Examines reference questions received at the archives of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to determine why archival reference service is more time-consuming than standard academic library reference service. Also discusses differences in kinds of information and resources provided, arrangement of materials, and description and access.…

Contains data on state library agencies, including governance, finances, and services to libraries. Data, collected through the State Library Agencies Survey, show that nearly all state library agencies are located in the executive branch of government, and more than 65% are part of a larger agency, most commonly the state department of education.…

Discusses the concept of outsourcing in libraries and suggests that it is done for the cosmetic appearance of fiscal economies. Highlights include the possibility of achieving better service quality, but at a higher cost; and the importance of keeping management informed about and aware of the value of library services. (LRW)

Examines the use of databases as back-ends to creating library Web pages and seeks to provide a starting point for interested librarians. Explores advantages of this approach, suggests possible library applications, gives examples based on experiences at Ohio State University libraries, and provides a list of Web resources. (Author/LRW)

This article offers a number of statistics and performance measures that libraries may find useful in determining the overall quality of their network-based services; identifies a number of service quality criteria; and provides a framework to assist librarians in selecting statistics and performance measures based on service quality criteria.…

This paper examines the extent to which U.S. Association of Research Libraries (ARL) are providing services to their distance education library patrons, it reveals whether each U.S. ARL library has a designated librarian in charge of services to distance education students, and it presents the perceived challenges faced by distance education…

What would a person do if they were suddenly given half a million dollars? The Southern Oregon University Library, after receiving a congressional grant of $470,000, decided to use the money to create the Southern Oregon Digital Archives (SODA). The primary goal for SODA was to have a full-text, completely searchable database of hundreds of…

A library collection is a community asset. Studies indicate that chess is a healthy mental pursuit for children of all skill levels; the educational nonprofit Chess-in-the-Schools. www.chessintheschool.org reports improvements in reading scores and a variety of other intellectual and social benefits for kids who accept the rigors and rewards of…

In this article, the author poses the question: What is the importance and impact of this research on the environment we develop in our libraries? To her, they are inextricably intertwined. The author argues that the library is the information centre of the school, and its staff are the information specialists. It is them, through the programs and…

From its humble origins some 30 years ago in New York's bombed-out, poverty-ravaged South Bronx, hip-hop has risen to become a dominant cultural force both here and abroad. Strictly defined, the term refers to the entire cultural constellation that accompanies rap music, which in 2001 surpassed country music as the most popular musical genre in…

As bookstores and the Internet march forward, the library community continues to question and forecast its role in society. Innovative libraries nationwide have seized the opportunity to reinvent themselves, bringing a new level of excitement to the industry. Yet puzzlement remains on what strategies, what roles will work in communities where…

Tom Peters packs 36 hours of work into the confines of a 24-hour day. Without breaking a sweat, he juggles multiple collaborative projects, which currently include an Illinois academic library shared storage facility; a multistate virtual reference and instruction service for blind and visually impaired individuals (InfoEyes); a virtual meeting…

Most school library media centers have a number of resources available to assist in the career planning process. Typical career-planning books cover writing resumes and cover letters, the interview process, job banks, occupational descriptions, and salaries. Keeping current on careers can be a costly endeavor for school library media center…

In this article, the author discusses and provides some examples on how students and teachers should use library media centers. He also discusses the common problems with facilities design as it changes along with other aspects of society. He states that flexibility in design ensures that the physical facility will meet future program needs.…

Johnson Doug, a representative of the state library association decided to speak to the board members of the Left Overshoe Independent Schools when they threatened to implement a budgetary cut for the library school program. The local parents and teachers should testify to the board the advantages of a library program and raise voice against…