The role of the library technician and the appropriate training requirements for this position are discussed. (RAO)

Reports on survey utilizing questionnaires, interviews, examination of relevant records, and personal observation to assess state of the art of college libraries in Kerala (smallest Indian state). Administrative set-up, organizational efficiency, finances, book selection and acquisition, technical processing, library collections, library services,…

Discusses issues of identifying, storing, handling, and providing access to rare books and materials in institutions without special collections departments. Suggests that although many community colleges do not collect rare materials, they may nonetheless be in possession of books that are rare and that should receive special care. (ontains four…

This description of the current conditions of college libraries in India highlights the administrative structure, finances, library collections, technical processing, library services, personnel, and physical facilities. A bibliography is provided. (EJS)

Describes the latest developments in automated circulation systems and the turnkey system in particular. Trends include greater functional integration, improved user interfaces, and shared facilities. The role of bibliographic utilities is briefly explored. (Author/RAA)

The functions of, and materials in, the Playboy library are described. (SM)

Discusses collection development and acquisitions in virtual, or networked, libraries. Topics include electronic versus digital libraries; philosophical issues of library acquisition; user expectations, including wants and needs; strategic planning, including resource sharing agreements, retrospective conversion, and staff training; collection…

Reviews studies of the duplication of holdings and acquisitions among libraries, concentrating on four types of research: (1) studies undertaken in connection with union catalogs, (2) studies of centralized processing, (3) studies of cooperative collection development, and (4) research studies on the phenomenon of collection overlap. A…

This discussion of America's outstanding rare book libraries notes the inception of collections, library facilities, technical difficulties, reference services, publicity efforts, and research. The John Carter Brown Library at Brown University, Clark Library of the University of California, and the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C.…

Discusses the results of two collection assessments conducted 13 years apart at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Both assessments focused on the central stacks collection, a repository collection serving the institution's 42 branch and departmental libraries. Findings provide insight into the results of deferred collections care and…

A selection of academic libraries was studied to examine ownership of best-sellers from 1940 to 1990. The trend is to keep a higher percentage of older best-sellers in fiction than newer ones. Nonfiction appears to be more sporadic but still follows this trend. Findings indicate new collection development policies may be needed to protect…

Describes the development of a toy library in Gosford (Australia). Discusses community support, state and local funding and expenditures, planning loan procedures, the catalog, presentation and storage, classification, the official opening, and staff support and community reaction. (AEF)

Three articles describe procedures used for retrospective conversion: MITINET/retro system in Wisconsin and efforts to create statewide bibliographic database; retrocon process for Library Computer System circulation/resource-sharing system in Illinois academic libraries; use of REMARC to build online catalog at Johns Hopkins University. Authority…

Description of considerations special libraries must address before building databases is based on practical experiences of Comstow Information Services. Developing standards for all types of materials (journal articles, internal reports, competitors' literature, government documents, conference proceedings, analytics, books), retrospective…

Outline of the operation and services of the Data Library in the University of Florida Libraries includes a brief history, administration of the library system, development of collection of machine-readable data files, data users, technical services, reference services, funding, and staff recruitment, training, and development. Four references are…