A study of how patrons think and behave as they seek information at a major research library (Johns Hopkins University) reveals the need to provide the kinds of services and programs that meet the actual needs and preferences of patrons. Focusing on what librarians think is needed can result in poor service. (Author)

In a large-scale user survey at Washington State University (WSU), respondents rated current services, print materials, and electronic resources, and prioritized those services and resources in terms of importance to their work (outlined in appendix). Respondents also ranked services and resources that might be offered. User profiles were…

Discusses changes in academic library collection development due to societal attitudes toward higher education; budget and service pressures; copyright, licensing, and intellectual property issues; and preservation considerations. Recommends cooperative collection management, made more possible through network technology, as a means to effectively…

Discussion of library purchasing decisions regarding serials focuses on efforts at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University to compile numerous measures into a comprehensive database for decision support. Discusses a faculty survey of serials needs and future implications. (Author/LRW)

Describes the use of an autobiographical writing assignment to orient older, non-traditional students, and students in social work-related fields, to the library and its resources based on experiences in a graduate gerontology course at Wayne State University. Appendices include skill and values objectives and advanced research skills that were…

Provides 13 suggestions for academic library instruction, focusing on creating handouts for students, faculty and staff; promotional materials; creating Web pages; putting lecture notes on the Web; flexible scheduling; staying concise; providing materials in multiple formats; creating assignments to be returned to a librarian; group instruction;…

Discusses the recent development of libraries in Cambodia. Topics include rebuilding the infrastructure; restoring old libraries and opening new ones; government libraries; public libraries; academic libraries; cultural considerations; collections; staffing; support from the United Nations and other international organizations; and the lack of…

Effective management of traditional materials will remain essential even when digital resources dominate scholarly communication. Examines traditional and digital objects in information services; provides an overview of collection management; discusses goal values, information services as purveyor and repository, the role of collection management,…

The University System of Georgia and the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) built the innovative electronic library GALILEO (GeorgiA LIbrary LEarning Online system). This article describes the cooperation, leadership, and technology that made GALILEO possible; the proposal; planning and implementation; governance; current status; and future…

Presents results from a survey examining how academic libraries in the United States manage and promote their state document collections. A questionnaire focusing on general information, coordination of state documents, use of state documents, and electronic access to state documents was distributed to 350 libraries with 277 returned. (Author/AEF)

Issues critical to the development of an archival education degree program are discussed including number of credit hours and courses. Archival educators continue to revise the Society of American Archivists (SAA) Master's of Archival Studies (M.A.S.) guidelines as higher education and the world changes. Archival educators must cooperate with…

Reprints the introduction to a past theme issue on integrating library skills into the curriculum and includes additional comments on changes in scholarly communication; technological advances; library science education, library staff development, and continuing education; integrating new information technologies; collaborative learning; lifelong…

Discusses changes in academic libraries, especially reference services, in light of the needs of increasingly diverse ethnic and minority users who have traditionally been underserved and underrepresented. Library collections, budget priorities, recruitment and training of librarians and staff, campus support services, and the use of technology…

Describes a report (published in 1993) on British university libraries. The report addresses funding problems, the growth in desktop and electronic publishing and resulting archiving and preservation issues, the increased number of university students, the impact of information technology on the transmission and storage of information, and the…

Reports on ways in which Iowa libraries are accessing and using electronic information. Highlights include the Iowa Communications Network, a statewide interactive network for resource sharing; online systems that use the Internet and World Wide Web; academic library resource sharing and document delivery technology; and knowledge management and…