Data that is meaningful and purposeful is collected to assess the state of our library media programs, services and policies. The way in which one can develop the skills required to collect, analyze, interpret, present, and use data is presented.

In order to improve library instruction and to produce data that shed light on the value of this core library service, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Library conducted a formal assessment on its instruction program in 2004. A group of 688 users from 25 one-shot sessions was surveyed by a questionnaire four to eight weeks after…

Kid's Stuff game will introduce students, parents, teachers and educators to authors and illustrators who have consistently created books for children and young adults that are of superior quality and interest. The research-base games for use in library media center, classroom and at home game also helps students learn to use computer card catalog…

All libraries, whether large or small, feel the need to stretch their budget dollars to provide the most service for the buck. Whether the need is to provide a new library service, market existing services, or simply find a better solution for an administrative function, creative librarians can find solutions that fit into even the tightest…

While doing research into the topic of assistive technology in libraries, Janet Hopkins, found many examples of libraries providing assistive technology and special services for clients with disabilities. However, most of those examples are in post-secondary and public libraries. It was difficult to identify K-12 school libraries that are…

On May 9, 2003 Christine Borne launched the electronic discussion group NEXGENLIB-L. Her aim was to involve colleagues around her age professionally, a group usually unheard in the professional literature and discussions. The list quickly burned up with complaints about library school and work places, frustration about poor pay and student loans,…

We are building conventional library space without making the paradigm shift our digital environment requires. The chief obstacles to change lie in our conception of readers as information consumers, in our allegiance to library operations as the drivers of library design, and in the choice made between foundational and non-foundational views of…

A usability survey was conducted at the University of Mississippi Libraries as part of the ongoing assessment of the library and its services. By setting criteria to measure the success of the survey, librarians at UM were able to assess if the library home page successfully met the goals and mission statement of the library.

The authors adapted Web usability techniques to assess student awareness of their library's Web site. Students performed search tasks using a Web browser. Approaches were categorized according to a student's preference for, and success with, the library's Web resources. Forty-five percent of the students utilized the library's Web site as first…

This study examines sixty academic libraries' Web sites and finds that 80 percent of them do not have a technical services' homepage. Data reveal that institution's status might be a factor in whether a library has such a page. Further content analysis suggests there is an appropriate and useful public service role that technical services…

Every place has it--coffee shops, bookstores, universities ... and now libraries are offering wireless Internet access too. At the Waterford Township Public Library (Waterford, Michigan), Andrew Mutch created a wide-open wireless network using Public IP open source software. About 20 miles away, at the Novi Public Library (Novi, Michigan), Karen…

This paper presents interviews with Barbara Bonham, a Senior Researcher at the National Center for Developmental Education and a member of the faculty at the Kellogg Institute, Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina and Melanie Chu, the Outreach Librarian at Cal State San Marcos in San Marcos, California. In these interviews they…

Florida's Ask a Librarian service (http://www.askalibrarian.org) brings virtual reference to users at their moment of need via the Internet. Ask a Librarian is a growing service with 76 participating libraries including public, school, four-year, and community college libraries. The following article describes how Ask a Librarian was developed…

All of us, regardless of experience or achievement, need an occasional reaffirmation of our core knowledge and beliefs. This un-embellished narrative of a real-life reference interview reinforces the importance of persistent but polite attentiveness to the unexpressed needs of library users and, it is hoped, serves as an inspirational reminder not…

MSU Libraries has a commitment to serving its students and faculty both on campus and off the main campus. This paper is a case study that outlines the specific efforts designed to address the library and information needs of the students at the Mississippi State University-Meridian Branch, with particular emphasis on the use of existing distance…