Discusses the portions of the World Wide Web that cannot be accessed via directories or search engines, explains why they can't be accessed, and offers suggestions for reference librarians to find these sites. Lists helpful resources and gives examples of invisible Web sites which are often databases. (LRW)

Discusses the use of a desktop video conferencing product, CU-SeeMe, and offers an analysis of its effectiveness in providing distance instruction and library support to medical technology students at the University of Wyoming. Concludes that the potential benefits of this low cost technology outweigh the inconveniences of working with an immature…

The dual nature of staffing in the education library, just as in most academic libraries, often constitutes a major source of management problems. The blurring and shifting of tasks for professionals and paraprofessionals, and budgetary constraints do not help the situation. Professionals and paraprofessionals must work in concert and in harmony,…

In this column, the author relates his experiences in the use of library technology over his 20-year career at Vanderbilt University. He describes how computers in libraries have transformed almost every aspect of how the library provides its services and performs its work behind the scenes. In addition, the author shares a few successful…

School library media centers should be warm and inviting places where the environment entices children to read and explore. Creative bulletin board and case displays along with other exhibits help to make the library media center an exciting place. Bulletin board displays that promote authors, books, and exciting ideas motivate children to find…

Circulation policies are guidelines used by staff and patrons when checking out materials. These policies usually address issues such as the number of items a patron may borrow, the length of time items may be kept, and if there will be consequences for nonreturn of materials. This article addresses issues library media specialists may want to…

This article discusses BDA strategies--reading strategies that "good readers" use before, during, and after reading. These strategies are in conjunction with free reading as well as direct reading instruction by reading specialists and/or teachers. An explanation of "Before Reading Strategies," "During Reading Strategies," and "After Reading…

The resurgence of interest in e-books, who uses them, and where the technology is headed were among the issues discussed March 16 at the eBooks in the Public Library Conference in New York, sponsored by the Open eBook Forum (OeBF). Roughly 200 librarians, publishers, and vendors braved a winter squall to share their expertise and experiences.…

The effective school library provides access to information resources necessary for students to complete their work successfully, including information technology in providing access to both print collections within the library and resources through databases and the World Wide Web. This article briefly discusses what makes a school library…

Virtual reference services seem a natural extension of libraries digital collections and the emphasis on access to the library anytime, anywhere. If patrons use the library from home, it makes sense to provide them with person-to-person online reference. The Library of Congress (LC), OCLC, and several large library systems have developed and…

The main goal of the library media program is to ensure that the students are effective users of ideas and information. It is important to examine and document the relationship between library media program services, information skills instruction and student performances, which are evaluated on the basis of standardized tests.

The brief history and background of the Library Association that sponsored the National Library Legislative Day in Washington is outlined. The specific issues, such as ESEA, the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), Copyright, and E-Rate, are discussed.

Math and information searching skills might be effectively combined for a fun and informative unit in the library media center like the Number Hunt unit which gets students using math and library search skills to find answers to some tough numerical questions. Some of the objectives of Number Hunt Lesson plan are discussed giving a detailed…

In this article, the author calls for librarians to find ways to implement technology projects with very limited budgets and to consider all the cost components of a technology project amidst the economic pressures. The author offers some perspective on what is involved in trying to accomplish important work with limited resources while…

Citation and print journal use data have been used to measure quality and usefulness of library journal titles. This study examined relationships among different measurements and found that electronic usage correlates with print usage and that local citation data are a valid reflection of total journal usage but Impact Factors are not as valid.