The Sydney Public Library began as the Australian Subscription Library and Reading Room which opened in Sydney on December 1, 1827, with 1,000 volumes. The Municipal Council of Sydney took possession of the library in 1909. The library evolved from a closed access, fixed shelf position library to an open access system in 1910. A complete…

Anecdotal evidence suggests that valuation of library collections is not being addressed by library managers, despite the growing popularity of accrual accounting in publicly funded institutions. This article discusses the implications of asset valuation and describes the development and implementation a method for valuing the library collections…

Surveys Australian public library services to ethnic groups, including library-based activities, community information services, libraries of ethnic communities, and service to aborigines. More than 50 references are cited. (FM)

Examines the place of fiction in the library collection, the attitudes and practices of Australian librarians with respect to fiction, and the factors, including historical ones, which have shaped these attitudes. A proposal for a new approach to fiction in public libraries is presented. (Author/CLB)

Public librarians met at a workshop in Albury, Australia on September 19 and 20, 1970 to discuss areas in which they tend to undervalue their responsibility to the community. The following papers were presented, and appear in this volume: (1) Extension activities for children, (2) Youth, (3) The film society and the public library, (4) The…

This study examines the library services provided by school, academic, and public libraries in the shire and municipal areas and recommends a voluntary network to share resources and facilities. Among the specifics, it advocates the conclusion of a formal networking agreement; apointment of a network coordinator; establishment of an administrative…

Automated circulation systems in libraries for the blind are described in this report of research conducted by the Subcommittee on Computerised Booklending of the Round Table on Libraries for the Blind (RTLB) of the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA). Responses to the RTLB questionnaire from 12 libraries in 9 countries are…

Report on the role of public library services in adult literacy education highlights the nature of service clientele, literacy program development in the United States and Australia, literacy research projects, patterns of service, library collection development, and librarian training. Footnotes are given. (EJS)

Describes a survey which examined local government documentation in academic and public libraries of Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The results, which provide current data on document management and maintenance practices, are compared with the results of four previous studies. (Author/CLB)