Librarianship is constantly confronted with unexpected and quickly evolving sociotechnical challenges, yet the documents that define the core professional competencies for librarians are infrequently updated. Based upon survey responses collected from 383 working librarians located in the United States, we describe a set of gaps between current…

With journal price increases continuing to outpace inflation and library collection funds remaining stagnant or shrinking, libraries are seeking innovative ways to control spending while continuing to provide patrons with high-quality content. The Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library reports on the evaluation, implementation, and use of…

As managers of special collections engage with evolving formats and technologies, it is imperative that these professionals remain well versed in papyrus, paper, and principles that inform archival work. The permanence of this content defines our past, informs our present, and shapes our future. However, a constricting interpretation of archival…

Special collections libraries collect and preserve materials of intellectual and cultural heritage, providing access to unique research resources. As their holdings continue to expand, special collections in research libraries confront increased space pressures. Off-site storage facilities, used frequently by research libraries for general…

Prison libraries have traditionally fulfilled many purposes for their incarcerated patrons, and these libraries often carry a diverse collection to serve varied patron needs. However, during the trial of Steven Hayes for the Petit family murders, the prosecution questioned the collection development policies of the institutions where Hayes had…

This study compares the overall spending trends and patterns of growth of Academic Libraries with Public Libraries, K-12 schools, higher education institutions, and hospitals in the period of 1998 to 2008. Academic Libraries, while showing a growth of 13% over inflation for the period, far underperformed the growth of the other public institutions…

The article is an introduction to The Ohio Department of Youth Services librarians and the services they provide. Information about each juvenile prison facility is revealed and provides an explanation of guidelines and standards for prison libraries. Sixty-eight questions were asked in four in-person interviews to present a profile of the…

Discusses the development of a management technique that combats the impact of organizational retrenchment and its practical applications within special libraries and as an aid to survival of the parent organization. Five major classes of strategies are outlined--resource development, productivity, economy measures, interorganizational…

Discusses the background and theory of the Critical Success Factors (CSF) management method, as well as its application in an information center or other special library environment. CSF is viewed as a management tool that can enhance the viability of the special library within its parent organization. (FM)

Describes power and its sources, and identifies factors that can contribute to the organizational powerlessness of special librarians: nature of work; contributions difficult to measure; underdeveloped utilization of expertise; removal from circle of management elite; and small staff. This situation can be mitigated by awareness, planning, and…

Chris Dodge, a renowned alternative pressologist and the librarian at "Utne" magazine, has been known to say, "Every library should be a special library." In order to meet this challenge, the librarians at Barnard College decided to start a collection of underground publications known as zines. In this article, the author describes how librarians…

Reports on interviews with 25 information professionals regarding their experiences in corporate information centers and the value of information to the organization. Topics addressed include (1) knowing the organization; (2) marketing services; (3) financial planning; and (4) being/having a boss. A directory of subjects interviewed is included.…

Discusses several pitfalls that face corporate special librarians, including: defining the library role; management control; decentralization; budgeting; user expectations; purchasing control; organizational propaganda; reporting; clerical staffing; and end-user searching. (five references) (MES)

The Alberta Government Libraries' Council Job Specifications Committee presents an all-inclusive checklist of tasks which might be performed in a special library. Designed as a tool to aid in the development of job descriptions in a library setting, it is organized into three categories: library management, technical services, and public services.…

Describes problems faced by late medieval libraries during period of transition from the manuscript to the printed book. A translation of a manual created for a Swiss monastery circa 1520 provides information on librarian's duties, arrangement of the library, procedures for inventorying and cataloging, circulation, and public services. (31…