Analyses academic digital reference services in institutions categorized as Master's (Comprehensive) Universities by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching that offer undergraduate and master's degree education within the framework of diffusion of innovation theory. Focuses on the extent and rate of diffusion, library…

Describes the implementation of an electronic reserve collection at the Portland State University library. Topics include a survey of other libraries who had started electronic reserve collections; the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA); copyright and intellectual property issues; and a list of helpful Web sites. (LRW)

Discussion of the role of academic libraries focuses on a study that proposed and tested a model to explore the use of academic libraries. Investigated service quality factors, resources, and user characteristics, and concludes that use is influenced most by a user's perceived familiarity with the library and its resources. (Author/LRW)

Identifies issues involved with the convergence and/or integration of library, computing, and information technology services in Australian universities. Investigates the impacts of integration of services on university libraries and their clients and recommends strategies for the successful management of convergence and integration involving…

Discusses the results of a survey of academic member libraries of the ARL (Association of Research Libraries) that investigated changes in reference services over the last three years and how electronic resources have impacted them. Topics include remote users; email reference; and live virtual reference. (LRW)

Describes innovative programs developed at the Danbury (Connecticut) Public Library to connect kids to the World Wide Web. Highlights include how to select appropriate Web sites; examples of good Web sites, some of which are interactive; planning for technology failures; and involving parents. (LRW)

To what extent is the print reference collection being used? Use of the print collection at a small private university was tracked for a four-month period. The results suggest that the reference collection is too big and underused.

Recent innovations in information technology have met, and in many cases, exceeded all but the most utopian visions for increasing access to research materials. Although the costs of the technology are high and the risks of losing access to digital information in the future because of hardware and software obsolescence are now widely recognized,…

OpenURL resolvers and federated search engines are important new services in the library field. For some librarians, these services may seem "old hat" by now, but for the majority these services are still in the early stages of implementation or planning. In many cases, these two services are offered as a seamlessly integrated whole.…

Librarians must get the most for their money and look to technology for new solutions. Several respondents think poor budgets mean more reliance on online databases and electronic full texts with less purchase of print. Companies that produce both media are likely to continue as long as there is a market for both, but they are gearing up for the…

Public interest in domestic violence waxes and wanes with the headlines. This article describes how libraries can play an important--and even lifesaving--role in empowering abused women, providing useful resources for shelters and other agencies, and enlightening students and the general public about domestic violence.

Two small associations joined forces October 13-16 in Columbus, OH, to create a more dynamic annual conference. The Association of Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL) met with the Association of Bookmobile and Outreach Services (ABOS) so members could learn from one another and grapple with similar issues. Representing 36 states and New Zealand, 205…

Why pay attention to games? For starters, games are the "medium of choice" for many Millennials, with broad participation among the 30 and under population. Although part of a web of new media, technology, and social shifts, games are the quintessential site for examining these changes. Game cultures feature participation in a collective…

Government information librarians value instruction as a way to promote their collections and meet their users' information needs. Government information librarians must choose the most appropriate model for their audience and for the relevant learning outcomes in each instruction session they teach. This article discusses three models for…

Most campuses have no real estate to spare for the purpose of housing yet more printed books in their general libraries. Some solutions to this problem entails putting lesser printed materials in less-costly storage facilities; or engaging in cooperative archiving agreements that retain one copy of a title in one of the partner's active stacks so…