Reports on the use of book reviews as selection tools to establish the reputations of publishers. Examines the quality of books of several presses, and compares each publisher against a control sample, finding discernible variations in how reviewers express themselves about books. Discusses the relationship between price and qualit,y and…

Deans/directors at top-ranked library and information science (LIS) programs in North America are assessed in terms of their scholarly salience. Citation analysis suggests that most LIS deans are not scholars of note. No correlation was found between decanal citation counts and programmatic rankings. (Author)

Presents administrator's views on possible trends in college and universities. Addresses: hazardous waste disposal; privatization of custodial services; libraries and technology; building product purchases based on life-cycle cost; continuing education for employees; armed campus security; fees and tuition collection via online transactions; and…

Examines the design of a new library/art facility at a San Francisco high school that complemented the school's contemporary academic program and reputation for excellence. Discusses the planning and architectural strategies and the technological and convenience additions designed to meet greater student needs. (GR)

Discussion of Web sites that are related to books and reading and would be of interest to library patrons focuses on 10 sites, including publisher's sites, book reviews, mysteries, children's literature, the Library of Congress's Center for the Book, and relevant e-mail newsletters. (LRW)

Describes Pen-DOR (Pennsylvania Education Network Digital Object Repository), a digital library designed to provide K-12 educators with access to multimedia resources and tools to create new lesson plans and modify existing ones via the World Wide Web. Discusses design problems of a distributed, object-oriented database architecture and describes…

Reviews six reference materials for young people: "The New York Public Library Kid's Guide to Research"; "National Audubon Society First Field Guide. Mammals"; "Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary"; "Encarta Africana"; "World Fact Book, 1998"; and "Factastic Book of 1001 Lists". Includes ordering information.(AEF)

Discusses the concept of "Blur" (described in "Blur: The Speed of Change in the Connected Economy") and what the technology-based, expanded connectivity means for K-12 educators and information specialists. Reviews online and print resources that deal with the rapid development of technology and its effects on society. (AEF)

The integration of academic libraries and computing centers is being contemplated and implemented at universities and colleges in North America and elsewhere. This trend is examined, particularly as it applies to smaller, primarily undergraduate institutions. Differences, similarities, and models of convergence, as well as data from site visits…

When the Master of Library and Information Sciences (MLISc) program at Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) was offered at a distance, many questions were raised regarding its effectiveness. Outcomes are presented of a detailed case study of its impact on the first group of learners at the Calcutta Regional Center of IGNOU. (AEF)

Looks at the changing character of education for librarianship in the Information Age, examining the issues of equity for women and people of color and emphasizing faculty and students in the emerging curriculum. Examines relative support for Library Science and for Information Science courses, measured by faculty distribution in the two areas.…

Discusses a successful new employee orientation program: welcomes the newcomer, provides necessary tools, support and information, and familiarizes the individual with the institution. Shows how this initial investment of time and effort yields more productive, happier workers and reduces staff turnover and benefits the institution in the…

Contains three articles discussing programs of the National Endowment for the Humanities, furnishing a list of state humanities councils; Institute of Museum and Library Services Library Programs; and U.S. Department of Education Discretionary Library Programs, fiscal year 1997, highlighting the Higher Education Act and the Library Research and…

Describes practitioner-researchers and uses 24 articles from "Journal of Academic Librarianship" by academic librarians to illustrate research methods and a set of seven steps common to research that are also applicable to practice-based problem solving and project work. Highlights include action research; case study research; evaluation…

Asks what happens when budget and organizational restrictions deny students access to books in their school and public libraries. Suggests that without books, young people are missing the places where they find the sanctuary, direction, discovery, and knowledge that literature offers. Argues that information is about data; literature is about…