Public libraries do not always meet community information needs because librarians are trained to answer questions through books when often the best information in an area is from alternative sources. The government provides free information on investments, jobs, health, and legal problems; experts and clearinghouses are other good information…

Special section includes two articles on academic library collection management: "Current Awareness: Acquisitions to Endusers" (Michael Lonardo and Dianne Taylor-Harding) describes methods for announcing recent library acquisitions to faculty; and "Book Acquisitions: A Purchasing System" (Ting Zheng and Joyce Huang) explains a…

Examines adults in postliteracy programs in Northern Tanzania, focusing on reading and writing abilities after five years of training; the role of radio, rural newspapers, and libraries in literacy; and adults' interest in postliteracy materials. Points to the continuing importance of the oral tradition and lack of adequate reading material as…

Provides 26 strategies for libraries that have chosen the independent learner role and are committed to meeting the needs of young adults. A self-evaluation form on access and a list of the developmental needs of young adolescents are included. (Contains 12 references.) (EAM)

Discusses reference librarians' dissatisfaction with their profession and the resulting negative attitudes toward library education, the professional literature, and the users. Teaching reference courses is suggested as a method of overcoming these negative attitudes. (Contains three references.) (LRW)

Includes four articles that provide the following: (1) a list of state associations connected with school library media programs with their national affiliations; (2) a review of the activities of 13 state associations; (3) a review of state agency activities in 6 states; (4) a directory of state agencies that consult with school library media…

Describes the manual for a Young Adult Library Advisory Board, a teen group that helps to plan and implement public library youth services. The board's purpose, the recruitment of teen volunteers from which board members can be drawn, volunteer guidelines and assignments, a step-by-step procedure for establishing the program, and a sample agenda…

Describes a study that focused on users' public library reference service experiences that was carried out by graduate students from the School of Library and Information Science at the University of Western Ontario. Topics addressed include body language; reference interviews; listening skills; familiarity with relevant sources; service…

Describes a new software program called "Everywhere Access" that provides remote access to libraries' networked personal computers and that is suitable for use with the Internet. Highlights include installation; operation; security; standards issues; documentation and technical support; and potential uses and applications. (LRW)

Discussion of job satisfaction and the level of job performance focuses on the effect of automation on job satisfaction among reference librarians. The influence of stress is discussed, a job strain model is explained, and examples of how to design a job to reduce the stress caused by automation are given. (12 references) (LRW)

Explains the goals and objectives of the Library and Information Science Distance Education Consortium (LISDEC). Needs of the library profession and for library services in the community are discussed, educational opportunities for adults that are available through satellite communication are described, and use of telecommunications for continuing…

This paper reviews the progress made so far in the development and use of expert systems for library and information services in the areas of online information retrieval, including gateway software and intelligent front-ends; cataloging, including bibliographic utilities and machine-aided cataloging; abstracting; reference work; and indexing and…

Presents norms for reference desk staffing based on 1988-89 statistics from over 100 libraries in the United States and Canada and compares results with an earlier study based on 1978-79 statistics. Data are reported on gate count, reference transactions, person-hours at the reference desk, and workload. (five references) (MES)

Discussion of the use of academic libraries by external users focuses on a study that investigated how libraries deal with local business people as external users. Literature on external access to academic libraries is reviewed, and fee-based information services are considered. (42 references) (LRW)

Describes two current studies in New South Wales (Australia) that examined the position of children's librarian in public libraries. One developed a profile of children's librarians and investigated how they rated themselves as managerial leaders; the other examined the recruitment and retention of children's and young adult librarians. (five…