One of the first big shifts in how libraries manage resources was the move from print-journal purchasing models to database-subscription and electronic-journal purchasing models. Libraries found that this transition helped them scale their resources and provide better service just by thinking a bit differently about their services. Likewise,…

Discusses management issues that librarians face in offering public access to library resources through internetworking services, e.g., local area networks, campus networks, or the INTERNET. It is concluded that interface problems and lack of an effective technical support structure make access to library information on INTERNET more of an…

Contains reprints of four articles showing that librarians foresaw the impact of technology on libraries: (1) "Copyright and the Future of Authorship" (Barbara Ringer); (2) "Inventions and Books--What of the Future?" (Ethel M. Fair); (3) "The Changes Ahead" (Lowell A. Martin); (4) "Trial by Computer" (Basil…

Discusses national information networks from the points of view of an academic librarian and the director of the Coalition for Networked Information (CNI). Topics addressed include the roles of libraries, the government, professional library associations, library administrators, and the private sector; user fees; and intellectual property rights.…

Discusses issues related to the idea of a virtual library, or electronic library, in an academic setting. Topics discussed include access to academic libraries via personal computers; online catalogs; wide area networks, such as Internet, and their impact on library and computer center services; administrative issues; human and technological…

Questions the wisdom of permitting visions of the electronic library to drive budgets and strategic planning. Social and economic realities limiting user access to information, new roles for librarians, and models that guide management of information resources and services by real librarians for real users are discussed. A proposed action agenda…

Describes the New York State Library's planning process and visions for its future in networked services. Topics discussed include roles for the library in a networked environment; leadership in networked services and training; network navigation; organizational response; services to state agencies and local government; and public kiosk services.…

Discusses the future of computer networks and libraries in light of rapid advances in technology. Topics discussed include information growth; decreasing costs and increasing performance; and changes needed in libraries, including organizational structure and culture, increased access rather than increased holdings, more classification schemes,…

Discussion of intellectual freedom, access to information, and public library administration focuses on three main areas: (1) access to minors; (2) access to library services by the poor, including library card registration policies that require a permanent address; and (3) charging fines and fees. Information equality and access to Internet are…

Examines factors relating to selecting machine-readable information sources from the perspective of the library manager concerned with serving user needs. Professional and novice searchers are considered; remote time sharing, CD-ROM workstations, and local tapes are described and compared; network choices are discussed; and impacts on the…

Twelve articles describe the impact of library technologies on reference services. Staff training, the academic librarian as teacher and information provider, decision-making models for planning reference services, patron database access options, management of reference services, systemwide electronic access, and the electronic library are among…

Policymakers and library administrators are being drawn to the idea of the "virtual library" and the "library without walls," the webs of electronic resources that supposedly will displace books, physical libraries, and most library staff, and are believing the virtual library to be imminent, adequate, and cost-effective. This…

Reviews literature pertaining to the planning and management of the use of CD-ROM products in academic, special, and public libraries. Topics discussed include needs assessment, hardware and software selection, choice of vendor, staff and user training, cataloging, networking, resource sharing, workstation location, user charges, and costs. (21…

The Central Libraries Automated Network (CLAN) of Nevada is a cooperative system which shares circulation, cataloging, and acquisitions systems and numerous online databases. Its mission is to provide public access to information and efficient library administration through shared computer systems, databases, and telecommunications. This document…

This paper explores the challenges and opportunities facing libraries as they evolve into the electronic networked environment, and looks at options for libraries in the year 2000 and beyond. The internationally networked environment has fundamentally changed the way in which people acquire and use information resources and services. The paper…