Examines the effects of CD-ROM on academic library reference work. Topics discussed include the impact on job duties of the reference librarian; impact on users; system drawbacks; location of equipment; search strategies of users versus librarians; budgetary concerns; and future ramifications, including networking and electronic publishing. (10…

Presents results of an evaluation of C.D. Cat, a CD-ROM union catalog developed by the Associated College Libraries of Central Pennsylvania consortium. Outcomes are reported in the areas of bibliographic quality, user evaluation, public relations strategies, bibliographic instruction, and guidelines for continuing operations. Recommendations are…

Analyzes the attitudes that humanistic students and scholars typically display toward information technology and discusses the effect they have on bibliographic instruction. Highlights include information needs versus available technology; needs assessment; necessary concepts and skills; search strategies; searching skills; and instructional…

Examines changes in the nature of historical work and discusses the relationships between library, historian, and computer technology. Topics addressed include electronic publishing; electronic mail; electronic journals; electronic books and libraries; workstations for scholars; hypertext; current and future applications in history; and history…

Discussion of student assistants in academic libraries focuses on a study of 40 academic libraries in Texas with church affiliations that investigated ways to motivate student assistants to shelve more productively. Student attitudes are discussed, and it is concluded that a small across-the-board pay incentive is an effective motivator. (17…

Provides an overview of the American Library Association (ALA) 1991 midwinter conference. Highlights include federal legislation, the organization of library support staff, fees for library services, library collection preservation policies, electronic access, access policy guidelines for academic libraries, reference staffing for electronic…

Discusses the role of the undergraduate library in bibliographic instruction, research on student information needs and use, minority and multicultural education, and teaching life-long learning skills. Issues related to staffing, collections, access, and teaching critical thinking skills are also addressed. A sidebar by Patricia A. Tarin…

Discusses the Wright State University (Ohio) Library policy directive on customer service, and suggests this document as a model to follow in setting up service standards or guidelines for depository-library services. Draft-depository library public-service guidelines for government information in electronic format are appended. (JAK)

Discusses the process of creating bibliographic and cataloging standards, after the implementation of the VTLS (Virginia Tech Library System) integrated library system, in major Polish academic libraries. Examines the adoption of the USMARC bibliographic data exchange format; authority control; subject cataloging; topical and name heading…

Describes the development of an undergraduate physical chemistry laboratory curriculum at Duke University (North Carolina) that integrates library instruction for chemical information sources. Highlights include network access, electronic journals, access to Web sites, and the need for increased user education. (LRW)

Describes the development of the Teaching With Innovative Style and Technology (TWIST) library technology center at the University of Iowa and discusses the need for individualized interaction to build trust and social cohesion between faculty and library staff as a necessary part of promoting the dissemination of technology in a university…

This special theme section describes the University of Wisconsin-Madison's experience building its Electronic Library. Highlights include integrating resources and services; the administrative framework; the public electronic library, including electronic publishing capability and access to World Wide Web-based and other electronic resources;…

Compares constant dollar spending on research with constant dollar spending on libraries 1960-1995. Evaluation of the indirect cost policy by which library costs are reimbursed as a function of science grant management suggests it has failed to promote cost-effective research. Evaluation of the impact of various information technologies finds…

Presents a case study of a partnership between a university library, a high school, and the university's education department that provided bibliographic instruction on the effective use of electronic information resources to students as well as to teachers and the school librarian to be incorporated into the high school curriculum. (LRW)

Over the past 20 years, academic collection development specialists have dealt with changes, brought about by decreasing purchasing power and the growing importance of electronic resources. Throughout, collection managers have rethought their efforts and revised criteria for selection of materials in new formats while maintaining traditional…