An outline of objectives for library educators to consider in the design of courses for those serving the older adult is presented. (Author)

Describes Learning Is for Everyone (LIFE), a library program of the Altoona Area Public Library, Pennsylvania, that serves mentally retarded persons of all ages and ability levels, parents, teachers, and advocates of retarded citizens, as well as the general public. Through the use of multimedia materials, programing, and community programs, the…

If libraries are to survive the apparently inevitable lean years ahead, they must make themselves necessary by offering informational and educational services in demand. However, alternative and nontraditional services must be provided on a cost-recovery basis, and only those directly benefiting from the service should pay the additional fee.…

Examines programs for babies, i.e., children under two years of age, that are offered by public libraries. Highlights include separate storytimes; inclusion in family or older children's storytimes; welcome packets for parents of newborns; and the benefits of bringing children and parents into the library. (LRW)

Reports on 1996 library programs, activities, and information policy: American Library Association's responses to President Clinton's "America Reads" program, the Telecommunications Act of 1996, and the Communications Decency Act; Family Friendly Libraries; certification for Kansas media specialists; federal funding of libraries; the…

Presents four frames to help understand library reference encounters, including the structural frame that uses rationality to establish procedures; the human resource frame, based on the satisfaction of needs in motivating people; the political frame that addresses allocation of resources; and the symbolic frame that assigns meaning to work.…

Presents 14 tables depicting Illinois public library referenda data from fiscal year 1977/78 through November 1995. Discusses success rates in terms of even versus odd years and spring versus fall for fiscal years 1986-95. Outlines types of library referenda, including: annexation; tax increase; bond issue; establishment (district); conversion to…

This article is a study of six women and their contributions to young adult services in public libraries: Mabel Williams, Margaret Scoggin, Jean Carolyn Roos, Margaret A. Edwards, Dorothy M. Broderick, and Mary K. Chelton. The feminist perspective employed focuses on the voices of these women as advocates for young people. Contains 63 references.…

Presents a practical approach to the delivery of library and information services to mentally ill patrons using a disability model based on the Americans with Disabilities Act. Sources from psychological and sociological literature as well as library sources are discussed. (Author/LRW)

Describes the usability study that was designed at Hampshire College (Massachusetts) to see whether students were successfully using the library's Web site, particularly for reference services. Emphasizes the need for retesting and discusses results of the usability testing, including an increase in Web site hits and database searches. (LRW)

Discusses marketing in special libraries and suggests that librarians need to identify library services that set them apart from others. Highlights include the competitive environment and alternatives for the consumer; value that the library offers; targeting consumers; return on investment; and determining why consumers choose your services. (LRW)

Describes business techniques for mass marketing, where information technologies are used to target discrete individuals or groups and promote customer interaction. Considers the applicability of business concepts to academic library service, including uniquely identifying patrons, issues of privacy, focusing on the most valuable library services,…

Discussion of community support groups for public libraries focuses on how the Chicago Public Library developed programs with a Friends of the Library group. Describes fund-raising efforts; themes that guided the organization; developing library programs; the use of volunteers; restoring state funding after budget cuts; and building public…

Arguing that today's youth yearns for initiation into adult society, this article examines visions of the future of adolescence in Western Society by contrasting the films "Star Trek" and "Blade Runner," and questions the role of information technology. Discusses library services for adolescents and the role of librarians as…