Presents three case studies illustrating how many applicants for positions in academic libraries fail to meet the advertised minimum requirements. Recommends applying for positions listing minimum requirements matching one's qualifications and seeking advice from librarians who serve on search committees or faculty members in ALA-accredited MLS…

Discussion of the philosophy of reserve collections in academic libraries focuses on how the University of Canterbury Library (New Zealand) deals with high demand materials and the role an automated library system can play. Comparisons of reserve materials are made by subject areas and level of study, and future possibilities are considered.…

Examines a number of writings that advocate a customer service approach for academic libraries and the attendant view of library materials and access as commodities. The examination is informed by a substantial body of thought that addresses questions relating to customers and commodities in light of some cultural, social, and intellectual…

Examines survey responses from female academic librarians that investigated why the percentage of women academic library directors is lower than the percentage of women in the profession as a whole. Results conclude that deprivation behavior, including antimentoring, blocks the advancement of women directors. (Author/LRW)

This research examines the changes that electronic information technologies have caused on power within organizations, particularly related to library automation, academic libraries, and their positions on college campuses. Based on the strategic contingencies theory of intraorganizational power, a model of organizational power is developed and…

Describes a two-part segmentation technique applied to an instruction program for an academic library during a strategic planning process. Discusses a brainstorming technique used to create a list of existing and potential audiences, and then describes a follow-up review session that evaluated the past years' efforts. (Author/LRW)

Describes the use of an outside graphic design firm to redesign the Yale University Library (New Haven, CT) Web site. Topics include division of labor; design principles and technical requirements; related Web sites at Yale; usability testing; coding that conformed to library standards; ease of use; and communication between the design firm and…

This focus group study explored library patrons' opinions about Texas A&M library's Web pages. Discusses information seeking behavior which indicated that patrons are confused when trying to navigate the Public Access Menu and suggests the need for a more intuitive interface. (Author/LRW)

Describes the library at Far Eastern State Technical University in Vladivostok (Russia) based on a visit that was part of a collaborative project with California State University, Sacramento. Highlights include staffing; problems with funding, space, and technology; library collections in the Department of World Politics and Law; and the nearby…

This empirical research examined scale economies of academic research libraries and developed a total cost function for estimating economies of scale. Suggests that libraries in general, and academic research libraries in particular, are information provision organizations that provide multiproducts and multiservices. Findings indicate that slight…

This study applied an analytical technique called Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to calculate the relative technical efficiency of 95 academic research libraries, all members of the Association of Research Libraries. DEA, with the proper model of library inputs and outputs, can reveal best practices in the peer groups, as well as the technical…

The rationale for using Activity-Based Costing (ABC) in a library is to allocate indirect costs to products and services based on the factors that most influence them. This paper discusses the benefits of ABC to library managers and explains the steps involved in implementing ABC in the user services area of an Australian academic library.…

Presents ACRL (Association of College and Research Libraries) guidelines for library instruction and services for distance education. Highlights include the lack of service issues addressed in digital library discussions; distance students' characteristics; the library's role; and remote service to distance users. (Author/LRW)

Focuses on information and written communications throughout American history. Discusses writing in several media, beginning in the mid 1400s; development of the scholarly journal in the 1600s; growth of academic libraries and the transformation of American scholarship; early views of higher education and libraries; the mission and developing…

This article employs a citation-tracking method for gathering and reviewing literature of academic librarianship. Each work discussed either cites the work of F.W. Lancaster, an early predictor and enthusiast of "paperless information systems," or another that cites it. The aim is to provide an analytical overview on how academic librarians saw…