Describes PENNTAP, a technical information service that supplies free assistance to business, industry, and local governments through a one-to-one contact between specialists and users, and through the cooperation of university faculty, library staff, and federal and private sources. (FM)

Describes the elements of a quality assurance (QA) program for special libraries, including one library's program and problem-solving model; the role of others in the library's program; types of recordkeeping; and integration of the program with organizational QA. Ten suggestions for establishing a QA program are offered. (6 references) (MES)

Discusses new directions and patterns of service as the academic library shifts from providing access to sources of information to providing information itself. Services of the University of Rochester Library System are cited as using interpersonal communications and public relations skills to provide resources and technologies. Four references…

Describes the five categories of videotex systems, the experimental uses of videotex, and its implications for libraries as a service delivery medium. (FM)

Examines the background and development of a comprehensive plan designed to improve library service in Pennsylvania. The ACCESS Pennsylvania agenda is described, together with obstacles to its success, particularly funding problems. The effects of the agenda on special libraries are also discussed. (3 references) (MES)

Description of impact of various technological trends on Canadian special libraries provides brief descriptions of innovative techniques and services developed to meet the challenges. Access to information, "qualitization" of output, support for nodal executive, training function, integration of information flows, charging for…

Examines the impact of electronic communications systems on library networking, using such examples as interlibrary loans and union catalogs to illustrate the effects of telecommunications on library services. The need for strict adherence to library standards in order to ensure continued library cooperation is discussed. (CLB)

Discusses the trend toward the provision of educational services by special libraries. Examples of educational services provided by law libraries, health and science libraries, and corporate libraries are reviewed, new educational formats are described, and factors that should influence the decision to provide educational services are identified.…

An urban public library responds to an invitation from the local Fire and Rescue Services Department to make suggestions for improving communication between the library and the County Emergency Management Program. Recommendations are made for library involvement in long-term prevention, preparedness to respond, response to emergencies, and…

Changes in medical school curricula and teaching approach have led to an increased use in computer courseware and other technology. The traditional audiovisual library serving medical school students must redefine the role of the information provider to include helping students navigate networks; choosing and evaluating instructional materials;…

Describes two special libraries in Cairo (Egypt) to illustrate how librarians provide information in specialized environments while coping with the economic constraints of a developing country. Topics discussed include document delivery, access to information, the need for a national information policy, and international cooperation with…

Provides an overview of the state of libraries and their resources in Croatia. Highlights include destruction of libraries resulting from the war; the need for centralization, uniformity, and standards; the role of the National and University Library; processing library materials; and the development of an automated system and network. (Contains…

Special librarians are in unique position to become directly involved in the design, development, and management of automated in-house databases. Software packages called application generators enable the librarian/information scientist to develop database applications without programmer intervention and with very little or no knowledge of…

Discussion of the scope of electronic information resources available to libraries includes examples of several new sources. Solutions to increasing patron demand for materials are considered, including interlibrary loan, for-profit companies and agencies, and services that allow patrons to request materials directly. Issues of staff training,…