The librarians and directors contributing to this article review current trends in censorship, and describe strategies, policies, and practices they would recommend. Discussion includes selection policies, educating the public, new technologies and materials, and the Internet. All agree on the library's responsibility of preserving intellectual…

Presents the digital age challenge of tailoring information technologies to support activities of individual communities of users, while creating a globally distributed information infrastructure enabling systems and services to interoperate. Examines: "What is a digital collection?""What is a library?""What is a…

Presents abstracts of SIG Sessions. Highlights include digital collections; information retrieval methods; public interest/fair use; classification and indexing; electronic publication; funding; globalization; information technology projects; interface design; networking in developing countries; metadata; multilingual databases; networked…

Describes the legal and political forces that affected libraries accessible to black South Africans in the apartheid era. Discrepancies between white and black service areas are detailed in terms of usage and bookstock, and analysis is supported by statistics and by reports from librarians. Attention is also given to the impact of relevant…

Describes an ongoing project by the State University of New York (SUNY) College at Cortland's library which seeks to facilitate the sharing of CD-ROM databases between four area SUNY college libraries over a wide area network. The resulting impact on reference services is discussed, and user surveys are appended. (Author/LRW)

Discusses learning disabilities and describes services that have been developed in public libraries to help patrons with learning disabilities. Topics include collection development; assistive technology; outreach programs; staff development; and sources of help and information. (LRW)

Considers four principal topics from the perspective of faculty/librarian relations: (1) the library's enhanced capacity to identify and acquire information; (2) the librarian's role in the teaching/learning process; (3) library staffing as it affects services and collections; and (4) a well-planned library building that includes librarian/faculty…

CD-ROM indexes have made students independent library users, but librarians feel that students are not using the technology effectively or critically. Discusses the effect of information technology on library instruction and on librarians' roles. Suggests that library services focus on accessing information instead of controlling it--by creating…

Highlights the role that innovative rural public library services can play in the development process of Nigeria to improve rural users' literacy and education and enhance their ability to use practical information relevant to their daily lives. Discusses information needs in rural Nigeria and the role of the rural librarian. (Author/LRW)

Includes three articles that debate whether interlibrary loan (ILL) is the best way to get public library patrons what they need. Highlights include return on investment; funding; alternatives to ILL, including purchase on demand and online full-text databases; cost effectiveness; and the advantages of patron-initiated ILL through interconnected…

This case study examines social influences in research libraries' collection development. It shows that individuals' ideologies and political agenda shape their impression of user needs and their decision making. The study also reveals how the institution's operating structures, campus politics of interdisciplinarity, personnel deployment, and…

Discusses various aspects of public library funding, including strategic planning; understanding the needs of the community; community-based fundraising; local tax support; financial management, including identifying costs for services and maximizing the use of current resources; and identifying funding sources. (LRW)

Provides an overview of library cooperatives in Illinois. Considers their relationship to rural public libraries, previous attempts at evaluating cooperative systems, and current evaluation standards. Analyzes the results of a survey on the effectiveness of library cooperatives in Illinois with regard to continuing education, consultants'…

Considers causes of friction between librarians and computer support staff, including poor communications, dealing with patron discontent, management problems, difficulties in purchasing hardware and software, and difficulties with systems work. (LRW)

Describes public library services in England that provide open learning materials, appropriate computer hardware, and trained staff for adult independent education. Topics include mentoring by community librarians, development of a learning environment, support for learners, links with other organizations, and fees. (LRW)