This paper describes the Duke University Libraries' transition in early 1994 from its traditional hierarchical model to an organization emphasizing Total Quality Management (TQM) concepts such as self-managing teams and continuous improvement. Existing conditions at the libraries that played a role in the decision to switch included: (1) rising…

A survey of the faculty and students of the University of Akron (Ohio) School of Law was conducted to ascertain their use and perceptions of the efficiency of the School of Law Library. Results demonstrate the importance of the library in meeting the information and research needs of both groups. Several common threads of dissatisfaction are…

At Southeast Missouri State University, library handbooks have been developed in an effort to meet patron needs in an environment of reduced library staff. The first handbook, "Welcome to Kent Library," was developed to meet the needs of the revamped general education program, and was given free to first-year students in a required…

This College Library Information Packet (CLIP) Note surveys training programs in small and medium-sized academic libraries. In August 1995, 265 small and medium-sized academic libraries were sent a questionnaire; the response rate was 78% (n=206). A comprehensive analysis of survey results is followed by examples of training documentation…

Traditional reference service at the Creighton University Health Sciences Library/Learning Resources Center has been transformed into a vibrant, information dissemination system. Maintaining routine reference skills and developing new ones is standard practice. The furious pace of demand for information, and the growing "technicalness"…

This study examined the influence of background characteristics, disciplinary differences, institutional context, academic library experiences, and the perceptions of the college environment on the estimated gains of critical thinking skills in undergraduate students (N=9,361). The study used data from a national, cross-sectional survey completed…

The goal of the Essen symposium was to bring together internationally recognized librarians and library automation specialists to discuss new developments in electronic publishing. All 16 papers included in this collection were presented at the conference: (1) "Barriers to the Introduction of New Technology" (J. Andrew Braid); (2)…

This document examines the roles, issues, and needs of Iowa libraries in the age of the electronic information highway based on the responses of library practitioners to a request from the State Library of Iowa to briefly address these concerns. The report begins with brief discussions of traditional library services; electronic library services;…

These proceedings begin with four theme papers on civil rights, information technologies, the Information Society, and measures of success. Fifty-two contributed papers are then organized into seven broad subject areas: (1) academic librarianship (stereotypes of librarians, minority leadership, collegial leadership, curriculum reform, library…

Collections conservation is an approach to the preservation treatment of books and book-like materials that is conceptualized and organized in terms of large groups of materials. This guide is intended to enable a library to evaluate its current collections conservation activities. The introduction describes collections conservation and gives…

This flyer and kit were developed by the Systems and Procedures Exchange Center (SPEC) of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) to examples job descriptions used by academic and research libraries and present examples from various libraries. Job descriptions serve a variety of purposes in personnel management. In addition, current and…

A conference on the theme, "New Missions of Academic Libraries in the 21st Century," was held on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the founding of Peking University and the dedication of its new library building. The published conference proceedings included 144 papers. Plenary papers on the six sub-themes of the conference were…

This document consists of six issues of the ARL (Association of Research Libraries) Newsletter, covering the year 1998. Each issue of the newsletter includes some or all of the following sections: "Current Issues," reports from the Coalition for Networked Information and the Office of Scholarly Communication, Office of Leadership and…

The information needs of a small liberal arts library whose curriculum does not support a science or technology research program will differ from the information needs of a major research institution. Likewise, periodical usage will also differ with the two types of libraries. This investigation examines the patterns of periodical usage identified…

The libraries of the University of Maine System, Bates, Bowdoin, and Colby Colleges have installed integrated systems which are being linked electronically and are designed to promote the maximum sharing of library resources, thereby significantly enhancing the teaching and research capabilities of each institution. The institutions propose to…