Owners and executives of hundreds of for-profit child care centers in the United States were surveyed to determine their economic status. The 50 largest centers experienced limited growth in 1991, and the three largest chains grew the slowest. The most growth was found in the Southeast. The top 50 centers are listed. (LB)

Discusses the use of formula allocations for book and serial funds in academic libraries' collection development and proposes a matrix formula based on disciplinary needs and publishing patterns. Variables in the formula that are used to represent institutional goals at the University of Texas at Arlington are explained. (16 references) (LRW)

According to Richard W. Riley, Secretary of Education, the federal government can be a partner to states and communities in improving education. Outlines the Goals 2000 plan to provide schools with greater flexibility in exchange for greater accountability for results. Federal priorities are to provide additional resources to high-poverty…

Discussion of knowledge-based systems focuses on expert systems used by libraries for technical services and collection management. Highlights include knowledge acquisition; system development issues, including staff time and costs; cataloging; acquisitions and serials control; material selection; preservation; and examples of existing systems.…

Updates a storage cost model for academic library collections by examining how changes in construction costs and circulation costs affect the choices of an alternative book storage strategy. Results show that the most economical alternative for a large range of construction and circulation cost alternatives is to convert existing ground space to…

Reports the results of a survey of the "Bowdoin List" group of liberal arts colleges. The survey obtained information about (1) automation modules in place and when they had been installed; (2) financing of automation and its impacts on the library budgets; and (3) library director's views on library automation and the nature of the…

Describes strategies that academic libraries can use to stretch the collection budget in the face of increasing costs. Collection management measures are discussed, including cancellations, coordinated buying, and cooperative databases; budgetary strategies are described; and political factors are considered, including faculty support,…

Discusses educational development in nations of the Asian and Pacific region. Focuses on common attributes such as a healthy economy in spite of a wide range of economic systems and levels of development. Includes the traditional emphasis on human resources, new manpower requirements, and social demands for education. Examines education…

Discussion of the influences of technology on the publishing industry focuses on locally loaded databases and database licensing to help integrate a variety of data into one system for libraries. Local online systems are described, and the responsibilities and roles of the library, the publisher, and the vendor are discussed. (LRW)

The proceedings include an executive committee report, officers' reports, and reports on a student recruitment program, income and expenditures, association policy and positions, constitution and bylaws, component groups, and membership and attendance. Abstracts of a special meeting on geriatrics and a directory of officers are also included. (MSE)

Discusses libraries' participation in consortia, cooperatives, or networks to help cope with the financial pressures created by more available materials and less money. Reasons for participating are examined, factors to determine the value of belonging are suggested, cost factors are considered, and cooperative collection development is described.…

Discussion of shrinking library budgets and increasing science journal prices focuses on methods used at Rutgers University (New Jersey) to help determine which journals could be eliminated. Results of a survey of faculty preferences, a journal reshelving study, and ranked journal lists based on faculty publications and citations are compared and…

Parents are covering less of their children's college costs than ever before, according to a recent study. On average, parents contributed 55% in 1997-98, down from 69% in 1986-87; during the same period, college costs increased 38%. Reasons include decreased family savings, higher consumer debt, incomes not keeping up with inflation, and…

Examines the financial situation of college students in the United Kingdom during the last years of the old higher education system. Examination included income levels and sources, and the total teaching cost per student and per graduate. The implications of this data within the new, developing system of higher education funding are discussed.…

The relationship of fiscal effort to eighth-grade achievement on international assessments was compared among U.S. states, for U.S. states versus foreign countries, and for the United States versus foreign countries. U.S. performance was as expected, given its relative fiscal effort, and several states were as efficient as top-performing foreign…