Argues that the organizational structure of an academic library can facilitate the development of an awareness of events and decisions which occur outside a library, significantly affecting its ability to achieve its goals, if the library's organizational design (including its traditional hierarchy) is modified. (Author/JD)

Traces the development of library user instruction in American college libraries, reviewing the major issues, experiments, and conflicts in the field since the 1870's. (FM)

Explores key issues related to innovation in academic libraries--performance gaps, incentives to innovate, nature of innovation, barriers and constraints, impact of innovation, and implementation of innovative strategies--and concludes that innovation requires a conducive climate, capital investment, and a leadership that is enthusiastic and…

Summarizes the budgeting methodology followed at one Canadian university faced with making budget cuts to achieve a balanced budget. The article focuses on the business library component, providing the major results of the process as well as discussing the problems encountered, the benefits, and the drawbacks. (Author)

Reports on the analysis of one receiving library's total annual interlibrary loan requests filled by photocopies instead of lending, as related to the copyright law and the National Commission on New Technological Uses of Copyrighted Works (CONTU) guidelines. Alternatives and exemptions are also discussed. (CWM)

Examines some of the changes that network technology has brought to academic computer services since the mid-1980s and discusses changes that may be expected in libraries as a result. Examples from the State University of New York College at Geneseo illustrate the discussion. Effects of the Internet are also considered. (LRW)

Explores the possibility of adding user-oriented class associations to hierarchical library classification schemes. Analyses a log of book circulation records from a university library in Taiwan and shows that classification schemes can be made more adaptable by analyzing circulation patterns of similar users. (Author/LRW)

Highlights an example of cross-discipline collaboration in an academic library and describes a collaborative approach to managing electronic resources that is used at York University (Canada). Explains a model in which a science librarian and a humanities/social science librarian work together to manage electronic resources. (Author/LRW)

Presents a rationale for the use of outcomes assessment and identifies three competing assessment perspectives that examine quality: looking at users from the perspective of the academic library; looking at libraries from the users' perspectives; and libraries in the life of the institution. Discusses information literacy, and differentiating…

Describes how the Oregon State University library used the recently published "ACRL (Association of College and Research Libraries) Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education" as a framework for an initial self-study of instructional practices and for promoting the concept of information literacy. The survey used for…

Discussion of professional development opportunities for instruction librarians focuses on the ACRL (Association of College and Research Libraries) Institute for Information Literacy Immersion program. Describes experiences at the University of Massachusetts that resulted from librarians attending the program and reports results of a survey of…

Describes the Interactive Reference Assistance project developed at the University of Michigan to provide remote reference service for students in campus residence halls through the use of specialized software, desktop computers, and desktop cameras that allowed video and audio links directly to library reference staff. (LRW)

Describes the process of teaching professional development courses to academic faculty, staff, and graduate assistants at Emporia State University that focused on electronic resources. Illustrates the increase in total library instruction, favorable reactions of faculty, and enhanced image of the library, and considers the future of library…

Reviews efforts by academic research institutions to capture and preserve archival records of American labor institutions, focusing on a recent project to assess the state of labor archives efforts and the challenges facing union officials and labor archivists. Describes the Labor Archives Project (LAP), including the research methodology and…

Reports on an evaluation by the University of California at Berkeley Library of five vendors providing preservation microfilming services. Data are provided on technical criteria and cost. Other factors of vendor evaluation, including location, turnaround time, and communication, are also discussed. A list of questions used to gather background on…