This paper first argues that the World Wide Web at its best, has been able only to imitate the resources and services of an exemplary research library. It then goes on to examine how academic research libraries can take advantage of their brand identity as market leaders in the information business. The basic concept of brands and branding…

In order to evaluate and utilize library data for the management process, a German project, sponsored by the German Research Council, uses the Balanced Scorecard as the concept for integrated quality management. Performance indicators across the following four perspectives are combined to produce a balanced evaluation of the library: (1) users,…

This paper outlines the challenges that CEE (Central and Eastern European) librarians have met and some of their solutions. The introduction presents two examples of guidelines for the licensing of electronic information: the IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations and Instructions) licensing principles and the TECUP (Testbed…

This paper presents a case for applying information competency (IC) standards to digital reference services at academic libraries. Practical reasons for applying standards or guidelines to e-mail and online chat reference services are given with some insight to the nature of digital reference interactions. The standards that arose from the…

This paper discusses the establishment of a research service in the Norwegian parliament. The first section presents some general assumptions regarding a research service in parliament. The second section describes the first initiative, a mandate in the 1970s to establish a commission to clarify the need for such a service. The third section…

This manual ensures that the personnel who work at the Information/Reference Desk of the James White Library, Andrews University carry out similar procedures regardless of their shift. It serves as an orientation tool and a reference guide, and gives procedures for dealing with patrons, answering reference questions, making the right referrals,…

This SPEC (Systems and Procedures Exchange Center) Kit presents the results of a survey of Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member libraries designed to provide a description of how they are responding to demands for greater hours of access and service. Survey responses indicate what hours of access and service libraries are providing and…

This paper discusses the role of the Parliamentary Library in Russia. The first section provides historical background. The second section addresses two prerequisites of the Parliamentary Library, i.e., the official documents collections and the rule of public law. The third section describes implementing public access to government information…

This paper addresses the plans of the IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions) Section on Reading for keeping the literacy issue alive within IFLA and for moving ahead with specific programs and projects. The first section provides historical background on IFLA's involvement with literacy from 1989 to the present.…

This paper discusses mobile libraries in Thailand. Topics addressed include: (1) justification for the mobile library project; (2) the different types of mobile library services (i.e., mobile train, bus, and boat libraries), including the objectives of each type of library; (3) how the mobile services were formed; (4) the uniqueness of mobile…

This paper discusses the role of libraries in the preservation of World Wide Web publications. Topics addressed include: (1) the scope of Web preservation, including examples of projects that illustrate comprehensive and selective approaches; (2) the responsibility of Web preservation, including placing the responsibility on publishers and other…

This paper on the relevancy of training in bibliographic control begins with a section that discusses the reasons for teaching bibliographic control, including national and universal bibliographic control, cooperation between libraries and information services, quality service to the users, and development of systems and databases. The second…

This document reports on a study tour of Canadian schools conducted by the Sri Lanka Ministry of Education. The purposes of the tour were to: develop an awareness of the scope of modern school library programming; investigate the aspects of implementation of a modern school library program including staffing, facilities, educational programming,…

This paper discusses public libraries in the United Kingdom (UK) from a social and political point of view and examines race issues outside the UK. Part 1 addresses understanding race and class oppression, including moving away from a Eurocentric approach, features of racism, social and economic exclusion, the language of exclusion/liberation,…

This report provides preliminary findings and a summary of study activities for Stage I of a project that examined public library Internet services that could impact the Digital Divide. The first section discusses the E-rate program and the Digital Divide, including closing the gap in the Digital Divide and public library Internet connectivity and…