This research brief describes recent methodological initiatives with the Public Libraries Survey. It describes how starting with the 2022 data, Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) updated geographic identifiers to better align Census Bureau geography types with the library's legal service area, with the goal of enabling data users to…

"Developing Collections to Empower Learners" examines collection development in the context of today's shifts toward digital resources while emphasizing the foundational beliefs of the school library profession. Writer Sue Kimmel includes practical advice about needs assessment, planning, selection, acquisitions, evaluation, and…

Have you ever had a teacher say, "I'd love to bring my classes to the library more often, but we just don't have enough time because we have to prepare for our state standardized tests?" This response stems from a misconception about the role of library media centers and library media specialists. In some school environments, the library media…

Uses accreditation and Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) sectional standards/criteria, higher education outcomes-assessment research findings, and recent performance-effectiveness studies to identify institutional outcomes to which academic libraries contribute, describe specific performance indicators whose measures of impacts…

This issue of "Illinois Libraries" is a report of the Illinois White House Conference on Library and Information Services, held in Springfield, November 12-14, 1978. After a brief introduction, the planning process for the conference is described, including committee work, timetables established, the efforts of state agencies, delegate…

A ten-week institute was developed to train library students in the western United States for work in state library agencies. Learning activities included lectures, guest speakers, discussions, role-playing, field trips, four weeks of field work, case studies, research, and report writing. The focus was on state library history, special aspects,…

Offers a detailed overview of accreditation standards, criteria, and procedures used by one specialized accreditor; and suggests ways to be prepared for site visits and reports. A directory of 73 specialized accreditors and a brief bibliography are appended. (18 references) (Author/SLW)

Identifies issues that need to be addressed when planning combined school and public libraries. The importance of defining the role of the libraries and involving all participants in the planning process is stressed, and considerations relating to personnel selection, collection development, funding, and evaluation are discussed. (CLB)

Describes a Carnegie-funded study that examined the effectiveness of youth organizations in reaching adolescents aged 10-15 and in reaching and serving young people growing up in high-risk environments. How the study was conducted, 10 themes that emerged from the study, and the major implications for librarians and their community partners are…

"CONNECTIONS: The New Hampshire Reading Project," a project of the New Hampshire State Library (Concord), involved coalition building, public awareness, training, reading and discussion, and evaluation. The project served a community of over 200,000 people, and targeted students and tutors of library literacy programs and New Hampshire…