A brief history of library associations followed by discussions of association publishing programs, personnel, standards, support of legislation, international relations, and stands on intellectual freedom. (LS)

In-depth interviews with nine individuals identified by a survey of American Library Association members as leaders in the public library field indicated that six traits are important in making a library leader: vision; a commitment to public libraries; courage and risk taking; openness to others; political savvy; and professional involvement.…

Examines 18 library publishers' sales catalogs and sales profiles for 300 titles available from the American Library Association (ALA) in order to describe the nature of library literature. Lists of ALA best sellers for 1986-87 and pre-1986-87 are appended. (9 references) (MES)

Discusses the need for ethical guidelines for library administrators. Five basic ethical principles that could underlie the development of such guidelines and examples of how these principles might apply in a library setting are suggested: (1) respect autonomy; (2) do no harm; (3) benefit others; (4) be just; and (5) be faithful. (27 references)…

Discusses the growth of gay literature and gay consciousness as well as gay archives and gay biography. Describes historical and current literature about gays in libraries; and considers the role of the American Library Association, including the formation of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Task Force. (LRW)

The author of this article shares her opinions and feelings on attending the American Library Association (ALA) Conference. She admits that she hates going to the exhibits. In this article, the author shares a list of hints to make exhibit time more productive.

Tom Rink may be the only librarian who is also a police officer. After years of the Tulsa police force, he was ready for a change. When a career exploration course showed he was ideally suited to be a librarian, he was amused. The son of two librarians, he had never even considered it. He did enjoy researching, writing, and exploring all kinds of…

"ARL" is the bimonthly report on research library issues and actions from ARL (Association of Research Libraries), CNI (Coalition of Networked Information), and SPARC (Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition). "ARL" reports on current issues of interest to academic and research library administrators, staff, and…

While much has been done to address the digital divide, awareness concerning the importance of information literacy (IL) has taken a back seat to a world that focuses on technology. This article traces the genesis of a global effort to address information literacy education and training beyond discussions taking place within the library and…

This annual report of the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) contains an overview of activities of the Council between July 1, 2006 and June 30, 2007. These include programs, awards, publications, advisory groups, grants and contracts, and financial statements. It also includes a list of staff, a letter from the chairperson Paula…

In this article, the author shares how she became an advocate for school libraries. Moving into a career as a school library media specialist after five-and-a-half years as a teacher, she eventually became a delegate to the first White House Conference on Library and Information Services. At these conferences, she learned where and how decisions…

Australian library and information science (LIS) courses are popular outside Australia, and Australia is a popular study destination for students in the region. This paper takes a comparative approach to attempt to determine whether ALIA (the Australian Library and Information Association)'s core curriculum for LIS education is appropriate outside…

A five year plan for continuing education for members of the Science-Technology Division of the Special Libraries Association is considered. (Author)

The responsibilities of women in French libraries and professional associations are compared with those of men. Ten data tables are included. (Author/PF)

History of international library and information organizations, as well as the status of communications among them, and the organizations' present role and future possibilities. (LS)