W. Edwards Deming condemned performance evaluations as a deadly disease afflicting American management. He argued that performance evaluations nourish fear, encourage short-term thinking, stifle teamwork, and are no better than lotteries. This article examines library literature from Deming's perspective. Although that literature accepts…

Discussion of the development of the discourse of diversity highlights a report from the Librarian's Association of the University of California that addressed cultural diversity in academic libraries. Topics discussed include developing culturally diverse collections; access; reference services; bibliographic instruction; and recruitment,…

Examines current experience and trends in the roles, functions, and activities of today's library directors, based on a survey of directors of large libraries or library systems. A shift in roles, functions, and activities from predominantly internal affairs to an increasing emphasis on external concerns, including technological, economic, and…

Presents an annotated bibliography of 37 outstanding reference sources published in 1993 for small to medium-sized public and academic libraries as selected by the American Library Association's Reference Services Committee. Categories include culture and civilization, biography, general, language and literature, nature, law, religion, technology,…

Reviews arguments for library instructional programs for international college students and summarizes factors of successful programs. Characteristics include: an encouraging attitude; avoiding stereotyping; watching what is said; offering staff development and sensitivity training; teaching small classes; simplifying information presented; using…

Discussion of critical thinking skills focuses on the academic library's role in teaching critical thinking skills based on experiences with a library resources course at Louisiana State University. Teaching techniques are discussed, sample lessons are described, and evaluation of students' research papers and student retention of skills are…

Presents a study of Archimedes as a HyperCard reference tool at the University of Michigan, and compares uses to similar projects. Results from studied points (i.e., system design and use statistics) support Archimedes: the system sees more use during reference hours when a librarian is unavailable, and user time is comparable to time spent with a…

Three articles examine the effects technology is having on academic library reference services and bibliographic instruction. Highlights include discussions of current and future reference librarian roles, specifically the "human touch" aspect of reference; and examples of reference services undergoing technological advancement and those that have…

Discusses the role of the academic library in training undergraduate students in research methods. Highlights include changes resulting from the electronic dissemination of information; the tradition of apprenticeship, journeymen, and master; information and knowledge; electronic scholarship; layers of learning in research in an electronic…

Describes the system architecture and user evaluation tools for Cheshire II, an online catalog and full-text information retrieval system being developed at the University of California, Berkeley, that uses advanced information retrieval techniques to overcome the problems of topical searching in online catalogs, search failure, and information…

Discusses the development of Nigerian federal universities and their libraries. Topics include library funding; the Nigerian economic crisis and the university library system; rationale for the World Bank Federal Universities Adjustment Loan Project that was used for library materials, staff development, and equipment; and problems with the…

Discussion of the organizational structure of academic libraries focuses on a study that examined how the work of academic librarians is structured and whether the traditional functions of public services and technical services are still separated. Topics addressed include the role of subject specialists, attitudes toward reorganization, and…

A discussion of academic library management during retrenchment looks at a variety of issues, including staffing needs in the labor-intensive library environment, acquisitions budgeting, interlibrary cooperation (ownership vs. access to resources), entrepreneurship and strategic planning for problem solving, and use of total quality management…

Access to online public access library catalogs and similar information networks by scholars in the humanities is discussed. Tools and approaches available for scholars to navigate the systems, their utility and contribution to "location independence" in information seeking, and the evolving relationship between libraries and their…

Provides an annotated list of materials published in 1989 that deal with orientation to library facilities and services; instruction in the use of information resources; and research and computer skills related to retrieving, using, and evaluating information. Publications on user instruction in academic, public, school, and special libraries are…