSCA) continues the emphasis on priorities described in the statewide plan for years 1994-1998. These priorities are: (1) advocate for the creation of library districts with adequate tax support to serve the state's entire population; (2) strengthen cooperation and…

This book, written by graduate students at the Catholic University (District of Columbia) School of Library and Information Science, examines current priorities, policies, and practices of public libraries. Following an introduction, "Reinventing Libraries: Responding to the Forces of Change" (Lisa Crisman), chapters include: (1) "A…