Asserts that library services for distance education students should be tailored to their specific needs, utilizing online technologies in combination with traditional services. States that statistics show that many community college libraries do not provide special services for their distance learners. Profiles Rio Salado College and details the…

Examines implications of undergraduate students' patronage of Barnes & Noble bookstores instead of libraries. Students' reasons for preferring Barnes & Noble included the atmosphere; more materials and easier access; more convenient hours; and organization of materials that is easy to understand. (AEF)

Presents a summary of the ACRL (Association of College and Research Libraries) New England Chapter Serials Interest Group's Fall 1996 program on electronic serials. The program's four principal speakers each dealt with a major aspect of electronic serial management: collection development, public services, cataloging, and systems. This report…

Outlines the process for developing an online training course for faculty who will teach entirely online. Highlights include an emphasis on pedagogy over technology; collaboration and discussion; a virtual library with relevant course resources that also serves as an introduction to general online library services; and keeping instructors current…

Examines innovative ways for school libraries to collect organize, and make effective use of student work. Highlights include recognizing original work; student writing; student posters of favorite books or characters; databases for organizing information; videotaping of students' activities and presentations; electronic products; events;…

The desire to better serve small business users for their government information needs led to a study of small business executives in New Jersey. Research findings provided further motivation, guidance, and input for development of a successful Internet training program. The authors' experiences showed academic librarians could improve…

Discusses ethical issues concerning public Internet access in academic libraries. Highlights include intellectual freedom, censorship, technical aspects of limiting or restricting use, legal liability for public use of computers for illegal purposes such as child pornography, and the importance of priority use of terminals by the primary academic…

Explains why the Internet is not replacing libraries. Highlights include the lack of substantive material that is available; problems with finding what is there; the lack of quality control; physical difficulties with reading electronic texts; high costs of digitizing; and lack of access to older material. (LRW)

Within the U.S., information is a good in the "sphere" of basic welfare and security, and therefore (following Walzer's theory of justice), it should be distributed on the basis of the principle appropriate to the meaning of goods in that sphere-communal provision based on need and not on the basis of the distributive principle…

Examines users' accounts of asking reference questions in Canadian public or academic libraries. Discusses problems, including failure to conduct a reference interview, unmonitored referral, and failure to ask follow-up questions; and considers how the availability of electronic resources, including the Web, has changed reference transactions and…

Examines issues and trends surrounding the changing library environment, and how changes have influenced the role of librarians. Analysis of the library environment in the past, present, and future included four elements: (1) role of the librarian; (2) library collections; (3) technologies; and (4) users' needs. (AEF)

Examines quality in school library media programs in relation to the quality of education offered in the schools. School reform efforts that have evolved to a focus on learning are discussed; roles of the school library media specialist are described; and implications of centering the library on learning are considered. (LRW)

Based on a 1993 survey of 187 children's librarians in 14 states, this status report summarizes and discusses data representing input measures, output measures, fill rates, and special questions about the relationship between school and public libraries. It makes recommendations for improving the quantity and quality of data used to make decisions…

Describes ways that the Denver Public Library's interlibrary loan department has adapted electronic-messaging technology to improve interlibrary loan services. Patron-initiated requesting, via e-mail or OCLC's order option, is discussed; the role of the OPAC is explained; and implementation and staff training is described. (LRW)

Based on the authors' experiences as catalog, reference, and network resources librarians, this paper examines traditional methods of operation and the emerging blending of duties and the effects on individuals and the profession. Examines changing demands on library users as a cause for the blurring lines. Concludes that catalogers and reference…