This proceedings of the 1986 conference of the Association of College and Research Libraries contains 60 papers--44 position papers, 7 research reports, and 9 idea briefs--dealing with the issue of transitions facing librarians and ways to respond to these transitions through both formal and informal means. Papers are organized under eight broad topics: (1) academic and research librarianship; (2) bibliographic control; (3) bibliographic instruction; (4) collections management; (5) library administration; (6) personnel; (7) reader services; and (8) technology. Specific topics addressed in the refereed collection of papers include: "The Plateaued Employee and the Manager's Role" (James F. Comes); "Financing Academic Libraries" (John M. Cooper); "Developing-World Imprints in Academic Library Collections" (David L. Easterbrook); "Psychological Needs and Source Linkages in Undergraduate Information-Seeking Behavior" (Kathleen Dunn); "CD-ROM Optical Disk Technology in Libraries" (Nancy L. Eaton and Julie B. Schwerin); "Academic Library Censorship in a Conservative Era" (Elizabeth Hood); "A Populist Approach to Automation: Developing Local Systems in a Mainframe Context" (David F. Kohl); "Capturing the Mainstream: An Examination of Publisher-Based and Subject-Based Approval Plans in Academic Libraries" (Karen A. Schmidt and Robert G. Sewell); and "Technical Services: Public Services behind Closed Doors" by Georgene A. Timko. A directory of contributors and author and subject indexes are included. (MES)