The alert pace of technological, information and social development of contemporary society prevent academic programmes of initial education (bachelor, master) in the field of Library and Information Science (LIS) from supplying graduates with enough knowledge and competences to meet the employers' requirements: this makes lifelong learning…

A library supervisor for the Anchorage (Alaska) School District, credits five things with transforming her perspective throughout her school library career and helping her develop a clear vision and clearly articulated core values. Each of the five required her to move beyond her library and even beyond her district. The most critical opportunity…

This article profiles Rick J. Block, the recipient of the 2008 "LJ Teaching Award." Despite his "day job" and a heavy schedule of classroom teaching, Block finds time and intense energy to be the mentor, internship supervisor, and individual advisor to the students who fill every available seat in his classes at two LIS…

John Fiske (1842-1901) was an American historian, philosopher, lecturer, and prolific author. Renowned as a popularizer of evolutionary theory, Fiske rubbed elbows with Charles Darwin and Herbert Spencer. From 1872-79 he served as Assistant Librarian at Harvard University, occupied mainly with what is known today as "Technical Services," i.e.,…

Examines the exchange of publications, professional goals, and techniques between Russian and United States libraries and librarians following World War I. Discusses Russian and U.S. initiatives, U.S. librarian attitudes toward the Soviet experiment and Soviet librarianship, and Soviet librarian attitudes toward the U.S. and its library practices.…

Describes the changes that have taken place in librarianship in the former Soviet Union. The discussion covers the advantages and disadvantages of centralized planning, the reorganization of library systems in Russia and the Ukraine, the effects of democratization on organization and librarian attitudes, and the remnants of Russification in…

A British program for multicultural librarian training aims to develop understanding of Europe's cultural and ethnic diversity, historical roots of racism, and political and institutional structures that sustain racist attitudes and practices and to equip librarians to provide services to all patrons in ways not supporting discrimination. (MSE)

Discussion of reference librarians in higher education focuses on experiences at the University of Southern California. Topics include reference costs and time demands; reorganization and cutting costs; merging computer departments with libraries; Internet advantages, including the Internet Public Library; attitudes and creativity of librarians;…

Considers the beliefs, attitudes, and values of reference librarians. Highlights include the idea of personal assistance to someone who needs information; users' perceptions and use of information; librarianship as a profession; equitable access to information; users' information needs and goals; and nonverbal communication. (LRW)