Libraries need to weigh the benefits, usage, and cost-effectiveness of owning collections against seeking alternatives to deliver the information needed by customers. The University of Arizona Library investigated different approaches for meeting the research needs of East Asian Studies faculty and students under great pressure of physical space…

This paper discusses the establishment of a research service in the Norwegian parliament. The first section presents some general assumptions regarding a research service in parliament. The second section describes the first initiative, a mandate in the 1970s to establish a commission to clarify the need for such a service. The third section…

To meet user needs, the founders of a digital research library (DRL) must establish the repository of electronic scholarly materials and implement tools to use it; organizational, fiscal, and institutional commitments must be made. The establishment of DRLs is directly related to the changes taking place in the library profession. (Author/AEF)

This article describes the current distance education environment for university libraries and the distance education library services for faculty and students. The authors surveyed selected Association of Research Libraries (ARL) members to determine current services and the changes in distance education library services since the 1996 ARL SPEC…

Explores Digital Library development partnering as a strategic response to the problem of competitive convergence, and the value added to information by providing its "context of use." The latter is of strategic interest to libraries as the critical information need of library users shifts from information access to relief from abundance…

This study focuses on college and university library services provided to distance education students and a content analysis of library Web sites. The Web sites chosen were categorized by the amount of distance education the institution offered to students. Results indicated that the size of the institution had the strongest correlation to library…

A study of how patrons think and behave as they seek information at a major research library (Johns Hopkins University) reveals the need to provide the kinds of services and programs that meet the actual needs and preferences of patrons. Focusing on what librarians think is needed can result in poor service. (Author)

For most research libraries, remote storage of significant portions of their print collections has become an economic necessity. Historically, user objections to remote storage have focused on access-related issues: i.e., lack of browsability, cumbersome requesting procedures, lengthy retrieval times, and lack of content information about…

Both the demand for, and supply of, mental health information has increased across all sectors. Academic, public and special libraries must locate, evaluate and select materials that support consumer education, academic teaching, interdisciplinary research, and professional credentialing. Selectors must navigate disciplinary barriers to develop…

The Draper Laboratory Library created the Draper Gopher in response to the following factors: library downsizing, the computer services department's changing role, customer needs, and developments in technology affecting the information environment. Results of its implementation include user-focused reference services; increased interlibrary loan…

Discusses various communities that have contributed to the development of the Yale University Library Electronic Text Center (ETC) and describes the evolution of the ETC from a center for the support of electronic texts in the humanities to an electronic resource center providing support in the creation of World Wide Web resources. (LRW)

It is generally accepted in the library world that an automated catalog means more accessible data for patrons, greater productivity for librarians, and an improvement in the sharing of bibliographic data among libraries. While the desirability of automation is not a controversial issue, some aspects of automating remain problematic. This article…

Discusses the development of electronic libraries at Cornell University's (New York) Mann Library and elsewhere and presents an overview of changes in services and staff responsibilities needed to address user needs. Sidebar articles discuss Internet access to government information; changing staff roles; geographic information systems; the Mann…

Discusses collection development in research libraries and the need for collaboration. Topics include quantity versus quality; a future vision of libraries; the Center for Research Libraries (CRL) as an example of cooperative collection development; users' information needs; and the use of telecommunications. (LRW)

Discusses electronic resources and collection development. Topics include how electronic resources are changing the world of access to information; how and why scholars and research libraries use electronic resources; digitization initiatives; knowledge and learning via the Web; archiving electronic resources; and building collections versus…