As librarians provide access to informational resources, recreational excursions, cultural explorations, and educational support, they build assets which are critical for young people's successful growth. Identifies eight main categories of developmental assets--support; empowerment; boundaries and expectations; constructive use of time;…

Describes an approach outlined by sciences and engineering librarians at the University of California, Santa Barbara to attract users--specifically graduate students and faculty--to the available online databases and services. The strategy focused on the essentials of planning, preparation and publicity, presentation, and post-workshop evaluation.…

Presents Bobby Roberts, director of the Central Arkansas Library System (CALS), and describes some of the changes he has made since 1989: raising public library tax rates, doubling the book budget, library automation, new and renovated buildings, adult public programming, library cooperation, and fund raising. Discusses politics and the…

An academic librarian answered 24 questions using reference books, then tried to answer the same questions using an Internet search engine (Metacrawler). Evaluates the results of the Internet searches and discusses implications for library reference services and reference book publishers; Internet user expectations and satisfaction; and librarians…

Describes experiences in providing real-time online reference services to users with remote Web access at the Bowling Green State University library. Discusses the decision making process first used to select HumanClick software to communicate via chat; and the selection of a fee-based customer service product, Virtual Reference Desk. (LRW)

Discusses library services at the University of Tennessee to reach off-campus and distance education students. Topics include online research; email; library instruction for faculty and students; Web interfaces; fax; telephone service; chat technology; the library's Web page; virtual classrooms; library links from a course management system; and…

Predicts the effects of information technology (IT) on libraries of the future. Discusses negative implications for school libraries. Describes four emerging roles for media specialists: (1) showing students and staff how to navigate information networks; (2) teaching users how to evaluate and select information; (3) designing information systems;…

The diagnostic instrument SERVQUAL has been developed to measure customer expectations and perceptions of service. This article describes a study that investigated how applicable SERVQUAL is to academic libraries and how influential the study's findings might be in changing concepts of the management of academic library services. Two SERVQUAL…

Describes a study that investigated the quality of interlibrary loan services in Canadian public libraries from the library's and the user's perspectives and then compared results. Measures of interlibrary loan performance are reviewed; an alternative conceptualization of service quality is discussed; and SERVQUAL, a measure of service quality, is…

Discussion of cultural diversity in higher education highlights the results of a survey that was conducted to identify efforts of academic libraries to facilitate or respond to cultural diversity. Percentages of minority student enrollments, minority faculty and staff members, and minority librarians are examined. (Contains 19 references.) (LRW)

Discusses the use of the Internet for ready reference and considers limitations, reference policy, and cost issues. Highlights include general reference sources; database searching on the Internet; Gopher; bibliographic control and access to Internet resources; personnel issues; and levels of service. (Contains 30 references.) (LRW)

Responsibilities and relationships of professional and paraprofessional library staff are changing as a consequence of societal, educational, and technological forces. These changes are having lasting impact on organizational structure, particularly in the face of increasing service expectations and higher costs. This article contains suggestions…

Describes the experiences of Documents Center staff at the University of Michigan Library in maintaining an information service, namely the Department of Commerce Economic Data gopher. Topics include how the service evolved, logistics of obtaining and posting files, developing staff skills, and file selection. Provision of enhanced access and…

Describes a library program to teach senior citizens how to use computers, developed at the Vigo County (Indiana) Public Library. Discusses gearing courses for inexperienced users; balancing hands-on sessions, general information sessions, and one-on-one sessions; location of courses; timing of classes; searching the Web; and written materials.…

Explores the range of successful, cooperative relationships between public libraries and school library media centers and delineates factors that need to be considered in building such relationships. Discussion includes: rationale for cooperative relationships; historical perspective; 1990s perspective; roles and goals of each library; cooperative…