The authors envisage a new future for libraries, one in which they assume a very proactive role, pushing, as well as pulling information back into the Web, in a manner similar to that in which a private electricity producer feeds back surplus power into the grid as well as taking electricity when needed. (Author)

Addresses how the resources of public libraries and youth-serving organizations can work together to support young people and expand their opportunities. Summarizes ways librarians are developing effective strategies to engage youth who formerly felt alienated from public libraries and describes ways public libraries are connecting with community…

Preferred characteristics in applicants for school library media specialist (SLMS) positions are studied in this article from three perspectives, that of the library school faculty, the library school student, and the school administrator. Surveys were sent to public high school administrators in the states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho;…

After undertaking the time and energy consuming task of reference assessment, the library might discover that it needs to tweak delivery of service, weed and update the collection, upgrade workstations, or advance marketing strategies to get patrons to use reference materials and services. Like any other product or service, reference departments…

This article is an exploration of the relationship between Australian soldiers and wartime libraries in the First and Second World Wars. It examines the way soldiers, as readers, used a variety of libraries, including those of charitable organizations, the education libraries organized by military authorities, and the libraries formed in Prisoner…

The Mass-Observation Archive contains a large amount of evidence, stretching back to the 1930s, of the British public's daily lives and its attitudes to local, national, and international issues and events. The archive's data-collection method takes the form of essay-style contributions submitted from anonymous volunteer correspondents who write…

The objectives of this survey were: to gather information on the development of institutional information technology policies and guidelines for responsible computing and use of electronic information; to identify the scope of such policies and guidelines; and to determine the role of the library in the development and/or use of the policies and…

The Systems and Procedures Exchange Center (SPEC) surveyed 119 Association of Research Libraries (ARL) members to gather information about current distance education and distance learning initiatives in ARL libraries. The objectives of the survey were to: (1) identify libraries involved in distance education activities and determine the extent or…

Tools for teaching students how to question intelligently are badly needed. Science fiction provides many such tools in a variety of subjects by stimulating the imagination and thus motivating students to learn. Such vehicles are available at all grade levels. From Mark Twain and H.G. Wells to Anne McCaffrey and Isaac Asimov, novels and short…

The purpose behind the Russian-American Seminar on Critical Thinking was to bring together librarians from both countries to provide an East-West perspective on the issue of critical thinking. This document presents 16 papers from the seminar as well as introductory remarks from a Russian and an American participant. Papers are as follows:…

The Kountze Public Library in Texas conducted a program using cross-age tutoring as a strategy to strengthen family reading skills, to develop a collection of educational literacy materials in the library, and to disseminate results to the public. During the 1-year program, 29 volunteers participated, with 14 trained as tutors. Tutors worked 64…

This handbook is an expanded version of an original guide written as a basis for orientation and training of new children's librarians and allied personnel. It puts into one place the basics of library service to children, with an emphasis on the practical rather than the theoretical. Among topics covered are: (1) roles and responsibilities of…

Three prison librarians were interviewed about the ways they handle major issues in their libraries. Two of the three librarians were females and one was male; one was Caucasian, one was Afro-American, and one was of Asian descent. A case study approach was used to examine their methods. Issues examined included: (1) materials selection and…

The purpose of this report is to present a public forum expressing the views of the people of New York and their thoughts on the role and needs of New York's Libraries. Exhibit One provides a brief overview of New York's libraries and the New York State Archives, and the roles which these systems play as part of the state's library systems.…

The link between classrooms and the library is emphasized, and cooperation between librarians and instructors in developing library instructional programs is advocated. A context for academic library instruction is developed by examining its history. The philosophical rationale for library instruction is generally traced to the lectures of Ralph…