Discusses the shape of the ARL (Association of Research Libraries) age distribution due to the unprecedented increase in the number of library positions in the 1960s and the subsequent reduction in the rate of hire. Considers the limited mobility of many ARL librarians and the age at entry of new hires. (Author/LRW)

This study examined library Web sites of historically black colleges and universities to determine whether they disseminated information and provided services to users. Compared black college library Web sites with other library sites and found that most black library sites only provide basic information about the library and its collections.…

Discussion of interoperability among computer networks focuses on the need for information policy and information standards to ensure information access. Highlights include library standards; challenges of networked environment standards; and interoperability as a technical goal for information access. (Contains 9 references.) (LRW)

Presents a rationale for understanding the broader implications of fund-raising in academic libraries, and for organizing it as an integral component of public relations activities. Discusses fund-raising goals; potential donors, including faculty and employees; infringement on the autonomy of institutions through gifts; and experiences within the…

Discusses practical aspects of measuring service performance in academic libraries. Outlines the local indicators developed and used in a library at the University of New South Wales. Lists quantitative and qualitative measures of information service used and proposes a meta-indicator that relates the resources needed to develop and maintain these…

Examines issues of knowledge management within academic libraries and how reference librarians can become more effective as information intermediaries. Describes the common knowledge database (CKDB) developed at Rutgers University's New Brunswick campus to more fully integrate libraries on campus and to facilitate the use and management of…

Discusses both the opportunities and challenges to academic librarians of information resources available on the Internet. Notes that, beyond mechanical expertise, there are intellectual problems regarding research skills and critical assessment that have increased with the sheer amount of information available. The academic librarian's role is to…

Examines rare book cataloging from the perspectives of cataloger and curator; discusses the areas where a cataloger-curator alliance can affect cataloging, as well as relevant factors over which the two have little control; and promotes a concept of customized cataloging for special collections materials. (Contains 17 references.) (Author/MES)

Describes an online survey that was conducted at the Central Michigan University Library to assess the characteristics and needs of remote users. Results indicate that remote users continue to use the physical library, so traditional services should not be abandoned. A copy of the survey is appended. (Author/LRW)

Reports on the current condition of trade publishing and its future prospects based on interviews with editors, publishers, agents, and others. Discusses academic libraries and the future of trade publishing, including questions relating to electronic books, intellectual property, and social and economic benefits of sharing information…

A quantitative and qualitative study of an innovating academic library examined individual, departmental, and organizational activity and considered three aspects of a learning organization model: continuous learning, team learning, and shared vision. Internet use was the innovation investigated. Concludes that learning and innovation in an…

Describes a study that examined an experimental multi-site image distribution scheme among museums and universities in California, The Museum Educational Site Licensing Project, whose content was primarily digital images and metadata. Discusses barriers to using digital images; digital image distribution; comparing digital images to analog slide…

Describes creative thinking as an underutilized problem-solving skill that can be learned and applied to any situation. Explains how academic librarians can understand, develop, and use their creative thinking abilities and skills in the workplace and discusses library organizational culture, institutional culture, and empowerment. (Author/LRW)

Describes the process for outsourcing photocopying including developing a clear request for proposal, monitoring and responding to vendor performance, and ensuring quality controls in academic libraries. (Author/PEN)

Discusses academic library collection-development theory and policy. Suggests that a standard collection of works specific to each discipline (a canon), is a powerful tool because such canons can censor the works that fall outside of the prevailing norms, the hegemony of the discipline. (LRW)