The roles of libraries in providing access to the Internet are still evolving, but such roles raise policy issues that are both significant and complex. A flexible and dynamic policy is needed to respond to the different access needs of various users. Market forces alone will not provide equal access to the Internet, and many public institutions…

This paper examines the choices that Stow Public Library in Stow, Ohio made to respond to the needs of home schoolers. Home schooling is when parents choose to educate their children at home instead of following the traditional method of educating them at public or private schools. The objective of this research is to create a model of potential…

This paper identifies various elements of presidential libraries. The advantages and disadvantages of the libraries' centralization or decentralization are discussed, and some common misconceptions held by the public as to the role and function of presidential libraries are identified. Criticism and debate from the professional community about…

Fontbonne College's academic dean and vice president for academic affairs appointed a task force in August 1997 to investigate, over the course of one year, ways in which the library's development could be centered in teaching and learning. More specifically, the task force was to determine how library and information services could be rooted in…

This examination of the impact of technology on the educational role of small academic libraries focuses on the information access aspect of technology. Librarians at 26 colleges in Illinois with enrollments of under 3,000 students responded to a survey which measured the libraries' access to databases through online searching and the use of…

Noting that one of the three major themes for the 1991 White House Conference on Library and Information Services is the role of the library in literacy education, this digest begins by describing how national awareness of the problem has led to legislation, both at the state and federal level, to fund new literacy programs and expand existing…

Designed to assist individual public libraries in the development of policies and procedures, these guidelines include examples and/or samples of points that should be considered and addressed in a policy manual. Following a brief introduction, the guide is divided into four sections, each of which contains a set of general policy statements…

The boundaries between various information, entertainment, and communication fields are shifting. The edges between our library systems and communication networks are becoming increasingly fuzzy. These fuzzy edges affect concepts of education, learning, and knowledge. The existing library paradigm does not easily accommodate the new, fluid and…

This paper begins by discussing the problems encountered by nontraditional university students who, for a variety of reasons, lack the skills necessary to complete assignments that require library research, and the role of the librarian in assisting these students. It then describes two approaches being used by librarians at Northeastern Illinois…

The 15 papers in this collection include opening remarks, reports on core programs of the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA), and papers from a contributed papers session. Contents are: (1) "Opening Speech of the IFLA General Conference: Stockholm 1990" (Hans-Peter Geh), in German, with an English translation; (2)…

This digest discusses ways in which public libraries deal with latchkey children who spend their after-school hours at public libraries while their parents are at work. Research conducted in 1990 of 110 public libraries revealed that almost all libraries encountered unattended children after school hours, and that most libraries surveyed were not…

This summary of some of the salient features of the Second Colorado Governor's Conference on Library and Information Services begins with "A Letter to the Future," by project director Kimberly Taylor, who provides practical advice for future conference planners. The report then presents a summary of the conference process, which included…

Brittle paper, cheap bindings, mistreatment, and poor storage conditions are threatening to destroy thousands of scholarly documents throughout the United States unless preservation activities are successfully incorporated into all levels of library operations. In order for the preservation and access to information movement to succeed, there must…

It has been observed that one historical role of the public library is serving the nation's youth. Current economic and social conditions have created the phenomenon of the "latchkey child"--the school-aged child who has no parent or guardian at home after school hours and has no alternative care arrangement. In light of this, this…

For the last year, the Rural Libraries and the Humanities Project has assisted 30 rural libraries in Colorado, Kansas, and Oklahoma in developing locally initiated humanities programs. Program packets focusing on heritage, literature, and women were prepared to aid in program development. Development of unique local programs was also encouraged.…