Discusses libraries and issues relating to censorship, social protest, and First Amendment rights. Topics addressed include materials selection based on objective criteria; removing inappropriate material; intellectual freedom; limited versus absolute censorship; and possible errors in selection decisions. (LRW)

Gives a historical explanation of library confidentiality policies and procedures and reviews notable invasions of patron privacy through use of library records by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service. Also reports on a study that examined patron confidentiality policies in Texas academic library reference…

Examines interlibrary loan (ILL) charges for photocopied material at two academic libraries, the University of Arizona and the University of Nevada, Reno. Statistics were reported for separate academic units to determine which were the most active users and which were charged the most, and recommendations are made for dealing with ILL charges.…

Relates the work of Archibald George William Dunningham, a librarian from New Zealand who worked as a consultant for the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in the newly developed nation of Indonesia from 1953 to 1968. Discusses meeting with leaders of librarianship, education, and government to help formulate…

Examines aspects of censorship that professional educators do not usually acknowledge--a silent, self-imposed censorship. Asks at what point book selection policy becomes a means to justify rejecting the purchase or provide for the removal of specific titles from the bookshelves. Suggests a solution: a written selection policy at the school and…

Examines shelving policies for CD-ROMs that accompany books, based on experiences at Texas A&M University. After studying circulation data, loss rates, and the availability of replacements, it is recommended that the CD-ROMS be shelved with the books on the shelves instead of in a special separate location. (LRW)

Offers suggestions for libraries on how to develop a customer service plan to provide excellent service, create a positive environment for staff members, foster new and continued positive relationships with patrons, and evaluate customer service goals and objectives. Also discusses policies and building appearance. (Author/LRW)

Discusses philosophical issues and human elements in reference desk scheduling for public and academic libraries, highlighting institutionalization of a desk scheduling policy, the relationship between scheduler and schedulee (impartiality, consistency, flexibility, collegiality, diplomacy, dedication to reference service), and conflict management…

Argues that unless issues of machine help and human help are given explicit attention by the library profession, the disappearance of human help in patron assistance without input is likely. Discusses convergent commercial- and academic-sector trends, implications for the profession, and three policy alternatives. Presents a patron self-help…

One of the most important policy documents for a school library media center is the selection policy or the collection development policy. A well-developed selection policy provides a rationale for the selection decisions made by the school library media specialist. A selection policy represents the criteria against which a challenged book is…

The prompt return of checked out materials has been demanded by libraries for more than a century. Together with other measures such as overdue fines, library notices are used to bring in prompt returns by informing the users of their checked out items that will soon be due or are already overdue. The analysis of library notices sent in the past…

Research libraries were among the first to embrace and exploit the potential of the World Wide Web after its debut in the 1990s. They quickly began constructing virtual information landscapes, including policies, services, and collections that not only shaped but also defined the realms of possibility within such terrain. In their roles as both…

Designed to help library students gain an understanding of building library collections for specific communities of users, this text presents the process of collection development. Emphasizing collection development in general, rather than the process in any particular institutional setting, the book provides a discussion of needs assessment,…

This report provides an update of the possibilities and limitations of currently available mass deacidification methods, focusing on the major developments in research and application of the main operational systems. This study is intended primarily to support the development of a well-considered preservation policy by librarians and archivists,…

The problem of food and drink in libraries and the potential damage to library materials that may occur have always been troublesome issues. Most attempts to totally eliminate food and drink have produced mixed results at best and libraries have expended precious staff time trying to enforce such rules. The food and drink issue is particularly…