Science fiction is used to describe four scenarios of the library of the future: completely computerized; rehumanized; post-cataclysmic, reinvented; and post-computer, mental high-tech. The future is discussed in terms of what is possible, probable, and desirable. An exercise is suggested for librarians to examine their own ideas about the future…

The Deputy Librarian of Congress responds to a Library Journal editorial on the Library of Congress' role in the development of the diethyl zinc process in preservation technology. Safety issues, DEZ as prototype, progress and success claims, deciding which books to save, and why DEZ should be used are explained. (EM)

Reviews the current literature to provide information on openings and recent appointments at the state librarian level around the country. The varied roles of state libraries are also described, and a brief discussion of the qualifications of a state library director is included. (21 references) (MES)

Notes that draft proposal for voluntary public library accreditation prepared by ad hoc committee is now ready for consideration by professional community. This article defines accreditation and proposes possible goals to provide a framework for discussing the pros and cons of establishing a Commission for the Accreditation of Public Libraries.…

With the advent of the microcomputer, end users need personal information systems that work both at the office and at home and in the external world. The librarian's role could extend from being an information service provider to being a professional counselor on personal information management. (41 references) (MES)

Presentation of a scenario in which a city council imposes fees for public library services without consulting the library director or trustees is followed by three analyses of the situation, and ways in which it should be handled by the library director are suggested. (CLB)

Summarizes results of a survey on the value of the corporate library and presents a strategy for successful information management: (1) learn the information needs of senior executives; (2) be businesslike; (3) defend your turf; (4) segment the market; (5) market to those who need information; and (6) be involved in the business. (Three…

This discussion of the role of video in the public library reflects on the nature of the video market in 1987 and discusses how to buy feature, nontheatrical, and children's videocassettes. A source list for reviews and acquisitions is included. (EM)

Uses the example of obtaining an annual report for a special library to demonstrate that the same information is available in different locations, using different technologies, and at different costs. The importance of the management and cost-effective use of new information technologies as one of librarians' primary responsibilities is stressed.…

Examination of the downward trend of college and university enrollments and its possible effects on academic libraries notes that fewer undergraduates, fewer full-time students, and more graduate, part-time, and older students will affect clientele, services, and support. Other trends considered include fewer new academic librarians and the…

Briefly summarizes topics discussed within the theme of global information access at the annual conference of the Special Libraries Association, including information policy in foreign countries, copyright laws, the impact of library automation on access to information, and findings of a task force on the value of the information professional.…

Describes problems in the current state of library automation, including too much jargon, excessive costs, excessive implementation time, and systems that don't work. An example is given of one public library's conservative approach to library automation which husbands resources for the maintenance and expansion of print collections and…

Discusses the final report of the American Library Association's Commission on Freedom and Equality of Access to Information, which addresses such issues as telecommunications, access to electronic and government information, preservation, illiteracy, censorship, copyright, libel, postal rates, and the future role of libraries in providing access…

Describes the growth and linkage of computer and communication technologies in academic libraries, and suggests that librarians should assume a militant role in dealing with information issues, including: the library's role in relation to the individual scholar and the university's information environment; costs and budgets; and information as a…

Describes three literacy organization and public library programs: Project LEARN (Cleveland, Ohio), which encourages higher-level beginning adult readers to want to read on their own; Greenville County (South Carolina) Library's Latchkey Kids Program; and policies on unattended and disruptive children developed by Iowa City and Cedar Rapids (Iowa)…