Describes results of a 1986 survey of adult public library users in Mississippi. Data are reported on occupation, age groups, sex, level of education, frequency of visits, and services used; and results are compared with the findings of surveys of public library patrons in other states. A copy of the questionnaire is included. (six references)…

University libraries are realizing that in an age of increasing electronic access to information, providing electronic cataloging to complement other electronic services is essential. (MSE)

Briefly discusses competencies needed by librarians serving children in public libraries and presents a list of recommended competencies in the following areas: knowledge of client group; administrative and management skills; communication skills; materials and collection development; programing skills; advocacy, public relations, and networking…

Describes three trends that have important implications for children's services in public libraries and discusses possible library responses. These trends are changes in family life leading to problems with the supervision of children, changes in the racial composition of the population, and changes in the age structure of the population. (16…

Summarizes nine papers commissioned by the Department of Education for "Rethinking the Library in the 1990s." Common themes include user education, technological and social change, public policies, and changing roles for librarians. It is argued that these papers, which address adult services, need to be critiqued in terms of library…

Eleven articles discuss the response of library users and personnel to automation. Topics covered include computerized reference services, online public access catalogs, paraprofessional staff perceptions of technology, organizational and managerial impacts of automation, workshops on new technology, gender differences in motivation to manage and…

Eight articles examine the impact of rising costs of serials and monographs on library services. Topics covered include crisis management strategies; insights from the vendor's perspective; the particular problems of research institutions; the impact of tight budgets on technical processes; and options for cost savings through resource sharing and…

Discusses telefacsimile technology and its possible uses in libraries. Applications for interlibrary loan, document retrieval, and reference services are described, speed and cost of service are examined, user satisfaction is discussed, and recent technological developments are reviewed, including the use of telefacsimile with microcomputers and…

Provides an overview of electronic mail in libraries. Topics discussed include general business applications; interlibrary loan; acquisition and claims systems; document delivery; complete text journal databases; reference requests and answers; obstacles to electronic mail usage; telecommunications; cost factors; and the impact of voice mail and…

Advancements in computer technology are making great changes in the way scholars go about their research, affecting access to information, control over information, the nature of inputs and outputs, costs, library staffing and services, and aspects of the character of the research itself. (MSE)

Describes the historical background, structure, and services of OCLC. Ways in which OCLC can assist small rural libraries in meeting users' needs are discussed, including cataloging, access to a wide range of library resources, access to CD-ROM technology, and provision of a major resource sharing tool through the "Online Union Catalog"…

Describes the services offered by a special unit of the New York State Library which serves as a focal point for providing services to state agency staff and for relating the needs of state agency librarians to the State Library. The discussion covers the development of interagency networking and resource sharing. (nine references) (Author/CLB)

Describes a survey that determined the ages of librarians in academic, public, and legislative libraries in Western Canada in order to estimate how many jobs will be created by retirements. Respondents' predictions of library growth in the coming decade and employment sectors where growth or decline might occur are also discussed. (17 references)…

Describes nine categories of library automation systems intended for direct use by library patrons: catalog information systems; electronic information systems; information presentation systems; instructional systems; consultation systems; information services and delivery systems; conferencing systems; integrative systems; and user computing…

Describes Janet (the Joint Academic Network), a wide area network linking computers and users in the British academic community. Topics discussed include interactive working; file transfer; electronic mail; job transfer; and online access to library catalogs, bibliographic and numeric databases, and commercial online hosts in Great Britain or…