Intended to introduce librarians to social science concepts relevant to the future of librarianship, this essay explores Birdsall's thesis that librarians belong to a special class of professions that share knowledge with their clients, and that the problems of these professions are political as well as social and economic. (EM)

Deals with the interaction of traditional library reference and the new services generated by online information retrieval capabilities. Described are the impact of online reference within the library context, problems resulting from implementation, and the librarian's influence on future prospects. (Author/SW)

Discusses leadership and the role of librarians as leaders based on the author's personal background. Topics addressed include experiences as president of the American Library Association; libraries and the ideal of democracy; information utilization; tools for empowerment; leaders as change agents; entrepreneurial leaders; and future needs. (LRW)

Considers the pace of contemporary economic, technological, social, and political change in relation to the role of information management as a means for dealing with the increase in the complexity of society. The factors that permit librarians to metamorphose into information managers are reviewed. A 13-item reference list is included. (JL)

Discusses how one-on-one interaction between teacher-librarians and students can turn library research projects into positive experiences in which students use a process of constructing knowledge for themselves rather than reproducing knowledge they find in information sources. A model of thinking during information use is presented. (Author/LRW)

Stresses the need for elementary and secondary school students (1) to learn sources which refer to needed information and (2) to "train the brain" to think through a problem logically. Statements from several leading librarians support this focus on research skills in education. (CLB)

Discussion of corporate library services and the role of the librarian focuses on the recognition and tracking of issues of potential significance to the corporation, or issues management. Topics addressed include environmental scanning of relevant literature, and the use of databases to track issues. (16 references) (LRW)

Discusses the information-seeking and information-using behavior of artists, particularly in the applied arts, and art historians. Topics include visual information; technological and intellectual aspects of access to visual information; physical characteristics of art works; cataloging and indexing tools; access to images; and the role of…

Discusses the librarian's role in bringing about an equilibrium between private and public information interests that serves both information owners and the public, and comments on copyright law, libraries as managers of copyrighted property, access versus ownership, the library advantage in document delivery, the value of copyright, and creating…

Explores the possible uses of microcomputers in school libraries, including library administration and technical processing, communications, curriculum related databases, and online bibliographic services. The impact on students is discussed in terms of computer literacy and the acquisition of information skills. (CLB)

Discusses the need for young adult librarians to offer services which enable adolescents to apply information management skills to problem solving. Strategies to facilitate the development of such services are suggested in the areas of professional development, library services and programs, and professional research. (11 notes with references)…

Reviews studies of humanists' use of information and discusses three characteristics of the behavior of humanists in relation to trends in the application of new information technologies to the humanities: (1) reluctance to ask questions of reference librarians; (2) regard for influential peers; and (3) concentration on research specializations.…

Librarians should become more active in designing information systems so that their extensive knowledge of how people articulate their information needs and evaluate their findings can be incorporated into new systems. These systems would be more responsive to user needs than those driven by the machine or data processing mindset. (EM)

Describes a Delphi study conducted for the Netherlands Council for Libraries and Information Services (RABIN) to forecast the future of information services in the year 2000. Highlights include information supply; information attributes; user needs; substitution of print by electronic information; the role of publishers; generic coding; and…

The critical and central role of school library media programs in equipping individuals with the skills and knowledge necessary to compete successfully in a learning society and an information world was explored. An analysis of patterns of information seekers' behavior provided the basis for a discussion of the importance of considering the…