Library staff members should ultimately base their purchasing choices on the mission statements of their employing institutions. Fortunately, library mission statements have much in common. Undoubtedly, for example, all libraries have a goal that includes "serve the information needs of the community," because on some level, all libraries are…

Libraries and library faculty play a significant role in supporting college curriculum and helping students succeed academically. In particular, libraries are the primary location both physically and remotely for supporting faculty and students in their research and information needs. Over the years, this role of libraries and library faculty has…

Since its establishment in 1839 to serve the branches of state government, the Illinois State Library has undergone an evolution in the methods, resources and services provided. Over the years, the State Library's sphere of service has expanded to meet the information needs of the public through a statewide network of libraries and regional…

This article offers five ideas librarians should review every now and then to make sure the right services are being offered in the most effective manner to the people they serve. These five exercises or ideas may not be completely easy but neither are they difficult or expensive. However, they will guarantee an increased awareness of, and…

This summary report of the Governor's Conference in Colorado which preceded the White House Conference on Library and Information Services provides brief descriptions of such pre-conference activities as regional meetings, "speak-outs" on local issues, and the preparation of position papers by professional library groups, as well as an…

A feasibility study identified the information requirements and alternative solutions for the Hawaii State Library System. On recommendation of the library service directors, the Book Inventory Building and Library Oriented System (BIBLOS) was purchased and installed. The system presently provides for automated acquisitions, orders, accounts,…

This review of Council on Library Resources (CLR) activities for 1990/91 begins with status reports on the following CLR managed projects: professional education, including the Academic Library Management Intern Program and CLR/Kellog fellows; bibliographic systems; science and engineering, including the CLR/National Science foundation Project and…

The program described in this report (covering 1980-1984) was developed to implement the provisions of the Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA) which provide for federal aid to assist the states in (1) establishing, extending, and improving public library services in developing areas; (2) constructing public libraries; (3) providing…

Public access needs for libraries of all types are assessed and plans of action to meet these needs are presented in this update of the Texas State Library's five year plan. Objectives for the next five years center around development of library services for the general public, the disadvantaged, the handicapped, and for institutions. In addition,…

Reviews the research on maintaining information currency in reference collections. Discusses age versus use; continuity of maintenance; problems with irregularly published works; manual maintenance methods; computer-assisted methods; assignment of responsibility; and collection management/maintenance policies. Suggests how to improve reference…

Explores problems in the design and evaluation of programs by which special libraries market their services, and identifies potentially useful approaches and quantifiable measures for market structure analysis, design decision-making, and marketing program evaluation. Eleven references and a list of nine use studies with survey instruments are…

Ten articles focusing on adult learning services in public libraries highlight global trends, support for intentional change, counseling and information needs of adult learners, adult learner services at Pratt Library and North York (Ontario) library, process of learning, administrative considerations, political factors, and implications for…

Four papers are compiled in the section on school libraries: (1) "Zentrale Dienstleistungen fur Schulbibliotheken in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland am Beispiel der Schulbibliothekarischen Arbeitsstelle der Stadtbucherei Frankfurt am Main = Centralized School Library Services in the Federal Republic of Germany, as Performed at the School Library…

Focusing on management decisions in academic libraries, this article compares management information systems (MIS) with decision support systems (DSS) and discusses the decision-making process, information needs of library managers, sources of data, reasons for choosing microcomputer, preprogrammed application software, prototyping a system, and…

Describes a bottom-up approach to a library MIS (management information system) that uses data generated by reports available from most automated library systems and shows how these data can be turned into information for decision making. Data, relevant performance indicators, and decision types are discussed for five areas. (four references) (LAE)