What do school librarians fear most? Hands down, their biggest fear is a formal challenge to a resource in the school library. There are no accurate statistics about the number of challenges to school library resources. The staff of ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom estimates that only about 20 percent are reported to ALA annually. For the…

This volume celebrates the first decade of Council on Library and Information Resources' (CLIR) Postdoctoral Fellowship Program by bringing together 20 past and present CLIR postdoctoral fellows to share their thoughts on their experiences, and more broadly, on the direction of academia. Each essay is a look into the working conditions associated…

With their explosive sales and widespread availability over the past few years, e-books have definitively proven that they're here to stay. In this sequel to her best-selling book of the same title, expert Polanka dives even deeper into the world of digital distribution. Contributors from across the e-book world offer their perspectives on what's…

Intellectual freedom is a core value of librarianship, but fighting to keep controversial materials on the shelves can sometimes feel like a lonely battle. And not all censorship controversies involve the public objecting to a book in the collection--libraries are venues for displays and meetings, and sometimes library staff themselves are tempted…

How do college students "really" conduct research for classroom assignments? In 2008, five large Illinois universities were awarded a Library Services and Technology Act Grant to try to answer that question. The resulting ongoing study has already yielded some eye-opening results. The findings suggest changes ranging from simple…

E-books have been around for more than 10 years but are still a relatively new phenomenon to many librarians and publishers. With the introduction of e-book readers, the e-book has become mainstream, with recent triple-digit annual increases in sales. But what place do they have in the library? In this volume, Sue Polanka brings together a variety…

Thanks in part to technology, the boundaries of library positions are dissolving. It is no longer practical to discuss the profession in terms of traditional library types, and in today's library, the relationship between librarians and technology is stronger than ever. In this informative volume, veteran author Laura Townsend Kane interviews…

A vastly influential form of film-making seen by millions of people, educational films provide a catalog of twentieth century preoccupations and values. As a medium of instruction and guidance, they held a powerful cultural position, producing knowledge both inside and outside the classroom. This is the first collection of essays to address this…

In preparation for a 2-day workshop on the potential for library automation in Maine, comments regarding expectations for the workshop, specific questions, and concerns were solicited from librarians throughout Maine. This document comprises written testimony received by the solicitor. Among the issues addressed are: needs and desires in the area…

This Association of Research Libraries (ARL) kit on preservation of library materials contains: (1) descriptions of preservation programs and objectives from Boston University, the University of Michigan, University of Wisconsin, and University of California at Los Angeles; (2) a description of the Library of Congress' National Preservation…

The process of identifying items in a library's collection by assigning to each a unique machine readable code has been generally referred to as barcoding. Barcoding is often one of the first critical projects a library will embark upon in the process of automation. This Systems and Procedures Exchange Center (SPEC) kit addresses many of the major…

This SPEC (Systems and Procedures Exchange Center) kit is based partially on the results of a fall, 1984 survey of the 117 Association of Research Libraries (ARL) members to determine the extent to which they have reorganized staff and the role played by automation in planning organizational change. Particular attention was paid to the integration…

A 1977 Association of Research Libraries (ARL) survey gathered information and documentation on remote storage for selected library materials, including type and size of facilities, selection processes for transferring materials, operating procedures, and record-changing activities. A summary of the survey results included in this kit reports…

A Fall 1981 Systems and Procedures Exchange Center (SPEC) survey of Association of Research Libraries (ARL) members found that of 80 respondents, 60 libraries reported 123 specialty positions involving a wide range of activities. The initial document in this kit on specialty positions in ARL libraries provides findings and statistics related to…

The seven state libraries of Australia are profiled in two- page articles. Each article contains a description of the library and its programs, a statement from its director or state librarian about his/her background, and photographs. (DGM)