Discusses how to plan for a new school library media center or renovate an existing facility. Highlights include the importance of a planning team; the role of the architect; brainstorming, including instructional needs, patron services, library administration, and technology infrastructure; site visits to other media centers; and needs…

This study aimed to develop a demographic profile of the typical student user of academic libraries. Subjects were undergraduate/graduate students (n=522) at two universities. Results are discussed in terms of: populations of student users, how the library is utilized, predictors of frequency of library use, gender differences, non-native English…

Provides an example of how libraries can play an instrumental role in breaking the information barrier by providing good, positive, practical information to help people cope with disabilities. Lists several types of resources for information on disabilities. Discusses how librarians can make resources more accessible to individuals and the need…

Discusses the development of a new culture of research librarianship that is customer-focused, based on experiences at the University of Arizona library. Highlights include cooperative partnerships with users; LibQUAL+ as a tool to learn how users perceive library services in relation to their expectations; and staff participation in strategic…

Baby boomers are epitomised by the phrase "wanting it now". This large group of the population is better educated, more technologically literate, generally wealthier than any previous generation and has high expectations of quality services and products. Just as they have led other social revolutions, baby boomers are expected to revolutionise the…

The National Archives of Australia holds the papers of many of "Australia's Prime Ministers," including Bruce, Lyons, Curtin, Chifley, Holt, Whitlam, Fraser, Hawke, Keating and Howard. From 2000 it undertook a four-year Prime Ministers' Papers Project to locate the records of all 25 men who have held the position of Prime Minister of…

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…

The Reference Department at the University of Colorado at Boulder provides a research consultation service to undergraduates enrolled in the mandatory introductory writing course. The Research Center is staffed by graduate students trained in providing reference assistance. Librarians in the Reference Department administered a patron satisfaction…

The boundaries that define a discrete collection of intellectual or informational resources have never been precise or immutable. With the proliferation of born-digital and digitized analog materials, these boundaries are becoming even less well defined. Supporting users' information needs in the current digital environment requires redefining the…

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…

In 2001, Texas Tech University Library surveyed faculty who taught distance learning courses. This article reports the findings of the survey. Implicit in the article is the belief that a clear understanding of the needs and expectations of faculty serves as a foundation on which librarians can build a solid program of support for distance…

John Shank and Steven Bell describe A_FLIP (Administrators, Faculty, Librarians Instructional Partnership), a model of professional collaboration that promotes the fuller integration of appropriate library resources into the overall structure of course management systems as well as the online design of specific courses. As they outline their…

Purpose: This study seeks to explore the utilization of mobile phone services in the educational environment, explore the nature of mobile phone use among university students, and investigate the perception of university students on mobile phone uses in library and information services. Design/methodology/approach: The study used a review of…

Over the past six years, the University of Utah libraries have developed an extensive international presence through digital resource sharing. Services include instruction, electronic document delivery, shared catalogs, and full-text databases. This paper will describe the process of establishing, extending, and improving these services through…

The author of this article is an automation librarian, but at times he also works at the reference desk, as well as teaching library instruction and literacy classes. Working at the reference desk, he learns how users handle their library's information technology. This article explores the conclusions that the author has reached regarding the…